EHS Professional June 24, 2021

IHMM Credential Recognition

Below you will see the 3 EHS credential badges that are now in each CSHM, CSMP, and ASHM 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. Simply right-click on the badge of choice, then save as to your computer, and then load it to wherever you want to use it and please link that back to https://ihmm.org/.

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 “702” Project

Rule 702. Testimony by Expert Witnesses

A witness who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if:

(a) the expert’s scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue;

(b) the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data;

(c) the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods; and

(d) the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.

The IHMM “702“ project is based on rule 702 of the federal rules of expert testimony/witnesses and the use of experts in trials. Even though the project is based on that rule it is not relegated only to the use of experts in legal proceedings. It is our intention to extend the use of this project and its population to include media commentary and the demands of environmental, dangerous goods, health, and safety regulators on matters directly related to the jurisdictions of IHMM certifications.

IHMM would inform the news media, state and federal regulators, and the legal profession of the availability of “experts” for use in legal proceedings, working with environmental regulators or commenting on matters in the news for the news media. This will raise the level of visibility of all IHMM credentials and those who hold them.

We will construct a section of our AA/database allowing IHMM certificants to register for this project and select the areas of specialization they hold. Only those whose fees are up-to-date will be allowed to register and be available for public view of their levels of expertise. 

This project will increase the value of our credentials as well as our ability to serve the legal, media, and government regulator sectors of the economy by offering experts to provide commentary or testimony.  Registration would be strictly voluntary.

Survey

Before IHMM does any further work on this project we need to collect some data. This survey is designed to collect data from IHMM certificant’s general attitude toward this new feature being created and whether or not you may ultimately register for it. The survey obligates you to nothing. We are just collecting data on whether or not IHMM certificants believe this service if it is created, would be worthwhile.

Go to the Survey here:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IHMM702

The University of Wisconsin at Platteville Added to the ASHM Program

Jan Rosenberg, Chair of the ASHM Committee, is pleased to announce that the University of Wisconsin at Platteville with their BS in Industrial, Life Science and Agriculture has been added to the IHMM ASHM Approved Schools listing.

Thank you to the ASHM Committee for their work with the University of Wisconsin and to Christopher Carlson for the application. Welcome!

Prevent Heat Illness at Work!

Outdoor and Indoor heat exposure can be dangerous.

Learn ways to protect yourself and others.

In Dangerous Goods, every month is National Safety Month.

Since June is National Safety Month, we thought it would be a good time to reiterate the most important reason Dangerous Goods professionals do what we do. Yes, it’s safety.

Why do we help shippers understand and comply with Dangerous Goods regulations? Safety.

Why do we consistently point out areas where shippers may need extra help complying with regulations? Safety.

Why do all those regulations exist in the first place? Of course, they’re ultimately about safety. It’s easy to forget that connection in the day-to-day effort of keeping the hazmat supply chain compliant, but when you get right down to it, every month is National Safety Month for Dangerous Goods professionals.

Read more > https://blog.labelmaster.com/in-dangerous-goods-every-month-is-national-safety-month/

Tune in to hear all about NSC’s 25th anniversary of National Safety Month Podcast: National Safety Month: Resources to Keep Workers Safe

Hurricane Preparedness and Response

The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November and peaks between August and October. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins mid May and also ends in November. This page provides information on hurricane warnings, hazards that hurricanes cause, and precautions that workers and employers should take after a hurricane has occurred.

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.

PLEASE GO HERE TO PARTICIPATE: https://ihmm.org/45-in-5-task-force/

All you have to do is enter your name, address, and zip code and the IHMM VoterVoice system does the rest and automatically sends our message to your Senators and members of the House of Representatives. It’s very easy and matters!

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. Under H.R. 2171 those pursuing or who already have private credentials may use their Section 529 savings for applications, examinations, professional development/certification maintenance points costsrecertification, and so on.

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.  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). 

The Occupational Health & Safety New Product of the Year

Submit your entry by June 25th!

The Occupational Health & Safety New Product of the Year Award is now in its 13th successful year! The award program honors the outstanding product development achievements of health and safety manufacturers whose products are considered particularly noteworthy in their ability to improve workplace safety.

 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.

Join NSC and our sponsor VelocityEHS – Award-winning EHS & Sustainability Software – for the 25th anniversary of National Safety Month, an annual observance to help keep each other safe from the workplace to anyplace.

With the U.S. seeing the highest number of workplace deaths since 2007 – 5,333 fatal workplace injuries in 2019 – this observance is more important than ever.

• June: National Safety Month Tips

• Apply for OSHA Workplace Safety Training Grants

• OSHA emphasis program to focus on hazardous noise in Midwest manufacturing

• Americans are Shown to be Some of the Most Stressed-Out People in the World

• Dental practices ‘largely exempt’ from OSHA rule

• Podcast: National Safety Month: Resources to Keep Workers Safe

• NSC Partners with Amazon to Battle MSDs in Unique Collaboration

• OSHA WEIGHS IN ON COVID WORKPLACE SAFETY

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

• June 24: How to Improve Safety and Reduce Accidents with Video AI

• June 30: Future-Proofing Health and Safety: How ISO 45001, 45003, and 45005 Help You Adapt to a Changing World

• July 7: Coronavirus Practical Guide: FR/AR Clothing & FR Cloth Face Coverings

• July 14: Noise & the OSHA Hearing Conservation Standard — 2021 Overview

• July 15: OSHA’s First Aid Requirements: FAQs – Answered!

