Puerto Rico Local 494's New OSHA Trainer Juan Guallini Indij
Congratulations to Juan Guallini Indij from IATSE Local 494 for completing the OSHA Outreach Trainer program at Georgia Institute of Technology and Universidad Metropolitana en Bayamón Atlantic OSHA Training Institutes (OTI). The TTF reimbursed Local 494 for tuition expenses and provided the OSHA 10/General Entertainment Safety Curriculum so they could organize local classes.
In early December, TTF OSHA Trainer Bill McCord and Juan co-taught an OSHA 10/GES class for Local 494 that was simultaneously translated from English to Spanish.
“It was a great course that covered a lot of different subjects pretty clearly and effectively.”
“I enjoyed the experience, learning new information about how equipment works, safety rules, and chemicals is fascinating and very helpful in improving in my work area. It will help me in supervising the work we do on set and off set more efficiently and in a safer, more healthy way.”
Juan is excited to organize more local classes and will co-teach the TTF’s OSHA 10/GES class in Santa Fe, NM in October.
“In our industry, we take safety for granted. We deal with many situations in a great variety of environments, sometimes forgetting to take a second and evaluate what are we exposed to. Going through the course and reviewing our own stories is a great way of remembering and teaching the next generation that the most important thing is to get back home the same way we left and to be able to come back tomorrow and do it all over again.”
Juan Guallini Indij was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1974 and moved to Puerto Rico with his family in 1988. He graduated from UPR-BA in 1997 and started in the film industry in 1999 working as a Set Dresser, Props Master, and Greens Person. Juan joined IATSE Local 494 in 2003 and has since served as Secretary Treasurer for one term, was on the Board of Trustees, and then served as President for two terms. In 2018 he became a bilingual OSHA Authorized Trainer and helped create the Education Committee for IATSE Local 494.