In the United States, OSHA governs all places of employments (workplaces). With the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards - and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. It is a requirement of OSHA that employees be given a safe and healthy workplace that is reasonably free of occupational hazards.
Of all the industries governed by OSHA, the construction industry, along with agriculture and maritime, operate under an even higher level of regulated standards. The safety and health programs they administer foster a proactive approach to “finding and fixing” job site hazards before they can cause injury or illness. Rather than reacting to an incident, management and workers collaborate to identify and solve issues before they occur. And event with diligent efforts, as OSHA shares on their website “ it is unrealistic to expect accidents not to happen”
A key part of OSHA’s safety net of regulation is the requirement that employers provide medical and first aid personnel and supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace. The details of a workplace medical and first aid program are dependent on the circumstances of each workplace and employer. At WPC we take first aid a step further by offering CPR training and first aid certification classes conducted by our Safety & Risk Director, Christina Skirvin. Further setting WPC’s safety program apart from the majority of the construction industry, our Safety Director comes with a special set of qualifications that elevate and enforce WPC’s safety program. Christina’s certifications include:
OSHA Instructor – As an OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 instructor Christina ensures that all WPC team members in the field have an OSHA certification and she also volunteers her time to teach OSHA 10 to the Orange County high school students enrolled in the ACT construction program.
Stormwater Inspector Instructor – Preserving the natural beauty of Florida’s waterways is a very important aspect of construction work, and by having an NPDES instructor on the WPC team we’re able to ensure we’re always in compliance.
Red Cross CPR/First Aid Instructor – This is the first time WPC has had a CPR instructor on staff and it’s made a great difference. Christina travels to jobsites for trainings, and when and where it’s needed, resulting in less down time for the projects.
We join Christina at the 1st quarter CPR Training class. WPC conducts several opportunities each year where all jobsite and office personnel are invited to become certified in CPR. The half day training is paid time for employees. WPC’s investment in CPR training has spanned decades and greatly elevated six years ago when hiring Christina, who as a CPR/First Aid Instructor, conducts regular certification trainings.
The two levels of performing CPR are chest compression and rescue breathing. According to the American Heart Association, performing chest compression only CPR for a cardiac arrest has the same statistical odds of saving a person’s life as CPR with rescue breathing. Rescue Breathing – requires a special protective mouthpiece and is used largely for cardiac arrest.
Safety is everyone's responsibility and it is an integral part of day to day operations at WPC. In addition to the national safety regulations mandated and monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, WPC has established an enhanced protocol for all of our jobsites. All WPC employees are cultured to take an active interest and particiaption in safety programs, and extensively trained to look for, record, and correct all unsafe conditions. Learn more about WPC's Safety Program.