IHMM Today March 28, 2023

IHMM 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 in 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, this year on October 23-25, 2023 in New Orleans.

Make your nominations here >>  https://ihmm.org/ehs-management-award/

See previous award winners here >> https://ihmm.org/past-honorees/

Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide

FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs provide funding for eligible mitigation activities that protect life and property from future disaster damage to build a more resilient nation.

FEMA released new program guidance for the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide (HMA Guide). These updates and new HMA Guide replace the 2015 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance and Addendums.

The HMA Guide provides helpful information for prospective applicants and subapplicants from state, local, tribal and territorial governments on the application and grant processes for four hazard mitigation grant programs.

Read more >> https://www.fema.gov/grants/mitigation/hazard-mitigation-assistance-guidance

OSHA Standard Interpretations \ Applicability of the HCS to Lithium Ion Batteries

• Standard Number:
  1910.1200 

  1910.1200(b)(1) 

  1910.1200(b)(5)(v) 

  1910.1200(b)(6)(v) 

  1910.1200(b)(6)(ix) 

  1910.1200(c) 

  1910.1200(d)(1)

OSHA requirements are set by statute, standards and regulations. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. This letter constitutes OSHA’s interpretation of the requirements discussed. Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information. To keep apprised of such developments, you can consult OSHA’s website at https://www.osha.gov.

Read more >> https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2022-12-01

IHMM Government Affairs Needs Volunteers

IHMM Board Chair Bill Diesslin has issued a call for volunteers for the IHMM Government Affairs Committee. Everyone can learn more about the charter of this committee here > https://ihmm.org/government-affairs-committee/

In joining this committee we request a cross-section of all of IHMM’s credential holders, as IHMM is involved in a wide variety of government affairs activities that are described in detail here > https://ihmm.org/ihmm-government-affairs/

Top 4 Projects in February-March, 2023

• We need volunteers in these states:  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.
• NY Department of Labor rulemaking concerning the recognition of the CSHM and CSMP – IHMM Amendment sent to Anthony Dell-Isola to work with his State Senator
• Work with Eric Vega in Puerto Rico concerning credential recognition
• Review of the Governor of Nevada’s Executive Order concerning licensing boards and potential for recognition of the CHMM – IHMM Sent on Friday, March 3, 2023
• Scheduling meetings with the Maryland Congressional delegation concerning the Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist [CPPS] credential – IHMM had meetings with Senator Cardin and Representative Trone on March 2, 2023, scheduling Senator Van Hollen next.

IHMM Needs Volunteers

IHMM has a wide variety of ways that our certificants and members can volunteer their time, make a substantial contribution to their communities of practice, and earn valuable Continuing Maintenance Points [CMPs].

Volunteering with IHMM is a deeply rewarding and giving endeavor, ranging from being a subject matter expert on a scheme committee to leading discussions in our COLLABORATION engagement platform to becoming a mentor for a college student.

Take a few minutes and review How to Become An IHMM Volunteer, and then scroll down and take the volunteer self-assessment.

CHMP Scheme Committee

• Must be a CHMP > https://ihmm.org/chmp-scheme-committee/

Government Affairs Committee

• Open to all certificants > https://ihmm.org/government-affairs-committee/

Nominating Committee

• Needs one new member, open to all certificants > https://ihmm.org/nominating-committee/

Respiratory Protection Program Management – Susan Harwood Training Grant

University of Texas Medical Branch, William J. Pate, CHMM

This training course is intended to educate participants on the requirements of developing and implementing a compliant Respiratory Protection Program. The focus of this course will be on topics related to preparation for an infectious disease pandemic. At the end of this training the attendee should be able to:
1) Manage an effective respiratory protection program through proficient application of 29 CFR 1910.134
2) Compare potential routes of exposure
3) Identify and implement potential controls (engineering, administrative, and PPE)
4) List the equipment needed to support fit testing
5) Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative fit testing
6) Discuss the different types of respiratory protection available
7) Demonstrate correct donning/doffing of respiratory protection

This training course is 7.5 hours and participants will receive a certificate of completion that may be suitable for professional certification maintenance (CSP, CIH, CHMM, CHSP, etc.).

