IHMM Today July 9, 2024

Inside IHMM

A Collaborative Culture

There are 1,379 different conversations going on in the IHMM/HMS Collaboration platform this week.

A collaborative culture is important for every business but is especially important for our hazardous materials, dangerous goods, environment, health, and safety communities of practice. Do you have a problem you need to solve and want the opinions of your colleagues? This is where we come together to help each other.

IHMM credentialed professionals are at the top 1% of their professions and their reach is global. We are at the forefront of environmental protection, health, and safety and this is where collaborating with the best people in their fields, always willing to help one another, lessens the stress of our jobs, and where we strive as a team to make a difference of which we are proud.

We opened COLLABORATION to enable thousands of certificants and supporters to collaborate together.

You can collaborate here.

Access to COLLABORATION is through the same username/password you use to access your MYIHMM account. Having a problem? Contact Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected]

IHMM Proposes Changes in Government Recognition of Credentials

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.

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.

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.

OSHA Heat Standard Coming

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a proposed rule that would protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings from extreme heat. The proposed rule would require employers to develop an injury and illness prevention plan to control heat hazards in workplaces affected by excessive heat. Among other things, the plan would require employers to evaluate heat risks and — when heat increases risks to workers — implement requirements for drinking water, rest breaks and control of indoor heat. It would also require a plan to protect new or returning workers unaccustomed to working in high heat conditions.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway is a new requirement that affected employers (there’s a list of exemptions, which are mostly office and telework employee related) must develop and deploy a written heat safety plan. Once the formal proposal is published, there will be a comment period and plenty of opportunity to provide feedback to OSHA before any rule is finalized.

Federal Register Notice

AIHA Releases Beta Heat App

We are pleased to announce that AIHA has released a Beta Version of its new Heat Stress App.  Please note: Currently, it is only available for iPhone users (Android users, please stay tuned as we work through the mechanics of getting the app listed on the Google Play store).

We would welcome your engagement in spreading the word about the app and circulating it to your members and other constituents who can test it and provide feedback.

You can find more information about it on this web page: https://healthierworkplaces.org/workplace-safety-resources-employee-employer-guidance/employer-health-safety-resources-infection-control-guidelines/thermal-heat-stress-safety-resources-for-employers

We are also providing the attached PDF with background information and instructions on accessing the app and giving feedback.

AIHA Heat Stress App PDF

NFPA Battery Safety

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is proposing to develop a new standard, NFPA 800, devoted specifically to battery safety. While this action is not specifically regulatory in nature per se, NFPA standards are routinely incorporated by reference across the regulatory spectrum and appear widely as part of state and local fire codes. As such, it’s very likely that any future NFPA standard on battery safety will end up impacting operations at most American workplaces. For a chance to see what this development is about and perhaps provide some feedback to the NFPA.

Supreme Court Overturns Chevron

Removal of Affirmative Defense Provisions From Specified New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants

PHMSA Issues New Rule Requiring Electronic Tracking of Hazardous Materials on Trains After East Palestine Incident

Climate Adaptation Plans

n-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the “Agency”) is proposing to address the unreasonable risk of injury to human health presented by n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) under its conditions of use as documented in EPA’s risk evaluation and risk determination for NMP pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). NMP is a widely used solvent in a variety of industrial, commercial, and consumer applications including the manufacture and production of electronics such as semiconductors, polymers, petrochemical products, paints and coatings, and paint and coating removers. EPA determined that NMP presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health due to the significant adverse health effects associated with exposure to NMP, including developmental post-implantation fetal loss from short-term exposure and reduced fertility and fecundity from long-term exposure. Additional adverse effects associated with exposure to NMP include liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, skin irritation, and sensitization. To address the identified unreasonable risk, EPA is proposing to: prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce and use of NMP in several occupational conditions of use; require worker protections through an NMP workplace chemical protection program (WCPP) or prescriptive controls (including concentration limits) for most of the occupational conditions of use; require concentration limits on a consumer product; regulate certain consumer products to prevent commercial use; and establish recordkeeping, labeling, and downstream notification requirements.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before July 29, 2024. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), comments on the information collection provisions are best assured of consideration if the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) receives a copy of your comments on or before July 15, 2024.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your comments, identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0744, through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is restricted by statute. Additional instructions on commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/​dockets/​.

Federal Register Notice

Attention Transporters of Hazardous Materials: PHMSA Proposes Registration Fee Updates

PHMSA

In an NPRM, the agency, to account for what it contends are increased transport of hazardous materials as well as what it says are the burdens such transport places on first responders, proposes updates to the registration fees under the statutorily mandated registration and fee assessment program for persons who transport, or offer for transportation, certain categories and quantities of hazardous materials.

PHMSA’s proposed rulemaking would increase the annual fee by $125 for those registrants qualifying as a small business or not-for-profit organization (an increase from $250 to $375) and those registrants not qualifying as a small business or not-for-profit organization by $425 (an increase from $2,575 to $3,000).

Other proposed amendments in the NPRM include:

• Implementing an electronic-only registration fee payment process, based on changes to the payment processes implemented by the Department of Treasury
• Revising requirements to clarify that a Certificate of Registration may be carried in either electronic or paper form, for both motor carriers and those who transport hazardous materials by vessel.

The proposed update to fees will generate the estimated $6.4 million dollars necessary to fund PHMSA’s Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants program at newly authorized levels in accordance with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021).

