SS301: Creating Your Facility Safety Program

Join us as we discuss creating a stone industry safety program.  Review an inspection checklist and safety policies that will help prepare your company for the unexpected. Leave this session with a safety program that addresses overall training, recordkeeping, noise and silica exposure, baseline testing, and a number of issues your employees will encounter.

SS105: Basics of OSHA Compliance for the Natural Stone Industry

Course Description

The Occupational Safety and Health Act, which was passed in 1970, is a nationwide program established by the federal government to protect workers from physical harm on the job.  This module will discuss the history of the program and what to expect if an OSHA compliance officer visits your facility.

SS205: OSHA On-Site Consultation Program

The OSHA On-site voluntary consultation program conducted nearly 28,000 visits to small businesses in 2016, covering over 1.1 million workers nationwide.  This session will discuss the OSHA voluntary consultation program, what is involved and how companies can take advantage of this federally funded program.

SI110: Requirements for Personal Protective Equipment

Course Description

Regardless of the installation application, it is critical to wear the right PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment.  This training module will help you understand the requirements for PPE.

SS111: Silicosis: An Industry Guide to Awareness and Prevention

For hundreds of years, silicosis has been a serious occupational health issue for workers in mining, quarrying, stone cutting, stone grinding, and other occupations where crystalline silica dust is generated.  This session will discuss what silicosis is and what measures should be taken to prevent the disease.

SS107: No Place for Complacency- Keep Safety Active

Did you know 96% of injuries in the work place are caused by unsafe actions?  This session will discuss the difference between an unsafe workplace and unsafe action.  We will also talk about strategies for measuring and planning a safe work environment for your employees.

SS212: Silica Exposure Standard and OSHA Compliance

How is the stone industry addressing the OSHA silica rule change? What are leading stone professionals doing NOW to reduce silica exposure for their employees? What are the real costs associated with making your shop and business safer?  This session will prepare attendees to create a safety program that addresses silica exposure, baseline testing, and a number of issues your employees will encounter.

TT212: Tool Box Talk- What is Crystalline Silica?

Over- exposure to respirable crystalline silica particles can lead to serious, sometimes fatal illnesses including silicosis, lung cancer, tuberculosis (in those with silicosis), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In addition, silica exposure has been linked to other illnesses including renal disease and other cancers. Silicosis is a progressive disease and there is no cure upon its onset, thus minimizing your exposure to respirable crystalline silica is the key to prevention.

TT236: Toolbox Talk: Crystalline Silica Exposure Prevention

Exposure to crystalline silica often occurs as part of common workplace operations involving cutting, sawing, drilling, grinding/sanding and crushing of natural and engineered stone products such as granite and slate and also in the quarrying of these materials. Over-exposure can lead to serious, sometimes fatal illnesses including silicosis, lung cancer, tuberculosis (in those with silicosis) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The best method to prevent a crystalline silica exposure related disease is to minimize exposure to crystalline silica.

Target Audience: Fabricators, Installers, Stone Distributors, Quarriers

SS313: Implementing a Silica Exposure Control Plan

Every stone fabrication facility is required by OSHA to have a Silica Exposure Control Plan (ECP). This course is designed to help stone companies create and implement a Silica ECP and highlight available resources. 

SS315: How To Use the OSHA Voluntary Inspection Program to Monitor Silica Exposure

This course provides an overview of the OSHA Voluntary Inspection Program and explains how to use this program to monitor employee silica exposure. It will discuss perceived myths about OSHA and showcase how OSHA truly conducts their inspections.  Come away with a plan to measure employee silica exposure at your facility.

SS100: Overview of Stone-Related Accidents

The Safe Slab Handling Series was created by the Natural Stone Institute Safety Committee in order to create safe working environments for employees and customers.  This 8 part series will provide employers with the ability to review safety policies, provide education and prepare employees for work situations.

SS101: Safe Slab Handling

When learning the basics of slab handling, it is important to understand the dynamics of the stone slab and why they can be unwieldy and extremely dangerous if not handled properly.  This module will discuss the characteristics of stone and what precautions should be taken to insure safe movement of slabs.

SS102: Slab Fall Shadow

The most dangerous area around stone slabs is the fall shadow.  This module will define the fall shadow and discuss what precautions employees and customers should take to insure their safety when viewing and moving slabs.

SS110: Employee and Customer Training

Course Description

If a stone shop, showroom, warehouse or yard is hazardous for trained employees, imagine the hazard to unsuspecting customers!.  This session will discuss the potential hazards in a slab yard and how best to mitigate risk for employees and customers.

SS201: Material Handling Containers

Prerequisite: Introduction to Workplace Safety Module

One of the most dangerous activities in the stone industry involves unloading a container of slabs at your place of business.  Because the container holds multiple slabs, there are several opportunities for accidents to happen if the unloading process is not precisely correct.  This module will review the best practices for extracting materials from containers.

SS202: Material Handling and Flatbed Trucks

When handling slabs in a controlled environment like a warehouse, distribution center, outdoor slab storage yard or fabrication facility, you have the benefit of familiarity both with the environment and associated personnel.  Take the show on the road to another stone facility or job site and it is an entirely different story.  This session will discuss elements you should consider when loading and unloading flatbed trucks at a jobsite or distribution center.

SS210: Handling Slabs with Overhead Cranes

In this presentation, we discuss crane, hoist and sling procedures that are generally accepted as best practices in the stone industry. The procedures have been created to limit your exposure to the hazards associated with overhead cranes, lifting loads and moving suspended loads.  Following the procedures in this video module will help prevent serious injuries to you and your fellow associates resulting from overloading, dropping or slipping of the load, obstructing the passage of the load and using equipment in a manner for which it was not designed by the manufacturer.

SS220: Handling Slabs with Forklifts

There are two major methods for moving slabs in most stone environments – overhead cranes and forklifts. This educational module will focus the dos and don’ts when moving slabs with forklifts.

SS230: Handling Slabs with Slings and Clamps

One of the major causes of serious accidents involving natural stone slab handling is faulty equipment.  Making sure that all tools and supplies used in the process are in good working order is the easiest way to control accidents.  This module will review policies for inspecting clamps, slings, cables, nuts and bolts.