IHMM Remotely Proctored Exams Available Now
IHMM is pleased to announce that the American National Standards Institute [ANSI] has approved Kryterion Remotely Proctored Exams for IHMM’s CHMM, CHMP, and CDGP exams. IHMM has been using the Kryterion Remotely Proctored Exams for the CSHM and CSMP exams since April of this year.
About 60% of Kryterion in-person testing centers have reopened. If you prefer the comfort and convenience of taking your exam from your home or office instead of at a Kryterion center, IHMM is ready to enroll you in a remotely proctored examination. There are Kryterion centers available world-wide and we also offer remotely-proctored testing wherever you are.
Please contact either Kortney Tunstall at [email protected] for the CHMM, CHMP, or CDGP exams or Kaylene Cagle at [email protected] for the CSHM or CSMP exams.
Phone: 301-984-8969 | [email protected]
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
IHMM Today is an online publication of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM)
Other than content specifically provided by IHMM, articles contained in IHMM Today are compiled from independent sources and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IHMM.
Below you will see the 8 credential badges that are now in each 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.
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IHMM UPDATES
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 Board Nominations for 2021 Open
This newsletter opens the 2021 Board Nominations season. In 2021 we have one position open, the CHMP representative, open for a four-year term beginning on January 1, 2022.
This process is guided by the IHMM Nominating Committee, chaired by Nathan Phelan > https://ihmm.org/nominating-committee/ We appreciate our Nominating Committee volunteers’ work working through the following documents and reviews before coming to a proposed slate of nominees.
- 2021 IHMM Nominations and Elections Process
- 2021 IHMM Call for Nominations
- 2021 IHMM Fillable Nominations Form
This announcement is the Call for Nominations. ONLY CHMPs may participate in this year’s process as the position is for a CHMP representative on the Board. IHMM will hold this phase of the process open through June 30, 2021, when it will then close to further nominations.
The Nominating Committee will review nomination documents, interview nominees, perform a series of background checks, and then deliberate on a proposed slate of nominees through August 13, 2021. After August 31, 2021, the proposed slate will go to the IHMM Board for review at its September meeting.
The CHMP representative’s elections will begin on October 1, 2021, and run through October 29, 2021. The winning nominee will be announced during the week of November 5, 2021, for a term to commence on January 1, 2022.
To nominate a CHMP for this position, use only the
Thank you.
Build a tower, build a team
Tom Wujec presents some surprisingly deep research into the “marshmallow problem” — a simple team-building exercise that involves dry spaghetti, one yard of tape, and a marshmallow. Who can build the tallest tower with these ingredients? And why does a surprising group always beat the average?
See how your team does.
IHMM Launches Development of the CHMS
IHMM is pleased to announce that it is launching the development of the Certified Hazardous Materials Specialist [CHMS] credential. This new hazmat credential will serve those who need a hazmat credential not requiring a degree, and allowing for fewer than 3 years of experience. We have found a vast underserved part of our potential market made up of people who have just graduated from college but have no experience, as well as some of the more than 250,000 servicemen and women who have mustered out of the armed services with no degree and less than 3 years of experience in a MOS or AFSC in hazmat and related disciplines the military.
With the creation of the CHMS later this year, IHMM will have an unbroken chain of hazmat credentials beginning with the Student CHMM for undergraduate students, then the CHMS for those who have graduated with a degree but have no experience – or – those who have come out of the military with no degree and less than 3 years of experience, then the CHMP with 5 or more years of experience and no degree – or – a degree and 3 years of experience, and then the CHMM that requires a degree and 4 years of experience.
This Task Force is chaired by William Diesslin, IHMM Vice-Chair. Look for further announcements as this credential is under development.
Why Industry Credentials are a Differentiator, with CEO Gene Guilford of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM).
The Environmental Transformation Podcast
IHMM Executive Director Gene Guilford spent some time with Sean Grady, CHMM, and head of the Environmental Transformation Podcast. We covered the landscape of private credentials and the projects IHMM had underway from 45 in 5 credential recognition to the new Student CHMM program. Thank you for the time Sean and we enjoy your podcasts.
