Roughly 45 Vineyard workers gathered at the Edgartown School cafeteria over the weekend for the Martha’s Vineyard Builder’s Association’s first open safety training held in Portuguese. 

The course was designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Called OSHA-10, it covers safety basics for workers in high-risk industries. 

The Vineyard training was done in response to the recent death of Jose Luis Collaguazo Crespo, a 32 year-old construction worker from Fall River who fell off a ladder while working at the Meshacket Commons project in February.

“There was a strong desire to put together some safety training,” said Sarah Hughes, president of the Builders Association.

Usually, Vineyarders have to travel off-Island for training, Ms. Hughes continued. 

“There are a lot of companies that have brought people onto the Island for different trainings, but they are company specific, as opposed to open to multiple companies at the same time,” Ms. Hughes said. 

Millers Professionals Co. partnered with the Builder’s Association and Martha’s Vineyard Insulation Solutions to bring the training to the Island.

Chris Miller, the CEO and founder of the Millers Professionals Co., said providing the course in Portuguese helped make it more accessible.

“We know there’s a lot of Brazilians out there on job sites and we care about them,” said Mr. Miller.

Alvaro Soldani, of Insulation Solutions, felt it was important to host the training to reinforce the Island's commitment to safety and the well-being of the construction community. 

“Workplace safety is not a luxury but a real necessity, and initiatives like this make all the difference in protecting lives and creating a safer, more professional work environment,” he said. 

Rony Jabour, an authorized OSHA outreach safety trainer with United Safety Net, led the course. He said most workers asked questions about fall protection (the most common cause of injury) and personal protective equipment, such as hard hats and harnesses. 

He emphasized the importance of wearing safety glasses while working with drills and nail guns, for example. Wearing gloves when cleaning with chemicals is also crucial. Hard hats, or bike helmets, are also essential.

When using ladders, Mr. Jabour said to check each rung and ensure it’s stable before climbing to the top. Don’t position them on a slippery surface. When using a ladder to get to a roof, he said to make sure it extends three-feet above because it’s common for ladders to slide.

While accidents can happen on construction sites, Mr. Jabour emphasized that they can also happen while making home repairs.

“If you’re not an electrician, don’t touch electricity,” he added. “If you’re not a plumber, don’t touch the pipes. Call a technician. That’s why we have them.”

More OSHA-10 courses are hoped to take place on-Island, with future sessions potentially being available in Spanish.

“It’s not just about safety glasses, hard hats and harnesses,” Mr. Jabour said. “It’s about going back home [at] the end of the day.”