EHS Professional is an online publication of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management® (IHMM®).
Other than content specifically provided by IHMM, articles contained in EHS Professional are compiled from independent sources and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IHMM.
Certified Safety Management Practitioner™ [CSMP™]
IHMM’s Certified Safety Management Practitioner (CSMP™) credential recognizes workplace safety and health professionals who have a less formal education but can demonstrate a mastery of workplace safety and labor law regulations earned through training and experience. Gain the trust and confidence of your colleagues and management with a CSMP™ credential.
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The Value of IHMM Credentials
Below you will see the EHS credential badges that are now in each CSHM, CSMP, ASHM, CSSM, and Student ASHM certificant’s MYIHMM account. Every IHMM certificant may use these badges, linked as those below are to their IHMM credential page, for their email signatures, business cards, and other social media applications. You’re justifiably proud of the accomplishment of having earned your credential and you can show the rest of the world. Simply right-click on the badge of choice, then save as to your computer, and then load it to wherever you want to use it and please link that back to https://ihmm.org/.
EHS/Workplace Safety Credentials
Microcredentials
Certified Safety & Health Manager
Certified Safety Management Practitioner
Associate Safety and Health Manager
Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist
Certified School Safety Manager
Student Associate Safety and Health Manager
IHMM Certificant Recognition
Throughout our certificant’s MYIHMM accounts are placed 10-year, 20-year, 30-year, and 40-year badges signifying their longevity as an IHMM certified professional.
With a link from your credential badge to the IHMM website [see above] you can not only stand out as an IHMM-certified professional, you can also promote IHMM credentials to others. Right-click on the badge of choice, save as to your computer, and then load it to whatever medium you choose.
IHMM has Distinguished Diplomates and Fellows of the Institute badges to the appropriate people in the MYIHMM database. These two badges are accompanied by lapel pins sent to each of those distinguished by holding these designations.
IHMM is in all 50 of the United States and in 85 countries around the world.
IHMM Credentials Accredited By
Need Help?
Need Help? On the IHMM website just click on the “NEED HELP?” button
and let us know what you need and the right person will get right back with you.
IHMM RECENT NEWS for EHS Professionals
WORKPLACE
- Safe from the start? Survey of small-business owners uncovers regrets
- NIEHS updates guidance document on mold cleanup and treatment
- App that tracks wildfire smoke and activity gets an update
- NSC white paper on MSDs looks at ‘non-physical’ risk factors
- Outdoor workers in NYC increasingly vulnerable to heat: report
- Sit less to keep back pain at bay, researchers say
- NIOSH announces phase 3 winners of the Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge
- ASSP and S4NP form alliance to advance worker safety
- Wearables Can Monitor Fatigue
- One-Third of Gen Z Frontline Workers Consider Quitting Due to Health Concerns, Study Finds
- Texas Furniture Manufacturer Cited for Safety Violations After Worker Injuries
- Is AI-Enabled EHS Management the Future of Worker Safety in Construction?
- Shifting the Approach Towards Safety Training
- Automation Has a Positive Impact on Workplace Safety, Global Workers Say
- The Administrative Hierarchy of Controls
- Brasfield & Gorrie Transitions to Type II Head Protection for Workers
- Siemens Acquires Danfoss Fire Safety to Strengthen Fire Safety Focus
LABOR
- Could artificial light boost shift workers’ sleep and job performance?
- Burnout among government employees high, study shows
- ‘American malaria’ on the rise in the US, study shows
- Workers’ comp report looks at regulatory and legislative trends in 2024
- NIOSH initiative focuses on brain health in the workforce
- NTSB investigation yields lessons on shift worker fatigue
- Total Worker Health is Coming of Age
- Workers Unprepared for Unexpected Changes
- Why In-Office Mandates Don’t Work: Remembering the Human Factor in Inclusivity
TRANSPORTATION
SCHOOLS
- Schools Banning Crocs Over Safety Concerns
- Former Valdosta State Police Chief Resigns Following Ethics Investigation
- Colorado School Districts Offered $50,000 to Restrict Cell Phones
- Loyola, El Camino CC, UW, and Illinois Upgrading Campus Security
- Call for 2025 Director of the Year Nominations: CS Now Accepting Entries
- Pro-Israel Columbia University Professor Barred from Campus for ‘Threatening Behavior’
- 17 Studio City Middle Schoolers Treated for Overdose Symptoms After Taking Edibles
- GBI: Apalachee Suspect Had School Shooter Shrine, Concealed Gun in Poster Board
- SEC Fines University of Texas $250K After Fans Throw Trash on Field, Delaying Football Game
- Cost to Implement New Utah School Safety Law: $800 Million
INDUSTRIAL
- Entrapment incident spurs MSHA safety alert on bulldozers
- Take these steps for a smooth cobot transition, Australian researchers say
- OSHA updates inspection guidance for the meatpacking industry
- Empowering Workers in the Age of Automation
- MSHA, NIOSH Will Announce New Guide to Address Opioid Disorders in Mining Industry
- 3 Industries Where Ergonomics Play a Crucial Role in Employee Health
- New Study Reports Rise in Lockout/Tagout Violations Led by Manufacturing
- Honeywell and Chevron Team Up to Improve Refinery Safety with AI
OTHER
- DOL renews charter for OSHA’s construction advisory committee
- DOL Introduces AI Best Practices During Online Event
- Exoskeletons in Construction and Heavy Industries: Can They Really Handle the Tough Jobs?
