Law Passed in Last Congress Advances Safety Professionalism
In the last days of the last Congress, the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 (FBPTA) was passed into law (PL 111-308). You can find the bill at http://www.tisp.org/tisp/file/Federal%20Buildings%20Personnel%20Act.pdf. Significantly, FBPTA aims at advancing professionalism in safety –
“Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Administrator of General Services, in consultation with representatives of relevant professional societies, industry associations, and apprenticeship training providers, and after providing notice and an opportunity for comment, shall identify the core competencies necessary for Federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions to comply with requirements under Federal law. The core competencies identified shall include competencies relating to building operations and maintenance, energy management, sustainability, water efficiency, safety (including electrical safety), and building performance measures.”
The Federal Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH) is responding. At it’s June 7 meeting, adopted the following –
“The Secretary of Labor should direct OSHA, in coordination with NIOSH, to identify and convene a panel of federal agency personnel with expertise in the areas related to building operations, maintenance, safety, and design. This panel of experts will work with GSA on identifying the core competencies, appropriate training, and continuing education as described in the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010.”
This is a significant step forward in helping ensure that those who do safety have the required training and experience.