The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA) has completely redesigned its training program for 2008.
Cutting Edge, which was the first course introduced by CSDA for cutting operators in 1993, will now become one of nine courses offered which include classroom and hands-on training programs for new hires as well as advanced certification courses for seasoned operators.
“Some of the courses being offered in 2008 are the result of the outstanding reception we have received from cutters who have attended the hands-on Slab Sawing and Drilling 101 and Wall Sawing 101 courses,” said Ron Rapper, CSDA Training Committee chair.
In 2008 Wire Sawing 101 will be introduced to complement these two courses. In addition, a 201 certification course for each of these three disciplines is being introduced.
“Rather than having one certification course for all cutting disciplines, these individual certification courses will be offered to allow greater flexibility in meeting the specific needs of individual cutting companies,” Rapper added.
Cutting Edge will be the first course offered in 2008 at CSDA’s training facility at St. Petersburg College, in Clearwater, Fla., from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, 2008. It is a two-day classroom course that provides students a strong foundation in sawing and drilling operations and industry fundamentals.
The OSHA Construction Safety Course will follow on Feb. 2, 2008, followed by Estimating on Feb. 4 to 5, 2008. The 10-hour OSHA course is designed to help companies stay up-to-date with government safety regulations. Estimating is a classroom course focused on the practice of estimating sawing and drilling jobs.
The new course, Wire Sawing 101, also will be held at St. Petersburg College Feb. 4 to 6, 2008, while Wire Sawing 201, the certification course, will be held Feb. 4 to 7, 2008.
The 201 certification courses follow the 101 courses and provide an additional day of training for certification. The fourth day is geared towards experienced operators who want to gain topnotch proficiency and productivity.
Wall Sawing 101 will be held March 25 to 27, 2008, and Wall Sawing 201 will be held March 25 to 28, 2008.
The Fall courses will include Slab Sawing and Drilling 101 on Nov. 10 to 12, 2008, and Slab Sawing and Drilling 201 on Nov. 10 to 13, 2008, both at St. Petersburg College. Estimating will be held Nov. 11 to 12, 2008, rounding out the nine courses to be offered in 2008.
Slab Sawing and Drilling 101 covers slab sawing and core drilling while Wall Sawing 101 includes wall, hand, chain and ring sawing. All of the 101 and 201 courses split instruction time between classroom sessions and hands-on training, with the latest in equipment provided by CSDA manufacturer members, on a CSDA concrete structure.
“Supporting this type of training effort is truly a credit to CSDA members who have consistently focused on increasing the professionalism of the industry by utilizing CSDA training programs for operators,” said Patrick O’Brien, executive director. “To go from a single course offering in 1993 to nine courses demonstrates the commitment members have made to focus on safety and training and what it can do to raise the level of professionalism and improve bottom line profit. “
While the hands-on and classroom sessions continue to expand, CSDA recognizes that not all cutters can afford the time and expense to attend such courses. That is why CSDA, earlier this year, introduced an online training Web site (www.csdatraining.com).
The online courses can be taken by any operator or employee in the privacy of their own home, at any time, day or night. The owner or manager has access to all of the testing, scoring and documentation for employees to ensure that the cutters have taken the assigned courses.
For more information, call 727/577-5004, or visit www.csda.org.
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