IHMM Remotely Proctored Exams Available Now
IHMM is pleased to announce that the American National Standards Institute [ANSI] has approved Kryterion Remotely Proctored Exams for IHMM’s CHMM, CHMP, and CDGP exams. IHMM has been using the Kryterion Remotely Proctored Exams for the CSHM and CSMP exams since April of 2020.
About 60% of Kryterion in-person testing centers have reopened. If you prefer the comfort and convenience of taking your exam from your home or office instead of at a Kryterion center, IHMM is ready to enroll you in a remotely proctored examination. There are Kryterion centers available worldwide and we also offer remotely-proctored testing wherever you are.
Please contact either Kortney Tunstall at [email protected] for the CHMM, CHMP, or CDGP exams or Kaylene Cagle at [email protected] for the CSHM or CSMP exams.
Phone: 301-984-8969 | [email protected]
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
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 Credential Recognition
Below you will see the 8 credential badges that are now in each 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 Certificant Recognition
IHMM has completed inserting new credential badges in every certificant’s MYIHMM account. Everyone may access those badges for use in their email signatures, LinkedIn accounts, and other social media and communications media. 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, then load it to whatever medium you choose.
Throughout our certificant’s MYIHMM accounts are also now placed 10 Year, 20 Year, and 30 Year badges signifying their longevity as an IHMM certified professional.
IHMM has also added Distinguished Diplomates and Fellows of the Institute badges to the appropriate people in the MYIHMM database. These two badges will be accompanied by new lapel pins to be sent to each of those distinguished by holding these designations.
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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
Recertification of your IHMM credential is easy and straightforward – encompassing the 5 basic steps shown above. This graphic applies to the CHMM, CHMP, CDGP, and CDGT credentials. IHMM is constructing the system to incorporate the former ISHM point system to the IHMM point system for all CSHM and CSMP credentials later this summer.
IHMM certificants need to recertify their credentials every 5 years. You can learn about and use this system here > https://ihmm.org/credentials/#recertification
How to earn Certification Maintenance Points [CMPs] is also easy and straightforward. Certificants read the IHMM Recertification Claims Manual, also found in the same section of the website cited above, here > https://ihmm.org/recertification-claims/
IHMM’s recertification system allows certificants to start a recertification application at any time, don’t wait until the 4th year and the 11th month to start one – start now and enter your CMPs as you go. That makes completing the application easy when the time comes to recertify. Certificants can start a recertification application with their CMPs through their individual MYIHMM accounts.
If you need assistance with this process, accessing your MYIHMM account, or anything concerning the recertification process, simply contact either Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected] or James Drosdak at [email protected] and either will be happy to help you.
Ask Me Anything In Collaboration Scheduled
Thursday, July 15, 2021, from 2:00 pm EDT until 3:00 pm EDT. Mark your calendars! Patricia Buley, Jimmy Nguyen, and Kortney Tunstall will be live in the General Information for All HMS & IHMM Community in Collaboration.
Whatever is on your mind, during this time period or whenever you wish, pose your question and we’ll be there to answer it.
Join us for ASK ME ANYTHING!
IHMM Board Nominations for 2021 Open – Deadline June 30, 2021
This newsletter opens the 2021 Board Nominations season. In 2021 we have one position open, the CHMP representative, open for a four-year term beginning on January 1, 2022.
This process is guided by the IHMM Nominating Committee, chaired by Nathan Phelan > https://ihmm.org/nominating-committee/ We appreciate our Nominating Committee volunteers’ work working through the following documents and reviews before coming to a proposed slate of nominees.
- 2021 IHMM Nominations and Elections Process
- 2021 IHMM Call for Nominations
- 2021 IHMM Fillable Nominations Form
This announcement is the Call for Nominations. ONLY CHMPs may participate in this year’s process as the position is for a CHMP representative on the Board. IHMM will hold this phase of the process open through June 30, 2021, when it will then close to further nominations.
The Nominating Committee will review nomination documents, interview nominees, perform a series of background checks, and then deliberate on a proposed slate of nominees through August 13, 2021. After August 31, 2021, the proposed slate will go to the IHMM Board for review at its September meeting.
The CHMP representative’s elections will begin on October 1, 2021, and run through October 29, 2021. The winning nominee will be announced during the week of November 5, 2021, for a term to commence on January 1, 2022.
To nominate a CHMP for this position, use only the
Thank you.
CALL TO ACTION – H.R. 2171, “Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act.” Representative Spanberger of Virginia’s 7th Congressional District has drafted legislation that 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 /costs recertification, 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).
