ASSE offers infection control training, certification at annual meeting

MOKENA, ILL. — For the first time, ASSE International will offer the opportunity to become ASSE Certified during its 2017 annual meeting, held Nov. 7-10, 2017, at the Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio. The blended online and in-person training program will be conducted by IAPMO Training & Education for infection control certification to ASSE 12000, Health and Safety of Construction and Maintenance Personnel.

ASSE 12000 infection control certification is intended for construction and maintenance personnel, including plumbers, pipefitters, sprinkler fitters, HVAC technicians, demolition laborers and mechanical systems workers. To qualify, students must have successfully completed an OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 class prior to enrollment.

“As more and more facilities, particularly health-care facilities, begin requiring training and certification in infection control, ASSE 12000 certification can be a valuable credential for construction and maintenance personnel,” said Marianne Waickman, ASSE International professional qualifications director. “This unique certification program educates and trains craftspeople on how to more safely work in an environment with potential exposure to disease-causing pathogens, and shows employers that they can be trusted to work in potentially dangerous environments.”

To participate, students must first commit to a self-paced, 12-hour online training program in advance of the annual meeting. The course will conclude Nov. 10 at the meeting with a review of the material, a question-and-answer period, and the final 75-question written examination.

The self-paced online course is highly interactive and prepares construction and maintenance personnel to help protect the health and safety of themselves, building occupants, building employees and various facility operations from pathogens and other hazards that may be present in their workplaces. The course covers infection control, biological and waterborne pathogens, and contamination/infection prevention procedures to protect facility occupants and operations.

This course is approved by ASSE International for training to ASSE Standards 12010 (Biological Pathogens), 12030 (Waterborne Pathogens) and 12040 (Contamination/Infection Prevention Procedures).

Students who complete the course can expect to walk away with the following knowledge and skills:

• Understand how disease can spread and how to prevent the spread of disease in the workplace.

• Employ the use of personal protection equipment to protect themselves and others against biological and waterborne pathogens.

• Evaluate workspaces for the safety of themselves and others.

• Assess mechanical and plumbing systems to prevent the spread of contaminants.

• Explain the roles of various agencies involved in health and safety within their working environment.

• Illustrate the use of work practice and engineering controls that protect them and those they encounter.

Registration for the course is $250 — a special ASSE International annual meeting rate (50 percent off). To register for the, visit www.assemeeting.org/12000. For more information about the 2017 ASSE International annual meeting, visit www.assemeeting.org.