January Safety and Health Agenda for Roofing Professionals (SHARP) Materials now Available to MRCA Members

These materials are provided in both English and Spanish.

The topics for January are:

• Ladders and Scaffolds (Monthly Meeting)
• Emergency Planning (Weekly Toolbox Talk)
• Basics on Rigging Equipment (Weekly Toolbox Talk)
• Hearing Protection (Weekly Toolbox Talk)
• Slips and Falls (Weekly Toolbox Talk)

It is important to note that the SHARP materials provided are intended to provide you with information to assist you in keeping your employees safe and in compliance with OSHA requirements. While every effort has been made to ensure that each topic is up to date and accurate, the MRCA and the MRCA Safety and Operations Committee disclaim any liability for the accuracy of these SHARP materials. Neither the MRCA or the MRCA Safety and Operations Committee can be held responsible for the content of these materials.

The Monthly Meeting topics are designed for a formal training session at the office. The Toolbox Talks are designed to be presented on the jobsite. These materials are provided as a guide for you and are intended to be used as a resource to properly train your employees in safety. They need not be used in the order they are provided, nor should they be used to the exclusion of any other materials that you feel may be more appropriate or timely.

The tests included with the Monthly Meeting materials are optional.  The tests are a good way of ascertaining the level of understanding of your employees after each session. Testing records, along with proof of attendance, at each session should be retained for a minimum of five years following the training. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that its employees understand and comply with the materials included as well as all OSHA standards.

It is important that all field managers and supervisors are well grounded in safety and receive adequate safety training on an annual basis. Worker training should be focused on those hazards to which the worker has potential for exposure.  Examples include specific training on hazard communication procedures, fall protection systems, ladders, scaffolding, fire extinguishers, and emergency procedures, among others.

Only you can identify hazards to which your employees may be exposed. You are required to train your employees on all hazards a prudent employer would identify. Please do not feel that you must rigidly follow the SHARP materials sent to you. You must decide what training is required for your employees. Training should be conducted to meet the safety goals of your company.  While compliance with OSHA is required, the safety of your employees and your company's desire to act in a professional manner should drive your safety program. Contractors in the construction industry are seeing a significant increase in concerns by building owners and general contractors as to the level of training, workers' comp experience, and OSHA record of the subcontractors who seek work from them.

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