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/
National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) Meeting Announcement
OSHA and The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) will meet on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., ET, by teleconference and WebEx. Comments and requests to speak must be submitted by June 14, 2021.
Federal Register notice > https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/06/04/2021-11550/national-advisory-committee-on-occupational-safety-and-health-nacosh-notice-of-meeting
Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention – NIOSH Sound Level Meter App
The NIOSH Sound Level Meter (SLM) app combines the best features of professional sound levels meters and noise dosimeters into a simple, easy-to-use package. The app was developed to help workers make informed decisions about their noise environment and promote better hearing health and prevention efforts.
Read more > https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/app.html
Self-Paced, Top-Rated Online Hazmat Training
CHEMTREC, the world’s leader in hazmat emergency response, can help keep your company safe and compliant with our online hazmat training courses. Available training includes Hazmat General, Safety and Security Awareness, 49 CFR, IATA, Lithium Battery Shipping and more. Sign up today!
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.
IHMM NEWS RECENT UPDATES
Fighting Back Against Cyberattackers
Federal regulators warn of risks to firefighters from electrical vehicle fires
NTSB Report on Electrical Vehicles and First Responders
How COVID-19 vaccine policies have triggered lawsuits and workplace showdowns
NIOSH Standard Testing Procedures (STP-0105A, STP-0106, and STP-0107) Update
Addition of 1-Bromopropane to Clean Air Act Section 112 HAP List
Revisions to the Permit Appeals Process To Restore the Organization and Function of the Environmental Appeals Board
NIOSH Respiratory Protective Device Information
Juneteenth
Occupational Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard
Tips for designing online surveys for solid waste management
Is it up to consumers, businesses, or politicians to tackle toxics? All of the above.
Detoxifiers from the Landfill
Research establishes safe water thresholds for antimicrobials, to help mitigate resistance
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Lead and Copper Rule Revisions; Delay of Effective and Compliance Dates
Certain New Chemicals; Receipt and Status Information for May 2021
Cal/OSHA’s Revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) Is Effective Immediately
PFAS In Cosmetics: Financial and Insurance Companies On Notice
Around 10% of health care workers who had COVID-19 experienced long-term symptoms: study
National Safety Month: Resources to Keep Workers Safe
An OH&S Impact Guide to The American Jobs Plan
Construction Technology is Shaping the Post-Pandemic Workplace
13 Refineries Emit Dangerous Benzene Emissions That Exceed the EPA’s ‘Action Level,’ a Study Finds
Shipping a Lithium Battery Inside a Drum
4G VS 4GV Packaging: What’s the Difference?
First laws to tackle serious polymer health threat being crippled
Chemicals under consideration for UK REACH controls announced
Senate Confirms Michal Freedhoff as EPA Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention
Why Become a Certified Hazardous Materials Practitioner?
Here is June Brock-Carroll of Clemson University telling why she became a CHMP and what it has meant to her career.
Where Do IHMM’s CHMPs Work?
All over the world, and here are a few examples…
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.
Senate HELP Committee advances Doug Parker’s nomination to head OSHA
Spring 2021 regulatory agenda: OSHA will seek to restore injury and illness recordkeeping requirements
OSHA releases emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 for health care workers
On Safety: A closer look at OSHA’s ‘Top 10’ violations – Part VI
June: National Safety Month Tips
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 22: Hugh Hoagland Presents: Two New Electrical Safety Standards of Interest to Safety Professionals: ATSM F3258 & F3502
June 22: The Evolution of Safety: Lessons Learned from Real Events in History
June 23: Why category management and data analytics are essential in the fight against supply chain waste
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
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.
A Safety and Health Pledge for Managers
When management leadership is sincere and is supported by actions, workers know that safety and health are important to business success. A safety pledge is one way to demonstrate your commitment to workplace safety and health. Create your own safety pledge using A Safety and Health Pledge for Managers template, then share it with your workers and on social media using #SafeAndSoundAtAWork. |
Spring Arrives with a Slate of Exciting
Virtual Events and Trainings
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) is pleased to share information regarding a full slate of upcoming opportunities for chemical industry stakeholders to stay abreast of key regulatory developments both in the United States and internationally. We hope you will join B&C professionals, industry colleagues, and regulatory agency speakers for one or more of these events.
TSCA at Five Virtual Conference – June 30, 2021
This June marks the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the game-changing Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg) that amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). With a new Administration and the relentless pace of regulatory developments related to Lautenberg implementation, there are many issues to consider and problems to solve.
The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) are pleased to announce the fifth annual conference providing updates and insights regarding the current state of TSCA implementation, ongoing and emerging issues, and related developments. Topics will include how EPA is implementing Section 6 risk evaluation provisions, changes in new chemical review, existing chemical risk management provisions, and TSCA’s role in achieving environmental justice, among other topics.
