SafetyWorks! Offers Free Training Tools for Employers

October 1, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2013
Contact: Julie Rabinowitz, 207-621-5009

New courses added to the SafetyWorks! video lending program

AUGUSTA?As part of its ongoing efforts to provide technical advice and support on workplace safety to the state?s employers, the Maine Department of Labor?s SafetyWorks! program announces that they have added several new videos to the lending library.

?Borrowing videos from the library is free, and Safetyworks! has hundreds of videotapes organizations can borrow at no cost,? said Governor Paul R. LePage. ?This allows businesses to set training schedules that meet their needs in a cost-effective manner while ensuring they keep workers safe on the job.?

Employers interested in using the lending library can select from a list of topics and videos published on the SafetyWorks! website, http://www.safetyworksmaine.com/videos-pubs/videolst.shtml . An online video request form is available; requests can also be taken by fax to (207) 623-7937 or by calling (207) 623-7900.

?This simple and no-cost service allows employers to borrow two videos at a time for up to two weeks,? said Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette. ?We have added several new titles this fall to ensure that we continue to meet the safety needs of our different industries and occupations.?

The new training videos are ?Chain saw Maintenance & Safety,? covering the components of the chainsaw, chain types and selection, chain components, sharpening the chain, setting the depth gauge, guide bar maintenance and chain assembly, chain tension, personal and operational safety; ?Safe Operation of Chainsaws,? covering preparing a chainsaw for use, starting the chainsaw, holding and operating the chainsaw, general lumbering/bucking and felling a tree; and the three disc set of ?MSHA Surface Miner Training,? covering the 27-module Surface Miner Training curriculum to help mine owners and operators meet the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) training requirements. This series can be used in conjunction with supervised, on-site training as part of an approved training plan.

For more information about safety training or consultations, contact SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE 345 (1-877-723-3345) or http://www.safetyworksmaine.com . SafetyWorks! can provide a trained consultant with industry-specific expertise who will review a facility by appointment. The consultation may include such elements as recognizing safety hazards, sampling for air and noise exposures, recommending ways to reduce or to eliminate hazards, developing or improving a safety program, complying with federal OSHA regulations and identifying training needs.

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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