Individuals can prepare to enter industry or to expand their skills with Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10 and 30-hour training at the Gulf Coast Safety Institute this fall.

“As employee safety policies are being refined, it is important that workers are trained and educated. These OSHA 10 and 30-hour courses provide a basic awareness of job-related hazards in safety and health,” said Cindy Lewis, director of the Gulf Coast Safety Institute. “Knowing about workplace hazards and employee rights contributes to both the productivity and safety at worksites.”

The 10-hour OSHA training for general industry provides all employees, especially entry-level industry workers, with key information about their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to identify, prevent and reduce risk of injury from job-related hazards. Training is offered at no cost Oct. 10-11 and Dec. 11-12 by the Gulf Coast Safety Institute. To register, contact the institute at 409-933-8162.

The 30-hour OSHA training for general industry Sept. 26-29 gives industry workers with some safety responsibility a more detailed look at best practices. Topics include an introduction to OSHA, employer and employee rights and responsibilities, managing safety and health, exit routes, emergency action plans, fire prevention plans, electrical safety, personal protective equipment, materials handling, hazard communication, fall protection, industrial hygiene, powered industrial trucks and lockout/tagout. The cost for the OSHA 30-hour class is $295 per person in-district and $300 per person out-of-district. To register, contact the College of the Mainland Continuing Education Department at 409-933-8586. 

The Gulf Coast Safety Institute will host three no-cost 10-hour OSHA training for construction industry in fall 2017. Course dates are Sept. 19-20 (Spanish), Oct. 17-18 (English) and Nov. 14-15 (Spanish). Construction industry topics include an introduction to OSHA, health hazards in construction, personal protective equipment, material handling, excavations and power tools. It also covers the construction “focus four” – falls, electrical risks, struck-by hazards and caught-in hazards. Both English and Spanish classes are provided. Register through Texas Department of Insurance, Workplace Safety Division, by emailing safetytraining@tdi.texas.gov or calling 512-804-4610.

All classes are taught at the COM Gulf Coast Safety Institute at 320 Delany Road in La Marque. For more information on any of the classes, contact us at 409-933-8162. Established in 2007, the institute focuses on providing safety and health education, training and outreach. For information on the institute, contact Cindy Lewis, director, at 409-933-8495 or clewis1@com.edu or visit www.com.edu/gcsi.