Apprentice Brenda Healey, Local 83 (Kansas City), responds to fellow apprentice Matthew “Scooter” Payne, Local 592 (Tulsa, Okla.), who plays the role of an injured worker.
Videos are being custom made for Boilermaker trade
INSTRUCTORS WHO teach the OSHA 10-hour safety course can look forward to new videos that are being custom made for Boilermaker construction workers. MOST (Mobilization, Optimization, Stabilization, and Training) has begun the process of producing 16 films that can be used to supplement classroom texts. The films will cover such topics as lockout/tagout, materials handling, confined space entry, and fall protection.
“For some time, we’ve been aware of the need to upgrade the films we’ve been using,” said Roger Erickson, MOST safety rep. “John Standish (the lead instructor at the National Training Center [NTC] in Kansas City, Kan.), had expressed his concern about the films being outdated, and we received similar feedback from members who completed the OSHA 10-hour course at local lodges.”
Erickson said the current films come from various sources, and many show workers in situations unrelated to Boilermaker field construction work, such as road construction or warehouse settings. Some of the films are still in VHS format. Erickson contacted other trades, contractors, and teaching facilities to find a better product, but nothing was available.
“We began discussing the possibility of making our own videos. John (Standish) recommended On Location Video, which has documented the national apprenticeship competition and did a Job Safety Analysis video for NACBE (National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers). MOST Administrator Bill Palmisano supported our effort, and the MOST board of trustees approved the project in February.”
For realism and to make the videos more relevant to construction Boilermakers, they are being shot on locations such as the NTC and the Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) La Cygne coal-fired power plant in eastern Kansas. “Boilermakers who see these videos will be familiar with these types of settings," said Erickson. “They may even recognize some of the people in the videos, since we use members and instructors to depict workers in various situations.”
During the July 28 video shoot at the NTC, several apprentices and NTC instructor David Vallacqua volunteered to be part of the cast. Vallacqua played the role of a heat stress victim. High humidity and temperatures had the cast and film crew sweating, adding to the realism.
Erickson said MOST has been fortunate to have individuals and organizations help in producing the films. “We appreciate the support and cooperation we’ve had from the MOST trustees; NACBE; KCP&L; BNAP (the Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program); and the Kansas City, Kan. Fire Department, which sent a pumper and an ambulance to the NTC when we filmed there.
“I’m pretty excited about this project, and I think those who teach the OSHA 10-hour course — and the Boilermakers who take it — will appreciate the authenticity we’re trying to build into the videos.”
MOST will own the copyright to the videos and will be able to duplicate and distribute them without restriction.
