OSHA Training Strengthens Worker’s Skillset

In Eric Frederick’s line of work, he needs to be prepared for any potential workplace hazards and make his team aware of them, too. That's where Northampton Community College’s (NCC) OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center comes in. 

OTI Education Centers are a national network of non-profit organizations authorized by OSHA to deliver occupational safety and health training for all levels of workers. Together with Chesapeake Region Safety Council (CRSC), NCC is a member of the the Mid-Atlantic OSHA Training Institute Education Center (MAOTIEC). In his role at Nestlé Purina in Allentown as a safety coordinator, Frederick says this training is essential to his role. 

^{Eric Frederick (middle) with two co-workers}

“Every time I’ve taken a class, I’ve left with a lot of knowledge and was prepared to do my job better.” He says scheduling was easy and convenient, and the option for virtual classes made life much easier for him, working in Allentown and living in West Lawn, Pa. 

In his time at NCC, he’s taken 11 OSHA courses from 2021 to date.  

He started with OSHA 511, Occupational Safety & Health Standards for General Industry, a general industry certificate to use as the building block to start additional trainings. He took additional courses on industrial hygiene, incident (accident) investigation, lockout/tagout, electrical standards, confined space hazardous atmospheres, and more. All of the courses have made him more sensitive to his surroundings and what hazards might be lurking in the workplace. 

Frederick says his instructors, namely Eric Orsag, and the NCC staff, have been incredible. Even though it’s virtual, he says that his classes have felt more personal and connected, not simply sitting in front of a screen for a lecture. “They’ve taken the time to answer any questions I might have during the training, and if they don’t know, they will make sure to get the answer. I’ve never felt as if I’ve wasted my time or money at any point. Every one of [the classs] has been value added.” 

OSHA standards are meant to safeguard workers, keep them safe and healthy, in their environments, primarily manufactural, industrial, or construction environments, and that’s what he does in his role.  

Frederick has to make sure that employees aren’t injured in any way on the job, and he teaches them the safest way to go about their jobs. For example, noise monitoring is important as it ensures employees are working in an area that isn't harmful to their long-term hearing, and there are safeguards to keep people protected such as hearing protection muffs or ear plugs. Another example is air sampling, testing for respirable dusts to ensure employees are working in healthy environments.” 

In December of 2024, Frederick became a Board of Certified Safety Professionals Occupational Health and Safety Technician (OHST), and he says, “All of the NCC courses helped me to pass the test to get certified.”  

Frederick has even taken the OSHA 501 trainer course so he is authorized to train on these rules and standards. He's trained individuals in the 10 hr. general industry program, and he says he likes teaching and training people so much that he decided to start a safety consulting business with his wife, who is also a safety professional. “Frederick Safety Solutions” will be his focus once he retires from Nestlé this year to relocate to South Carolina for a change of pace.  

“Interacting with people and trying to impart some safety knowledge on them is very rewarding. To me, when someone comes back to me and tells me that they’ve taken something away from what I’ve taught them, that’s a success. Being able to get people to stop and think before they put themselves or others in harm’s way is more valuable than words can say.”