EHS Professional – October 14, 2021

Update Your IHMM Credential Record

Each IHMM certificant has their own private, personal record. Updating your record with the correct information is an important requirement of being an IHMM certificant. We’ve made updating your record simple to do, and it starts at the IHMM website at https://ihmm.org/, and the toolbar at the top as seen below.

First, click on the MYIHMM button, shown below highlighted in RED.

That brings you to this screen…

If you have forgotten your username or password, click on FORGOT USERNAME/PASSWORD and enter your email address and we’ll take care of the rest.

Forgotten which email address you used to register and can’t retrieve your user/pass?  Then please contact anyone of the following who can assist you:

Jimmy Nguyen – [email protected]

Kaylene Cagle – [email protected]

Jim Drosdak – [email protected]

Kortney Tunstall – [email protected]

Mikki Shea – [email protected]

June Brock-Carroll, Board Member and Treasurer

IHMM 2021 Board of Directors Election

Each year, one or more seats are about to become vacant on the IHMM Board of Directors as a person’s term or tenure is ending. In 2021, the position held for the CHMP seat on the Board will become vacant as June Brock-Carroll’s first term ends on 12/31/2021.

June is running for re-election to another 4-year term, unopposed.

June’s Bio Is Here

June’s Nomination Papers Are Here

Every IHMM certificant in good standing will receive an email from IHMM with a discreet identification number that may only be voted once. The Election begins October 1, 2021, and runs through October 31, 2021. Results will be announced on November 9, 2021, in IHMM Today.

IHMM Promotes Federal Recognition of Credentials – Professional Certification Coalition [PCC] October Fly-In

PCC held a “virtual fly-in” on October 6, 7, and 8 to urge Members of Congress to support our two high-priority federal bills: H.R. 2171/S. 905, the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, and the soon-to-be-introduced REBUILD Skills Act.

In support of federal recognition of IHMM credentials, IHMM joined the fly-in and met with the staff of Maryland’s Representative David Trone [D-6th CD], Representative Dutch Ruppersberger [D-2nd DC], and Senator Chris Van Hollen [D-MD]. 

The goal of the fly-in is to encourage Members of Congress to cosponsor each of these bills and to persuade them to request that congressional leaders allow the bills to move expeditiously, either on a standalone basis or as part of a larger legislative package.  We are pleased to announce that Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), the author of the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, is confirmed to speak to participating PCC members at the beginning of the virtual fly-in. After the Congresswoman’s remarks and an internal PCC member strategy and prep session, PCC members will participate in virtual meetings with their Members of Congress (arranged either by the PCC or by the PCC members, depending on preference/availability).

Below is additional background on our priority legislation:

• The bipartisan Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act would permit individuals to use funds in 529 savings plans to cover costs associated with obtaining and maintaining certification (including testing-related expenses), and/or for expenses for training required to obtain such credentials.
• The Resources and Education to Build(REBUILD) Skills Act would permit certification organizations and training programs to provide scholarships (up to $3,000) for certification-related and training expenses to individuals displaced from employment during the pandemic or who recently came off active duty from military service (along with spouses of recently discharged service members).  The organizations offering such scholarships would be able to apply for a payroll tax credit to compensate them for those scholarships.  The U.S. Department of Labor would maintain a list of approved (i.e., credible) certification and training organizations that could participate, which could serve as a great resource for individuals seeking to identify legitimate certification and training opportunities and would promote the certification community writ large.

Call for Volunteers – IHMM CSSS-CSSM Committee

IHMM is calling for CSSS and CSSM volunteers to participate in the CSSS-CSSM Committee. IHMM inherited the CSSS and CSSM credentials when it acquired ISHM in April 2019. The CSSS and CSSM credentials have no job task analysis, no blueprints, no exams, or item banks. Now that IHMM has spent the past 18 months establishing the updated processes to recreate the CSHM and CSMP credentials, we can turn to the CSSS and CSSM designations.

IHMM welcomes CSSS and CSSM designation holders to volunteer and participate in the committee. Volunteering may be done here > https://ihmm.org/csss-cssm-committee/

IHMM CSHM Scheme Committee

The IHMM CSHM Scheme Committee is expected to complete the task of creating a new blueprint for the credential by Q4 of 2021. When released, this will lead to IHMM creating a separate group to organize the creation of new supporting text materials as well as working to create a new exam preparatory course.

IHMM Professional Standards Committee

The IHMM Professional Standards Committee is in the process of creating a new IHMM Code of Ethics orientation program for use by new applicants as well as during the recertification process.

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

Government Agencies That Recognize the IHMM Credentials

Here is a small sampling of the government agencies that recognize IHMM Credentials

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

Hazardous Materials Society [HMS] Scholarship Applications – DEADLINE November 1, 2021

Dan Levine, Chair of the HMS Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce that HMS Scholarship applications for 2021 are live and available on the HMS website.

Visit the HMS Scholarship page and click 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 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.

Vendor Alert:  884 – How much of this business did you get?

IHMM has seen a 100% jump in applications and examinations over 2019, and for the first 8 months of 2021, we stand at 884. 244 new certificants and 640 more awaiting examinations. How much of this business did your company see?

If you’re missing out contact Diane McLevy at [email protected] and see how you can benefit from a relationship with IHMM and HMS.