Thursday, May 16, 2024
EHS Professional is an online publication of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM).
Other than content specifically provided by IHMM, articles contained in EHS Professional are compiled from independent sources and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IHMM.
Certified School Safety Manager™ [CSSM™]
IHMM’s Certified School Safety Manager™ [CSSM™] credential certifies the school safety professional who is responsible for overseeing and supporting key operational and safety functions in educational facilities. This position may provide direct supervision or advise operations and academic programs in order to provide an environment free of recognized hazards.
Learn more about the CSSM here.
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IHMM Credential Recognition
Below you will see the EHS credential badges that are now in each CSHM, CSMP, ASHM, CSSM, and Student 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/.
EHS/Workplace Safety Credentials
Microcredentials
Certified Safety & Health Manager
Certified Safety Management Practitioner
Associate Safety and Health Manager
Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist
Certified School Safety Manager
Student Associate Safety and Health Manager
IHMM Certificant Recognition
Throughout our certificant’s MYIHMM accounts are placed 10-year, 20-year, 30-year, and 40-year badges signifying their longevity as an IHMM certified professional.
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. Right-click on the badge of choice, save as to your computer, and then load it to whatever medium you choose.
IHMM has Distinguished Diplomates and Fellows of the Institute badges to the appropriate people in the MYIHMM database. These two badges are accompanied by lapel pins sent to each of those distinguished by holding these designations.
IHMM is in all 50 of the United States and in 85 countries around the world.
IHMM Credentials Accredited By
Need Help?
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 RECENT NEWS for EHS Professionals
WORKPLACE
Worker burnout and disconnection are widespread, survey shows
NSC Releases Report on Role of Geofencing in Workplace Safety
ISEA Advocates for Employers to Add Naloxone to First Aid Kits
Lessons from a music video: From saving children to improving workplace safety
Converging causes contribute to most incidents
SCHOOLS
Modern Digital Student Safety Requires More Than Just Content Filtering
Going Up? Prioritizing Elevator Safety in Schools
9s Found 30 Guns at DFW Schools This Year
5 Types of School Emergency Drills and Why They Are Valuable
Which States Let Teachers Carry Guns in School?
Glass Window and Door Security: A Growing Concern for Campus Protection Pros
Stalking on Campus: Know More, Do More
Wisconsin Student Killed by Police Was Armed with Pellet Gun
Lessons Learned from Nationwide Protests to Be Covered at Campus Safety Conference
Keeping Schools Safe: 5 Ways to Involve Your Entire Community
Higher Education Crisis Management: 10 Things I Learned in My 40-Year Career
Temple DPS Ride-Along Program Pairs Students with Campus Police
OTHER
INDUSTRIAL
Doing this may help prevent repetitive-motion muscle fatigue
Do you know a hearing conservation hero?
Ready to try the ‘Safety Shuffle’?
A Decade of Safety Achievement: Ten Years Without Incidents
Chicago Medical Glass Manufacturer Cited for Repeat Safety Violations
OSHA Finds Bread Company Violated Safety Rules Following Worker’s Injury
Manufacturers’ Pivotal Role in Safety: Innovation to Put Users in Control
The critical link between sanitation and employee safety
Build a secure work environment by fostering safety and communication
How risk averse manufacturers anticipate and prevent OSHA violations
Addressing challenges in lockout tagout implementation
LABOR
OSHA advisory committee gives proposed heat rule a thumbs-up
Track temps and heat illness trends, CDC tells health agencies
Boston Window Cleaner’s Neglect of Safety Equipment Contributed to Fatal Fall
OSHA Finds Georgia Contractor Could Have Prevented Worker Death
DOL Devotes $6.5 Million in Grants to Improve Housing for Migrant Farmworkers
South Carolina Shipyard Faces OSHA Scrutiny After Workers Fatal Fall
Breaking ground on mental health in construction
6 of the biggest OSHA fines of Q1 2024
OSHA head calls on industry to embed safety in culture
Skanska exec: Construction’s best safety tech still isn’t enough
12 types of technology that can make jobsites safer
NYC construction deaths drop to lowest in nearly a decade
Inside IHMM
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
We believe there is only one Earth; our passion is to protect it.
Our Vision
IHMM credentials and competency standards are embraced worldwide
Our Mission
IHMM sets standards of excellence for professional credentials to advance the global environmental, health, and safety communities of practice.
