Maine Dept. of Labor announces its free SafetyWorks training sessions for April 2024.

Upcoming classes:

NFPA #1 Fire Code -

April 2, 2024 I 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

This one-day course provides overview training to fire fighters and emergency response personnel. This multi-part document has 16 sections to safeguard life and protect property from dangerous conditions caused by fire and explosion. Other fire codes including NFPA 101, 57, 58, 30, 13, 25, and 72 are referred to in this code.

Wage & Hour Compliance -

April 3, 2024 I 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Sanford Community Adult Education, 668 Main Street, Sanford

This course is designed for human resource or benefits professionals, accountants, business owners, managers, or payroll supervisors. Labor laws can be complex. This seminar covers wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, youth employment, severance pay, equal pay, rest breaks, leave requirements (earned paid leave, family medical leave, family sick leave and leave for victims of violence). This class addresses commonly asked labor-related questions.

Mine Safety & Health Administration: Refresher -  

April 3, 2024 I 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Joseph Ferris Community Center, 318 Wilson Street, Brewer

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requires all surface mining (i.e., stone crushing, gravel pit, etc.) employees to receive an eight-hour annual training. This one-day course will cover generic MSHA training. However, site-specific training will also need to be conducted once you return to your respective job sites.

NEW! - Preventing Musculoskeletal Injuries –

April 4, 2024 I 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries can be a challenge to recognize as they often come on gradually from repetitive use. Other times these injuries are related to a sprain or strain. In any event, MSKs make up most injuries we see in the workplace. In this session you will learn: The importance of matching employee fitness to the essential physical demands of a job; Evaluate a job looking to prevent MSK risks; How to successfully develop and implement a custom workplace stretching and strengthening program that improves flexibility and reduces strain and strain severity and incidence; To properly respond to employees' early symptoms and provide effective first aid intervention that alleviates fear, prevents a disability mindset, and promotes recovery.

Wage & Hour Compliance -

April 17, 2024 I 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Rockland CareerCenter, 91 Camden Street, Suite 201, Rockland

This course is designed for human resource or benefits professionals, accountants, business owners, managers, or payroll supervisors. Labor laws can be complex. This seminar covers wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, youth employment, severance pay, equal pay, rest breaks, leave requirements (earned paid leave, family medical leave, family sick leave and leave for victims of violence). This class addresses commonly asked labor-related questions.

Safety and the Supervisor –

April 17, 2024 I 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

The success of any safety program is dependent on your front-line supervisors. Do they have the technical and interpersonal skills it takes to move your safety program in a positive direction? This training discusses the interpersonal skills all supervisors should develop to create a positive safety culture. In addition, this course will outline the key tasks supervisors should be performing on a daily basis to identify hazards and keep their employees safe.

Impairment Detection Training for Employers –

April 18, 2024 I 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

This one-day training session is designed to help owners, managers, and supervisors recognize and respond appropriately to employee impairment in the workplace in order to reduce worker accidents and injuries. Participants will be taught procedures to detect impairment regardless of the substance or cause. This class is designed to fulfill the federal DOT requirements for reasonable suspicion training of supervisors. In addition, participants will learn how to develop and implement policies that address impairment in the workplace and are in compliance with Maine's Substance Use Testing Law.

A Practical Approach to Electrical Safety –

April 26, 2024 I 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

In this half-day class, you will learn how to protect workers from electrical hazards. NFPA 70E requirements will be discussed in layman's terms.

Fire Extinguisher/Emergency Action Plans/Workplace Violence –

April 29, 2024 I 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

In this class, you will learn about Emergency Action Plans, including the use of fire extinguishers and how to maintain them. In addition, this class tackles the emerging concern for workplace violence and how to prepare your organization for this hazard. This is a one-day hands-on class. Those attending this class should come prepared to discharge a fire extinguisher.        

Mine Safety & Health Administration: Refresher –

April 30, 2024 I 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sanford Community Adult Education, 668 Main Street, Sanford

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requires all surface mining (i.e., stone crushing, gravel pit, etc.) employees to receive an eight-hour annual training. This one-day course will cover generic MSHA training. However, site-specific training will also need to be conducted once you return to your respective job sites.

Register and browse more SafetyWorks! classes: https://www.safetyworksmaine.gov/training/scheduled_classes/register.shtml

SafetyWorks! is also a host site for the Region 1 OSHA Training Institute Education Center.  The next class will be:

April 8 – April 10, 2024   503 Update Course for General Industry Outreach Trainers

To register go to https://oshaedne.com/osha-503/ or call 800-449-6742.  Please note, these classes have a registration fee to attend.

If you have questions about safety or upcoming classes, reach out to SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE-345 or general.bls-safetyworks@maine.gov.

If you have questions about Wage and Hour compliance, please reach out to the Wage and Hour Division at 207-623-7900 or bls.mdol@maine.gov, or visit www.maine.gov/labor/bls/.