SafetyWorks! Helps Keep Natural Gas Pipeline Installation Moving Bookmark and Share

July 19, 2013

The Department of Labor will offer two classes next week that are open to the public

For Immediate Release: July 19, 2013
Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 621-5009

The Department of Labor will offer two classes next week that are open to the public

AUGUSTA?SafetyWorks! has added two free Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-Hour General Construction classes next week to ensure that the companies installing natural gas pipelines remain OSHA compliant.

?The companies learned that, in order to comply with Maine law, the workers installing the pipeline needed to have this training,? said Governor Paul R. LePage. ?Bringing cost effective energy choices to Maine is one on my top priorities, and the natural gas pipeline is critical to that plan.?

?The Department of Labor responded immediately to the installers? needs, setting up SafetyWorks! classes in Augusta at no cost to the businesses. This is a great example of how we are helping, not hindering, business,? the Governor added.

The department discovered the need on July 18. After following up with several of the contractors, SafetyWorks! staff scheduled the training for the following week.

This free one-and-a-half day course provides basic information on several of the OSHA standards for construction (29 CFR 1926). Attendees who complete the course receive an OSHA 10-hour course completion card for construction (there is a $5 fee for the issuing of the card). Pre-registration is required.

The first course will be held July 22, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and July 23, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The second class will be held July 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and July 25, 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. To register for this course or to view the schedule of upcoming classes, visit http://www.safetyworksmaine.com/training/index.html .

The courses will be taught at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, located at the Maine Department of Labor building at 45 Commerce Drive in Augusta.

SafetyWorks! can train on-site for a single employer or in centralized locations for multiple employers. It provides more than 100 safety and health courses each year. Courses include fall protection, confined spaces, forklift operation, scaffolding, electrical hazards, ergonomics and ladder safety.

Employers interested in learning more about SafetyWorks! should contact SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE 345 (1-877-723-3345) or www.safetyworksmaine.com .

SafetyWorks! is not OSHA and cannot issue fines or citations to private businesses. While SafetyWorks! helps businesses of any size, priority is given to small businesses. The program trains about 8,000 people and consults at nearly 1,000 worksites in Maine each year.

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