IHMM Today August 18, 2020

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

IHMM Today is an online publication of the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM)

Other than content specifically provided by IHMM, articles contained in IHMM Today are compiled from independent sources and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IHMM.

IHMM UPDATES

Recertifying Your IHMM Credential Is Easy

Now it’s as easy as logging in to your online MyIHMM account at www.ihmm.org, clicking on the Menu button, opening the form, and entering each Employment and Professional Development recertification activity claim in a separate block.

IHMM Recertification Applications are designed to store your activities as you enter them throughout your 5-year recertification cycle. Entering your activities periodically throughout your cycle helps keep recertification simple.

Once you’ve entered and saved the 200 points needed to recertify, you’ll see the Confirm Application Submission section appear. Click on it, answer a few short questions, and that’s it. You’ve submitted your recertification!

Within MINUTES, you’ll be sent an e-mail notice that you have successfully recertified (an e-mail copy of your credential’s Letter of Compliance for proof of certification valid until your hard copy letter and display certificate arrive), or instructions on how to proceed if you are randomly selected for audit.

Don’t forget, IHMM’s friendly staff of Certification Coordinators is available to help you every weekday, should you need any kind of assistance from logging in to how to classify a complicated activity claim.

Jim Drosdak, [email protected]

Jimmy Nguyen, [email protected]

Click on this graphic to be taken to the Recertification section of the IHMM website…

HMS Education and Training

Hazardous Materials Society now has 10,715 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.

This is the center of education and training for IHMM certificants and prospective certificants. Among these more than 10.000 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/

IHMM ASHM Committee Adds Jacksonville State University

IHMM ASHM Committee Chair and Board Member Jan Rosenberg is pleased to announce that the committee has approved Jacksonville State University and its B.A. in Occupational Safety & Health Management to join the ASHM Approved Schools List.

Thank you to the IHMM ASHM Committee for their great work. Learn about the ASHM here.

IHMM Student CHMM

Congratulations to Eric Littlefield and Michael Ferrucci in passing their Student CHMM exams last week! IHMM now has 48 applicants for this credential and it is growing steadily each week. The IHMM Board created a pilot program in 2019 that allows us to reach into colleges and universities with certain established majors and courses of studies that may, one day, lead the student to a profession for which the full CHMM is ideal.

Thank you for joining us in our communities of practice!

IHMM Emeritus

If you are nearing a decision about retiring, let us know. IHMM has an Emeritus status that we can transition you into, rather than simply ending your commitment to your credential and communities of practice. You’ve earned your retirement and your Emeritus status with IHMM as well.

Contact Jim Drosdak at [email protected] or Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected]

HMS Job Bank

We invite our participating companies to post their available employment opportunities here. There is no charge for this service. HMS staff reviews each proposed posting for clarity and completeness before posting to the public view and may remove a posting without notice.

HMS Job Bank Here.

EnviroWorkShops Global Summit with IHMM & HMS

You are invited to attend the IHMM Training at the 2020 Global EnviroSummit in Charlotte, NC from September 1-3^rd.  There are 75 speakers from 6 different continents that are addressing the “Accelerating Trends and Advancing Technologies” in our industry from around the globe.

This will be a “hybrid conference” with both in-person and virtual registration options and it includes 10 different breakout sessions on a range of topics, but our training will focus on the Value of IHMM Credentials.  Each virtual breakout session is $49 to attend.

The international speakers from Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australia, Africa, and South America will be streaming on YouTube at 8:15 am EST on September 2^nd and there is NO CHARGE for you to register.  REGISTER TODAY!

IHMM has presentations on Day 3, September 3rd, on how

• We prepare and train professionals to acquire their credentials,
• We use advancing technologies to resolve environmental challenges,
• We prepare global dangerous goods transportation professionals, and
• We work with the government in the United States.

Among our presenters are Robert A. West, former IHMM Chair and current HMS Chair, Rich Cartwright of Clicksafety/SPAN and IHMM Fellow, and Gene Sanders of W.E. Train Consulting. The presentations are followed by a panel discussion moderated by Aaron Stern, with US Geological Survey (USG); joined by Richie Spangler, current IHMM Chair; Sean Grady with GHD;  Atanu Das, with MSDSWriter.

What is the Hazardous Materials Society and why is it here?

Over the winter and spring of 2019, the IHMM Board of Directors decided to form the Hazardous Materials Society [HMS] to do four basic things in support of IHMM’s more than 9,000 certificants.

• Developing and delivering the highest quality education and training programs serving the hazardous materials | dangerous goods | environment | health & safety communities of practice by engaging the very best programs from around the nation and the world and presenting them in one platform
• Providing the strongest Networking platform in the nation, Higher Logic, that facilitates our communities of practice to be able to collaborate on their professional challenges as well as exchange information and ideas that benefit their future development
• Providing Conferences that provide opportunities for us to gather together around the nation and the world to learn together and enjoy each other’s perspectives on all of our professional challenges, and to enrich our experiences together.
• Providing Affinity programs that leverage our vast numbers and reach into incredible companies around the world to reduce the costs of many of the things we buy.

Between February and May of 2019, IHMM Executive Director Eugene Guilford and IHMM Treasurer Andrea Schuessler met with Bruce Donato and Chip Deale of AHMP to explain what IHMM was doing and why, and to enlist AHMP’s support. IHMM and AHMP issued a joint press release of support on April 9, 2019 that you can head here.

