Our lead instructor, Sid Woryn, is here sharing some important information about being a Michigan Builder. Today is MIOSHA Rules Part #1, where he talks about a Competent Person on job sites.
Most of you know about MIOSHA's requirement for a competent person that's in the MIOSHA general rule. It's one of the very first things that is listed. But how do you become a competent person, and what are the duties of a competent person? Sid is here and ready to share the important information you want.
Hey, Hello again. This is Sid from Michigan Builders. Okay. Again, some things that have been happening out in the trades out in the field, and I want to bring your attention to something here. Okay.
Most of you know or remember about my OSHA's requirement for a competent person that's in my OSHA general rule. That's one of the very first things that comes up. Okay. And how do you become a competent person, and what are the duties of a competent person? Well, I will touch on some basic stuff but then go into detail on some problems out there.
Most of the time, the competent person would be a foreman or a superintendent for a general contractor who has experience in construction already. And there's a class that you can take, a 30-hour OSHA presentation that helps you to become a competent person.
The purpose is to know the requirements of the construction safety standards, number one, and then to take prompt corrective measures on a job site. And that's what has been a problem in the past. The other issue is that the competent person is looking for and making people aware of any possible hazardous conditions on the job site, and this can be a wide range of material.
For example, overhead power lines might be low enough that the sky track or someone moving a ladder could come in contact with it. But there are other issues on the ground as well. The competent person is looking for hazardous conditions on the ground, such as poison oak, poison sumac, poison ivy, and Hogweed.
They also are looking for the possibility of Michigan rattlers that may be underneath the plywood or underneath pallets that you're moving. The competent person is also looking for the possibility of yellow jacket nests, wasps, hornets, and things of that nature to bring people's attention to avoiding those locations. In other words, he's trying to provide safety for everybody on the job site if needed.
The competent person is also supposed to have a first aid card in their possession. Normally, that first aid card includes first aid and CPR. You can take those classes at various locations that offer them. Someone in your company should have a first aid card and know how to give CPR, not only for your employees but also for your personal use back at home.
The competent person is required to get the safety data sheets from all subcontractors before they start work. The purpose of the safety data sheets is so that when you look at it, it tells you what the first aid treatment is. For example, your Masons are coming to work on the job site, and at the end of it, they're going to acid wash. Well, if they get acid in their eyes and the process of washing it, you can go to a safety data sheet, and it'll tell you how to apply for safety. That particular situation. That's why the safety data sheets have to be kept on the job site.
