BUSINESS FEATURE Certifi cation grants a level of assurance to owners and the public that construction projects are being managed safely, effi ciently and ethically. (Photo courtesy of Vulcraft – Fort Payne)
Certainly Certifi ed By Mark Robins, Senior Editor Certifying employees benefi ts them and their companies
Certifi cation establishes formal recog- nition of the experience and education of metal construction fi eld employees. Employees who become certifi ed demonstrate the knowledge essential to being a professional in the metal construction industry and prove a commit- ment to a higher standard of practice. They show a high level of ability and knowledge of the construc- tion process management. Certifi ed workers not only raise the level of professionalism within the metal construction industry, they give an added level of assurance to owners and the public that construction projects are being managed safely, effi ciently and ethically.
Getting certifi ed There are many different certifi cation subjects available and many different organizations available to provide them to metal construction employees. “We get the majority of our training through the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Metal Building Contrac- tors and Erectors Association (MBCEA),” says
28 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS November 2013
Art Hance, president of Hance Construction Inc., Washington, N.J. “The courses are tailored to our industry and our chapter subsidizes the training for members making them much more affordable. The MBCEA is really changing the landscape of training in our industry with development of our apprentice- ship program and the variety of courses offered by the individual chapters. We see a difference in the quality and productivity in crews who have a higher level of industry specifi c certifi cation.” Hance sees the most common certifi cations
for his fi eld employees as being: • OSHA 30 hour • CPR • Man Lift Operation • Forklift Operation • Crane Signaling • Rigging 1 • MBCEA apprenticeship certifi cation “We like the crews we associate with to at
least have the 10 hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certifi cation, 30
hour of course is better, which some municipali- ties are now requiring,” says Shannon Dodge, fi eld operations/project manager at Paramount Metal Systems, Little Rock, Ark. “When having to install roof systems with extended warranties, we then require that crew to have been through the specifi c manufacturers certifi cation program. In case they have not or we feel the need additional overseeing, we will send our fi eld operations rep, who carries certifi cations from six different manufacturers.” Bellaire, Ohio-based East Coast Metal Sys-
tems (ECMS) also has its metal construction fi eld employees gain certifi cations through the OSHA 30-hour Construction Outreach Training course. It familiarizes employees with occupational hazards, and various proactive and reactive steps to take in potentially harmful circumstances. “This certifi cation also aids in equipment oper-
ation training so that fi eld employees can practice safety in all aspects of a job,” says John Trifonoff, ECMS general manager. “It can be completed at an employee’s leisure due to the convenient acces-
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