EHS Professional – December 2, 2021

CSHM – CSMP Recertification System Notice

We have great news for all CSHM and CSMP credential holders with IHMM.  The paper CoC recertification worksheets you have had to do are now history.  This week IHMM staff started beta-testing the new system with a handful of CSHMs and CSMPs.

We are pleased to inform you that an entirely secure, web-based recertification system that allows you to input your Certification Maintenance Points [CMPs] and keep track of where you are throughout your 5-year recertification cycle is now ready for you to use – no more paper!

You are used to a 30 point or 20 point system over 5 years, and the new system still allows you to enter those points and it will automatically convert them to the IHMM 200-point system. You lose nothing in the transition.

• Go to your MYIHMM account here, and see the top toolbar on the website, click on My IHMM > https://ihmm.org

• If you don’t know your username and password – contact Jimmy Nguyen here > [email protected] or James Drosdak > [email protected] or Kaylene Cagle > [email protected] or Mikki Shea > [email protected]  one of them can assist you with your username and password to your account
• Start your recertification application today, no need to wait. We will walk you through the MENU in your account to get to RECERTIFICATION, then start your application. Jimmy, Jim, Kaylene, and Mikki can assist you with how to use the Recertification system. You can contact any one of them using the emails above.

Once you are in your recertification application we will show you how to enter your points based on the blueprint of your credential. This is all the same as what you used to do on paper – except with the electronic version you can keep track of your progress anytime you wish.

This is a great system that, once you see it and use it a bit, will be easy for you to update as you go.

We will soon conduct the survey validation that will lead to the new blueprints.  The new blueprints for the CSHM and CSMP will be released after the holidays. IHMM thanks Steve Guillory, Tom Slavin, and the CSHM Scheme Committee https://ihmm.org/cshm-scheme-committee/  and Kirk Rains, Trina Cameron and the CSMP Scheme Committee https://ihmm.org/csmp-scheme-committee/  for the outstanding job they have all done creating new blueprints that will lead to a new exam, and then we seek ANSI accreditation for these programs.

All this work, done by many at IHMM, ensures that the CSHM and CSMP credentials you hold will be the very strongest in the industry and our communities of practice.

US Department of Labor extends comment period for COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extended the comment period for the COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard to Jan. 19, 2022. OSHA extended the comment period by 45 days to allow stakeholders additional time to review the ETS and collect information and data necessary for comment.

Submit comments identified by Docket No. OSHA-2021-0007 electronically at https://www.regulations.gov, which is the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Follow the online instructions for making electronic submissions.  The Federal e-Rulemaking Portal is the only way to submit comments on this rule. Read the Nov. 5, 2021 Federal Register notice for details.

On Nov. 5, OSHA issued an emergency temporary standard to protect workers from the spread of coronavirus on the job. The emergency temporary standard covers employers with 100 or more employees. Covered employers must develop, implement and enforce a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, unless they adopt a policy requiring employees to either get vaccinated or undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work. More information about the ETS is available on OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS webpage.

OSHA’s FY 2022 Outreach Initiatives

As part of our efforts to keep you informed of OSHA’s activities, we have attached a document that summarizes OSHA’s outreach initiatives for FY 2022.  It includes a summary of key national initiatives, a listing of priority industries/topics, and a calendar of key dates. Please note: As we receive new/updated information about events, we will share it with you. See 2022 OSHA Initiatives Here

IHMM To Launch $32,000 Scholarship Program in 2022

The IHMM Board of Directors is pleased to announce that in 2022 the Institute will launch a $32,000 annual scholarship program to support students pursuing Environment, Health, and Safety as well as Hazardous Materials and Dangerous Goods disciplines in undergraduate as well as graduate studies.

Spearheading the new program is Jan Rosenberg, CSHM, currently serving on the IHMM Board as well as Chair of the ASHM Committee. Jan’s committee will also be working on creating a new Student ASHM credential, also launching in 2022. Jan is forming the IHMM Scholarship Committee now and is expected to be joined initially by Pinkie Wood, CSHM, Sarath Seneviratne, CHMM, Emily Lucas, CSHM, and Robin Spencer, CHMM. See: https://ihmm.org/ihmm-scholarship-committee/

FEDERAL CREDENTIAL RECOGNITION – CALL TO ACTION – Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act

CALL TO ACTION – Representative Spanberger of Virginia’s 7th Congressional District has drafted legislation entitled, H.R. 2171, “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 to include most expenses paid by the holders of private professional certifications. We need you to contact your House and Senate members to ask them to co-sponsor this legislation.

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE

You can support this effort with your voice and message. Go here>  https://ihmm.org/45-in-5-task-force/  and fill out your contact information where provided and help to pass H.R. 2171/S. 905.