Thank you,
Ronald D. Schiable, CHMM!
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED
Reception & Celebration
December 3, 2024 • 2:00 PM–6:00 PM
9200 Corporate Blvd, Rockville, MD 20850
IHMM requests the honor of your company on December 3, 2024, for our 40th Anniversary Reception & Celebration, to be held in Rockville, MD.
Join us for an observance of our shared history and recognition of those who have contributed to the Institute’s advancement over the years. Food and drinks will be provided.
The program will consist of opening remarks from the Institute’s leadership and esteemed guests, an awards ceremony, and more.
Please save the date on your calendar and RSVP no later than August 2, 2024, so we can have an accurate headcount for this event.
RSVP Here
There are 925,962 full-time occupational health and safety job openings in the United States via ZipRecruiter today – 29,000 of which pay more than $85,000 a year for CSHMs or CSMPs
Excellence in EHS Management Award
The Excellence in EHS Management Award recognizes an individual who has excelled in their role as an EHS manager. The Institute for Hazardous Materials Management [IHMM] will present the award at the annual National Safety Council Expo.
The honoree will receive a commemorative plaque and be recognized in a press release and IHMM member communications. Travel expenses to the award ceremony will be subsidized. If traveling from overseas IHMM will pay travel expenses from the nearest port of entry.
Nominations will be accepted from March through July of each year and the presentation to the winner will be in conjunction with the National Safety Council Congress and Expo [Sept 13-19, 2024 in Orlando]
For more information and the Excellence in EHS Management Award Nomination Form Go Here
IHMM and OSHA Training Institute [OTI]
The OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers are a national network of non-profit organizations authorized by OSHA to deliver occupational safety and health training for all levels of workers. IHMM is going to be adding OTI-endorsed training programs to its EHS training programs available through the IHMM Foundation at HMS.
OTI program’s focus on worker safety in the workplace strengthens our CSHM, CSMP, ASHM, and CSSM credentials. Everyone should look for more announcements as IHMM adds up to 50 OTI-training centers and their programs to what we offer our certificants with workplace safety credentials.
ISO Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Standards, [OHSMS]
ISO Technical Committee (TC) 283 is the committee responsible for the ISO 45001 standard on occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMS). IHMM Executive Director Eugene Guilford, CAE serves on the ASSP TAG. ANSI is the voting representative for the U.S. at ISO, and ASSP is the technical advisory group (TAG) administrator to ANSI for TC 283. In that capacity, ASSP works with TAG members to establish voting positions and technical comments on the different standards and guidelines created at the global level.
The TAG shared two recent developments related to ISO management system standards globally and ISO 45001 in the U.S.:
- ISO is amending its management system standards to require organizations certified to ISO 9001, 14001, and/or 45001 to consider the effects of climate change.
- The TAG published a letter or interpretation related to the U.S. adoption of ISO 45001.
IHMM Recertification Videos
Recert Video #1
Recert Video #2
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.
Full recertification information is found here >> https://ihmm.org/credentials/#recertification
Questions about your recertification may be made to either Jimmy Nguyen [email protected] of Jelian Larbi [email protected]
The Dr. John H Frick Memorial IHMM Scholarship Program – Deadline 10/18/2024
The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management is pleased to have created $32,000 in academic scholarships, divided equally between $16,000 for students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate education in approved schools and who are also Student CHMMs, and $16,000 for students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate education in approved schools and who are also Student ASHMs.
IHMM seeks to foster the growth and academic success of students whose courses of education, and participation in one of our Student certifications, will lead to those students becoming fully-certified IHMM credential holders later in their professional lives.
Go to > https://ihmm.org/scholarship/
A Collaborative Culture
There are 1,333 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. Do you have a problem you need to solve and want the opinions of your colleagues? This is where we come together to help each other.
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.
Access to COLLABORATION is through the same username/password you use to access your MYIHMM account. Having a problem? Contact Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected]
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.
- Federal Government – Regulatory
We need a group of people watching Federal regulatory developments to advise when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in the agencies. - Federal Government – Congress
We need a group of people watching legislation to advise us when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in Congress.
- State Governments – Regulatory
We need a group of people watching state regulatory developments to advise when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in the agencies. - State Governments – Legislatures
We need a group of people watching legislation to advise us when taking action can be helpful and raise our visibility in state legislatures.