DGTA – Virtual Dangerous Goods Conference – May 11, 2021
3pm-9pm London time (11am-5pm New York)
Cost: $49 member; $99 non-member (includes $50 credit toward membership)
Tentative Agenda
WELCOME
Scott Dunsmore, acting chairperson
FREIGHT FORWARDING, THIRD-PARTY PACKING, and DANGEROUS GOODS
Exploration of the relationships between shippers and those who perform some compliance functions on behalf of the shippers, including how different regulations handle things, differently.
TRAINER SKILLS IN A PANDEMIC, AND BEYOND
- Live, hands-on, face-to-face training is the best, but when that’s not possible, how trainers can adapt to make e-training as effective as possible.
DANGEROUS GOODS CERTIFICATIONS
- The Certified Dangerous Goods Trainer (CDGT) and Certified Dangerous Goods Professional (CDGP) are independent indications of the excellence of one’s qualifications. How did they come about, where are they now, and what do we expect in the future?
An examination of how and why not all DGSAs are equivalent.
COMPETENCY BASED TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT (CBTA)
What does CBTA mean in Canada? Exploration of the history, current status, and expected future path.
For IATA/ICAO, CBTA is now in print in the air regulations. What can we expect on a practical basis, and will that differ around the globe?
REGULATORY PROCESS CHANGES
- Multiple factors, not just a pandemic, have changed the pace and manner of DG regulatory change. What were those factors, how did the regulators adjust, and how has the future of regulatory change been affected?
- What needs to change? Gathered from our trainees and customers, a DGTA perspective on some of the regulations that most need to be updated.
WRAP-UP
Scott Dunsmore
Pay here if you a current DGTA member ($49)
Pay here if you are a non-member ($99)
OSHA Fall Prevention Campaign
In support of the Fall Prevention Campaign and National Safety Stand-Down on May 3-7, 2021, we wanted to make you aware of an educational webinar on Fall Harness Fit: The Basics in coordination with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA). The webinar is scheduled for April 28, 2021, at 1:00 PM (Eastern) and will include speakers from OSHA, NRCA, and CPWR. More information on the webinar and registration is available here.
In addition to the Fall Harness Fit webinar, two new Spanish resources are available for your use in support of the Campaign and National Safety Stand-Down:
- Small Contractors Section (Plan. Provide. Train.) – https://stopconstructionfalls.com/planificar-proporcionar-capacitar/
- General Spanish Resources page – https://stopconstructionfalls.com/prevent-falls-training-other-resources/en-espanol/
WEBINAR
Event Information: Fall Harness Fit: The Basics
Registration is required to join this event. If you have not registered, please do so now here.
Event status: Not started (Register)
Date and time: Wednesday, April 28, 2021 1:00 pm
Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Change time zone
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 12:00 pm
Central Daylight Time (Chicago, GMT-05:00)
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 11:00 am
Mountain Daylight Time (Denver, GMT-06:00)
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 10:00 am
Pacific Daylight Time (San Francisco, GMT-07:00)
Program: CPWR Informational Webinar Series
Duration: 45 minutes
Description:
In order for a personal fall arrest system to effectively protect workers in the event of a fall, it’s critical that the harness fits properly and is worn as intended. In support of the OSHA-NIOSH-CPWR Campaign to Prevent Falls and National Safety Stand-Down on May 3-7, 2021, CPWR is partnering with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) to provide an educational webinar on this topic. During this 30-minute presentation followed by Q&A, you’ll hear from the experts at NRCA about how to know whether a harness fits correctly, including demonstrations and descriptions of how it should look and feel when on, and why fit is so important.