- Weapons Detection System Finds Over 3,100 Threats at Hospital
- So. California Hospital Security Officers Honored for Bravery, Outstanding Service
- Michigan to Pay $13 Million Settlement Over Botched Children’s Hospital Active Shooter Drill
Inside IHMM
United States Congress Recognizes IHMM
IHMM is pleased to announce that thanks to Maryland 8th District Congressman Jamie Raskin, the Congress of the United States has recognized IHMM on the occasion of its 40th anniversary.
We thank Congressman Raskin for leading this effort, and for recognizing the outstanding certified professionals of IHMM.
400,000 Per Month
400,000 is the number of messages sent from IHMM each month to thousands of private and public sector entities to raise the visibility of IHMM, IHMM credentials, and IHMM credential holders.
Whether for Sophia Garcia in California or Adeel Iqbal Wain in Pakistan who both just passed their CHMM exams, or Kevin Earp, CSSM who is our recent Certificant Spotlight, or Chris Johnsen and Eric Bentson who just passed their Student ASHM exams and the thousands in between in 50 states and 85 countries, we believe in promoting IHMM’s certificants and their achievements.
One day at a time, IHMM’s mission includes building understanding in 50 states and 85 countries around the world of the critically important role IHMM’s credentials and our credential holders play as IHMM sets standards of excellence for professional credentials to advance the global environmental, health, and safety communities of practice.
400,000 Per Month
EHS Jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs
There are 53,561 EHS jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs available on Indeed today
There are 6,001 EHS jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs available on CareerBuilder today
There are 30,578 EHS jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs available on LinkedIn today
One of the many values of having your CSHM and CSMP
IHMM Board of Directors Election – Ends October 31, 2024
IHMM will be conducting an election for two [2] seats on its Board of Directors that began on October 2, 2024, and ended on October 31, 2024. When the first balloting started, we discovered an error in a PDF file, so we stopped the first round at 5:50 p.m. on the 2nd and restarted it at 6:50 p.m.
The two seats are [1] Public Member seat, and [1] CHMM seat. Certificants are asked to cast ballots for one Public Member candidate, and for 1 of the 3 CHMM candidates. Every voter is asked to cast two votes; one for the Public Member and one for one of three CHMM candidates.
Below are the candidates for these two seats. Every IHMM certificant in good standing will receive an email ballot with an individually numbered code to cast their ballots that began October 2, 2024, and runs through October 31st.
W. Morgan Hyson, Public Member
Morgan has had a varied career across many fields and disciplines ranging from civil litigation to nuclear nonproliferation policy. A proud key chapter in this journey was five years serving in a progression of staff roles at the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management, ultimately serving as the Institute’s Acting Executive Director. He left the Institute to pursue his Master’s Degree, and has since continued in roles at the Departments of Agriculture, Energy and State. Morgan is an alumni of the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship program and has been recognized for his work as a civil servant through multiple awards, including two Superior Honor Awards, among the highest given in the Department of State.
Dr. William J. Pate, CHMM, MBA, CHP, CIH, CSP – CHMM Seat
Dr. Pate has over 10 years of environmental health and safety experience in academic, research and healthcare settings in both the public and private sector. Dr. Pate’s EHS experience has ranged from collection and management of radioactive, chemical, and biologic waste streams for a major research university to management of a comprehensive EHS program for a large multi-facility health system. Dr. Pate has been responsible for the development and delivery of a variety of EHS training topics, and his goal is to assist Bowen EHS clients in achieving their professional development goals. Outside of work, Dr. Pate enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.
Sarath Seneviratne, CHMM – CHMM Seat
I care deeply about IHMM’s future. I believe no other candidate brings the wealth of detailed knowledge and specific work experience I have. This insight would be uniquely valuable to the Board. I sincerely hope you will do me the honor of electing me to serve this incredible and worthy mission. My first term serving on the Board of Directors has been educational, inspiring, and hugely motivational to stay involved with IHMM. If elected to a second term. I’d like to faci litate the translation of the IHMM’s mission into concrete ideas and actions.
Benjamin L. Frizzell, MPH, CIH, CSP, CHMM – CHMM Seat
Ben is a Manager of Industrial Hygiene with BNSF Railroad in Minneapolis, MN, where he has worked for the past two years. He has also served as a Health and Safety Supervisor at CTEH, a QEHS Supervisor at Stella-Jones, and a Chemist at Molex. Ben also holds certifications as a CIH, CSP, and CHMM as well as having a background as a FEMA First Responder, PADI Driver, and a BSA Eagle Scout.