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!
IHMM CSHMⓇ 2022 Salary Survey
IHMM is pleased to release its 2022 salary survey for Certified Safety and Health Managers Ⓡ [CSHMⓇ] across a broad range of position titles in the CSHMⓇ community of practice.
IHMM – 26 Fellows Are Mentors
IHMM Fellows Committee Chair Atanu Das, CHMM, is leading the effort within the IHMM Collaboration networking platform to engage both 26 IHMM Fellows as Mentors and anyone who seeks some assistance as Mentees.
Given the extraordinary experience Fellows have, this is a unique opportunity for IHMM Fellows to help guide more recent certificants in their professional development activities. This article from ASAE magazine outlines how a mentoring program can become more successful – engagement!
IHMM’s Collaboration platform contains a “Mentor Match” module [see below at right] that allows mentors to signup designating the hours, number of mentees, subject areas, and length of time they wish to mentor – as well as allowing mentees to signup requesting assistance in specified areas. The mentor match module does the rest by matching mentors and mentees.
IHMM Government Affairs
IHMM Signs Onto Letter Opposing VA Downgrades
As you may have heard, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to downgrade the pay for industrial hygienists as part of its consistency review process.
Request and Invitation
Attached is a sign-on letter that opposes this downgrade and instead recommends maintaining or increasing the paygrade of industrial hygienists and other key worker health and safety workers at the VA.
Why IHMM Signed On
As the attached letter states, part of the concern and reason why we’re contacting you is that “if VA’s proposed pay downgrade moves forward, it could inspire other agencies to reduce the pay of industrial hygienists and other occupational and environmental health and safety workers they employ. The likely result of such a scenario would be a weakening of the entire Federal government’s ability to protect workers and their communities from health and safety hazards, as it will likely take longer and become harder to find and hire employees for these critical positions; this action runs counter to the intended outcomes of the consistency review process.”
IHMM Proposes Changes in Government Recognition of Credentials
IHMM submitted comments on OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH): Notice of Meetings concerning OSHA-2024-0002-0007, and highlighted the creation of IHMM’s Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist [CPPS] credential.
State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection is proposing to update Chapter 851, Standards for Generators of Hazardous Waste. In the current regulation, work is required by a professional engineer. IHMM is proposing to include an environmental professional as defined by 40 CFR §312.10.
Beltway Buzz – Ogletree Deakins
Last Week, Today. Below is a quick rundown of some significant workplace policy developments that the Buzz missed while at Workplace Strategies 2024. (We hope you can join us at next year’s Workplace Strategies seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada.)
Artificial intelligence. As the Buzz forecasted, pursuant to President Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence (AI), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued two guidance documents related to the use of AI in the workplace.
- OFCCP guidance on AI. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has issued guidance for federal contractors and subcontractors regarding equal employment opportunity and the use of AI. The guidance warns contractors that “[a] federal contractor is responsible for its use of third-party products and services, such as tools for employment screening and selections, recordkeeping, and automated systems, including AI,” and that when using another entity’s product or service, “[a] federal contractor … cannot delegate its nondiscrimination and affirmative action obligations.” Further, with regard to AI software, the guidance notes that “OFCCP neither endorses products nor issues compliance certificates.”
- Wage and Hour Division guidance on AI. On April 29, 2024, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division released a field assistance bulletin (FAB), titled, “Artificial Intelligence and Automated Systems in the Workplace under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Other Federal Labor Standards.” The FAB makes the point that even when AI and other technologies are deployed in the workplace to track hours, calculate wages, and administer leave pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act, etc., “[e]mployers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that these systems comply with the law.” Benjamin W. Perry, Danielle Ochs, Keith E. Kopplin, and Zachary V. Zagger have the details.
EEOC harassment guidance. On April 29, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued its updated Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace. The guidance, which is not binding, has been updated to reflect recent developments in federal law, including the Bostock decision, the enactment of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and changes to workplace culture, such as remote or hybrid work. Tiffany Cox Stacy, Nonnie L. Shivers, and Zachary V. Zagger have the details.
