Employees proudly showing their OSHA 10 cards with OSHA trainer Mark A. Hernandez (in orange shirt).

OSHA, the Hispanic Contractors Association De Tejas (HCAT) and the American Sub-Contractors Association held a 10-hour marathon training session last month to promote safety and health for construction workers in the Greater Houston area.

Participants who successfully completed the course received an OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach Department of Labor completion card the same day. OSHA granted an exception to its training limit of 7.5 hour per day to allow this unique opportunity. HCAT has a regional Alliance with OSHA offices of Region VI, where they have trained more than 5,000 workers and saved millions for the construction industry.

During the event, HCAT trained 791 workers in both English and Spanish, setting a record for the most trained in a single session. OSHA compliance officer and trainer Mark A. Hernandez said, “It was a true privilege working with all the volunteers to make this training day a tremendous success.” The Spanish-language television network Univision was on hand to highlight the morning activities by interviewing some workers as well as Javier Arias, Executive Director for HCAT. The interviews aired that evening to approximately 30,000 viewers.