IHMM Launches 2024 Salary Surveys
IHMM is pleased to release the 2024 survey of salaries underlying the workplace safety credentials salaries by job title. You may download the survey which is linked below.
IHMM Enters Its 40th Year
On December 3, 1984, the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management was created with the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager® [CHMM®] credential. John H. Frick, Harold M. Gordon, John J. McCambridge, and Richard A. Young created what would become an Institute that offers 11 professional credentials across Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods and EHS Work Place Safety communities of practice in all 50 of the United States and 85 other countries.
IHMM thanks its hundreds of volunteer leaders, thousands of certificates, and companies who support IHMM through strengthening its ability to extend its reach and allow us all to live up to why we exist our vision, and our mission…
Why We Exist
We believe there is only one Earth; our passion is to protect it.
Our Vision
IHMM credentials and competency standards are embraced worldwide
Our Mission
IHMM sets standards of excellence for professional credentials to advance the global environmental, health, and safety communities of practice.
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED
Reception & Celebration • December 3, 2024 • 2:00 PM–6:00 PM
2500 Research Blvd, Rockville, MD 20850
The RSVP deadline for this event has passed. If you have not submitted your RSVP and would like to attend, please contact [email protected].
Learn More About the Celebration
The Dr. John H Frick Memorial IHMM Scholarship Program – CLOSED FOR 2024
The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management is pleased to have created $32,000 in academic scholarships, divided equally between $16,000 for students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate education in approved schools and who are also Student CHMMs, and $16,000 for students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate education in approved schools and who are also Student ASHMs.
IHMM seeks to foster the growth and academic success of students whose courses of education, and participation in one of our Student certifications, will lead to those students becoming fully certified IHMM credential holders later in their professional lives.
Go to > https://ihmm.org/scholarship/
Creating a Collaborative Culture
There are 1,482 different conversations going on in the IHMM/HMS Collaboration platform this week.
Do you have a problem you need to solve and want the opinions of your colleagues? We created the COLLABORATION platform to enable our certificants to network, learn, and grow from one another.
This is where we collaborate with the best people in their fields, always willing to help one another lessen the stress of our jobs, and where we strive as a team to make a difference of which we are proud.
You can collaborate here.
Access to COLLABORATION is through the same username/password you use to access your MYIHMM account. Are you having a problem? Contact Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected]
IHMM Recertification Videos
Recert Video #1
Recert Video #2
IHMM is pleased to release two YouTube instructional videos about navigating the IHMM recertification process. These step-by-step videos easily enable IHMM certificants to start and complete a recertification application.
While the full recertification cycle is 5 years, IHMM encourages all certificants to start a recertification application and add certification maintenance points as they are earned to make the final submission quick and easy to accomplish.
Full recertification information is found here >> https://ihmm.org/credentials/#recertification
Questions about your recertification may be made to either Jimmy Nguyen [email protected] of Jelian Larbi [email protected]
IHMM Code of Ethics
The IHMM Code of Ethics is essential as it serves as a navigational compass that guides us all in making decisions that align with shared values and ethical principles. It provides a framework for behavior that helps to maintain integrity, trust, and respect in professional and personal interactions. For professional certificants, adhering to the IHMM Code of Ethics is a certification requirement, ensuring that your actions meet industry standards and public expectations. In the business world, a Code of Ethics enhances our reputation, fosters a positive work environment, and promotes accountability and continuous improvement in ethical conduct. Moreover, a Code of Ethics helps us navigate morally complex situations, ensuring that our actions are legally and safely grounded in our core values, such as honesty, accountability, and compassion. Ultimately, our Code of Ethics is about committing to a set of principles that not only guide one’s actions but also define one’s character and professional identity.
Everyone sees the IHMM Code of Ethics and signs an adherence statement upon making an application for one of our credentials. Every existing certificant sees the Code of Ethics again upon recertification and takes a short quiz on the IHMM Code of Ethics.
See the IHMM Code of Ethics video here:
IHMM CONFERENCES For 2024
IHMM will attend and support several conferences and trade shows throughout 2024, virtually as well as in-person as resources allow. In 2024 IHMM participated in the Bay Area ASSP conference, AIHA Conference & Trade Show, Modern Day Marine Conference, ASSP Annual Conference, AHMP Conference, Environmental Navigator Conference, National Safety Council Conference, and FET.
Are there conferences you believe IHMM should attend that are not named here? If so, let us know by sending an email to [email protected]
40th Annual Conference & Exhibition
Visit IHMM Board Chair Bill Diesslin
October 29, 30, 31, 2024
Marriott Milwaukee West, Waukesha, WI
IHMM – 26 Fellows Are Mentors
IHMM Fellows Committee Chair Atanu Das, CHMM, is leading the effort within the IHMM Collaboration networking platform to engage both 26 IHMM Fellows as Mentors and anyone who seeks some assistance as Mentees.
Given the extraordinary experience Fellows have, this is a unique opportunity for IHMM Fellows to help guide more recent certificants in their professional development activities. This article from ASAE magazine outlines how a mentoring program can become more successful – engagement!