Welcome: Scott Ketcham, Director, OSHA’s Directorate of Construction
Panel:
Thomas Shanahan, CAE, VP Enterprise Risk Management and Executive Education, National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA)
Harry Dietz, Director, Enterprise Risk Management, NRCA
Rich Trewyn, Director, Enterprise Risk Management, NRCA
IHMM Professional Standards Committee – Ethics Review
Certification bodies like IHMM spend a good deal of time and effort promoting private certifications and their personal as well as professional value. One element of this value is our code of ethics.
2 1/2 years ago IHMM received a complaint alleging that someone had violated our code of ethics. We did our research and read the complaint several times not being able to understand who was turning in whom. As it turns out, a lady who works for a state agency was turning in herself. It seems this lady believed she had not treated some of the colleagues with whom she worked in a manner befitting a professional and IHMM certificant. Yes, she turned in herself.
There are many things valuable about a private certification and a code of ethics. There is nothing more valuable than a person who takes professional conduct so seriously as to reflect on it herself and want to do better for herself, those around her, and her credential.
We are exceedingly proud of this person and her desire to get better and to seek the help that is going to allow her to achieve that goal.
The IHMM Board has asked the Professional Standards Committee to review IHMM’s code of ethics and how it may be taught as a part of recertification requirements. The Professional Standards Committee is chaired by Dan Blankfeld, and the full committee is found here.
The committee has also reviewed some important materials of late, among which are:
IHMM Microcredential Task Force
- The IHMM Microcredential Task Force https://ihmm.org/microcredential-task-force/ chaired by Dan Blankfeld, has arrived at its top 10 topics for consideration of creating microcredentials. These are not the only areas to be ultimately considered from the more than 200 suggestions we received from certificants – only the top 10 at this point.
The top 10 are:
- Pandemic Preparedness (e.g. COVID-19, H1N1, etc.)
- Pandemic Response
- Biohazard/Infection Disease Expert
- Crisis Management
- Safety (AHA, JHA, PHA, Specialist; Safety Culture Development)
- Industrial Hygiene ( Silica, Mold, Lead, Asbestos, etc .)
- Hazardous Waste Expert
- Remediation (Superfund, specialty product, ESA I,II; Brownfield)
- Environmental law
As the Task Force begins the process of building the foundation of microcredentials involving pandemics IHMM has invited the National Institutes of Health [NIH] and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] to join as advisors of this project. Important to our success as an Institute and as a country is our ability to partner with the government, who in times of pandemic will rely on the professionals that we can create with them.
IHMM & AHMP 45 in 5 Project – National Credential Recognition – 21 States Targeted
On January 25th, we began outlining the strategy to go after the 21 states in yellow, above. Since then we have succeeded in adding Nebraska, Colorado, and California.
This is just the beginning. Here is the present composition of the 45 In 5 Task Force and the states we are focusing on. More people may volunteer anytime! https://ihmm.org/45-in-5-task-force/
- There are 21 states that recognize the CHMM for phase I and phase II site assessments, though the 45 in 5 group is also looking at Small Business Administration [SBA] rules for these assessments to determine what we may need to do to gain SBA recognition as well.
In 2019 Mark Bruce from AHMP and Gene Guilford from IHMM worked on a project to get the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to recognize the CHMM and CDGT credentials. With Mark’s work on the ground in Pennsylvania, we succeeded.
Since the launch, we have added Delaware, Florida, Texas, California, Washington, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Iowa, North Carolina, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Puerto Rico as the next places for us to work on with 44 volunteers.
The Task Force meets again on April 6th
IHMM Certificant Recognition
Last week IHMM completed inserting new credential badges in every certificant’s MYIHMM account. Everyone may access those badges for use in their email signatures, LinkedIn accounts, and other social media and communications media. 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.
This week we thank our certificants again. Throughout our certificant’s MYIHMM accounts will be placed 10 Year, 20 Year, and 30 Year badges signifying their longevity as an IHMM certified professional.
IHMM is also adding Distinguished Diplomates and Fellows of the Institute badges to the appropriate people in the MYIHMM database. These two badges will be accompanied by new lapel pins to be sent to each of those distinguished by holding these designations.
