EHS Professional – August 8, 2024

Associate Safety and Health Manager™ [ASHM™] Program Expanding

The Associate Safety and Health Manager Committee, chaired by Jan Rosenberg, CSHM, is pleased to announce important changes to the ASHM credential.

The IHMM Associate Safety and Health Manager^™ [ASHM^™] credential demonstrates a personal commitment to professional excellence in advancing the global environmental, health, and safety communities of practice. Earning recognition as an ASHM demonstrates a high level of knowledge, expertise, and excellence in workplace safety management.

There are new, unique features of the ASHM, as follows:

• Your ASHM is only a transitional credential active for 4 years from the date of issuance, during which time you will need to take the CSHM examination. If you do not take the CSHM within the 4 years, then after 4 years your ASHM is decertified. You may take the CSHM examination in as little as 2 years from your date of ASHM certification.

• IHMM has a series of education programs that go beyond your academic training so that you can be the best-prepared employee and the best prepared to take the CSHM examination. See > https://hazmatsociety.org/training/category/ashm/

• IHMM has a Mentor Match program to connect you with senior certificants to provide you with the guidance you may need in your professional development. Mentor Match is found on our networking platform, Collaboration. You access Collaboration using the same username and password you use to access your MYIHMM account, See > https://community.ihmm.org/home

If you have any questions concerning your ASHM credential, please get in touch with Kaylene Cagle at [email protected] 

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 certificants 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

Our Vision

Our Mission

ASSP Safety24

August 7-9, 2024
Colorado Convention Center, Denver CO

Environmental Compliance Navigator 2024™

September 9-10, 2024
Nashville, Tennessee

National Safety Council Conference

September 13-19, 2024
Visit IHMM in Booth #3947
Orlando, Florida

FET Environment 2024

October 29-31, 2024
Marriott Milwaukee West, Waukesha, WI

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.

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!

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:

• 2023 Accomplishments and 2024 Priorities

Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition – Senate Action On IHMM-Supported Legislation

The House and Senate are in recess until mid-September.

S. 722 / H.R. 1477  / Coalition Roster

Safe + Sound Week 2024

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

Registration is open now. Visit the Safe + Sound event archive to view participation from previous years.

Participating in Safe + Sound Week Is Easy and Fun!

• Fill out the short registration form (takes 2 minutes or less!)
• Add your business to the Safe + Sound Week map.
• Get free resources and customizable materials.
• Hold an event.
• Take a survey.
• Get a certificate!

SIGN UP NOW!

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.

Government Shutdown Threat Looms in September

House bill aimed at strengthening worker protections

Legislation recently introduced by House Democrats would increase fines for workplace safety and child labor violations.

Under the Labor Enforcement to Securely (LET’S) Protect Workers Act (H.R. 9137), sponsored by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), OSHA fines would increase to a maximum of $80,000 for serious violations. The current maximum fine for such violations is $16,131.

For willful or repeat violations, the maximum penalty would increase to $800,000 from $161,323, and the minimum willful penalty would increase to $60,000 from $11,524.

In addition, the legislation would permit the use of monetary penalties collected for mine safety violations to help fund black lung benefits. It also would provide “the option to shut down scofflaw operators,” according to a July 26 press release.

Read more by clicking here.

OSHA Emergency Response Standard Hearing

Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board

This week, the Department of Homeland Security announced the inaugural members of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board. The NCSS is honored to be part of this dedicated group of experts working to enhance K-12 school safety and security nationwide. Learn more here.

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Creating a Culture of Support: Enhancing Staff Resilience in Emergency Situations Webinar

In this webinar on 9/12, presenters from the Colorado School of Public Health will discuss improving systems around emergency drills through tailored training, gathering staff feedback, and identifying local resources. Participants will learn to customize training for their districts, lead effective feedback sessions, and implement changes based on staff input. Registration coming soon.

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Understanding Firearm-Related Injury and School Violence

In this 5-part podcast interview series released earlier this year, experts cover crucial topics like youth suicide prevention, anonymous reporting systems, and community engagement. Listeners will gain a comprehensive understanding of how school safety strategies intersect with firearm-related injuries.

Episode 1 – Contributing Factors for Firearm-Related Injuries
Episode 2 – Firearm Safety, School Violence, and Youth Suicide
Episode 3 – Extreme Risk Protection Orders
Episode 4 – Anonymous Reporting Systems
Episode 5 – Community Engagement

Learn More Here

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8 Lessons Learned From a Real-Life Swatting Incident

Last fall we hosted a live webinar with staff from the city of Franklin, New Hampshire, and the Franklin School District. The discussion highlighted their response to a swatting incident in 2022.

With these crises becoming more common nationwide, preparation is crucial. Our latest blog post shares valuable insights from the Franklin team that may help school districts address potential security issues.  Learn more here.

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• 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!

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

Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Outlook

Another congressional appropriations season is upon us, and the Fiscal Year 2025 debate is shaping up to be a vigorous one, much like last year’s. The roles are reversed, however: this year, the House of Representatives has passed most of its appropriations bills quickly, in sharp contrast to last year when the process was fraught with disagreement that prevented many bills from getting to the floor for a long time. The Senate, which was the quicker of the two chambers last year, is now taking its time to pass appropriations bills.

Read more 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