As with our previous TSCA anniversary events, a stellar faculty of speakers from government, non-governmental organizations, industry, and academia will convene to inform, analyze, discuss, and debate the most pressing issues related to TSCA with regulatory practitioners and other stakeholder attendees.
Detailed program and registration information to come. SAVE THE DATE!
TSCA Tutor® On-Demand Virtual Training
Available 24/7/365
Enroll Online
B&C’s TSCA Tutor online e-training platform offers expert, efficient, essential TSCA training. Professionals seeking TSCA training can preview and enroll in on-demand classes to complete at their own pace and timing.
TSCA Tutor online training courses include:
• Video lessons.
• Detailed handout materials, including copies of all presentations and relevant course materials from EPA and other sources.
• Customizable, yet detailed and ready-to-use Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the regulatory topic covered in the session.
Interested professionals should visit www.TSCAtutor.com to view sample course segments and purchase modules. Volume discounts are available for companies wishing to purchase courses for multiple employees.
HMS and Earning Certification Maintenance Points [CMPs]
IHMM created HMS, in large measure, so that IHMM certificants could have one, central place within which to find professional development courses in which to earn certification maintenance points. HMS courses cover all of IHMM’s 8 credentials, not only one.
We’ve made it easy to find CMPs.
- Go to https://hazmatsociety.org/
- Go to the Education and Training tab
- Scroll down until you see these buttons…and click on the CMPs button
- The system will produce a listing of the programs on the platform that have already been reviewed and given CMP ratings. You can find the programs suitable for you.
For example, one of the programs is from Columbia Southern University, offered online, has 36 CMPs attached, and is FREE. This is only one example. There are hundreds of programs on HMS.
Quiz: Which Strength Do You Bring to a Crisis?
Safety News You Need: Communication and Collaboration
OSHA Issues COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard to Protect Healthcare Workers
ASSP Statement on OSHA’s Emergency Rule for Healthcare Workers
ASSP Webinars
June 23 – Why category management and data analytics are essential in the fight against supply chain waste
ASSP/A10 Guidance Document for Construction and Demolition Operations
This communique is on behalf of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), as Secretariat, for the ANSI/ASSP A10 Committee for Construction and Demolition Operations. ASSP takes great pleasure in presenting you with a PDF copy of our updated document “ASSP A10.0-2021: The Construction and Demolition Operations Compendium of Standards.”
Reminder: A10.0 is not a standard or technical report. It is a guidance document used by OSH Professionals to identify the applicable ANSI/ASSP A10 Standards addressing hazards and exposures in construction and demolition operations.
Scope: The A10 Construction and Demolition Compendium of Standards is a set of standards that covers a series of American National Standards addressing the protection of workers on construction and demolition sites. This guidance document identifies those specific standards and establishes their role in the Compendium and their interdependence.
IHMM is a member of ASSP and is pleased to provide this information to all of our certificants.
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 BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOMINATION PROCESS IS OPEN FOR SUBMITTALS
Overview of Available Board Positions
The Hazardous Materials Society (HMS) is looking for the best and brightest to lead the organization forward. A total of FOUR (4) DIRECTOR positions are open with a two-year term, beginning on January 1, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2024. The maximum number of years any candidate may serve is six (6) years.
These positions are open to ANY IHMM-certificant, who is in good standing with the Hazardous Materials society (HMS) as well as the Institute of Hazardous Materials Managers (IHMM). Self-nominations are permitted.
There are two documents for review. Click on both to open, download, review and submit #2:
Please email the completed nomination forms/submittals to Ms. Kendra Schroer, CHMM, HMS Nominating Committee Chair, at [email protected].
HMS Education and Training
Hazardous Materials Society now has 11,585 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 – ADP
Reaching more than 127,000 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.
HMS is proud to have partnered with ADP. Save on payroll, tax & HR solutions for small to mid-sized businesses from ADP. After clicking on the next link click on START SAVING. Enroll with NPP today to start saving.
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’ 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.
INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND LABORATORIES.
COVID-19 Data Tracker By State
COVID-19 Case Investigation and Contact Tracing in Non-Healthcare Workplaces
COVID-19 Weekly Review – June 11, 2021
CDC Communications Toolkit
Are adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine recordable on the OSHA recordkeeping log?
In general, an adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is recordable if the reaction is: (1) work-related, (2) a new case, and (3) meets one or more of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7 (e.g., days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, medical treatment beyond first aid).