White House pressures pension funds to adopt union neutrality. The White House announced that five major pension funds had “committed to strong labor standards in their private equity investments.” According to the White House announcement, these principles include “guaranteeing the free and fair choice to join a union, freedom of association and the recognition of the rights to collectively bargain, equal opportunity, a safe and healthy workplace, and the elimination of forced and compulsory labor, including child labor.” The announcement continues, “[F]unds will encourage their portfolio companies to remain neutral when workers seek to exercise the freedom to join together in a union; and when applicable, enter into neutrality agreements with labor organizations that include voluntary or card-check recognition, reasonable timelines to first contract, and a commitment to non-interference in union organizing.”
Congressional Democrats Seek to Resurrect OSHA Ergonomics Standard. Late last week, Democratic senators introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (a bipartisan companion bill is expected to be introduced by members of the U.S. House of Representatives). According to a press release issued by the bill’s chief sponsor, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), the bill “would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries and requiring companies to disclose what quotas apply to workers.” The proposed legislation would establish a Fairness and Transparency Office in the Wage and Hour Division, set restrictions on the use of productivity quotas, create a “Quota Task Force” (comprised of unions, “worker advocacy organizations,” and employees, but not employers), and create a new unfair labor practice when an employer implements a “quota that significantly discourages or prevents, or is intended to significantly discourage or prevent, an employee from exercising the rights” to collectively bargain and participate in concerted activity.
Significantly, the bill would also require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to promulgate a “standard for ergonomic program management.” In late 2000, OSHA issued such a standard, but the U.S. Congress voted to rescind the standard in 2001 using the Congressional Review Act (CRA) for the first time. Pursuant to the CRA, OSHA has since been prohibited from issuing a regulation that is in “substantially the same form.” The WWPA would grant OSHA the authority to overcome this bar and promulgate a new ergonomics standard. John D. Surma and Jeff T. Leslie have the details.
Joint Employer Update. There has been a fair amount of activity of late relating to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) joint-employer rule, which was finalized on October 26, 2023. Late last week, President Biden vetoed a resolution passed by Congress that sought to rescind the rule, stating that he was “proud to be the most pro-union, pro-worker President in American history.” Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives attempted to override the veto, but the 214–191 vote fell well short of the necessary two-thirds vote requirement. Of course, it is important to remember that the joint-employer rule is not in effect because it was struck down by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in early March 2024. This week, the NLRB formally appealed that decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Regulatory Updates
| Date: | Subject: | Document Type: | Part: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/29/2024 | Pipeline Safety: Periodic Updates of Regulatory References to Technical Standards and Miscellaneous Amendments | Rule | 192, 195 |
| 4/15/2024 | Pipeline Safety: Meeting of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee | Notice | 191 192 193 |
- Department of Labor Issues its Fall 2023 Regulatory Agenda – Read more here
- Environmental Protection Agency Issues its Fall 2023 Regulatory Agenda – Read more here
- Department of Transportation Issues Fall 2023 Regulatory Agenda – Read more here
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 each year a chart of enacted legislation that affects certification. 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 tracked this week…
Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition
We are thrilled to share that 800 organizations have now joined the Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition!
Our association community created the Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition to advocate for legislation that would help strengthen the economy now and into the future: the bipartisan, bicameral Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (S. 722 / H.R. 1477). This commonsense bill would allow people to use 529 savings plans funds to help pay for job training and credentials, such as licenses and certifications, and shift the 529 paradigm from “college savings plans” to “career savings plans.” Learn more and join the effort today!
Important Stories for IHMM Certificants
OSHA Recognition of IHMM CSHM, CSMP
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a number of courses in occupational safety and health within which OSHA credits “A degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation.” IHMM will propose including the CHMM, CSHM, and CSMP.
IHMM met with OSHA on OSHA #501 – Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry. We appreciate the time OSHA took in reviewing its prerequisites to take a train the trainer course #501, and we arrived at the following analysis in relation to the IHMM CHMM, CSHM, and CSMP:
Students must complete the OSHA #511 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry and have five (5) years of safety and health work experience in general industry. A degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation may be substituted for two (2) years of work-related experience. Students should obtain guidance on whether they meet this requirement from the OSHA Training Institute Education Center where they intend to receive the training. Authorized OSHA General Industry Outreach Training Program trainers are required to attend OSHA #503 Update for General Industry Outreach Trainers at least once every four (4) years to maintain their trainer status.
