{"id":6862,"date":"2025-03-24T12:08:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T16:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/?p=6862"},"modified":"2025-03-25T10:23:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T14:23:15","slug":"pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-43-no-3\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\/","title":{"rendered":"PEF members step up to become certified OSHA trainers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Osha
As part of their course to become a certified OSHA trainer, members had to learn a new skill — from line dancing to sign language to origami — and then teach it to their fellow trainees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"AuthorizedApril 3, 2025 —<\/em> Since the end of the Covid pandemic, PEF has invested considerable time and resources to build up its Health & Safety committees, from local workplaces to agency level. Directed by PEF President Wayne Spence, PEF Vice President Darlene Williams has helped lead the effort with Article 18 Health & Safety Co-Chairs Leisa Abraham and Gabriela Franklyn, as well as PEF\u2019s Health & Safety Department.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHealth and safety committees help to keep you and your co-workers safe at work, it is that simple,\u201d said Vice President Williams. \u201cWe all want to be safe and healthy from the time we arrive at work to the time we leave at the end of the day.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to becoming Vice President, Williams was a certified OSHA trainer for both AFT and PEF. The training she took to become an OSHA trainer provided her with foundational knowledge that allowed her to navigate health and safety issues at her workplace, the Office of Mental Health.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were thinking about how best to reintroduce health and safety to people, I thought about my own background and that training,\u201d she said. \u201cI really thought that bringing this training to PEF members would generate interest and empower our members.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers training that teaches the standards of safe and healthy workplaces. PEF members from across the State took two separate classes. The first was a workshop that introduced them to OSHA standards as well as best practices when incidents at the workplace occur. The second training certified them as OSHA trainers, which means they can now teach others what they learned.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe held the training upstate and downstate and had about 30 members at each training,\u201d said Williams. \u201cPeople gave up their weekends and personal time because they were so interested in this training and in making a difference.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The certification training reviewed the standards, laws and regulations as well as compliance requirements. It also covered the general occupational safety and health standards outlined in OSHA 501 and the Hazard Communication standard (HazCom).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Members said that while they knew they wanted to be more innovative when it comes to the work of their local health and safety committees, becoming a certified trainer was the big draw.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecoming an OSHA certified trainer means so much to me because I want to help people stay safe at work,\u201d said Intensive Case Manager at Bronx Psychiatric Center and PEF Executive Board member Leticia Rivera. \u201cI\u2019m honored to be among PEF\u2019s first OSHA member trainers, and I\u2019m excited for the opportunity to make a difference.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

———————————————–<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: Members share what becoming an OSHA trainer means to them<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

————————————————<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PEF Executive Board member Gwendolyn Culpepper, who is employed as a recreation worker at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) in Queens, echoed that sentiment and recognized that there is more to OSHA standards than just complying with laws and regulations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAchieving my OSHA trainer certification was vital to me because it solidified my commitment to workplace safety and provided a structured, comprehensive understanding of OSHA standards,\u201d said Culpepper. \u201cIt’s not just about compliance; it’s about proactively creating safer environments for everyone.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PEF\u2019s certified trainers will now train other members. Plans are underway for training sessions in Regions 1, 8 and 9. There is also an Active Shooting training being held at the Region 8 Leadership Conference in May. All of these trainings are driven by members.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPEF staff can always do the training, but staff does so much already. Having our members doing the training means that they are empowering themselves,\u201d Williams. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to wait to use the knowledge they have to help others.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

April 3, 2025 — Since the end of the Covid pandemic, PEF has invested considerable time and resources to build up its Health & Safety committees, from local workplaces to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"division":[],"allowed_regions":[],"allowed_divisions":[],"class_list":["post-6862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-43-no-3"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPEF members step up to become certified OSHA trainers - PEF Communicator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-43-no-3\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PEF members step up to become certified OSHA trainers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"April 3, 2025 — Since the end of the Covid pandemic, PEF has invested considerable time and resources to build up its Health & Safety committees, from local workplaces to...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-43-no-3\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PEF Communicator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-24T16:08:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-25T14:23:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/03\/Osha-photos.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ksheehan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ksheehan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-43-no-3\\\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-43-no-3\\\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ksheehan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b56382350a9a958e03dcd60443bfbf7e\"},\"headline\":\"PEF members step up to become certified OSHA trainers\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-24T16:08:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-25T14:23:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-43-no-3\\\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":668,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-43-no-3\\\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/Osha-photos.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-43-no-3\\\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/communicator.pef.org\\\/issue\\\/volume-43-no-3\\\/pef-members-step-up-to-become-certified-osha-trainers\\\/\",\"name\":\"PEF members step up to become certified OSHA trainers - 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