If you require your employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment (i.e., for work-related reasons), then any adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is work-related. The adverse reaction is recordable if it is a new case under 29 CFR 1904.6 and meets one or more of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7.
State Vaccination Distribution Plans
New! Vaccine Data Dashboard. We now have a specific dashboard dedicated to state vaccination plans, updated daily. For each state, you’ll find:
- Current distribution phase,
- Brief overview of state plan,
- Current and future eligible populations, and
- Links to state documentation.
Member Benefits of Hazardous Materials Society
81% of IHMM certificants are aware of the Hazardous Materials Society, which we appreciate. IHMM established the Hazardous Materials Society in order to support and provide services to IHMM certificants.
Did You Know?
Your company’s membership dues for Associate Membership in the Hazardous Materials Society (HMS) are 100% tax-deductible and your participation directly supports scholarship and education/training opportunities for professionals working in hazmat and EHS. Joining as an Associate Member expresses your commitment and your company’s leadership in giving back to our professional community. Join today to claim your tax deduction for the 2020 tax year while expressing your company’s professional affiliation and accessing tools for your marketing and business development plans.
To learn more about what HMS is doing now and what they are planning for the future, please see the new Member Benefits page here.
A Collaborative Culture
There are 421 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
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 Jim Drosdak at [email protected] and he’ll be happy to help you.
Columbia Southern University
The Hazardous Materials Society [HMS] is a partner of Columbia Southern University. Columbia Southern University is an online university based in Orange Beach, Alabama, that strives to change and improve lives through higher education by enabling students to maximize their professional and personal potential.
A subsidiary of Columbia Southern Education Group, CSU offers online degree programs at the associate, bachelor, master, doctorate or certificate levels in a multitude of areas such as occupational safety and health, fire administration, criminal justice, business administration, human resource management, health care administration and more. CSU also features undergraduate and graduate certificate programs to provide focused training in specialized areas for adult learners.
Click on the CSU graphic at left and learn more about the professional development and degree program opportunities at CSU.
AHMP 2021 National Conference
July 25-28, 2021
Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center
Kansas City, Missouri
College & University Hazardous Materials Management Conference
August 7-12, 2021
Denver, Colorado
This conference is currently planned as being entirely virtual.
ASSP Safety21 Conference & Expo
September 13-15, 2021
Austin, Texas
This is a hybrid conference of both virtual and in-person events
Global Enviro Summit
September 14-17, 2021
Charlotte, North Carolina
EnviroSummit is a global conference with international presentations in the morning on the main stage, and breakout sessions for Remediation, Vapor Intrusion, Air Quality and Wastewater in the afternoon.
The Environmental Workshops, LLC is the manager of the 2021 Global EnviroSummit. Since 2013, the EnviroWorkshops has hosted close to 400 workshops on 6 continents, in 20 countries, and in over 100 cities worldwide. Over 20,000 environmental professionals have registered around the globe and they continue to expand into new countries every year.
Annual Conference of the Federation of Environmental Technologists
December 7-9, 2021
Ingleside Hotel, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Due to schedule challenges at the hotel and safety concerns of COVID during 2021, the FET Board has made the decision to host the in-person conference in December this year. We intend to move the Environment 2022 Conference back to October.
IHMM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Beltway Buzz – Ogletree & Deakins
Juneteenth Is Now a Federal Holiday. This week, President Joe Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making June 19—the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States—a federal holiday. (The Buzz wrote about the significance of Juneteenth last year.) From a labor and employment policy perspective, this means that federal workers will receive a paid day off (or time and a half, if they are required to work) on or around June 19, depending on which day of the week the holiday falls. Because of the speed with which the bill was enacted, and because June 19, 2021, falls on a Saturday, the holiday will be observed today, June 18, 2021. Many are hoping that employers in the private sector will follow suit. The Buzz sometimes pokes fun at members of the U.S. Congress for being ineffective, but in this case, they deserve credit for passing this historic act.
Spring Regulatory Agenda Released. Late last week, the Biden administration released its first Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions—the twice-per-year data dump that forecasts for stakeholders potential regulatory developments in the months ahead. This agenda also provides an initial glimpse into a new administration’s major policy priorities. Let’s take a look at what is in store on the labor and employment regulatory front. (Note that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) did not submit any entries for this agenda.)
U.S. Department of Labor
- Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
- Federal Contractor Minimum Wage. In July 2021, the WHD is scheduled to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to implement President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14026, increasing the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors.
- Davis-Bacon Act. The WHD plans to release an NPRM in November 2021 “to update and modernize the regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts to provide greater clarity and enhance their usefulness in the modern economy.”