- The CHMM prerequisites express a preference for a 4-year degree in applied sciences, though a Bachelor’s in other disciplines is fine, and if the CHMM has a 4-year degree in an OSH [occupational safety and health] discipline then that can be used to take 2 years off of the 5 years of required experience – and the 3 years of experience after that has to be in an OSH-related field. OSHA correctly pointed out that the CHMM is substantially an environmentally-based credential except Domain #12, which is 10% of the credential.
- All of IHMM’s CSHMs qualify today and can use the CSHM to substitute for 2 of the 5 years of experience required, though the remaining 3 years needs to be in an OSH-related field.
- None of the IHMM CSMPs qualify unless they have a 4-year OSH degree, then they can use that to substitute for 2 of the 5 years of experience required, though the remaining 3 years need to be in an OSH-related field.
NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse
Contact of Cargo Vessel Dali with Francis Scott Key Bridge and Subsequent Bridge Collapse
This information is preliminary and subject to change. Release Date: 14 May 2024
On March 26, 2024, about 0129 eastern daylight time, the 947-foot-long Singapore-flagged cargo vessel (containership) Dali was transiting out of Baltimore Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, when it experienced a loss of electrical power and propulsion and struck the southern pier supporting the central truss spans of the Francis Scott Key Bridge (Key Bridge). A portion of the bridge subsequently collapsed into the river, and portions of the deck and the truss spans collapsed onto the vessel’s forward deck (see figure 1). A seven-person road maintenance crew employed by Brawner Builders—which was contracted by the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA)—and one inspector employed by Eborn Enterprises, Inc., a subconsultant to the MDTA, were on the bridge when the vessel struck it. The inspector escaped unharmed, and one of the construction crewmembers survived with serious injuries. The bodies of the six fatally injured construction crewmembers have been recovered. One of the 23 persons aboard the Dali was injured.
AIHA Connect 2024: Key Networking and Career Development for Safety Professionals in Columbus
The conference, taking place in Columbus, Ohio, from May 20-22, 2024, offers a variety of activities, including networking opportunities, technical tours, and wellness events.
The AIHA Connect 2024 conference is on its way to Columbus, Ohio, from May 20-22, 2024. This year’s conference has a lot to offer occupational health and safety professionals. The annual event includes a variety of events designed to offer both career development opportunities and meaningful connections with veterans and newcomers.
Read the full OH&S article by clicking here.
IHMM will also be at the event. Find us at Booth 1308!
OSHA Takes Critical Step in Heat Safety Rulemaking
We want to make you aware that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has taken an important step in addressing the dangers of workplace heat and moved closer to publishing a proposed rule to reducing the significant health risks of heat exposure for U.S. workers in outdoor and indoor settings.
On April 24, 2024, OSHA presented the draft rule’s initial regulatory framework at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health. The committee, which advises the agency on safety and health standards and policy matters, unanimously recommended OSHA move forward expeditiously on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. As part of the rulemaking process, the agency will seek and consider input from a wide range of stakeholders and the public at-large as it works to propose and finalize its rule.
In the interim, OSHA continues to direct significant existing outreach and enforcement resources to educate employers and workers and hold businesses accountable for violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act’s general duty clause, 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1) and other applicable regulations. Record-breaking temperatures across the nation have increased the risks people face on-the-job, especially in summer months. Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more suffer illnesses related to hazardous heat exposure that, sadly, are most often preventable.
For more information, see the news release.
Changes coming to OSHA regions
OSHA plans to open a new regional office, merge two of its regions and rename its regional offices.
These changes are expected to be finalized before Oct. 1.
The new regional office – located in Birmingham, AL – will oversee agency efforts in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, the Florida Panhandle and its home state.
“The Birmingham Region will address the area’s growing worker population and the hazardous work done by people employed in food processing, construction, heavy manufacturing and chemical processing,” OSHA says in a May 8 press release announcing the changes.
The numbered designations for regions are going away. Instead, OSHA will refer to each region by its home-office location.
Read more by clicking here.
