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MNOSHA Compliance: Construction Seminars

About the seminars

Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Compliance's free Construction Seminars feature a presentation about a specific construction safety or health topic – with time for questions, answers and input – plus an update from MNOSHA Compliance about what's currently happening regarding investigations.

Mark your calendars now and subscribe to the Construction Seminar email list to receive notice about the events.

Location, time, format

The Construction Seminars are now being offered both in person and virtually. The in-person location is the MnDOT Training and Conference Center, 1900 W. Cty. Road I, Shoreview, MN. There is free parking; directions and maps are available at www.dot.state.mn.us/hr/trngctr/contacts.html. A link to attend virtually via Microsoft Teams will be posted with the information for each date below.

Construction Seminars are 7 to 8:30 a.m.

The Construction Seminars are set up for interaction with the audience, leading to better understanding of the topic and more practical learning, and providing a safe environment for participants to ask real worksite questions and get real worksite safety and health solutions.

2023/2024 seminar dates, topics

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 – Health hazards in construction

Health hazards on construction sites are often overlooked, but are as damaging to workers as safety hazards. The free Focus Four for Health (PDF) guidance document, developed by the American Industrial Hygiene Association's (AIHA's) Construction Committee in 2020, targets four prevalent health hazards in construction:  air contaminants; heat; material handling; and noise.

This free Minnesota OSHA Compliance Construction Seminar included descriptions of the four hazards and an overview of how those hazards can be addressed.

  • Presenter:  Janet Keyes is a certified industrial hygienist and an AIHA fellow. She is one of the founders and principals of CHESS, which specializes in providing safety and health consulting to small- and medium-sized companies. Keyes is twice past chair and a founding member of AIHA's Construction Committee.

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 – Mental health in the construction industry

The discussion centered on mental health in the construction industry and what can be done to help, what should be watched for and how to respond, as well as how the industry can better address this issue.

  • Presenter:  Rob Dahl, Holmes Murphy Construction, has more than 30 years of construction experience in production, safety and risk management. Before his current position, Dahl spent 18 years with national insurance carriers in consulting and regional director roles. He has also worked for contractors as a laborer, carpenter, superintendent, safety engineer and safety manager. He is a QPR Gatekeeper and certified in adult Mental Health First Aid.

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024 – Excavations:  Let's keep talking until we get it right

Excavations can be dangerous, resulting in serious injuries to and fatalities of workers across the country. Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) is committed to continuing its efforts to ensure employers and employees throughout Minnesota take safety precautions when working in or around excavations.

This free MNOSHA Compliance Construction Seminar offered a discussion about the OSHA excavation standard and how to comply. Fatality and serious-injury statistics for federal-fiscal-year 2023 were also discussed.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 – What is a MEWP?

Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) have many generic and interchangeable nicknames:  aerials; aerial work platforms; access equipment boom lifts; booms; scissors; and more. MEWPs can also be deadly and introduce specific safety hazards.

Attendees at this Minnesota OSHA Compliance Construction Seminar heard presenter Jay Tyrrell, Northern Safety L.L.C., discuss MEWP-related training, inspections, ANSI, and why crews and operators are complaining about the new equipment.

  • Presenter:  Jay Tyrrell, Northern Safety L.L.C.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 – Crane safety

This Construction Seminar is offered both in person and online.

Cranes are one of the largest pieces of equipment used on construction sites, does your company know how to operate them safely?

Join Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Compliance's next free Construction Seminar in person or online to learn what the general contractor's roles and responsibilities are when there's a crane on site and what is required for lift plans, inspection records, operator's qualifications, training, renting and more. Plus learn what ASME 30.5 covers and requires.

  • Presenter:  Scott Richhert, senior technical specialist -- construction, energy and marine, The Travelers Companies. Richhert has 40 years of insurance and construction industry risk management experience. He passed the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) Mobile Crane Operator written core and specialty examinations, as well as the NCCCO Tower Crane Operator examination. He is also a Certified Mobile Crane Lift Director through NCCCO.

  • Seminar link:  Join the meeting

2022/2023 seminar dates, topics

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022; New hires:  What do you do with them?

This topic kicked off the free 2022/2023 Construction Seminar season. Attendees heard ideas about what to cover with new employees on their first day and beyond. The discussion focused on new-employee orientation and what one contractor covers on-site for its employees.

  • Presenter:  Cory Dukowitz, safety manager, Rice Companies

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022; How to build an effective safety program in construction

A Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Workplace Safety Consultation consultant discussed the elements of the A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction (AWAIR) plan, safety audits, emergency responses and safety committees, plus how to document a safety program. And a contractor talked about their safety program, how they keep it alive and how it is working – daily scrum meetings, toolbox talks, orientations and more.

  • Presenters:  Kyle Casey, principal, MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation; Steve Dresler, safety manager, Marcus Construction

  • Presentation:  Effective safety programs

Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023; Equipping your teams to destigmatize mental health

In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the construction industry had one of the highest rates of worker death by suicide. Contractors, supervisors, workers, industry stakeholders and project owners must work together to stand up for suicide prevention by raising awareness, knowing the warning signs and educating others. Focusing on total human health – body, mind, heart and spirit – is imperative in the construction industry. Construction workers work with tools every day and it is time to give them the tools they need to address mental health.

Tuesday, March 21, 2023; Worker protection in trenches

Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Compliance conducted an in-person Construction Seminar, "Worker protection in trenches," Tuesday, March 21, beginning at 7 a.m.

The time to think about worker protection in trenches is before the digging begins. Every year, employees are rescued or recovered from excavations. MNOSHA Compliance, along with the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety, presented information about OSHA excavation and trenching standards, methods used to evaluate excavations, damage prevention and the role of the Office of Pipeline Safety.

Tuesday, May 16, 2023; Fall protection:  What does it take to be safe at heights?

This Construction Seminar, from Minnesota OSHA Compliance, focused on fall protection on construction worksites. The in-person seminar included on-site, hands-on fall protection demonstrations with a specialized vehicle from 3M (view the 3M flyer).

Participants watched actual drop-tests with force-measuring instruments to help workers understand the basics of the arresting forces they may experience during a fall.

  • Presenter:  Matt R. Jensen, U.S. fall protection sales manager, 3M

View past presentations