EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) is pleased to announce that 100,000 people in Alberta and beyond have signed up for its newly refreshed Construction Safety Training System (CSTS) 2020.
“Reaching this milestone is tremendous. We surpassed all expectations,” said ACSA Board Chair, Brad Bent. “Providing quality construction safety training is at the heart of the ACSA. And, for us to be able to provide this training for free to our members and stakeholders helps to ensure that hardworking Albertans are returning home safe every day.”
Since launching CSTS 2020 on September 9, 2019, the ACSA has offered the program for free. To date, 100,000 people have signed up for the 3-hour CSTS 2020 Fundamentals course, and the ACSA has accumulated almost 300,000 sign ups for CSTS 2020 add-on modules.
“Safety training should be accessible to all. By offering CSTS 2020 for free, we are not only making Alberta work sites safer, but we are also helping struggling employers and workers—including those looking for work—to reduce their costs,” said ACSA CEO, Dan MacLennan. “I’m proud of the ACSA Board and staff for their work in making CSTS 2020 a huge success.”
CSTS 2020 is an upgraded version of ACSA’s CSTS-09, and includes a three-hour CSTS 2020 Fundamentals course and 18 five- to 15-minute add-on modules. CSTS 2020 serves as the industry-standard, general construction site safety orientation for workers that are new or returning to the construction industry.
“CSTS has long been Alberta’s construction industry standard as site pre-qual general orientation. Our improvements in flexible course access have expanded availability both on- and off-site, saving time and resources for all. The new customizable add-on modules allow employers to custom fit the training to meet their individual work site needs,” said ACSA COO, Tammy Hawkins. “You can take the training from anywhere, on your phone or tablet, and be site-ready in three hours.”
To learn more about CSTS 2020, visit youracsa.ca.
Established in 1988, ACSA is a not-for-profit society and Alberta’s partner in construction safety. We provide quality safety training, deliver the COR & SECOR programs, and administer the NCSOTM and HSA designations. Together, with our strong community of construction health and safety, we advocate for Lives lived safely.
Backgrounder: About CSTS 2020 attached.
For more information, please contact:
Baldish Sidhu, PMP
Manager, Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
Ph: 780-264-1084 TF: 800-661-2272
bsidhu@youracsa.ca
youracsa.ca
BACKGROUNDER
About CSTS 2020
What is CSTS 2020?
CSTS 2020 is the exciting new and upgraded version of CSTS-09. CSTS 2020 is comprised of nine standard modules grouped together and called CSTS 2020 Fundamentals and 18 optional Add-on Modules. On its own, CSTS Fundamentals serves as a general construction site orientation for workers new to the construction industry. Our job-specific Add-on Modules help employers to customize CSTS training to fit their site specific requirements.
What are the advantages of CSTS 2020?
CSTS 2020:
- includes CSTS 2020 Fundamentals with nine modules, and an additional 18 Add-on Modules, plus more to be added on an ongoing basis.
- Add-on Modules range between five to 15 minutes each and can be taken separately.
- allows employers to customize their site orientation to meet their own needs. We will continue working to offer the most current regulated and industry standards in Add-on Modules in coming years, keeping it fresh.
- is inclusive of industrial, commercial, and residential construction site best practices.
- refers to Alberta’s recently updated Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- addresses the broader duties of care for use in any jurisdiction.
- high quality training videos utilized in the program are free to download for use in site training, refresher training, toolbox talks, etc.
- utilizes current online training best practices to provide a much more time efficient fundamental orientation:
- CSTS 2020 Fundamentals Course is two to three hours long compared to CSTS-09 that is eight to nine hours long, and
- CSTS 2020 is mobile friendly. Internet access is required for use on any device.
- will be offered exclusively and openly on our learning management system, allowing workers to always have access to their training certificates.
- is NOT a Flash-based product.
What are CSTS 2020 Add-On Modules?
CSTS 2020 Add-on Modules are job-specific training modules to help employers customize CSTS training to fit their specific job site requirements.
The Add-on Module topics include:
| 1. Basic Ladder Safety | 11. Propane on the Work Site |
| 2. Basic Scaffold Safety | 12. Pumpjack Scaffold Safety |
| 3. Confined Space Awareness | 13. Rigging, Hoists, and Cranes |
| 4. Controlling Hazardous Energy and LOTO | 14. Roofing Hazards and Controls |
| 5. Driving & Journey Management | 15. Silica* |
| 6. Environmental Protection | 16. Transportation of Dangerous Goods* |
| 7. Excavations & Exposing Utilities | 17. Types and Uses of Safeguards |
| 8. Framing Hazards & Controls | 18. Working Around Concrete Pump Trucks |
| 9. Introduction to Respiratory Protective Equipment | 19. Working at Height |
| 10. Mobile Equipment Awareness | 20. Working Safely with Drywall |
| *currently in development |
How can people get free access to CSTS 2020 program (Fundamentals and add-on modules)?
Simply sign-up for a FREE ACSA Student Account or to log in to a pre-existing ACSA account.
How long is CSTS 2020 available for free?
The current free availability expires on December 31, 2020. However, stay tuned as the ACSA is exploring options to extend the offer to include 2021!