EPA – PFAS National Drinking Water Regulation / NEPA Implementing Regulations Part 2
PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation
In March 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed and requested comment on the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) and health-based Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs) for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, commonly known as GenX Chemicals), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS). After consideration of public comment and consistent with the provisions set forth under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA is finalizing NPDWRs for these six PFAS. Through this action, the EPA is finalizing MCLGs for PFOA and PFOS at zero. Considering feasibility, the EPA is promulgating individual Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS at 4.0 nanograms per liter (ng/L) or parts per trillion (ppt). The EPA is also finalizing individual MCLGs and is promulgating individual MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA at 10 ng/L. In addition to the individual MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA, in consideration of the known toxic effects, dose additive health concerns and occurrence and likely co-occurrence in drinking water of these three PFAS, as well as PFBS, the EPA is finalizing a Hazard Index (HI) of 1 (unitless) as the MCLG and MCL for any mixture containing two or more of PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS. Once fully implemented, the EPA estimates that the rule will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious PFAS-attributable illnesses.
DATES:
This final rule is effective on June 25, 2024. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of June 25, 2024. Federal Register Notice
National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations Revisions Phase 2
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is finalizing its “Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule” to revise its regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including the recent amendments to NEPA in the Fiscal Responsibility Act. CEQ is making these revisions to provide for an effective environmental review process; ensure full and fair public engagement; enhance efficiency and regulatory certainty; and promote sound Federal agency decision making that is grounded in science, including consideration of relevant environmental, climate change, and environmental justice effects. These changes are grounded in NEPA’s statutory text and purpose, including making decisions informed by science; CEQ’s extensive experience implementing NEPA; CEQ’s perspective on how NEPA can best inform agency decision making; longstanding Federal agency experience and practice; and case law interpreting NEPA’s requirements.
DATES:
The effective date is July 1, 2024.
Safe + Sound Week 2024
Safe + Sound Week will be held from August 12-18, 2024.
Registration will open in July. Resources on how to participate will be released in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information! In the meantime, visit the Safe + Sound event archive to view participation from previous years.
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.
Participate in the Fall Stand-Down
The 11th Annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction will take place from May 6-10, 2024. Join us to help prevent fall hazards in the workplace by participating in the Stand-Down.
Tips to Qualify the OSHA Exam
For successfully tackling OSHA tests, it’s beneficial to combine traditional study guides with strategic learning techniques such as active participation, practical safety implementation, and collaborative learning, rather than solely depending on study materials.
Traditional study aids are frequently regarded as essential instruments for success when taking OSHA tests. However, there is an alternate method to test preparation that emphasizes strategic learning strategies and disciplined study habits rather than relying on study guides. This strategy promotes active participation in course content, practicing for pre-test answers through the OSHA website, practical implementation of safety measures, and collaborative learning opportunities. Embracing this strategy allows applicants to confidently handle the complexity of OSHA tests, eliminating the need for standard study materials.
While study guides like OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 Study Guides can provide significant insights, free resources like OSHA 30 Study Guide Free, OSHA 10 Study Guide Free, or OSHA 10-hour general industry study guide can also help complement learning.
Finally, success in OSHA tests is dependent on a thorough grasp of safety standards and appropriate study tactics, rather than relying just on study aids.
Read more by clicking here.
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Integrated Iron and Steel Manufacturing Facilities Technology Review
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) is finalizing amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Integrated Iron and Steel Manufacturing Facilities to regulate hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions. The amendments include: HAP from unmeasured fugitive and intermittent particulate (UFIP) sources previously not regulated by the NESHAP; previously unregulated HAP for sinter plants:; previously unregulated pollutants for blast furnace (BF) stoves and basic oxygen process furnaces (BOPFs) primary control devices; and previously unregulated pollutants for BF primary control devices. We are also finalizing an update to the technology review for this source category.
DATES:
This final rule is effective June 3, 2024. The incorporation by reference (IBR) of material publications listed in the rule is approved by the Director of the Federal Register (FR) beginning June 3, 2024. The incorporation by reference (IBR) of certain other material listed in the rule was approved by the Director of the Federal Register (FR) as of July 13, 2020.
Informational Webinar:
Administrator Perceptions of School Safety Capacity and Sustainability Report
Launching on 5/22, this report provides valuable insights from education leaders nationwide. The insights were gathered through two focus group sessions and explore crucial information about implementing and sustaining school safety. Stay tuned for more information.
Networking Drop-In
BJA/COPS STOP grantees, join us on 5/15 from 12-1 PM ET or 3-4 PM ET, for our monthly Networking Drop-In session. This informal gathering allows you to connect, pose questions, and engage with fellow individuals involved in school safety initiatives. The sessions are not recorded. A Zoom link will be shared with you prior to the event (note: this link is the same every month). Add to Calendar.