IHMM NEWS RECENT UPDATES
Florida residents are evacuated after reservoir contaminated with radioactive wastewater starts collapsing: Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency
Mobile App – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards | NIOSH | CDC
Fall 2020 EPA Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions
Important Updates on EPA’s TSCA New Chemicals Program
Regulation of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals Under TSCA Section 6(h)
Air Quality Designations for the 2010 Primary Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
President Biden Unveils $2.5T Infrastructure Package
President Biden Extends PPP Deadline to May 31
Top 5 OSHA Safety Training Topics
Job Opportunities for Women in Construction Are On the Rise
On Safety: A closer look at OSHA’s ‘Top 10’ violations – Part I
DOJ ends practice of allowing polluters to pay for environmental projects
How Safe Is Our Drinking Water?
COVID-19: US State Policy Report – March 31- April 1, 2021
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month: What You Need to Know to Keep You and Others Safe
IATA Introduces Travel Pass Vaccination App
Infectious disease, workplace violence rules remain in OSHA plan
Strategies for Sharps Disposal Container Use During Supply Shortages
OSHA Enforcement Violations
New study finds nearly 70% of companies surveyed have improved toxic chemical safety programs
EPA -Lead and Copper Rule (LCRR) Virtual Engagements
Nevada: Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions
Request for Nominations of Candidates to the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB)
IHMM is a member of the National Safety Council and is pleased to bring this important information to all of its certificants
April is Distracted Driving Month
NSC Calls on Biden Administration to Commit to Zero Traffic Deaths as Infrastructure Plan Takes Shape
NSC Impact Tracks
The NSC Impact Tracks provide valuable educational opportunities for safety professionals looking to enhance their career, brush up on their skills and earn CEUs in the comfort of their home or office. This new virtual opportunity provides a day of topically focused education featuring five 60 minute technical sessions, lunch and stretch breaks, and an opening welcome from NSC President & CEO, Lorraine Martin. Each session will be taught by leading safety and subject experts in the field.
SAVE MY SPOT
NSC Webinars
Please join us in participating in Safe + Sound Week from August 9-15, 2021. Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August to show your business’s commitment to keep workers safe year-round. Safe + Sound Week is also a time when information and ideas are shared to help get your safety and health program started or improve an existing program.
Download the Save the Date and share that you’ll be participating in Safe + Sound Week on social media using #SafeAndSoundAtAWork.
Registration opens in July and will be announced via IHMM Today and EHS Professional.
Spring Arrives with a Slate of Exciting
Virtual Events and Trainings
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to share information regarding a full slate of upcoming opportunities for chemical industry stakeholders to stay abreast of key regulatory developments both in the United States and internationally. We hope you will join B&C professionals, industry colleagues, and regulatory agency speakers for one or more of these events.
TSCA at Five Virtual Conference – June 30, 2021
This June marks the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the game-changing Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg) that amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). With a new Administration and the relentless pace of regulatory developments related to Lautenberg implementation, there are many issues to consider and problems to solve.
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) are pleased to announce the fifth annual conference providing updates and insights regarding the current state of TSCA implementation, ongoing and emerging issues, and related developments. Topics will include how EPA is implementing Section 6 risk evaluation provisions, changes in new chemical review, existing chemical risk management provisions, and TSCA’s role in achieving environmental justice, among other topics.
As with our previous TSCA anniversary events, a stellar faculty of speakers from government, non-governmental organizations, industry, and academia will convene to inform, analyze, discuss, and debate the most pressing issues related to TSCA with regulatory practitioners and other stakeholder attendees.
Detailed program and registration information to come. SAVE THE DATE!
TSCA Tutor® On-Demand Virtual Training
Available 24/7/365
Enroll Online
B&C’s TSCA Tutor online e-training platform offers expert, efficient, essential TSCA training. Professionals seeking TSCA training can preview and enroll in on-demand classes to complete at their own pace and timing.
TSCA Tutor online training courses include:
• Video lessons.