IHMM’s Collaboration platform contains a “Mentor Match” module [see below at right] that allows mentors to signup designating the hours, number of mentees, subject areas, and length of time they wish to mentor – as well as allowing mentees to signup requesting assistance in specified areas. The mentor match module does the rest by matching mentors and mentees.
IHMM Organizing Broader Government Affairs Activities – Call for Volunteers
In strategic planning on August 17, 2023 IHMM created a strategic imperative to create a broader government affairs operation on behalf of, and with the assistance of, all of IHMM’s certificants.
- Federal Government – Regulatory
We need a group of people watching Federal regulatory developments to advise when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in the agencies. - Federal Government – Congress
We need a group of people watching legislation to advise us when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in Congress.
- State Governments – Regulatory
We need a group of people watching state regulatory developments to advise when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in the agencies. - State Governments – Legislatures
We need a group of people watching legislation to advise us when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in state legislatures.
If you want to make a difference in the recognition of your credentials and build on the successful record we have achieved thus far – we need you to volunteer. Learn more by visiting our Government Affairs Committee page, and get involved with government affairs. You can volunteer for one, two, three or all four of the segments of the committee’s work. That’s up to you!
IHMM Government Affairs
IHMM Proposes Changes in Government Recognition of Credentials
1. IHMM Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, concerning the uses of professionally credentialed persons performing work for the Park Service.
2. IHMM Signs Letter Opposing Reductions in OSH Worker’s Pay – The IHMM Government Affairs Committee has agreed to sign a coalition letter opposing reductions in pay for IH and OSH employees. Here is the coalition letter we signed.
3. IHMM submitted comments on OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH): Notice of Meetings concerning OSHA-2024-0002-0007, and highlighted the creation of IHMM’s Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist [CPPS] credential.
4. The State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection is proposing to update Chapter 851, Standards for Generators of Hazardous Waste. In the current regulation, work is required by a professional engineer. IHMM is proposing to include an environmental professional as defined by 40 CFR §312.10.
All IHMM Government Affairs Projects Are Here
Beltway Buzz – Ogletree Deakins
FTC Appeals District Court’s Ruling Blocking Noncompete Reg. Litigation over the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) regulation banning noncompete agreements continues to develop. Last week, the Buzz discussed how a plaintiff’s abandonment of a legal challenge to the rule provides some clarity for employers and helps to guard against a possible circuit court ruling in favor of the FTC. Shortly thereafter, the FTC appealed a Texas district court’s ruling that blocked the regulation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The FTC has also appealed a Florida case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The current nationwide injunction remains in place as the appeals move forward. Christine Bestor Townsend, Scott R. McLaughlin, and Zachary V. Zagger have the details.
OSHA Issues Expanded Meatpacking Guidance. On October 15, 2024, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its Inspection Guidance for Animal Slaughtering and Processing Establishments, which expands previous guidance on the issue by including all animal slaughtering and processing facilities. According to the guidance, “The goal of this initiative is to significantly reduce injuries and illnesses resulting from occupational hazards, through a combination of enforcement, compliance assistance, and outreach.” The guidance focuses on identifying hazards in these industries relating to ergonomics, lock-out/tag-out, personal protection equipment, and recordkeeping, among other things. The guidance instructs inspectors to focus on “second and third-shift operations, such as sanitation services,” as well as “[c]ontractors and temporary workers who provide” such services. The guidance also references OSHA’s controversial “walkaround regulation”—currently being challenged in federal court—by encouraging OSHA inspectors to identify and include “employee representatives in the inspection process.” Finally, the guidance instructs inspectors to make referrals regarding any potential wage and hour, child labor, retaliation, or immigration-related violations.
Congressional Dems Seek Quicker Processing of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). This week, congressional Democrats sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou, urging DHS “to ramp up … efforts to eliminate the ongoing work permit backlog before the end of President Biden’s term.” The lawmakers claim in the letter that there is a backlog of 1.4 million EADs awaiting processing. Accordingly, the letter encourages DHS to “surge additional resources to EAD processing” that could be used to “ramp up investments in technological improvements to streamline processing” and to hire “additional full-time staff and contractors, detailing staff from other agencies, and approving more overtime.” The letter also urges DHS to finalize and make permanent a rule allowing for an automatic extension period for expired work permits of 540 days, and perhaps make that grace period as long as 730 days.
Foxx Questions Su on IC and “Worker Center” Policies. Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as other Republican members on the committee, continue to press Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su on the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) policy priorities:
- In an October 16, 2024, letter to Su regarding the DOL’s independent contractor regulation, Foxx noted that the agency’s previous response to a subpoena seeking information on the matter was inadequate. Foxx wrote, “DOL’s most recent response amounts to a failure to comply with the subpoena and is another glaring example of the Biden-Harris administration’s hostility to Congress and its duty to conduct oversight.” Specifically, the subpoena—and the follow-up letter—demand data relating to DOL misclassification enforcement efforts.