- Funding Opportunity – NIJ FY24 Research and Evaluation on School Safety
- Funding Opportunity – School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program
- Funding Opportunity – Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program
Explore Our School Threat Assessment Toolkit:
Now Available in Interactive Web Format!
The Next Step for Improving Mental Health through the Workplace: Eliminating Stigma
Public health and medical authorities, including CDC and the American Psychological Association, have concluded that America faces a mental health crisis. Employers have responded by accelerating the development of mental health programs at workplaces. According to a survey conducted in February 2022, more than a fifth of workers said that their employer introduced new mental health benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs help ensure that mental health issues have greater visibility now than they’ve ever had before.
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
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 Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected] and he’ll be happy to help you.
News from IHMM Affiliates
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 News
Preventing workplace harassment: EEOC updates guidance
New York moves to protect retail workers from assault
Oregon OSHA names winners of annual student competition
Trenching and excavation deaths rose 160% in 2022: CPWR
NSC Webinars
May 16 – Fall Prevention: Best Practices for the 3 Main Types of Hazards
May 23 – OSHA’s New Walkaround Rule: What You Can – and Can’t – Do, and How to Prepare
May 30 – Digitizing Your Safety Program
June 6 – Building Trust: Fostering Psychological Safety in the Workplace
June 13 – Lockout/Tagout: How to Put OSHA’s Requirements into Practice
June 20 – Simplifying OSHA Rooftop Fall Protection Requirements
IHMM is a member of ASSP and is pleased to bring this important information to all of its certificants.
ASSP News
ASSP Webinars
May 30-June 27 – ONLINE COURSE: Safety Management II
June 13-27 – ONLINE COURSE: Management Systems Auditing
June 27 – Stand-Up for Standards: ANSI/ASSP Heat Stress Standard
June 27 – July 25 – ONLINE COURSE: Risk Assessment and Management for Safety Professionals
June 27 – July 25 – ONLINE COURSE: Prevention through Design
June 27 – July 11 – ONLINE COURSE: Fundamentals of Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems
For a complete list of ASSP Webinars, click here.
ASSP Standards-Based Education
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) will host a third installment of its workplace safety education series called “Stand Up for Standards.” A live two-hour webinar on safety management systems will take place at 11 a.m. CT on March 29, helping safety and health professionals create a road map for identifying hazards and eliminating risks to improve organizational performance.
“Stand Up for Standards: ANSI/ASSP Safety Management Systems” will provide an overview and implementation practices for the ANSI/ASSP Z10.0-2019 standard.
Safety experts Amy Timmerman, M.S., CSP, CHES, Danyle Hepler, CSP, CESCO, CPEA, Joe Wolfsberger, M.S., CSP, CIH, and Greg Zigulis, CSP, CIH, CHSP, will share real-world experiences and practical guidance to help attendees reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities on work sites across various industries.
ASSP Standards News
- Approval of ISO 45004 FDIS [measurement] – December 2023 – Closed on January 10th and the results were sent to the TAG membership
- Approval of ISO 45001 Interpretation of Dec 2023
- The ISO 45006 ballot [pandemics] is currently out to adopt the document as an ANSI Registered Technical Report. The ballot for ISO 45006 will end on February 23rd
- Approval of NWIP [New Work Item Proposal] For Proposed ISO 45008 [remote workers]
The U.S. TAG to ANSI for ISO TC283 approved ISO 45002 and ISO 45006 as ANSI registered technical reports.
- ISO/ASSP TR 45002-2023: Occupational health and safety management systems – General guidelines for the implementation of ISO 45001:2018
- ISO/ASSP TR 45006-2023: Occupational health and safety management – Guidelines for organizations on preventing and managing infectious diseases
At this point, the adoption process is complete. We will conclude limited public review and then move forward with publication of ISO 45002 and ISO 45006 as an ANSI Registered Technical Report[s].
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SOCIETY
IHMM and HMS
The graphic to the left illustrates the relationship between IHMM and HMS. IHMM formed HMS to serve IHMM’s certificants. IHMM offers a variety of professional credentials and HMS creates education and training programs to serve the applicants and certificants of those credentials.
