Nearly a dozen apprentices learned how to stay safe on a job site this week during an educational program at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union hall.

The 11 men took part in a 30-hour OSHA safety class designed to reduce workplace injuries.

“Some of them have never been on a construction job before. This helps them know what to expect,” said instructor Randy Hunt.

Falls are the No. 1 deadly on-the-job accident, Hunt said, and one chunk of the course was comprised of the federal rules and regulations for ladders and how to avoid accidents with them.

“I don’t know how many times on jobs I’ve seen people not using ladders properly,” he said.

The course was part of comprehensive training for the apprenticeship program under the union, said Tommy Newell, business manager for Local 619.

“Every guy who graduates out of here gets a certificate from the Department of Labor,” Newell said.

The apprenticeship program is five years long and has 84 apprentices enrolled statewide, he said. The Vicksburg local of Plumbers and Pipefitters supplies apprentices to the Jackson area, Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station and the coal-fired power plant in Kemper County, Newell said.

“When we turn them out, they’ve already got leadership training behind them,” he said.

The workforce education provided though the program is a good economic leg up for people who might not be best suited for college, he said.

“There’s some that are molded to go to college and some who are molded to go to trades,” Newell said.