• Detailed handout materials, including copies of all presentations and relevant course materials from EPA and other sources.
• Customizable, yet detailed and ready-to-use Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the regulatory topic covered in the session.
Interested professionals should visit www.TSCAtutor.com to view sample course segments and purchase modules. Volume discounts are available for companies wishing to purchase courses for multiple employees.
HMS and Earning Certification Maintenance Points [CMPs]
IHMM created HMS, in large measure, so that IHMM certificants could have one, central place within which to find professional development courses in which to earn certification maintenance points. HMS courses cover all of IHMM’s 8 credentials, not only one.
We’ve made it easy to find CMPs.
- Go to https://hazmatsociety.org/
- Go to the Education and Training tab
- Scroll down until you see these buttons…and click on the CMPs button
- The system will produce a listing of the programs on the platform that have already been reviewed and given CMP ratings. You can find the programs suitable for you.
For example, one of the programs is from Columbia Southern University, offered online, has 36 CMPs attached, and is FREE. This is only one example. There are hundreds of programs on HMS.
National Safety Stand-Down: How Will You Participate?
Selecting and Inspecting Fall Protection Equipment: 5 Keys to Success
Safety News You Need: Construction Safety and Health
CDC Guidelines for Implementing a Workplace COVID-19 Vaccination Program
ASSP Webinars
April 15: ONLINE COURSE: Safety Management I
April 27: Live Virtual Classroom: Math Review for Certification Exams
April 28 – 30: Live Virtual Classroom: ASP Exam Prep
April 28 -30: Live Virtual Classroom: CSP Exam Prep
April 29 – May 27: ONLINE COURSE: Risk Assessment Course
IHMM is a member of ASSP and is pleased to provide this information to all of our certificants.
HMS UPDATES
HMS Donations
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.
HMS Education and Training
Hazardous Materials Society now has 14,918 education and training programs on its website https://hazmatsociety.org/education-training/ with more coming every week. Certificants will note that most of these programs carry a CMP value, making it easier to know in advance what to expect. The HMS Education and Training platform also provides a wide variety of courses for professional development across all of IHMM’s credentials – and more are being developed by the HMS Education and Training Committee.
This is the center of education and training for IHMM certificants and prospective certificants. Among these more than 15.000 programs are webinars delivered online and virtually all carry IHMM CMPs values with them for your annual / 5-year CMP planning. SEE: https://hazmatsociety.org/education-training/
HMS Affinity Programs – RCM&D Professional Liability Insurance
With more than 27,000 people – here is where HMS leverages our numbers for member’s benefit. There is strength and value in numbers and that translates into lower costs for you.
HMS is proud to have partnered with RCM&D to be able to offer an outstanding comprehensive professional liability insurance program to IHMM certificants. Here, you will find information about this important program offering Environmental Consultants and Engineers Professional Liability coverage. This coverage is intended to add protection for loss stemming from actual or alleged negligent acts, errors and omissions in performing professional services.
IHMM/HMS Coronavirus Resources
In February of 2020, the World Health Organization’s director-general has declared a public health emergency of international concern over the ongoing outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus. On March 13, 2020 President Trump declared a national emergency for the United States. IHMM and HMS’ first concern is with the safety and health of all of us; our staff and families, colleagues, certificants and members. We will update this page regularly as credible, authoritative information is available.
INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND LABORATORIES.
COVID-19 Data Tracker By State
COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Non-Healthcare Workplaces
COVID-19 Weekly Review – April 2, 2021
CDC Communications Toolkit
State Vaccination Distribution Plans
New! Vaccine Data Dashboard. We now have a specific dashboard dedicated to state vaccination plans, updated daily. For each state, you’ll find:
- Current distribution phase,
- Brief overview of state plan,
- Current and future eligible populations, and
- Links to state documentation.
HMS Jobs Board
We invite our participating companies to post their available employment opportunities here. There is no charge for this service. HMS staff reviews each proposed posting for clarity and completeness before posting to the public view and may remove a posting without notice.