HMS Jobs Board
Listing available jobs is free, and done on the HMS site here > Jobs – Hazardous Materials Society (hazmatsociety.org)
Technician – TSDF – Republic Services – Williston, FL
Operations Manager – Environmental Solutions – Republic Services – Elizabeth, NJ
Aarcher Institute, IHMM, and HMS’ New Training Partner Offers Courses for 2024
| May 21-24, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| June 4-6, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| June 11-13, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| June 11-14, 2024 | Hilton Head, SC | |
| June 25-28, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| July 9-12, 2024 | San Diego, CA | |
| July 9-11, 2024 | Online | |
| July 16-17, 2024 | Online | |
| July 23-24, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| July 30-Aug 2, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Aug 13-16, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Aug 13-15, 2024 | NEPA NAVIGATOR™ | In Person |
| Aug 27-28, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Sept 11-13, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Sept 11-12, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Sept 17-19, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Sept 24-26, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| October 1-4, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| October 8-9, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| October 22-25, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| October 29-30, 2024 | Online | |
| Oct 31-Nov 1, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Nov 5-8, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Nov 13-15, 2024 | In Person | |
| Nov 19-22, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Dec 3-4, 2024 | Online and In Person | |
| Dec 10-12, 2024 | Online |
AIHA, HMS Training Partner, Adds Courses for IHMM Certificants
American Industrial Hygiene Association [AIHA] an HMS training partner, has added its first of many courses approved in advance for earning IHMM recertification certification maintenance points. We are pleased to promote these programs in support of IHMM certificants holding the CHMM, CHMP, CSHM, and CSMP credentials. Thank you, AIHA.
Bowen EHS, HMS Training Partner, Adds Courses for IHMM Certificants
Bowen EHS, an HMS training partner, has had 4 courses approved in advance for earning IHMM recertification certification maintenance points. We are pleased to promote these programs as reviewed and approved by the HMS Education and Training Committee, chaired by Diana Lundelius. Thank you Bowen EHS and thank to HMS’ Education and Training Committee.
Thank you Bowen EHS for contributing programs enabling IHMM certificants to engage in professional development and earn important CMPs! All three of the new Bowen EHS programs are available online and on demand.
| Daily | Emergency Management Self-Paced PDC | Online |
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Thank you Bowen EHS for contributing programs enabling IHMM certificants to engage in professional development and earn important CMPs! All three of the new Bowen EHS programs are available online and on demand.
Easily Find Courses to Help You Pass IHMM Credential Exams
A core mission of EHS is education and training. Part of that mission includes assembling the best and most effective courses to assist IHMM applicants in passing their IHMM credential exams.
CSHM® Prep Courses
CSMP® Prep Courses
HMS Makes Finding Courses to Earn CMPs Easy
Every year more than 1,600 IHMM certificants have to recertify their credentials, evidenced their continuing commitment to improvement and learning to elevate their professional credential.
Earning Certification Maintenance Points [CMPs] is illustrated under Recertification of Your Credential, that includes the Recertification Claims Manual – Appendix A, that details all of the ways a certificant may earn CMPs > https://ihmm.org/recertification-claims/
Having mastered that manual, how does an IHMM certificant find courses to earn CMPs?
HMS has made that simple and easy.
- Go to https://hazmatsociety.org/education-training/
- Scroll down until you see a row of buttons…click on the CMPs button
The system will then generate all of the courses on the HMS E&T platform with IHMM CMPs already attached.
The next developments by the HMS E&T committee will refine available courses’ CMPs by individual credential!
Donate to HMS
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.
IHMM CONFERENCES For 2024
IHMM will attend and support a number of conferences and trade shows throughout 2024, virtually as well as in-person as resources allow. In 2023 IHMM participated in the Bay Area ASSP conference, Ohio Safety conference, COSTHA Annual Meeting, AIHA Conference & Trade Show, ASSP Annual Conference, CUHMMC, AHMP, National Safety Conference and FET.
Are there conferences you believe IHMM should attend that are not named here? If so, let us know by sending an email to [email protected]
AIHA Connect 2024
May 20-24, 2024
Visit IHMM in Booth #1308
Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH
IHMM-HMS Event Calendar
IHMM has a companion organization for which education and training programs are presented and delivered. The Hazardous Materials Society education and training website can be found here.
9210 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 470
Rockville, Maryland, 20850
www.ihmm.org | [email protected]
Phone: 301-984-8969 | Fax: 301-984-1516