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MNOSHA Compliance: Construction Seminars

About the seminars

Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Compliance's free Construction Seminars feature a presentation about a specific construction safety or health topic – with time for questions, answers and input – plus an update from MNOSHA Compliance about what's currently happening regarding investigations.

Mark your calendars now and subscribe to the Construction Seminar email list to receive notice about the events.

Location, time, format

The Construction Seminars are now being offered both in person and virtually. The in-person location is the MnDOT Training and Conference Center, 1900 W. Cty. Road I, Shoreview, MN. There is free parking; directions and maps are available at www.dot.state.mn.us/hr/trngctr/contacts.html. A link to attend virtually via Microsoft Teams will be posted with the information below.

Construction Seminars are 7 to 8:30 a.m.

The Construction Seminars are set up for interaction with the audience, leading to better understanding of the topic and more practical learning, and providing a safe environment for participants to ask real worksite questions and get real worksite safety and health solutions.

2022/2023 seminar dates, topics

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022; New hires:  What do you do with them?

This topic kicked off the free 2022/2023 Construction Seminar season. Attendees heard ideas about what to cover with new employees on their first day and beyond. The discussion focused on new-employee orientation and what one contractor covers on-site for its employees.

  • Presenter:  Cory Dukowitz, safety manager, Rice Companies

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022; How to build an effective safety program in construction

A Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Workplace Safety Consultation consultant discussed the elements of the A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction (AWAIR) plan, safety audits, emergency responses and safety committees, plus how to document a safety program. And a contractor talked about their safety program, how they keep it alive and how it is working – daily scrum meetings, toolbox talks, orientations and more.

  • Presenters:  Kyle Casey, principal, MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation; Steve Dresler, safety manager, Marcus Construction

  • Presentation:  Effective safety programs

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023 – virtual presentation; Equipping your teams to destigmatize mental health

In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the construction industry had one of the highest rates of worker death by suicide. Contractors, supervisors, workers, industry stakeholders and project owners must work together to stand up for suicide prevention by raising awareness, knowing the warning signs and educating others. Focusing on total human health – body, mind, heart and spirit – is imperative in the construction industry. Construction workers work with tools every day and it is time to give them the tools they need to address mental health.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 – in-person only; Worker protection in trenches

Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Compliance conducted an in-person Construction Seminar, "Worker protection in trenches," Tuesday, March 21, beginning at 7 a.m.

The time to think about worker protection in trenches is before the digging begins. Every year, employees are rescued or recovered from excavations. MNOSHA Compliance, along with the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety, presented information about OSHA excavation and trenching standards, methods used to evaluate excavations, damage prevention and the role of the Office of Pipeline Safety.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023; topic to be determined

Past seminars – 2021/2022 season

May 17, 2022 – Pouring the foundation:  Introduction to mental health safety; 7 to 9 a.m.

Good mental health is as important as good physical health in keeping workers safe on the job. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poor mental health and stress can negatively affect employee:  job performance and productivity; engagement with one's work; communication with coworkers; and physical capability and daily functioning.

Before you begin to pour a foundation while building a structure, you must test the soil, excavate and prepare the area for the new foundation. When looking at the emotional intelligence of a human being, the approach is the same. We must look at how a person develops the ability to recognize and identify emotion in difficult circumstances to prepare the "soil" for a new approach to mental health safety.

March 15, 2022 – The ABCs of fall protection; 7 to 9 a.m.

Falls are the second leading cause of fatalities in construction. In Minnesota, fall protection was the most-frequently cited standard in construction during federal-fiscal-year 2021. Do you know the ABCs of fall protection? This Construction Seminar provided an industry expert discussing fall protection in construction and providing an overview of the types of fall protection available. Attendees were able to ask industry leaders their fall-protection questions and get real-world answers.

  • Presenter:  Jason Giefer, application engineer, 3M Fall Protection Business

Jan. 18, 2022 – New ANSI standard for mobile elevated work platforms; 7 to 9 a.m., online

Attendees learned how the new ANSI A92 mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) standard affects worksites, what the ANSI A92 Consensus Standard is and how it applies to employers and Minnesota OSHA.

The presentation covered updates to the standard, including:

  • new design changes and classifications;

  • safe use of MEWP; and

  • training requirements.

Tool-tray use was also part of this discussion. The nationally recognized general contractor who presented the information simplified MEWP classification terminology and discussed who is responsible for the safe use of and operator training for these high-use machines.

  • Presenter:  Ben Watson, senior safety engineer, Mortenson Construction

Nov. 16, 2021 – Lockout/tagout:  Communication; contractors' role and responsibilities – 7 to 9 a.m., online

Construction site lockout/tagout topics related to communication between general contractors and their special-utility contractors were discussed at this Construction Seminar. Presenters included nationally recognized general contractor and special-utility contractors who discussed the steps involved to coordinate the temporary power to live power exchange and the commissioning mechanical systems. They also discussed how the general contractor and special-utility contractors work together to understand and communicate the contractors' roles and responsibilities.

  • Presenters:  Nick Marcella, senior safety specialist, J.E. Dunn Construction; Diana Nelson, senior safety representative, Hunt Electric and ECSI; and Dan Wahlman, safety manager, Harris Company

Sept. 21, 2021 – Arc flash, electrical maintenance and PPE; 7 to 9 a.m., online

This seminar identified the need for electrical safety on the construction worksite – NFPA 70E – as well as electrical maintenance and safety programs. Attendees learned about arc flash hazard risk assessment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and shock and arc flash approach boundaries.

  • Presenters:  Joe Schommer, business development manager, RESA Power; and Kam Alipour, regional manager of protective apparel and safety upper midwest, Cintas

View past presentations