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

1. Alliance Background

   Date Signed

   September 9, 2004

   Renewed

   August 24, 2006
   October 27, 2008
   September 20, 2011
   February 12, 2014
   March 9, 2017

   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

   Gloria Torres, González, Director Department of Professional Development and Continued Education (DPD&CE), CIAPR

   María del Carmen Rodríguez, Compliance Assistance Specialist, PR OSHA

   Madelline Medina, Safety Engineer, Federal OSHA (Region 2/Technical Support)

   Contributors

   N/A

   Evaluation Period

   January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018

2. Implementation Team Meetings

   Periodic communication was held through e-mails and telephone calls with the CIAPR, PR OSHA, and Federal OSHA implementation team members.

   In addition, in-person meeting were held on September 12, 2018 and on February 1, 2019 (final 2017-2019 alliance meeting).

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:

        • Introduction to OSHA in 10hr General Industry course
        • Introduction to OSHA in 30hr General Industry Course
        • Trenches and Excavations
        • Personal Protection Equipment
        • Fall Protection Systems
        • Fire Extinguishers – Use and Handling
        • In Force: Fire Code and New Requirements for Designers and Inspectors
        • Overhead and Gantry Cranes
        • Blood borne Pathogens (and biofilms)
        • An Introduction to Hazardous Materials
        • Hazwoper Refresher
        • Hazwoper
        • Introduction to MUTCD 2010 and 2014 Supplement
        • Safety Training in Highway Construction Work Zones
        • Bonding and Grounding based on 2017 NEC
        • Accidents in Elevators and Mechanical Stairs – How to investigate and document
        • Confined Spaces
        • Silica Competent Person Training
        • Respirable Silica
        • Hazard Communication
        • Asbestos Awareness
        • Major Industrial Chemical Hazards
        • Combined Chlorine management (PSM)

      Goal 2: To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health issues by disseminating information on the various meetings and seminars being conducted by the organizations participating in this Alliance.

      • Events

        • Distributed information to membership on over 45 seminars or courses on safety and/or health topics (internal and external to the organization).
        • Disseminated information by e-mail on the Workers’ Memorial Day Commemoration to all CIAPR members.
        • Provided information to CIAPR members on Safe + Sound Campaign and Fall Safety Stand-Down Week.

   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 10hr General Industry Course
        • OSHA 30hr Construction Industry Course
        • Safety Management Systems Simplified
        • Slips, Trips, and Falls – its consequences (Accident investigation)
        • Fundamentals of Emergency
        • Intro to Incident Command Systems (ICS 100)
        • ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents (ICS 200)
        • National Incident Management System (NIMS)
        • FEMA Pre and Prost Seismic Hazards – Evaluation of Buildings
        • FEMA Hurricane Preparedness
        • Hurricane Awareness
        • Hurricane Maria – The Perfect Storm
        • Hurricanes and Experiences: Before, During and After
        • Continuity of Operations during Extreme Weather Events
        • DOT HazMat Regulations Training – Refresher
        • Dispersion of Toxic Gases and Explosives
        • Planning, Construction and Operation of the Electrical System in Puerto Rico
        • Temporary Highway Traffic Control
        • Puerto Rico’s New Construction Code
        • High Voltage Breakers – Technical Seminar
        • Structural Repairs
        • Structural Concepts applied to Bridges
        • Inspection of Bridges
        • Domestic Violence in the Workplace
        • Violence in the Workplace
        • Air Quality Control – Laws and Regulations

   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

        • “PRHTA Bridge Assessment And Remediation Strategies Post-Hurricane Maria”, article in CIAPR’s “Dimensión” e-newsletter, Vol 1, 2018.
        • “Hurricane María: Synopsis and preliminary analysis on its impact in Puerto Rico’s infrastructure”, article in CIAPR’s “Dimensión” e-newsletter, Vol 1, 2018.
        • “Lessons Learned From The Evaluation Of Concrete Pole Failures Following Hurricane Maria”, article in CIAPR’s “Dimensión” e-newsletter, Vol 1, 2018.

          Note: The e-newsletter is available through Internet to CIAPR members and the 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

        • No activity was conducted under this goal.

4. Results

   CIAPR’s Continued Education Division, through this Alliance, continues to qualify training sessions offered by Regional Office Technical Support Safety Engineer as continued education. This allows the courses on safety and health topics to be taught to professional engineers (PE) and engineers-in-training (EIT), enhancing their awareness and knowledge of occupational hazards. CIAPR is also allowing EITs and PEs who attend safety and/or health seminars and courses outside the institutions to obtain CEUs, which can be credited towards their licenses’ CEUs.

   In addition, CIAPR has continued to make the courses and seminars offered by OSHA available to professionals outside the CIAPR, expanding the Agency’s outreach efforts throughout the various industries. Over 13,372 participants from the construction and general industries have attended safety and/or health courses, seminars, conferences, or speeches since the initial signing of this Alliance in September 2004.

    

   Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) *	Number of Individuals Trained/Reached
   III.A.1	1002
   III.A.2	13969
   III.B.1	1286
   III.C.1	2697
   III.C.2	0
   TOTAL	18954

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

    

5. Upcoming Milestones

   1. To renew the alliance in 2019.
   2. To continue offering seminar/training sessions on construction and general industry safety and health related topics through this Alliance. This will 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.