Comments are due no later than August 22^nd, 2024. See details and how to comment here.

Federal Register Notice

Notice of Public Meetings: International Standards on the Transport of Dangerous Goods

PHMSA’s OHMS will be hosting public forums in advance of four international meetings to allow the public to give input on current proposals being considered by the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP) and the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE TDG). The international meetings include:

• ICAO TDG Working Group 24 (WG/24), tentatively scheduled for October, in Montreal, Canada.
• The 65th session of the UNSCOE TDG, scheduled for November 25 to December 3, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Each of these public meetings will be held approximately two weeks before the corresponding international meeting at U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Headquarters in Washington, DC (1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building), with a remote participation option available. Specific information for each meeting, including date, time, conference call-in number, and details for advance registration will be posted when available on PHMSA’s website under “Upcoming Events.”

Federal Register here.

2024-2025 Hazardous Materials Registration Brochure

Offerors and transporters of certain quantities and types of hazardous materials are required to file an annual registration statement with DOT and pay a designated fee. These fees are used to fund PHMSA’s Emergency Preparedness grants, which support hazardous materials emergency response planning and training activities by states, local governments, and Native American Tribes.

This brochure, updated for the 2024-2025 registration year, details PHMSA’s Hazmat Registration program by explaining who must register, and when and how to register, and providing key dates, registration cost, and other important information.

Link: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/registration/registration-mail-brochure

Note: Each registration year spans from July 1 to June 30, with early registration beginning May 1. Completed registration statements and payment must be submitted before July 1, 2024, or before engaging in any of the activities requiring registration, whichever is later.

Contact [email protected] for more information.

Safe + Sound Week 2024

Safe + Sound Week will be held from August 12-18, 2024.

Registration will open in July. Resources on how to participate will be released in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information! In the meantime, visit the Safe + Sound event archive to view participation from previous years.  

NIOSH Mental Health Resources

NIOSH launched an Impact Wellbeing Guide: Taking Action to Improve Healthcare Worker Wellbeing. This Guide offers six concrete Action Steps that hospital leaders can take to accelerate or supplement professional well-being efforts in their hospitals. It was developed in partnership with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation and tested in six CommonSpirit hospitals across the U.S.

Participate in the Fall Stand-Down

The 11^th Annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction will take place from May 6-10, 2024. Join us to help prevent fall hazards in the workplace by participating in the Stand-Down.

Are You Prepared for Any School Emergency?

We are excited to invite you to the next crucial step on the Path to Safer Schools: “Be Prepared”. Join us for this empowering conversation, designed to equip school leaders, teachers, and safety professionals with essential skills and knowledge for comprehensive emergency preparedness.

Webinar Details:

• Date: July 16, 2024
• Time: 2 PM EST
• Panelists: Guy Bliesner, Daniel Dluzneski, Gabrielle Morquecho
• Register Here

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Networking Drop-In

BJA/COPS STOP grantees, join our monthly Networking Drop-In session 7/17 from 12-1 PM ET and 3-4 PM ET. This is your opportunity to connect and engage with fellow grantees.

These sessions are not recorded. A Zoom link will be sent out via email (Note: the link remains the same every month). If you are a grantee and do not receive these emails, please reach out and let us know.

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• 8/7 – Preventing Mass Attacks in Our Communities Webinar
  Hosted by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center
• 9/25-26 – 2024 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security

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Explore Our School Threat Assessment Toolkit:

Now Available in Interactive Web Format!

PFAS — Determining PFAS Content in Your Supply Chain and Expanding Data Collection Practice

July 23, 2024
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EDT)

REGISTER NOW

Register now to join Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C^®) for “Determining PFAS Content in Your Supply Chain and Expanding Data Collection Practice,” a complimentary webinar covering the basics of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) reporting rule for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). With Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) wrapping up this fall, companies still have time to gather the necessary information regarding PFAS to begin reporting as early as this November.

The fiscal year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to require that all manufacturers (including importers) of PFAS and PFAS-containing articles in any year since 2011 report information related to chemical identity, uses, volumes made and processed, byproducts, environmental and health effects, worker exposure, and disposal to EPA. According to EPA, at least 1,462 PFAS that are known to have been made or used in the United States since 2011 will be subject to its October 2023 final reporting rule, but the actual number may be very much higher. The six-month reporting period will begin November 12, 2024, and end May 8, 2025. Small businesses that are solely reporting data on importing PFAS present as components in articles have an additional six months to report, until November 10, 2025.

Navigating Metrics for Workplace Safety and Health

On July 10, 2024, AIHA will deliver a webinar titled “Navigating Metrics for Workplace Safety and Health” that will discuss the use and potential misuse of metrics. The webinar will show participants how to select and use metrics in successful occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) programs through examples that the presenters hope will assist them in tailoring programs to their operations.

In particular, participants will finish the webinar knowing how to use metrics to measure the progress of OEHS programs in discussions with management. They will also learn to anticipate ethical challenges related to the use of metrics, including those presented by artificial intelligence (AI). Participants will be able to identify which metrics they may use to analyze cause and effect for leading, lagging, and impact indicators, as well as compare their organization’s metrics with those of other organizations. Furthermore, they will learn about significant updates in the second edition of Industrial Hygiene Performance Metrics (IHPM), published by AIHA in 2023.

Read more here.

IHMM-HMS Event Calendar