Region 2 - Alliance Annual Report - December 4, 2012

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Department of Professional Development and Continued Education of the Professional
College of Engineers and Land Surveyors of Puerto Rico (CIAPR),

US Department of Labor – OSHA, Puerto Rico Area Office (PRAO),
And
PR Department of Labor, PR-OSHA
December 4, 2012

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    September 9, 2004

    Renewed

    August 24, 2006
    October 27, 2008
    September 20, 2011

    Overview

    The purposes of this alliance are to improve workplace safety and health for workers in Puerto Rico and provide members of the CIAPR and others with information, guidance and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to hazards in the construction industry.

    Implementation Team Members

    Magal González, Director Department of Professional Development and Continued Education (DPD&CE), CIAPR
    Gladys Cruz Mercado, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health (PR OSHA)
    Madelline Medina, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Federal OSHA (PRAO)

    Contributors

    Eng. Francisco Borges Aponte, President Caguas Chapter
    Eng. Jose F. Lopez, CIAPR President Industrial Engineering Institute

    Evaluation Period

    October 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    Frequent communication was held through e-mails and telephone calls with the Director of the Department of PD&CE – CIAPR.

  3. Events and Products

    1. Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

      Goal 1: To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.

      • Events

         

        Seminars were offered through CIAPR or through other approved institutions/organizations on the following topics:

        • OSHA and Labor Legislation
        • PR OSH Act
        • Introduction to OSHA

       

      Goal 2: To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by holding the 1st CIAPR Occupational Safety and Health Week, through the CIAPR Institute of Industrial Engineers, for general and construction industries' workers and employers.

      • Events

         

        During the 1st CIAPR Occupational Safety And Health Week, the following topics were offered:

        • Accident Investigation
        • Introduction to OSHA
        • Domestic Violence in the Workplace
        • Earthquakes (Haiti case study)
        • Accident Prevention and Evacuation Plan

       

    2. Training and Education

      Goal 1: To deliver or arrange for the delivery of general and construction industries' focused hazards courses, to deliver seminars on workers' rights and the responsibilities of employers, and to communicate such information to workers and employers.

      • Events

         

        • OSHA 10 hr Construction Industry Course
        • OSHA 30 hr Construction Industry Course
        • The ABCs of Safety
        • Fall Protection and Prevention
        • Slips and Falls – A Case Study
        • Significant Changes to NEC 2011
        • Electrical Safety
        • Personal Protective Equipment
        • Major Industrial Chemical Hazards
        • Fatal Accidents – Case Study of a Real Case
        • Fire Explosions Investigations
        • Best Practices in Dam Safety Risk Analysis
        • Safe Entry to Confined and Enclosed Spaces
        • Warehouse Safety
        • Water Treatment Plants Safety and Health
        • Practical Guidelines to Promote a Safety Culture in Highways
        • Overhead Crane Operator and Inspector
        • Hazard Communication
        • Hazardous Waste Operations/Refresher
        • Safety and Health for Contractors
        • Recordkeeping (OSHA 300)

       

    3. Outreach and Communication

      Goal 1: To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information {e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's and the CIAPR Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.

      • Events

         

        • Included several occupational safety and health articles in the CIAPR TecnoMundo e-newsletter. The e-newsletter is available through Internet to CIAPR members and the general public.

       

      Goal 2: Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s, PR-OSHA’s or the CIAPR’s local conferences and meetings, or other outreach or educational events.

      • Events

         

        • Participation in the 11th PR OSHA Annual Safety and Health Conference
        • CIAPR Annual Convention and Assembly, September 2012
        • CIAPR promoted the 3rd and 4th Alliances and Partnerships Participants Association’s (APPA) Conference among its more than 15,000 members.
  4. Results

     

    CIAPR’s Continued Education Division, through this Alliance, continues to qualify training sessions offered by PRAO’s CAS as continued education. This allows the courses on safety and health topics to be taught to practicing engineers and engineers-in-training, enhancing their awareness and knowledge of occupational hazards.

    In addition, CIAPR has continued to make the courses and seminars offered by PRAO available to professionals outside the CIAPR, expanding the Agency’s outreach efforts throughout the various industries. Over 5225 participants from the construction and general industries have been trained or reached since the initial signing of this Alliance in September 2004.

    Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) *

    Number of Individuals Trained
    III.A.1 29
    III.A.2 126
    III.B.1 362
    III.C.1 500+
    III.C.2 1002
    Total 2019+

    * Please refer to Section III. Events and Products for details.

  5. Upcoming Milestones

    1. To continue offering seminar/training sessions on construction focused hazards and health related topics through Federal OSHA that would allow licensed engineers to enhance their occupational safety and health hazards awareness, at the same time they comply with the CIAPR license renewal law requirements concerning continued education contact-hours.
    2. To renew the alliance during 3rd Q FY 13.