The Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago Teams Up with The Horton Group to Teach Course on OSHA’s New Standard for Confined Spaces in Construction

The course will provide an in-depth introduction to the complex new rule

CHICAGO—The Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago has teamed up with the Horton Group’s Gary Glader—a leading safety consultant—to teach a comprehensive workshop on OSHA’s new Confined Spaces in Construction standard, which went into effect August 3.The far-reaching new rule mandates stricter stipulations for entering and working in confined spaces on construction jobsites. The course, which will be offered at MCA Chicago’s Construction Education Institute on Oct. 22, is aimed at facility owners and managers as well as employers, managers and trades workers in the mechanical and general contracting industries.

Under OSHA’s new provisions, contractors must develop a written confined space entry program that specifies procedures for entry and that establishes a concrete emergency rescue plan. The new rule also requires that contractors develop a confined space permit system and appoint a trained individual to identity the types of confined spaces involved in a project. In addition, contractors must now coordinate communications with the controlling employer and host employer and provide training to all personnel involved in confined space entry activity on a jobsite.

A certified instructor for the OSHA Training Institute, Glader will provide an in-depth introduction to the intricacies of the new rule. The course will survey a broad range of topics, including:

• The hazards associated with working in confined spaces
• The different types of confined spaces
• The procedures specific to each space
• The new requirements for a written confined space entry program
• The roles and responsibilities of the employers
• A recommended course of action for implementing an effective confined space entry program

The course will also highlight the financial risks of disregarding or violating the new rule.

“Given his expertise and his extensive experience in dealing with OSHA and trade associations, Gary [Glader] was the logical choice to teach this course,” said MCA Chicago Executive Vice President Stephen Lamb. “At MCA, safety and education are two of our highest priorities, and it is our goal to provide our members with the most up-to-date and extensive safety education possible. Everyone wants to see their employees and colleagues get home safe, and that starts with education and awareness on the jobsite.”

MCA Chicago presents this new course alongside twelve other certified safety courses offered through the Construction Education Institute this semester, including two “Confined Space Entry” courses available online. The first of these remote courses is intended to train workers on the various types of confined spaces and their corresponding entry requirements, and the second is intended to train workers how to work safely within permit-required confined spaces. The courses are open to all members of the Piping Education Counsel, as well as affiliated trade associations. The Construction Education Institute is located at 7065 Veterans Boulevard in Burr Ridge, Ill. For more information, visit mca.org/education.

About the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago The Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) of Chicago, established in 1888, is a professional trade association representing contractors in the union mechanical construction and services industry throughout the Chicago area. MCA Chicago contractors work with highly trained pipefitters and service technicians at Pipefitters Local Union 597 to build the powerhouses that generate electricity; to install and service heating and air conditioning systems; and to install piping on a range of projects, from oil refineries to food processing plants to pharmaceutical facilities. MCA Chicago comprises approximately 400 union mechanical contracting firms through the Piping Education Council (PEC), whose members employ nearly 8,000 Local Union 597 pipefitters in the Chicago area. For more information about the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago and its contractor members, please visit mca.org.

About the Construction Education Institute The Construction Education Institute® (CEI) was established in 1997 by the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago and the Piping Education Council to meet the growing educational and regulatory requirements of their members in the mechanical construction and services industry. The institute offers contractors, office personnel and field supervisors a broad curriculum of courses taught by industry leaders and experts. Association partners include the Builders Association, the Illinois Environmental Contractors Association (IECA), the Piping Education Council (PEC), the Plumbing Contractors Association (PCA), the Plumbing Council of Chicago, the Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association of Northern Illinois (PAMCANI), SMACNA Greater Chicago, and the West Suburban Association (WSA). For more information about CEI, please visit mca.org/education.