AGCWA Construction-Processes Class Helps Train DOSH Staff

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries is implementing an AGC of Washington program to help train L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH) field staff in construction processes. AGC’s Introduction to Construction Methods Practices & Processes class helps new DOSH staff get a comprehensive but close-up overview of a number of industry functions and activities to enable them to better serve their industry constituents. The four-day class is an excellent complement to the several weeks of training that each L&I DOSH field employee is required to undergo before they are given credentials to work with employers in either consultation or compliance.

The class was developed in the late 1990s and is currently taught by John Carlson of Integrity Safety Services (and former AGC Safety Director). Thom Willson of Safety Educators wrote the class manual that provides a history of construction as well as thorough explanations of many construction processes methods and practices. The goal of the class is to help DOSH field staff to develop a deeper understanding of the construction industry. Students learn about a wide range of construction processes -- from design to bid to executing the work as well as blueprint reading project scheduling materials and terminology. With this important training they are better able to understand the work at hand key issues that can affect worker safety and sequential steps in the construction process. All of this knowledge will help them to make realistic abatement suggestions as well as to work more effectively with contractors to enhance jobsite safety.

The class also includes two jobsite tours – another key aspect to the program – to allow students to see a real-world jobsite and apply what they have learned. Of course it can be challenging to find volunteer firms to allow a group of 15-25 L&I staff to walk their jobsites. AGC would like to thank our members who helped make this past summer’s jobsite tours possible. Informative tours were provided by Exxel Pacific Inc. (coordinated by Joe Sadler) and Korsmo Construction (coordinated by Don Coovert). Our thanks too to the many site superintendents and foremen that made our tours safe informative and fun! Any general contractors who are interested in helping the program by hosting a tour are invited to contact Mandi Kime AGC’s Director of Safety at 206.812.4863.