Senior Environmental Scientist-ESC-Sacramento
PG&E, Sacramento, CA. Safety, Health, and Environment, Standards and Programs group is committed to full environmental compliance and establishing our position as an environmental leader to support the companies’ vision to become the leading utility in the United States. We are undertaking numerous initiatives to put our environmental values to work – while at the same time delighting our customers, energizing our employees and rewarding our shareholders.
Environmental Protection Specialist
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas U.S.
Dangerous Goods Expert
Member Benefits of Hazardous Materials Society
81% 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.
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.
Product Showcase
Self-Paced, Top-Rated Online Hazmat Training CHEMTREC, the world’s leader in hazmat emergency response, can help keep your company safe and compliant with our online hazmat training courses. Available training includes Hazmat General, Safety and Security Awareness, 49 CFR, IATA, Lithium Battery Shipping and more. Sign up today! |
A Collaborative Culture
There are 380 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. 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> https://community.ihmm.org/home
HSC can help you innovate! Hazmat Safety Consulting, LLC can help you navigate the complexities around applying for special permits and approvals. We have helped our clients acquire precedent-setting permits and help them manage their renewals. With our experience working at the UN, we can also help with Competent Authority and international approvals.
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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 Jim Drosdak at [email protected] and he’ll be happy to help you.
Columbia Southern University
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.
Click on the CSU graphic at left and learn more about the professional development and degree program opportunities at CSU.
IHMM CONFERENCES FOR 2021
IHMM will attend and support a number of conferences and trade shows throughout 2021, virtually as well as in-person as COVID issues allow. Below are the first few conferences we have coming up early in 2021.
COSTHA 2021 Annual Forum
April 2021
Greenville, South Carolina
This event is to be run entirely virtually.
AHMP 2021 National Conference
July 25-28, 2021
Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center
Kansas City, Missouri
College & University Hazardous Materials Management Conference
August 7-12, 2021
Denver, Colorado
This conference is currently planned as being in-person.
ASSP Safety21 Conference & Expo
September 13-15, 2021
Austin, Texas
This is a hybrid conference of both virtual and in-person events
IHMM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Representative Spanberger of Virginia’s 7th Congressional District has drafted legislation entitled, “Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act.” This legislation expands the provisions of existing law with respect to the allowable uses of Section 529 education tuition accounts.
A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to encourage saving for future education costs. 529 plans, legally known as “qualified tuition plans,” are sponsored by states, state agencies, or educational institutions and are authorized by Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.
The “Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act” will enable those who seek professional, post-secondary credentials from institutions recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. As one who holds a professional credential, I consider it essential to the growth of a trained, specialized professional workforce to be able to fund activities associated with gaining and retaining a professional credential. Representative Spanberger’s Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act does exactly that. A copy of the draft legislation is here.
Spanberger co-led the introduction of the legislation alongside U.S. Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI-06), Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), and Rob Wittman (R-VA-01). A companion bill in the U.S. Senate is led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Braun (R-IN).
Please go to the IHMM Legislative Action Center here > https://ihmm.org/45-in-5-task-force/ and then click on the banner for the
“Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act.” and then enter your contact information to send a prepared message to your members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate encouraging them all to co-sponsor the “Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act.”
Beltway Buzz – Ogletree & Deakins
Administration Debuts Infrastructure Package. Just weeks after enacting the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, the Biden administration this week unveiled the American Jobs Plan—its $2.3 trillion infrastructure package. The broad outline released by the White House (there is, of course, no actual bill yet) proposes investing in U.S. roads and bridges, the electrical grid, high-speed broadband, and the like. It also goes further, pledging to delve into the “care economy,” supply chains, climate science, “small business incubators and innovation hubs,” “domestic workers,” and, of course, labor and employment. Though this is all theoretical at this point, here is what the administration says it hopes is included in the legislation:
- PRO Act. The proposal is peppered with language supporting “union jobs” and collective bargaining on the grounds that “increased unionization can also impact … economic growth overall by improving worker productivity.” The proposal explicitly endorses the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, though without legislative text, we don’t know what this endorsement means, exactly. But it is possible that the PRO Act might be crammed into the eventual American Jobs Plan bill.
