Training future Ironworkers on how to stay safe on the worksite
As part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s National Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction week, Rich Danko, Business...
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John Driscoll Jr., Business Manager of the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 17 joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the new state legislation requiring licensing to repair and install elevators, escalators and lifts in Ohio.
House Bill 107 will ensure all elevators, escalators and lifts in Ohio will be serviced and installed by only licensed contractors beginning in 2024. According to Driscoll it was a 10 year effort to get the bill passed. Up until now, any person could service and install any elevator, escalator or lift without a license. Driscoll said this could be why elevator installs, and repairs have one of the highest worksite accident rates in America.
One warning story Driscoll shared was from the Miami Airport in 2020. County inspectors discovered more than a dozen cases of rigged wiring used to deliberately disable critical safety devices. This rigged wiring, known as jumpers, was being used to disable the automatic shutdowns of the escalators in case a safety measure is triggered. Driscoll said the new licensing requirements will help ensure the safety of riders and contractors by preventing the use of jumpers by unlicensed repairs.
The rough draft of the rules and regulations of the bill will be available in the summer, Driscoll said. These rules and regulations will answer many of the concerns being raised by contractors. Of the main concerns, the cost of licensing and the duration of the license were two pieces of information that contractors request. Also, as more states begin to require licensing, many contractors want to know if their Ohio license will allow them to work in another state requiring licensed contractors.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, American Alliance for Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North America, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Survey and Ballot Systems, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
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