On December 9, 2019, IHMM Board Chair Richie Spangler and HMS Board Chair Robert West issued a joint press statement announcing the launch of the Hazardous Materials Society, that you can read here.

Every IHMM Today and EHS Professional sent since May 14, 2019, has had information in it about HMS – more than 60 individual e-newsletters – including this current edition of IHMM Today.

IHMM’s Board created the Hazardous Materials Society to serve the needs of IHMM certificants in the four areas listed above. Further, IHMM’s Board stated that IHMM’s certificants can access the services on the HMS site at no additional cost.

Any questions?  Please send questions or comments to IHMM’s Executive Director at [email protected].

See:  Hazardous Materials Society

HMS Affinity Programs

Hazardous Materials Society has a series of affinity programs designed to save you money and make your lives a bit easier. Check out

•HMS Health Insurance for Small Businesses

Start saving money today on your auto and home insurance! HMS has joined Aetna, Meritain Health, and National General to offer small businesses the power of buying as a large business. This is where you could save money versus buying health insurance in the regular commercial market.

Here are some key features of our HMS member’s program:

• Exclusive discounts on group medical plans and voluntary benefits for groups of 2+ employees
• The types of discounts that only used to be available for large companies now being created for small to medium companies.
• Opportunities to receive premium refunds based on the performance of your group
• Telemedicine Benefit program included
• Wellness programs and services designed to help improve employee health, productivity and retention
• Leverage the numbers of IHMM/HMS members to create lower costs for you

A Collaborative Culture

There are 189 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. 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> https://community.ihmm.org/home

IHMM & HMS Coronavirus Resources

In February of 2020, the World Health Organization’s director-general has declared a public health emergency of international concern over the ongoing outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus. On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency for the United States. IHMM and HMS’s first concern is with the safety and health of all of us; our staff and families, colleagues, certificants, and members. We will update this page regularly as credible, authoritative information is available. See: https://ihmm.org/coronavirus-resources/

Safe + Sound Week September 10-16, 2020

The National Safety Council is hosting its first virtual Risk Assessment Workshop on Aug. 14 – during next week’s OSHA-led Safe + Sound Week. The COVID-19 pandemic means safety programs must expand, and assessing risks – both new and existing – is crucial.

With work-related injuries costing $170.8 billion in 2018, can your organization afford not to address its most pressing risks? Not all risks hold equal weight. The workshop will help you prioritize your efforts, diving into real-world examples to practice the techniques presented.

IHMM is a proud member of the NSC please see more information here.

COVID-19: Sampling Approaches for Healthy Buildings – Free Webinar

Golder’s EHS Professionals will discuss the various sampling approaches to keeping your buildings healthy in the midst of COVID-19.

Speakers:
Adelmarie Bones, Senior Industrial Hygienist
Dave Ayriss, Senior Occupational Hygienist and Associate
Jason McGonigle, EHS Senior Practice Leader and Principal
Moderator – Andreas Wagner, Principal and Practice Leader

Learning Objectives:
• Types of sampling available – what is out there, what are the approaches?
• Advantages and disadvantages of each sampling technique
• How to interpret the data
• Limitations of each sampling approach
• Other approaches to consider

National Safety Council’s Virtual Green Cross for Safety Awards

October 1, 2020, from 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm CT

Attendance is FREE.

OSHA National Safety Stand-Down – September 14-18, 2020

Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 320 of the 1,008 construction fatalities recorded in 2018 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.

Learn more about how you can participate in the OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction by going here.

• Report: Lack of Planning Risks EPA’s Ability to Meet Toxic Substances Control Act Deadlines

• EPA Calls for Nominations for 2021 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

• EPA Extends Nomination and Public Comment Periods for Candidates for Membership on TSCA SACC

• NIOSH, MSHA seeking presenters for workshop on silica exposure, lung disease in mining

• How to Start Your Federal Technology Transfer Act Partnership with EPA

• Plant Operations from the Perspective of an HSE Professional

Explore the data and track the trillions of dollars of federal spending, tax cuts, loans, grants, and subsidies authorized and disbursed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis.

Beltway Buzz – Ogletree & Deakins

• EEOC to Address Conciliation. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it will hold a public meeting on August 18, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. eastern time, to discuss a notice of proposed rulemaking on conciliation. According to the latest regulatory agenda, the EEOC will issue a proposal to “revise existing regulations to enhance the effectiveness of the conciliation process and provide greater clarity for all stakeholders.” The EEOC’s statutory requirement to attempt to resolve discrimination charges through conciliation has been the subject of significant policy debates over the years, and it will be interesting to see if this proposal provides some clarity for stakeholders.
• OFCCP News. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced several new initiatives this week to assist federal contractors’ compliance with their nondiscrimination and affirmative action obligations. First, OFCCP will conduct a webinar on the TRICARE final rule on August 31, 2020, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. eastern time. Second, OFCCP announced the launch of a National Pre-Award Registry tool, which lists contractors that were found to be in compliance with their equal employment opportunity obligations in the last two years. This tool is likely to be helpful for contractors during the procurement process. Finally, OFCCP launched a Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA) hiring benchmark database intended to assist contractors in calculating their hiring benchmarks for covered veterans.

IHMM EVENTS CALENDAR