- In an October 17, 2024, letter to Su, Rep. Foxx and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Bob Good (R-VA) take exception with the DOL’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) continued treatment of “worker centers.” According to the letter, such groups “may allow labor unions to evade disclosure requirements that are otherwise required for traditional unions, allowing unions to engage in activities that blur the line between traditional organizing and political activism.” The letter notes that the most recent version of the OLMS Interpretive Manual has both changed the definition of “labor organization” under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) (thereby allowing worker centers—labor unions by a different name to avoid their reporting requirements) and specifically “exempted several worker centers from LMRDA disclosure requirements by listing them by name in the text of the manual.” The letter seeks information on how OLMS came to these conclusions.
The letters foreshadow issues that will likely be Republican priorities in 2025, particularly if they gain control of the executive branch.
Republican Senator Seeks Answers From EEOC on Enforcement Efforts Addressing Workplace Antisemitism. This week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), sent a letter to Charlotte Burrows, chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), urging her “to address religion-based discrimination charges to protect Jewish and Israeli workers in the face of rising antisemitism.” The letter asks Burrows to provide a more specific breakdown of the religion-based discrimination charges the EEOC has received and pursued since the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.
Bills, Bills, Bills. The U.S. House of Representatives just did something that it hasn’t done in nearly fifty years: introduce a bill—H.R. 10000, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in VA Hospitals Act of 2024—that has a five-digit bill number. The last time the House did this was in the first session of the 95th Congress in 1977. The first twenty H.R. bill numbers are reserved for both the House Speaker and minority leader for priority bills (in early 2025, no matter who is in charge of the House, we are likely to hear a lot of discussion about which bill will be H.R. 1), but those haven’t all been used, so accounting for that, the number of bills introduced in the House so far this session is 10,010. Of course, the high bill tally can be attributed, at least in part, to Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who introduced 521 budget-related bills all on one day in 2023.
Regulatory Updates
Environmental Protection Agency issues its Spring 2024 Regulatory Agenda – Read more here
Department of Transportation issues its Spring 2024 Regulatory Agenda – Read more here
Department of Labor issues its Spring 2024 Regulatory Agenda – Read more here
Congress Faces Packed Post-Election Agenda
The House and Senate are in recess until after the November elections, but lawmakers will have a full plate of pressing issues to address when they return.
Congressional leaders are under increasing pressure to return to Washington early to respond to calls for additional funding from states ravaged by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. The U.S. Small Business Administration announced earlier this week that it has exhausted the available funds in its disaster loan program, which is used by businesses and homeowners who are affected by natural disasters.
What they’re saying: “It’s unacceptable that Congress remains in recess while families and businesses across North Carolina and beyond are in urgent need of assistance,” said Rep. Wally Nickel (D-NC). “In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene our communities are struggling to recover and our small businesses are desperate for support as they work to rebuild. Their recovery efforts are stalled without additional funding.”
The House and Senate are out until mid-November and will also need to address government funding and a must-pass defense authorization bill in the lame duck session. House and Senate appropriators are still not in agreement on top-line spending numbers for the federal government in the 2025 fiscal year, and the short-term continuing resolution (which funds the government at current levels until Dec. 20) left questions unanswered about funding for veterans’ health care, disaster victims and U.S. agriculture.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms Standard (Aerial Lifts)
Deadline:
The OMB will consider all written comments that the agency receives on or before November 25, 2024.
The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.
The Standard requires that when aerial lifts are “field modified” for uses other than those intended by the manufacturer, the manufacturer or other equivalent entity, such as a nationally recognized testing laboratory, must certify in writing that the modification is in conformity with all applicable provisions of ANSI A92.2-1969 and the OSHA Standard and that the modified aerial lift is at least as safe as the equipment was before modification. Employers are to maintain the certification record and make it available to OSHA compliance officers. This record provides assurance to employers, workers, and compliance officers that the modified aerial lift is safe for use; thereby, preventing failure while workers are being elevated. The certification record also provides the most efficient means for the compliance officers to determine that an employer is complying with the Standard. For additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on August 15, 2024 (89 FR 66456).
Canada Begins Public Consultations on Initiatives Supporting CEPA Amendments
On October 5, 2024, Canada released three significant documents that move it closer to implementing the 2023 amendments to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). The 2023 legislation, Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act (Bill S-5), requires that decisions made under CEPA respect the right to a healthy environment. Canada has released a draft implementation framework setting out how the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Health (the ministers) will consider the right in administering CEPA. The bill also requires the creation of a publicly available “Watch List” of substances determined to be capable of becoming toxic under CEPA to inform Canadians and businesses of substances that they may wish to avoid. Canada has published a proposed Watch List Approach that will inform the process and considerations for substances to be included on the Watch List. The bill directs the ministers to develop a new plan of chemical management priorities and will propose a new regime to manage toxic substances of highest risk. Canada has published a proposed plan of priorities under CEPA. Comments on each of the three documents are due December 4, 2024. For further information on these three documents, please read the full memorandum.
