EHS Professional – January 6, 2022

Supreme Court to Review Vaccine Mandates January 7th

It looks like the Supreme Court will determine the future survival of the Biden administration’s flurry of executive orders and agency actions requiring employers to force their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Just before Christmas, Chief Justice John Roberts announced that the court would hold a hearing on Jan. 7 to review elements of numerous legal challenges that have been brought against two of the Biden vaccine mandates.

Earlier this year the President ordered the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to impose an emergency temporary standard (ETS) that commands employers with 100 or more employees to ensure all their workers are vaccinated against COVID-19 or mask in the workplace and are tested regularly. The standard is estimated to cover 80 million workers. Read Full Article

ANSI/ANAB Renews IHMM Accreditation

IHMM is pleased to announce that, the Personnel Credentialing Accreditation Committee (PCAC) of the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) has reviewed the 2021 year 2 surveillance report and findings for Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM). PCAC confirmed the assessors’ findings and voted via electronic ballot to grant continued accreditation under ISO/IEC 17024 for the following scopes:

• Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)
• Certified Hazardous Materials Practitioner (CHMP)
• Certified Dangerous Goods Professional (CDGP)

On behalf of the ANSI National Accreditation Board, I would like to congratulate IHMM for achieving this significant accomplishment and demonstrating continued compliance with the standard. We look forward to a continued partnership.

Dr. Vijay Krishna
Vice President, Credentialing
ANSI National Accreditation Board
1899 L Street NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036

Next up, the CSHM and CSMP credentials for their ANSI accreditation. Both scheme committees are finishing their new blueprints and in 2022 IHMM will be in a position to significantly upgrade the strength of both credentials.

US Department of Labor Reminds Specific Employers to Submit the Required 2021 Injury, Illness Data by March 2, 2022

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a press release on January 5th reminding employers that the agency began collecting calendar year 2021 Form 300A data on Jan. 2, 2022. Employers must submit the form electronically by March 2, 2022.

Electronic submissions are required by establishments with 250 or more employees currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20-249 employees classified in specific industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses.

Visit the Injury Tracking Application Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Records to OSHA for more information and a link to the Injury Tracking Application.

OSHA Extends ETS Comment Period

Stakeholders can make comments on the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard through Jan. 19, 2022.

The  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has extended the comment period for the COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) to Jan. 19, 2022. The additional 45 days provides stakeholders additional time to review the ETS, as well as gather needed information to make a comment.

Comments can be submitted electronically at https://www.regulations.gov, the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. The website contains instructions for making electronic submissions; it is the only way to submit comments on this rule. Read Full Article

IHMM Recertification Videos

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.

Respiratory Protection Toolbox Talk

This fact sheet informs construction workers of the respiratory protection needed to protect themselves in the workplace. It describes how to select, use, and maintain NIOSH-approved respirators to promote proper respiratory protection practices and limit the number of construction workers exposed to unsafe airborne contaminants.

Respiratory Protection Toolbox Talk.pdf

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

NASP Becomes 2nd HMS Annual Training Agenda Vendor

HMS is pleased to announce that NASP [https://naspweb.com/] has become the second education and training vendor to become a part of the development of the HMS Annual Training Agendas.

NASP will provide programs to assist with the education and training of IHMM credential holders and leads the vendor community by becoming a part of the development of these new HMS Annual Training Agendas for IHMM credential holders.

IHMM and HMS thank NASP for their outstanding programs and for their support of our communities of practice.

For more information on becoming an official HMS Annual Training Agenda vendor to work with the HMS Education and Training Committee, please contact Gene Guilford at [email protected].

HMS Jobs Board

• Chief, Departmental Operations – Hazardous Materials Division, County of San Diego, CA

• 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

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.

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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.