El Paso, Texas, August 27, 2024 – In a significant initiative to enhance community safety and health, El Paso Community College (EPCC), the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), and the Small Business Administration (SBA) came together to offer essential safety training to local workers. This collaborative effort, which took place on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at EPCC’s Administrative Services Center, focused on addressing critical safety issues in the construction industry through specialized training programs.
EPCC’s Risk Management Institute (RMI) has been awarded a prestigious safety and health training grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the sixth consecutive year. This year, the institute received $160,000 to offer four fall prevention training sessions, two each in English and Spanish, specifically designed for the construction industry. Excavation Safety by UTEP and Fall Prevention by EPCC. The training targeted workers who have limited access to occupational safety and health education, including young workers (ages 16-24), temporary workers, minorities, individuals with low literacy, limited English proficiency, and other hard-to-reach groups employed by small businesses with 250 or fewer employees.
“This collaboration with UTEP and the SBA significantly propels EPCC’s Risk Management Institute forward by expanding our reach and impact within the community,” Cecy Maurer, EPCC Risk Management Institute Coordinator, said. “The continued support from OSHA through the Susan Harwood Training Grant allows us to provide essential safety training to vulnerable worker populations, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills to work safely. Together, we are building a safer, healthier workforce and fostering a culture of safety that benefits everyone in El Paso.”
The Fall Prevention course covered OSHA’s fall protection standards, focusing on the safety and health hazards associated with falls from ladders and scaffolds. Participants learned about the evaluation, prevention, and abatement of these hazards, equipping them with the knowledge to work safely and effectively.
UTEP complemented this initiative by offering Excavation Safety training, further enhancing the safety skills of local workers. This comprehensive approach ensured that various aspects of workplace safety are addressed, providing a well-rounded education for the community.
To date, the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program has awarded more than $1 million to EPCC, enabling the training of over 6,500 workers. This year, the program granted $12.7 million to various non-profit organizations, including community and faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor-management associations, Native American tribes, and local and state-sponsored colleges and universities. These grants are awarded on a competitive basis to support education and training that help workers and employers recognize serious workplace hazards, employ injury prevention strategies, and understand their rights and responsibilities under federal law.
This collaboration between EPCC, UTEP, and the SBA represents a significant step forward in promoting workplace safety and health in the El Paso community. By providing targeted training to vulnerable worker populations, this initiative aims to reduce workplace injuries and create a safer working environment for all.
Pictures courtesy: Rudy Gutierrez/EPCC
EPCC SBA UTEP Risk Management Ins. Crowd
SBA’s Suze Aguirre, EPCC’s Cecy Maurer, and UTEP’s Nanette Giron.
Vazquez Speaks to Crowd
EPCC Risk Management’s Fernando Vazquez
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