DOT Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Electronic Signatures, Forms and Storage for Drug and Alcohol Testing Records
Deadline: December 16, 2024
On October 15, 2024, the Department of Transportation (DOT) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register proposing to amend its regulations for conducting workplace drug and alcohol testing for the federally regulated transportation industry to allow, but not require, electronic signatures on documents required to be created and utilized under the regulations, the use of electronic versions of forms, and the electronic storage of forms and data.
The regulatory changes would apply to DOT-regulated employers and their contractors (“service agents”) who administer their DOT-regulated drug and alcohol testing programs. Currently, employers and their service agents must use, sign and store paper documents exclusively, unless the employer is utilizing a laboratory’s electronic Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form system that has been approved by the Department of Health and Human Services. DOT is required by statute to amend its regulations to authorize, to the extent practicable, the use of electronic signatures or digital signatures executed to electronic forms instead of traditional handwritten signatures executed on paper forms.
Agency Information Collection Activities; Asbestos in Construction Standard
Deadline:
The OMB will consider all written comments that the agency receives on or before November 29, 2024.
The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.
This standard requires employers to train workers about the hazards of asbestos, monitor worker exposure, provide medical surveillance, and maintain accurate records of worker exposure to asbestos. These records are used by employers, workers, and the Government to ensure that workers are not harmed by exposure to asbestos in the workplace. For additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related notice published in the Federal Register on August 12, 2024 (89 FR 65676).
Professional Certification Coalition
IHMM is a member of the PCC. The PCC monitors state and federal legislative and regulatory activity affecting professional certification on an ongoing basis. The PCC has compiled several “Watchlists” identifying and analyzing provisions in pending legislation at both the state and federal level that, under applicable rules, may still be enacted in the current legislative session. Depending on the carry-over rules in the relevant legislature, the charts listing current legislation may include bills introduced in a prior year. In addition, the PCC compiles a chart of enacted legislation that affects certification each year. The charts include hyperlinks to every bill or executive order. Note that the Watchlist and the Enacted Legislation document do not include profession-specific legislation and do not include regulatory initiatives. The charts will be updated as needed based on new developments.
State legislation currently being tracked:
Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition – Senate Action On IHMM-Supported Legislation
The upcoming general election will have a vast impact across the country, especially when it comes to workforce development policy.
That is why the Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition will be holding a Post-Election Recap Webinar on November 13 at 3 p.m. ET to delve into the general election results.
What’s next: Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition and ASAE staff will analyze the election results and discuss what the 119th Congress and new Presidential Administration will mean for the future of workforce development policy, including the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act.
- The webinar is exclusively for members of the Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition, but ASAE invites organizations to join the Coalition (at no cost) and attend the upcoming webinar.
Join the Coalition today! Once your organization has joined the Coalition, we will send you a webinar registration link for you to attend.
Important Stories for IHMM Certificants
OSHA Emergency Response Standard Hearing
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a notice scheduling an informal public hearing on its proposed rule ‘‘Emergency Response Standard’’ mentioned in the email below. The public hearing will begin on November 12, 2024, at 9:30 a.m., Eastern Time (ET), and will be held virtually. Information on how to access the informal hearing will be posted shortly at https://www.osha.gov/emergency-response/rulemaking.
To testify or question witnesses at the hearing, interested persons must electronically submit their notice by September 27, 2024. Please see the Federal Register Notice (Docket Number OSHA-2007-0073) and https://www.osha.gov/emergency-response/rulemaking for additional details.
Creating a Culture of Support: Enhancing Staff Resilience in Emergency Situations
Available Now as an On-Demand Webinar
Emergency drills can be stressful for school staff, but integrating mental health support and breaking down safety silos can enhance resilience.
In this on-demand webinar, presenters from the Colorado School of Public Health share strategies for improving emergency drill systems through tailored training, staff feedback, and local resource identification. Participants will learn to customize training for their districts, facilitate effective feedback sessions, and implement changes based on staff input.
Watch Now Here
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OJJDP Launches New Curriculum
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) recently launched the Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum, a key part of its initiative to address hate crimes and bullying. This 10-unit resource helps build protective factors in youth, change harmful behaviors, and educate professionals on using technology to reduce bias. It’s designed for youth-serving organizations, schools, and community groups to raise awareness and prevent identity-based bullying. Explore it today!
Learn More Here
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Hosted by the U.S. Department of Education
Hosted by the U.S. Department of Education
Hosted by the U.S. Department of Education
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CISA Launches New Resource
Anonymous threats of violence, especially on social media, are common in K-12 schools. According to the FBI, schools faced over 6,000 such threats in 2022, causing fear, disrupting learning, and straining resources. To address this, CISA has released the Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools, which helps schools, law enforcement, and communities respond to and prevent anonymous threats. Explore the toolkit to learn actionable steps for improving school safety. Learn more here.
Developing Business Cases for OEHS
After Georgi Popov, PhD, CSP, FAIHA, completed his education and 10 years as an army chemical officer, he started working for a mid-sized environmental management company. This position gave him access to company decision-makers, including the CEO. But he soon realized that the language he spoke—the language of occupational health and safety—was not the language of company leadership—that of business and risk.
