Cari Elofson, Assistant Director of the OSHA Training Center
It’s vitally important for employers to remember that they are required to protect their workers from the potential hazards related to wildfire response and recovery.
Dublin, CA (PRWEB) October 27, 2017
The OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, the only authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Center headquartered in Northern California, has announced a major public education initiative to help protect workers from the potential hazards associated with wildfire recovery operations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has made a wide array of wildfire response and recovery resources available on its website, including downloadable brochures, guidelines and training materials; links to helpful information from the Centers for Disease Control, the Departments of Interior and Health and Human Services and the American Red Cross; and an extensive library of OSHA fact sheets and summaries on how to safely eliminate or control common wildfire recovery hazards.
“In the aftermath of devastating wildfires in California and other areas of the US, many contractors and workers will be involved in a wide variety of response and recovery operations,” says Cari Elofson, Assistant Director of the OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. “It’s vitally important for employers to remember that they are required to protect their workers from the potential hazards related to wildfire response and recovery. If you need assistance with General Site Worker training, please contact us.”
One of the most comprehensive resources available on the OSHA website is a health and safety orientation, Wildfire Response Orientation: Protecting Yourself While Responding to Wildfires, produced by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). This awareness-level health and safety orientation was developed for support personnel who participate in wildfire assessment and cleanup, and is intended to help workers understand the characteristics of wildfire response and how to protect against and control hazards associated with response, assessment and cleanup activities.
Additional resources cover a variety of wildfire recovery aspects, including:
- Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Demolition safety
- General decontamination
- Safe fire ash clean-up
- Lead and asbestos hazards
- Mold and fungi hazards
- Tree trimming safety
- Work zone traffic safety
Visit OSHA’s Wildfires webpage for additional resources on wildfire response and recovery.
About the OSHA Training Center
The OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District offers high quality Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards-based training for the construction, maritime and general industry in Dublin, California, conveniently located in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as locations throughout California, Nevada and Hawaii. Programs offered include OSHA safety standards, Outreach Trainer courses, Cal/OSHA standards and customized on-site safety training. For more information, including a complete course schedule, call (866) 936-OSHA (6742), email otc(at)clpccd(dot)org or visit the OSHA Training Center website.