- Increased enforcement. The summary of the proposal states, “The President’s plan includes funding to strengthen the capacity of our labor enforcement agencies to protect against discrimination, protect wages and benefits, enforce health and safety safeguards, strengthen health care and pensions plans, and promote union organizing and collective bargaining.”
- Increased penalties for employers. The summary states, “In addition to a $10 billion investment in enforcement as part of the plan’s workforce proposals, the President is calling for increased penalties when employers violate workplace safety and health rules.”
- Paycheck Fairness Act? The summary fact sheet states that the infrastructure plan “tackles pay inequities based on gender.” Again, there are no details, but the Paycheck Fairness Act is a top priority for Democrats.
- Contractor blacklisting and union neutrality. The proposal also seems to include some version of the rescinded contractor blacklisting scheme, as well as union neutrality requirements, as it states, “The President’s plan demands that employers benefitting from these investments follow strong labor standards and remain neutral when their employees seek to organize a union and bargain collectively.”
- Federally funded projects. The proposal appears to double down on Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wages and project labor agreements.
So far, Republicans are not too keen on the spending plan, the tax increases that will be necessary to pay for it (one proposal would raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 21 percent), or the plan’s potential inclusion of the PRO Act. Whether Democrats work to reach a compromise with Republicans or attempt to move this package unilaterally through the budgetary reconciliation process, there is a long way to go before anything crosses the finish line, if at all.
Trump-Era Nonimmigrant Ban Expires. The Trump administration’s Proclamation 10052, which banned individuals from entering the United States on certain nonimmigrant visas (such as H-1B and L-1), expired on March 31, 2021. This is obviously a good development for those individuals directly impacted by the ban, as well as employers that supplement their workforces with highly skilled foreign workers. However, the fact that President Joe Biden let the proclamation lapse on its own, rather than repeal it outright as he did with the ban on immigrant visas, is perhaps indicative of the administration’s skepticism of nonimmigrant, high-skilled visa programs.
DOL Seeks Immigration-Related Prevailing Wage Data. Speaking of immigration policy, on April 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration published in the Federal Register a request for information inviting “interested parties to provide information on the sources of data and methodologies for determining prevailing wage levels covering employment opportunities that United States (U.S.) employers seek to fill with foreign workers on a permanent or temporary basis through certain employment-based immigrant visas or through H–1B, H–1B1, E–3 nonimmigrant visas.” The information received is intended to inform the DOL’s review of the Trump-era prevailing wage rule that the DOL is proposing to delay until November 14, 2022.
EEOC Announces EEO-1 Collection Dates. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that the collection period for 2019 and 2020 EEO-1 Component 1 data would run from April 26, 2021, through July 19, 2021. The submission of both 2019 and 2020 data is necessary because the collection of 2019 data was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden Announces Nominee for DOL’s Top Attorney. President Biden announced his intent to nominate Seema Nanda as solicitor of labor. Most recently, Nanda was chief executive officer of the Democratic National Committee. She previously served as chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, and deputy solicitor at the DOL in the Obama administration. While perhaps not as public-facing as other positions within the DOL, the solicitor plays a massive role in enforcing federal employment statutes, developing policy initiatives and regulations, and “providing legal opinions and advice concerning all the Department’s activities.”
NLRB Extends Deadline for Briefs on Employer Investigations. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is extending the deadline for stakeholders to submit amicus briefs in a case concerning the proper standard to apply to situations where employers interview employees as part of their efforts to defend themselves in unfair labor practice proceedings. Briefs were originally due on or before April 5, 2021, but they will now be due on or before April 19, 2021.
President Biden Announces “American Jobs Plan” – What’s In It for $2.5 trillion?