“It was an interesting conversation when I started quoting our OSHA standards. 29 CFR 1910—the CEOs and the decision-makers didn’t understand that,” Popov said. The company executives asked him what would happen if they didn’t comply with OSHA standards. He told them they would likely be fined roughly $7,200 per violation. “I was shocked when they told me that’s cost of doing business. We have more important things to do. $7,200, that’s peanuts. We’re looking at millions of dollars here.”
IHMM Credential Recognition
The highest priority of IHMM’s Government Affairs Committee is the recognition of IHMM’s credentials by government. We have made substantial progress in the two years we have undertaken this endeavor, as outlined in detail here > https://ihmm.org/credential-recognition/
In this project we have 45-in-5, increasing the number of states that recognize IHMM credentials.
- We have already succeeded in 13 states – New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Indiana, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arkansas, Oklahoma. Ohio, North Dakota, and Georgia. [Red states in the map above]. These are states where IHMM credentials are cited or 40 CFR 312.10 is cited by reference.
- We have partially succeeded in another 16 states – Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. [Orange/Black Stripe states in the map above] These are states where the requirements of an “environmental professional” or QEP are cited that coincide with an IHMM credential so that relatively little work would need to be done to clarify the desired outcome.
- We have 21 states where no reference to an IHMM credential is made in either statute or regulation, nor is there anything defined in the area of an environmental professional. These states will require legislation or regulatory work. [Yellow states in the map above].
in January 2022 Gene Guilford released the 40 CFR § 312.10 EPA regulation that states a private certification that meets or exceeds the requirements of the regulation is an Environmental Professional under the regulation. Here is the crosswalk between the 40 CFR § 312.10 EPA regulation and the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager [CHMM] blueprint. The CHMM meets or exceeds the requirements of an Environmental Professional.
Here’s what we ask each volunteer to do:
- Watch legislative and regulatory developments in your state that provide an opportunity for us to create amendments or other interventions
- Be willing to speak with regulators and legislators in your area about the recognition efforts we craft together
Retiring? IHMM Invites You to Become an Emeritus
You may have decided, after a long and successful career, to retire from active daily duty. Congratulations. That doesn’t mean you have to completely disengage from your profession. IHMM is pleased to offer Emeritus status to all certificants who will no longer be actively engaged in their communities of practice but who still want to stay in touch. Please let us know when you’re approaching that decision and we will assist you in the credential transition.
Please contact Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected] and he’ll be happy to help you.
News from IHMM Affiliates
National Safety Council
IHMM is a member of the National Safety Council and is pleased to bring this important information to all of its certificants.
NSC News
- DOL renews charter for OSHA’s construction advisory committee
- Burnout among government employees high, study shows
- NIEHS updates guidance document on mold cleanup and treatment
- CVSA brake inspection blitz parks 1 in 8 trucks and buses
- App that tracks wildfire smoke and activity gets an update
- NTSB publishes illustrated digest of 2023 Ohio train derailment and hazmat release
NSC Webinars
IHMM is a member of ASSP and is pleased to bring this important information to all of its certificants.
ASSP News
- Dec 5 – Safety From the Top: Understanding Head Protection
- Feb 13-Mar 13 – Advanced Safety Management Methods
- Feb 13 – Mar 13 – Influential Leadership Skills
- Feb 27 – Mar 27 – Risk Assessment and Management for Safety Professionals
- Feb 27 – Mar 27 – Corporate Safety Management(25FEB27)
- Feb 27 – Mar 27 – Prevention through Design
- Feb 27 – Mar 27 – Safety Management I
For a complete list of ASSP Webinars, click here.
Hazardous Materials Society
IHMM and HMS
The graphic to the left illustrates the relationship between IHMM and HMS. IHMM formed HMS to serve IHMM’s certificants. IHMM offers a variety of professional credentials and HMS creates education and training programs to serve the applicants and certificants of those credentials.
Employment Opportunities from the
HMS Job Boards Site
We invite companies to post their industry-relevant employment opportunities on the HMS Jobs Board site. Submissions will be reviewed by staff for approval prior to publishing. Submit your job post today.
- Environmental Engineer III – Arkema is a premier provider of chemicals and materials. Pasadena, TX
- HSE Specialist –Arkema is a premier provider of chemicals and materials. Grand Rapids, MI
Oklahoma State University Becomes an HMS Training Partner
IHMM is pleased to announce that Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology [CEAT], has become an HMS Training Partner. OSU brings its Environmental Management Certificate Program to us, which runs November 11-15, 2024.
| Nov 11-15, 2024 | OSU CEAT – Environmental Management Certificate | OSU-Tulsa, OK |
University of Cincinnati, OSHA Training Institute, IHMM, and HMS’ New Training Partner Offers Courses for 2024
| Daily | Online |
Aarcher Institute, IHMM, and HMS’ New Training Partner Offers Courses for 2024
| Oct 31-Nov 1, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Nov 5-8, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Nov 13-15, 2024 | In Person | |
| Nov 19-22, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Dec 3-4, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Dec 10-12, 2024 | Online |
AIHA, HMS Training Partner, Adds Courses for IHMM Certificants
American Industrial Hygiene Association [AIHA] an HMS training partner, has added its first of many courses approved in advance for earning IHMM recertification certification maintenance points. We are pleased to promote these programs in support of IHMM certificants holding the CHMM, CHMP, CSHM, and CSMP credentials. Thank you, AIHA.