• July 22: Hugh Hoagland Presents – Two New Electrical Safety Standards of Interest to Safety Professionals – ATSM F3258 & F35022

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.

Take the Pledge

When management leadership is sincere and is supported by actions, workers know that safety and health are important to business success. Top management can demonstrate its commitment to workplace safety and health in many different ways, such as by developing and communicating a safety pledge. Download A Safety and Health Pledge for Managers template, choose specific actions you will take to support workplace safety and health, and share the pledge with your workers and on social media using #SafeAndSoundAtAWork.

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

• When Your Safety Program is on Display in Court

• More Than $21 Million Awarded in Grants Will Go Towards Safety Training

• New York Governor Signs Infectious Disease Worker Safety Bill

Latest Safety Tips

• OSHA Implements Program to Prevent Workers from Hearing Loss in Hazardous Noise Settings

• Local doctor shares safety tips for returning to the workplace

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/

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 in July.

Where do CSMPs Work?

IHMM credentials are known and highly regarded worldwide. Below is the evidence of just a few reasons why IHMM promotion of its credentials – all of them – matters to governments, employers, and the employees who work so hard to acquire our credentials and keep them up-to-date. Here are only a few examples of the companies and governments that hire IHMM CSMPs…

ENVIRONMENT & SAFETY RECENT UPDATES

• OSHA Updates N95 Mask FAQs

• Regulatory Update: DOL Rolls Back Contractor Rule

• EPA Helps Advance Efficiency and Reduce Emissions of Homes and Buildings in the U.S.

• OSHA says it could fine Lehigh Valley mail processing center nearly $240K for alleged safety violations

• MIOSHA Updates COVID-19 Emergency Rules To Align With Federal OSHA

• California Reopening Prompts Changes to Workplace Safety Policies

• NC Department of Labor continues to resist workplace safety rules for COVID-19

• Oregon Enhances Whistleblower Protections for Workplace Safety Complaints

• Combating addiction will improve workplace safety

• TSSA ensures workplace safety

• WithHealth’s Workplace Safety Program to Assist Companies in Response to California’s New State Public Health Officer

• Podcast: Workplace Safety Review, Episode 17: Special Guest: Jess McCluer, National Grain and Feed Association

• Tennessee Mining Company Accused of Firing Employee Over Safety Complaints

• As mask mandate ends, new Michigan workplace rules issued

• Washington Expands Safety Obligations For Temporary Construction, Manufacturing Workers

• YaFavTrashman Fighting For Philadelphia Sanitation Workers’ Safety

• 4 Steps to Boost Psychological Safety at Your Workplace

• US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, STAKEHOLDERS RENEW ALLIANCE TO TRAIN, PROTECT NORTH DAKOTA WORKERS FROM EXCAVATION, TRENCHING HAZARDS

• OSHA’s Updated COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance: Now Employers Have The Hard Part

• Job Candidates Seek Assurances on Workplace Safety, Flexibility

• New COVID-19-related workplace safety standards take effect 

• DENSO’s Athens Facility Recognized for Workplace Safety Record by State of Tennessee

• What It Means to Foster a Safe Workplace

• NC Department of Labor continues to resist workplace safety rules for COVID-19

• Safety’s Role in the Labor Shortage, Return to the Workplace and Other COVID-19 Concerns

• Construction Technology is Shaping the Post-Pandemic Workplace

• Federal COVID Workplace Safety Rules Are Here. But Only For Health Care Workers

• Washington Expands Safety Obligations for Temporary Construction, Manufacturing Worker

• 6 Day Workweeks And Poked By Needles: YaFavTrashman Fighting For Philadelphia Sanitation Workers’ Safety

• An OH&S Impact Guide to The American Jobs Plan

• Enterprise AI for Industrial Companies Must Address Worker Alarm Fatigue– A Third Generation of Technology is Doing Just That

• Using Data to Improve Work Zone Safety

• US Department of Labor announces availability of more than $21M in grants for training on workplace hazards, infectious diseases

• Protesters raise issues about worker safety on Amazon Prime Day

• OSHA is collaborating with Obrascón Huarte Lain North America to promote worker safety and health during a transportation construction project

• WorkWell Selected to Collaborate on Workplace Safety with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation’s Building Trust Initiative

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.

Hazardous Materials Society [HMS] Scholarship Applications for 2021 LIVE

Dan Levine, Chair of the HMS Scholarship Committee https://hazmatsociety.org/scholarship-committee/ is pleased to announce that HMS Scholarship applications for 2021 are live and available on the HMS website.

Go to > https://hazmatsociety.org/scholarship/  and see the big red button that says APPLY NOW GET THE APPLICATION FORM HERE!

Thank you to Dan and his committee for getting the HMS Scholarship open in 2021 and for more information and the application form please visit the website link above.

HMS Education and Training

Hazardous Materials Society now has 11,701 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 – CINTAS Uniforms

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.

Save up to 65% off Cintas uniforms, safety and facility services.

Keep your team and workspace looking their best. New Cintas contracts enjoy special discounts and a free one-time UltraClean service and free installation of hygiene dispensers. Enroll with NPP today and save on Cintas!

Enroll your business for FREE with NPP to learn more about Cintas discounts. Enroll with NPP here: https://mynpp.com/association/hms/