President Joe Biden on March 31, 2021, introduced the American Jobs Plan of 2021. The plan requests $2 trillion over eight years to modernize the nation’s infrastructure. This infrastructure plan includes roads, bridges, and ports, but also addresses resiliency, the climate crisis, broadband access, waterways, and housing. To pay for the plan, the president suggests a corporate tax hike over 15 years, among other modifications to the tax code.
Taxes
- Increase the federal corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent and tighten inversion regulations.
- Raise the tax on Global Intangible Low Tax Income (GILTI) to 21 percent, calculate it on a country-by-country basis, and eliminate the exemption of a 10 percent return on tangible investment abroad (QBAI).
- Impose a 15 percent minimum tax on corporate book income, which would be levied on a firm’s financial profits instead of taxable income for firms with revenue over $100 million.
- Repeal the Foreign-Derived Intangible Income (FDII) deduction, which incentivizes firms to move intellectual property (IP) into the U.S.
- Provide a tax credit for certain onshoring activity and deny expense deductions on jobs that were offshored.
- Increase corporate tax enforcement.
- Eliminate certain deductions and credits for the fossil fuel industry.
Spending [White House Fact Sheet, Legislation Not Available]
Fix highways, rebuild bridges, upgrade ports, airports and transit systems. The President’s plan will modernize 20,000 miles of highways, roads, and main streets. It will fix the ten most economically significant bridges in the country in need of reconstruction. It also will repair the worst 10,000 smaller bridges, providing critical linkages to communities. And, it will replace thousands of buses and rail cars, repair hundreds of stations, renew airports, and expand transit and rail into new communities.
Deliver clean drinking water, a renewed electric grid, and high-speed broadband to all Americans. President Biden’s plan will eliminate all lead pipes and service lines in our drinking water systems, improving the health of our country’s children and communities of color. It will put hundreds of thousands of people to work laying thousands of miles of transmission lines and capping hundreds of thousands of orphan oil and gas wells and abandoned mines. And, it will bring affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband to every American, including the more than 35 percent of rural Americans who lack access to broadband at minimally acceptable speeds.
Build, preserve, and retrofit more than two million homes and commercial buildings, modernize our nation’s schools and child care facilities, and upgrade veterans’ hospitals and federal buildings. President Biden’s plan will create good jobs building, rehabilitating, and retrofitting affordable, accessible, energy efficient, and resilient housing, commercial buildings, schools, and child care facilities all over the country, while also vastly improving our nation’s federal facilities, especially those that serve veterans.
Solidify the infrastructure of our care economy by creating jobs and raising wages and benefits for essential home care workers. These workers – the majority of whom are women of color – have been underpaid and undervalued for too long. The President’s plan makes substantial investments in the infrastructure of our care economy, starting by creating new and better jobs for caregiving workers. His plan will provide home and community-based care for individuals who otherwise would need to wait as many as five years to get the services they badly need.
Revitalize manufacturing, secure U.S. supply chains, invest in R&D, and train Americans for the jobs of the future. President Biden’s plan will ensure that the best, diverse minds in America are put to work creating the innovations of the future while creating hundreds of thousands of quality jobs today. Our workers will build and make things in every part of America, and they will be trained for well-paying, middle-class jobs.
Invest in reliable passenger and freight rail service. The nation’s rail networks have the potential to offer safe, reliable, efficient, and climate-friendly alternatives for moving people and freight.
Create good jobs electrifying vehicles. U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) sales is only one-third the size of the Chinese EV market. The President believes that must change.
Improve ports, waterways, and airports. The United States built modern aviation, but our airports lag far behind our competitors. According to some rankings, no U.S. airports rank in the top 25 of airports worldwide. Our ports and waterways need repair and reimagination too. President Biden is calling on Congress to invest $25 billion in our airports, including funding for the Airport Improvement Program, upgrades to FAA assets that ensure safe and efficient air travel, and a new program to support terminal renovations and multimodal connections for affordable, convenient, car-free access to air travel.
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