A Joint Collaboration with the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California (AFL-CIO) and the Labor Occupational Health Program (UCB)

This paper will discuss four successful train the trainer programs conducted by the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California (SBCTC), AFL-CIO, and the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley. These train the trainer programs were developed and implemented from 2000 to the present. The projects include: 1) Tailgate Training, 2) Preventing Sprains & Strains, 3) Noise & Hearing Conservation Solutions, and, 4) Focus Four Hazards. These programs were developed to strengthen the capacity of union workers from multiple construction crafts to train their members on fatalities and injuries in the construction industry. The audience included union staff and safety management professionals. The training methodology used was based on principles of adult learning and popular education and was designed to involve workers in identifying hazards and solutions, educating coworkers, and promoting change at the workplace. These training programs utilized the train the trainer model: union trainers were trained to provide training and assistance to their coworkers. The SBCTC promoted these programs statewide and received support from their members as well as from union contracting companies. This paper will describe the train the trainer programs, review methods used, discuss challenges and the strategies used to overcome them.