Bowen EHS, HMS Training Partner, Adds Courses for IHMM Certificants
Bowen EHS, an HMS training partner, has had 4 courses approved in advance for earning IHMM recertification certification maintenance points. We are pleased to promote these programs as reviewed and approved by the HMS Education and Training Committee, chaired by Diana Lundelius. Thank you Bowen EHS and thank to HMS’ Education and Training Committee.
Thank you Bowen EHS for contributing programs enabling IHMM certificants to engage in professional development and earn important CMPs! All three of the new Bowen EHS programs are available online and on demand.
| Daily | Emergency Management Self-Paced PDC | Online |
Thank you Bowen EHS for contributing programs enabling IHMM certificants to engage in professional development and earn important CMPs! All three of the new Bowen EHS programs are available online and on demand.
Easily Find Courses to Help You Pass IHMM Credential Exams
A core mission of EHS is education and training. Part of that mission includes assembling the best and most effective courses to assist IHMM applicants in passing their IHMM credential exams.
CSHM™ Prep Courses
CSMP™ Prep Courses
HMS Makes Finding Courses to Earn CMPs Easy
Every year more than 1,600 IHMM certificants have to recertify their credentials, evidenced their continuing commitment to improvement and learning to elevate their professional credential.
Earning Certification Maintenance Points [CMPs] is illustrated under Recertification of Your Credential, that includes the Recertification Claims Manual – Appendix A, that details all of the ways a certificant may earn CMPs > https://ihmm.org/recertification-claims/
Having mastered that manual, how does an IHMM certificant find courses to earn CMPs?
HMS has made that simple and easy.
- Go to https://hazmatsociety.org/education-training/
- Scroll down until you see a row of buttons…click on the CMPs button
The system will then generate all of the courses on the HMS E&T platform with IHMM CMPs already attached.
The next developments by the HMS E&T committee will refine available courses’ CMPs by individual credential!
Donate to HMS
One of the most important projects of the Hazardous Materials Society is our Scholarship Program.
HMS wants to make it as easy as possible for those who cannot always afford to participate in pursuing certification, or keeping up with professional development, or attending great conferences and receiving outstanding training. HMS does not solicit contributions from the general public. HMS does ask IHMM’s certificants and their companies and our education and training vendors to consider a contribution.
Here, through your generosity, you can make a difference in promoting the ability of those who can afford it least to become participants in our communities of practice.
It’s never too late to make a difference, so don’t let this opportunity to make a difference pass you by. Please consider a tax-deductible donation of $250, $500 or what you can to help build HMS’s effort to help others in our communities of practice.
Member Benefits of Hazardous Materials Society
99% of IHMM certificants are aware of the Hazardous Materials Society, which we appreciate. IHMM established the Hazardous Materials Society in order to support and provide services to IHMM certificants.
Did You Know?
Your company’s membership dues for Associate Membership in the Hazardous Materials Society (HMS) are 100% tax-deductible and your participation directly supports scholarship and education/training opportunities for professionals working in hazmat and EHS. Joining as an Associate Member expresses your commitment and your company’s leadership in giving back to our professional community. Join today to claim your tax deduction for the 2020 tax year while expressing your company’s professional affiliation and accessing tools for your marketing and business development plans.
As an IHMM certificant, you pay no dues to take advantage of IHMM’s Foundation at HMS. We do appreciate IHMM’s certificants encouraging their companies to contribute.
To learn more about what HMS is doing now and what they are planning for the future, please see the new Member Benefits page here.
The Hazardous Materials Society [HMS] is a partner of Columbia Southern University.
Columbia Southern University is an online university based in Orange Beach, Alabama, that strives to change and improve lives through higher education by enabling students to maximize their professional and personal potential.
A subsidiary of Columbia Southern Education Group, CSU offers online degree programs at the associate, bachelor, master, doctorate or certificate levels in a multitude of areas such as occupational safety and health, fire administration, criminal justice, business administration, human resource management, health care administration and more. CSU also features undergraduate and graduate certificate programs to provide focused training in specialized areas for adult learners.
Benefits of a CSU Learning Partnership:
- 10% Tuition Discount
- Exclusive Scholarships
- Waived Application and Evaluation Fees
- Access the Career Services Department
For further assistance or additional information, contact Ernie Smith, [email protected]u, or call 251-923-4055
IHMM-HMS Event Calendar
IHMM has a companion organization for which education and training programs are presented and delivered. The Hazardous Materials Society education and training website can be found here.
9210 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 470
Rockville, Maryland, 20850
www.ihmm.org | [email protected]
Phone: 301-984-8969 | Fax: 301-984-1516