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 - Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Administration (PR-OSHA)

Date Signed

September 9, 2004

Renewed

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

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

Ilza S. Román, Director Voluntary Programs Division, PR OSHA.

Madelline Medina, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Federal OSHA (PRAO)

Contributors

N/A

Evaluation Period

January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015

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

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 10,000 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.

1. Alliance Background
2. Implementation Team Meetings
3. Events and Products

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

   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.

   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.

   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.

   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.

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

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

      • Events
        • Introduction to OSHA
        • Introduction to OSHA in 30hr construction industry courses
        • Introduction to OSHA in 10hr construction industry course
        • Construction Work Zone Safety
        • Road Construction Safety
        • Cranes and Derricks
        • Confined Spaces in Construction
        • Demolition Safety
        • Soil engineering basic concepts
        • Soil Mechanics
        • Safe Installation ad Dismantling of Scaffolding Systems
        • Fall Prevention and Protection
        • Inspection of Construction Projects
        • Residential Wiring (during Construction): Theory and Practice
        • Fire Suppression Systems
        • Transformers and Distribution of Electrical Energy
        • Power Transmission and Distribution and Work on Energized Lines
        • Arc Flash
        • Electrical Tools
        • Grounding and Bonding
        • Welding Safety Inspections for Supervisors
        • Oxy-Acetylene welding
        • Arc welding
        • Process Safety Management
        • Introduction to Indoor Air Quality and its importance in maintaining HVAC systems
        • Elevators and Mechanical Ladders: Safety and Maintenance
        • Hazwoper Refresher
        • Hazwoper 40hr
        • Hazard Communication and GHS
        • Evacuation Planning: Laws and Regulations
        • Emergency Action Plans
        • Asbestos refresher
        • Violence in the Workplace
        • Safety and Health Management System
        • Voluntary Protection Program
      • Events
        • As an alliances’ participant, distributed information to membership about the 6th Annual Safety, Occupational Health and Environmental Conference conducted in October 1-2, 2015.
        • Distributed information to membership on over 75 seminars or courses on safety and/or health topics (internal and external to the organization).
   2. Training and Education
      • Events
        • OSHA General Industry standards
        • OSHA 30hr Construction Industry Course
        • OSHA 10hr Construction Industry Course
        • Administration and inspection of Construction Projects
        • Evaluation and Inspection of Existing Structures
        • Innovative initiatives and construction processes for road safety Improvements
        • Electric substation: The Power Transformer General Concepts and Maintenance
        • Law 257: Excavations and Demolitions in Puerto Rico
        • Compacted Soil
        • Earthquakes Load Design
        • Wall retention structures general concepts
        • Wind Load Design
        • Mechanized stabilization of earth walls and slopes’ reinforcement
        • Safety in Engineering and Land Surveying
        • Reinforced Concrete with Steel fibers
        • DOT Safe Transportation of Hazardous Waste and Materials
        • The Engineer’s Role in the Forensic Analysis of Accidents
        • Introduction to Reconstruction of Accidents
        • Dust Collectors: Explosion Protection Options +
   3. Outreach and Communication
      • Events
        • “Preliminary seismic evaluation of Puerto Rico’s hospitals” article in the CIAPR Dimensión e-newsletter. The e-newsletter is available through Internet to CIAPR members and the general public.
        • 1st Safety, Health and Environmental Summit
      • Events
        1. CIAPR Annual Convention and Assembly, August 2015
4. Results
5. *Please refer to Section III: Events and Products for details.

   Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) *	Number of Individuals Trained/Reached
   III.A.1	1283
   III.A.2	13,000
   III.B.1	1344
   III.C.1	673
   III.C.2	299
   TOTAL	16599

6. Upcoming Milestones
   1. 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.
   2. To renew the alliance during 2nd Q FY 16.