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 Webinars

• January 19 – Understanding OSHA 1910.134 Respiratory Protection Program Requirements
• January 20 – Common OSHA Training Violations: What you can do to protect your company and your workers
• January 27 – Hazard Communication – Past, Present and Future
• February 2 – Celebrating Safety! Positive Reinforcement with Validity and Reliability
• February 3 – COVID-19 Update – The Latest on Mandates and Best Practices
• February 10 – Top 5 OSHA Safety Training Topics: Requirements and Best Practices for Safety and Health

Due to the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and its cascading effects on safety and health, work, travel, and large gatherings, all SafetyFOCUS events are now virtual. Our hope is that this format will make SafetyFOCUS events more accessible while offering the same networking opportunities and high-quality education you expect from ASSP. IHMM is a member of ASSP and we are pleased to send all IHMM certificants and you may learn more here.

Safety and Health This Week

• MSHA publishes posters on wintertime hazards
• DOL adjusts civil penalty amounts for inflation
• Despite PPE, medical instrument sterilization workers may face hazardous exposures
• Setting Realistic Safety Goals for 2022
• Respiratory protection: NIOSH publishes toolbox talk
• Wrapping Up 2021: Looking Towards the Future with Gratitude
• Addressing the Safety of Temporary Workers
• ASSP Sees Uncertainty in Workplace Fatalities

Latest Safety Tips

• Perform façade work safely
• Conducting self-inspections: Two methods
• Random Acts of Safety

Latest Solutions

• Improving Jobs to Meet Needs of Seasoned Workers
• More Companies Reporting Environmental Efforts in 2020
• OSHA’s standard on walking-working surfaces

IHMM is a member of ASSP and is pleased to bring this important information to all of its certificants.

ASSP News

• 5 Ways to Commit to Your Safety Career in 2022
• Final Days of Discounted Rate for SafetyFOCUS 2022
• The Current State of Our Society
• ASSP Sees Uncertainty in Workplace Fatality Report
• Safety Professionals Turn to ASSP for Knowledge
• Q&A: Proactively Preparing for OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard

ASSP Webinars

• January 19, 2022 – Implementing the Hierarchy of Controls to Reduce Risk
• January 26, 2022 – Mitigating Liability and Managing Safety on Multiemployer Work Sites
• February 2, 2022 – Women in Safety: What it Means for Women to Lead
• February 9, 2022 – Human & Organizational Performance: Viewing Safety Through a Different Lens
• February 16, 2022 – Turning over the right stones: Keys to building an incident investigation process that delivers results
• February 21, 2022 – Live Virtual Classroom: Analytics for Safety: A New Approach to Performance Measurement
• February 21, 2022 – Analytics for Safety: A New Approach to Performance Measurement
• February 21-23, 2022 – Live Virtual Classroom: Safety Management I
• February 21-23, 2022  – Live Virtual Classroom: Corporate Safety Management

HMS Jobs Board

• Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT

• Hazardous Materials Specialist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA

• Hazardous Materials Manager, University of Miami, Miami, FL

HMS Education and Training

Hazardous Materials Society now has 6,347 education and training programs on its website, 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.

IHMM applicants and certificants are free to search the landscape for training. IHMM wanted to make that task easier by aggregating training in one place if you choose to use it. Among these more than 6.000 programs are webinars delivered online and virtually all carry IHMM CMPs values with them for your annual / 5-year CMP planning.

Learn more here.

CHEMTREC Becomes An HMS Annual Training Agenda Vendor

HMS is pleased to announce CHEMTREC [https://www.chemtrec.com/] has become an education and training vendor and a part of the development of the HMS Annual Training Agendas.

CHEMTREC is an Emergency Response Information Provider (ERIP). CHEMTREC is the premier call center for hazmat emergency response coordination. CHEMTREC’s world-leading call center operates on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week, providing emergency response information wherever hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, transported, or used. With the right procedures and protocols in place, and by doing what’s right quickly and effectively, CHEMTREC helps minimize environmental impacts, protect people, and preserve the assets and reputations of its customers.

Operating globally, CHEMTREC has offices in major regions and on-the-ground knowledge of local regulations, understanding of local nuances, and appreciation of cultural sensitivities. CHEMTREC offers a suite of services along with L1 emergency response, including SDS management and authoring, hazardous materials training, crisis management, L2/L3 notification services, carrier solutions, data reporting, and lithium battery solutions. CHEMTREC is proud to contribute to the practice of safe handling and transportation of hazardous materials throughout the supply chain.

Environmental Workshops Becomes An HMS Annual Training Agenda Vendor

HMS is pleased to announce Environmental Workshops, LLC [https://enviroworkshops.com/] has become an education and training vendor and a part of the development of the HMS Annual Training Agendas.

Environmental Workshops, headquartered in North Carolina, is the largest training organization for environmental professionals worldwide. Since 2013, we have been training environmental professionals on the latest technologies in the industry. We have hosted over 300 workshops on 6 continents and more than 25,000 people have registered for our Professional Development Hours (PDH). Our sponsors are leaders in the environmental market and many of our speakers hold multiple patents and degrees. Their presentations address the following topics: Remediation, Vapor Intrusion, Air Monitoring, Air Quality, and Waste Water.