Side Story: IMI Scaffold Training

The rise in New York City scaffold accidents in 2006 led to creation of a special Mayor's Task Force, on which the International Masonry Institute (IMI) continues to serve. The group's efforts led to tough new standards and a special enforcement unit, which in turn had inspectors shutting down jobsites.

Fortunately, scaffold training offered at IMI's John B. Scola Training Center in New York kept area BAC members working, while others scrambled. BAC officials were able to tap into the Training Management Database for quick proof.

Scaffold safety is a staple at all IMI training centers, beginning with the pre-job apprentice curriculum, along with OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour courses. To make it easier for BAC locals to offer the OSHA-required classes when needed by their members, IMI trains the trainers in the OSHA 500 courses at the Flynn Center. The IMI also works closely with locals and their contractors to tailor safety classes to meet specific market needs, such as respirator fit testing and rigging foreman certification. For more information, visit www.imiweb.org.

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