- Joint Employer. The agenda does not provide a timeframe for the WHD’s finalization of its proposal to rescind the Trump-era Fair Labor Standards Act joint-employer rule.
- Overtime. Listed under “long-term actions” (meaning that no regulatory action is expected in the next year) is an entry indicating that the WHD is reviewing the current overtime regulations. Stay tuned for what this could mean.
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Airborne Infectious Diseases. OSHA is expected to issue an NPRM in December 2021 “to protect employees from infectious disease exposures to pathogens that can cause significant disease.”
- Injury and Illness Recordkeeping. In December 2021, OSHA is slated to resuscitate provisions of its 2016 recordkeeping rule that were stripped out by the Trump administration. OSHA will propose restoring “the requirement to electronically submit to OSHA information from the OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) for establishments with 250 or more employees.”
- Workplace Violence. In December 2021, OSHA is scheduled to initiate the small business advocacy review process to consider the development of a standard to address workplace violence in health care and social assistance settings.
- Heat Stress Standard. In October 2021, OSHA is expected to issue a request for information (RFI) that would help “the agency to begin a dialogue and engage with stakeholders to explore the potential for rulemaking” on a potential heat stress standard.
- Lock-Out/Tag-Out. OSHA is planning to issue in January 2022 an NPRM to address how “computer-based controls of hazardous energy” potentially conflict with the current lock-out/tag-out standard.
- Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
- Religious Exemption for Federal Contractors. The agenda does not provide a timeframe for OFCCP to finalize its proposed rescission of the Trump-era regulation related to religious exemptions for federal contractors.
- Investigation Procedures. In September 2021, OFCCP is slated to propose changes to the November 2020 final rule codifying certain procedures of OFCCP’s investigation processes.
- Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
- SECURE Act Regulations. By the end of June 2021, EBSA can be expected to issue a proposed rule implementing the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act.
- Definition of “Fiduciary.” In December 2021, EBSA is scheduled to wade into the fiduciary waters again.
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
- Video Conferences. In September 2021, the Board “will be soliciting public input on the use of videoconference technology to conduct, in whole or in part, all aspects and phases of unfair labor practice cases and representation case proceedings, and on potential amendments to its procedural rules regarding the use of videoconference technology.”
- Organizational Disclosures. By the end of June 2021, the Board is expected to issue a final rule “to require disclosure of parties’ and other entities’ organizational relationships.”
U.S. Department of Homeland Security / U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- H-1B Changes. In November 2021, USCIS is slated to issue an NPRM to make changes to the H-1B program, including potential changes “relating to the ‘employer-employee relationship’” and “new requirements and guidelines for site visits.”
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In August of 2021, USCIS will issue an NPRM “to preserve and fortify DACA.”
- Fee Schedule. In November 2021, USCIS is scheduled to issue an NPRM that would “rescind and replace the changes made by the August 3, 2020, rule and establish new USCIS fees to recover USCIS operating costs.” The Trump-era rule was enjoined by a federal court in September 2020.
Nominations Update. This week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) advanced the nomination of Doug Parker to lead OSHA. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Parker will take the lead in implementing the recently finalized COVID-19 emergency temporary standard, in addition to overseeing the regulatory items mentioned above. As for other nominees, Julie Su (nominated to be deputy secretary of labor) is in the same position as Parker, as she awaits a final vote on the Senate floor after being approved by the HELP Committee on April 21, 2021. Lastly, Jennifer Abruzzo, President Biden’s nominee to be general counsel of the NLRB, is still stuck in committee after failing to advance in May 2021.
Bostock and LGBTQ Resources. June 15, 2021, marked the first anniversary of the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia. In conjunction with the anniversary, the EEOC announced a new landing page that “consolidates information the public needs to know about the scope of protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.” The Commission also issued a new technical assistance document containing frequently asked questions on issues including workplace restrooms and grooming policies (though Republican commissioners expressed concern that the guidance touches on issues not addressed by Bostock).
Federal Holidays Explained. When President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law this week, Juneteenth became the 12th permanent federal holiday in the United States. Those holidays are New Year’s Day, the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., Inauguration Day (only every four years, of course), Washington’s Birthday (it is not “Presidents’ Day”), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In 1870, Congress established the first U.S. federal holidays when it recognized New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Juneteenth is the first recognized federal holiday since the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. was established as a holiday in 1983. Of course, as alluded to above, these holidays technically apply only to federal employees and the District of Columbia, as each state (and each private-sector entity) individually establishes its own holidays.
Vendor Alert: How much of this business did you get?
IHMM saw an increase in applications of more than 50% in 2020, and for the first 1/3rd of 2021 now has 393 people waiting to take exams. 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.
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