Wanted by Bucks County: Skilled construction workers
Need an electrician or a plumber? Only the best will do, as no one wants to deal with a hazardous short circuit or a leaky pipe after paying for quality work to be done.
That's the thinking behind the provision Bucks County added to its Responsible Contractor Ordinance last month.
The county commissioners voted unanimously for the amendment which will require that building contractors working on county construction projects ensure 70% of their employees have either completed training for journeyperson status or are in an apprenticeship program in order to work on a county job site.
The education must have been obtained from a facility recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor or by the state as a "Class A" training program and has had graduates in at least three of the last five years.
The amendment also requires that workers on a job site must have received 10 hours of safety training provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and that each job site has prime contractors who have received 30 hours of OSHA safety training. The prime contractors are in general contracting and in specialties such as the electrical, mechanical and plumbing trades.
The county enacted the measure as it is planning several construction projects, including the construction of a new Forensic Division, Treatment and Rehabilitation Center as well as renovations to the Boone Farm on Route 413 in Middletown to turn it into a new home for the African-American Museum of Bucks County.
More: Bucks County's plans for an offender health treatment center is delayed
The RCO and its amendment are supported by the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council. The council represents more than 50 construction-related unions in the region.
"It weeds out the irresponsible contractors," said Bernard Griggs, the county's projects and diversity officer.
Griggs said that major construction projects are some of the largest, most complex and high risk investments that a public body like the county government can make but that "skilled labor is in high demand and short supply."
Since the county government bids out projects and accepts the "lowest responsible bid," to save taxpayer dollars, it's important that the word "responsible" means exactly that, he said at the commissioners' meeting.
Jimmy Bayer of Middletown said that, as a member of the council, he was "absolutely" for the amendment to the Responsible Contractor Ordinance which the commissioners initially adopted in 2020.
"An apprenticeship program ensures that skilled workers on the project have been through all the proper training for their specialized craft," said James Keenan of Bedminster. He said there can be dozens to hundreds of different types of workers involved in a construction project "in diverse and highly specialized occupations.
"Given the high skilled nature of the work, basic competency in any of these trades requires focus, intensive training through three to five year apprenticeship training programs. All manner of professions require schooling in their particular field of study. Why should construction be any different," he asked.
Both Commissioner Chairman Bob Harvie and Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo said they knew of other governmental or nonprofit agencies that had problems with work done by low-bid contractors who didn't have trained people on the job sites, and that it cost more in the long run to have to redo poor workmanship.
"Having an RCO in place is almost like an insurance policy for taxpayer dollars when it comes to capital projects. Now, capital projects taken on by the Bucks County government come with an assurance that the highest skilled workers, earning a prevailing wage, will be involved. This safeguards our workplaces and, ultimately, ensures the quality of the project," Harvie said.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County wants skilled construction workers with OSHA training
