Billboard Insiders spoke with Formetco Safety Director Jim Poage, who gave us a preview of upcoming classes at Formetco.
Jim, you must be happy to be having live classes again after all the restrictions from COVID 19.
Yes, I am extremely excited to see the return to normal classes in Duluth! We had to suspend them due to the pandemic and our commitment to keeping everyone safe. Now that we can travel and meet in groups again, we are happy to be getting back to the events like we had in the past. We are planning our usual in person classes that will cover OSHA 10 hour, CPR/First Aid, and Climber training along with the new Climber Qualifier training.
Could you tell us about the traditional classes before you get into the new class addition?
Of course! Our classes are made up of an OSHA 10 hour General Industry course, CPR/first aid training, and wraps up with industry best practices topics. The third day topics cover Dealing with OSHA Inspections, Structure Inspections for Climbers, and Contractors. After we kicked off the core classes, there was a large number of companies that requested climber training. This was due to the changing OSHA standards that occurred back in 2016. Because of these request, we created the Climber Level I training class.
The climber level one class is your most basic class. This is where we discuss climbing skills, safe work practices, and applicable standards that apply to people that climb. Then we go over the practical side which includes inspection of equipment, proper use of devices, and observed climbing on a 20 foot fixed ladder inside our facility. Climber Level I is designed for people that have minimal or no climbing experience.
Climber level II is for advanced climbers. We require that attendees in this class either already possess the basic skills and knowledge of professional climbers, or to have completed the climber level one class. This way we are assured that the basic foundation is there, which allows us to increase their skill set. This course has a classroom element that has deeper coverage of OSHA and ANSI requirements for billboard workers. We also review any new changes to standards or new equipment that may be available as well as participating in workshops for topics like Pre-Climb Structure Inspection, and Emergency Preparation. After classroom training is completed, a written exam is administered and providing the participant passes, the next step is the hands-on portion of the class. As a level II climber they should be able to demonstrate for us the proper inspection methods for evaluating equipment before each use, documenting inspections, and visual inspection of structures before ever setting foot on them. This level also has detailed training in areas such as ladders, electrical exposure, and lockout tag out. The grand finale of the class is when the climber dons their safety equipment and demonstrates both staggered climbing and vertical cable attachment climbing techniques on the 40 foot tower in the back lot of the Formetco training center. Climbers are judged on technique of climbing, proper use of equipment, and the ability to transition from a fixed ladder to the deck while hooked up 100% of the time. Once the climber is on the deck, they ring the bell we have mounted and returned to the fixed ladder to descend back to ground level.
That sounds like pretty intense training. How long does it take for someone to complete all of the live training course if they are doing a level I or level II class?
A lot of the topics are built into the OSHA 10 hour course, in addition to class time saved on the third day to cover any topics that we don’t get addressed on the first two days of class. We also offer online classes that cover strictly the topics for Climber Level I training. We plan in the future to offer online classes for the classroom portion of the Climber Level II requirements as well. We also have climber perform their hands on observed climbing portion of the training at the end of the day and on the third day where either I, or one of the trained Formetco staff will walk the candidate through the skills section of the required training.
What is the third class that you mentioned?
The new class we are introducing is the Climber Qualifier class. We have had a number of people come to us and say “this is great that you’re doing the training in Duluth, but we are not always in a position to send someone after they been hired to complete the course. How do we get the training to cover the necessary information and observe the people climbing at our own location?” Because of these requests, we developed a “train the trainer” program where I will cover all the points I feel are necessary for an individual to know so that they can perform all or part of the climber training at their own company for their own employees. It prepares someone to establish and maintain a managed fall protection program.
To recap, you are still holding the regular safety classes in Duluth along with Climber level I, Climber Level II, and now the new Climber Qualified class?
That is correct. In addition to which we plan on offering the Climber Qualifiers ongoing support, and as always, I am available to answer questions about programs.
Thanks for the update Jim! We look forward to talking to you in the future on more safety topics as well as future classes offered through Formetco.
To register for Formetco’s Summer Safety Training go to:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/formetco-2022-summer-safety-training-class-registration-322749461327
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