Liliana Calderon, Director of Health and Safety for the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about what the BAC is doing for OSHA’s Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week as well as some of the improvements she’s seen in workplace safety over her 17-year career.
Member engagement is key to making any improvements to workplace safety. Calderon talked about the work she is doing during Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week. While it’s great to focus for a week, It’s part of a greater, year-round emphasis on safety, she said. She went on to discuss the different educational methods the Bricklayers use to increase member engagement to eliminate workplace safety hazards. Calderon said that at the end of the day, safety standards apply at home and on the job site. Her goal is to ensure members make it home in the same condition they left the house that morning.
Calderon said there have been noticeable improvements in how safety is taught over the past 17 years, such as improvements to the OSHA 10 and 30 programs. She spoke about the differences in the basic hazards on the job site she experienced during her early days on the tools and the more in-depth conversations held by young and old members alike. She said that her younger self was naive to workplace hazards like a “2-inch heart attack,” describing the scary moments that any worker who has worked at heights on scaffolding has experienced. Calderon has not only seen an improvement in the depth of safety training but simultaneously an improvement in personal protective equipment (PPE), especially women-focused PPE. Finally, she stressed the importance of contractors focusing on safety first so that workers feel safer and can be more productive, which should be the standard for every union jobsite.
Calderon initially found the Bricklayers Union 17 years ago after a hands-on instructional opportunity. She talked about the program in Chicago that continues to help women like herself enter the trades and find a new career. Once she experienced the work done by the Bricklayers and was admitted to the Apprenticeship program, the rest has been history. Since joining the Bricklayers, the safety of her and her Brothers and Sisters in the trades has been a focus and is a big reason that she became the Director of Health and Safety for the BAC in 2022.
Listen to the show above to hear everything the BAC is doing to improve safety on the job.
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