This course will provide 7.5 Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) contact hours. Accreditation statement: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston is approved with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by Louisiana State Nurses Association –  Approver, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. LSNA Provider No. 4002176

This training is available only to employees and employers who are subject to OSHA regulatory requirements.  Grant-funded training is not available to state or local government employees unless they have occupational safety & health responsibilities (e.g. occupational safety and health trainers, program managers, committee members, or employees responisble for abating unsafe and unhealthy working conditions for their organization).  Registration in this course confirms that meet these conditions.  This training will include the opportunity to don, doff, and fit test respiratory protection including N95, half-face, full-face, and powered air-purifying respirators.  Anyone participating in this training and wanting to put on a respirator agrees that they have been medically cleared by their employer to do so in accordance with OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard.

The 8-hour training program is offered at various dates from March through September. For more information and registration for this FREE program go here >> https://www.utmb.edu/ehs/programs/radiation-occupational-safety-program/RPPSHTG2023

EPA Plans New Stormwater Permits After Landmark Use Of RDA Power

Environmentalists are asking a federal court in Massachusetts to stay their suit seeking to enforce the agency’s landmark decision expanding Clean Water Act (CWA) permit mandates to a large swath of unregulated stormwater sources in three local watersheds after the agency agreed to issue permits for at least some unregulated pollutants.

Plaintiffs in Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) v. EPA filed a motion to stay the case on March 17, alongside a declaration from CLF air and water director Heather A. Govern saying the agency has promised to craft new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination system (NPDES) permits for the three watersheds at issue — though officials are refusing to memorialize that plan in a binding settlement.

“On March 10, 2023, Defendants communicated to Plaintiffs that Defendants will not enter into a settlement agreement,” the declaration says. “Instead, Defendants will (1) attempt to issue draft NPDES permits for the Charles River watershed, Mystic River watershed, and the Neponset River watershed by the end of the summer of 2024 and (2) make a public announcement soon to that effect.”

Based on that assurance, the plaintiffs ask the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts to stay deadlines and other action in the case until September 8, 2024.

CLF and CRWA sued EPA last year over what they said is the agency’s unlawful failure to implement its announcement that it would use so-called “residual designation authority” (RDA) to designate additional stormwater sources for regulation in the three contested watersheds.

–Inside EPA

Judge Grants Industry Second Chance To Seek National WOTUS Injunction

Over EPA’s objections, a federal judge in North Dakota has granted industry groups’ motion to intervene in states’ litigation challenging the agency’s rule defining “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), providing the coalition a second opportunity to seek a national injunction against the rule after a court in Texas found they failed to show injury.

In a March 22 order, Judge Alice Senechal of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Dakota granted the industry coalition’s motion to intervene in State of West Virginia, et al. v. EPA, et al., where a coalition of 24 Republican state attorneys general are charging that EPA’s rule exceeds the power Congress delegated under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and raises serious constitutional concerns.

The industry groups wasted little time in seeking a national injunction, filing a March 23 complaint that, among other things, urges the court to “enjoin Defendants from implementing, applying, or enforcing the Rule.”

This is the second time the industry groups have sought to block nationwide implementation of the WOTUS rule before a merits ruling.

Last month, they asked a federal district court in Texas to block the WOTUS rule from taking effect March 20.

But while Judge Jeffrey Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in a March 19 ruling blocked the rule’s implementation in Texas and Idaho, he rejected industry plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction, finding that they failed to show imminent, irreparable harm. Industry plaintiffs included the American Farm Bureau Federation and others.

–Inside EPA

OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program

As part of our ongoing efforts to promote OSHA’s compliance assistance resources, and in advance of National Small Business Week (April 30 – May 6, 2023), we want to remind certificants about OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program. The program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small- and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. On-Site Consultation services are separate from enforcement. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs.

Learn more here >> https://www.osha.gov/consultation

IATA 2023 Lithium Battery Guidance Document

More than ever, lithium batteries power things around us. Whether it be in our homes or at our business. One *source suggests that the global lithium-ion battery market size will reach 135.1 billion USD by 2031. The growth is expected in renewable energy and electric vehicles. These batteries must travel from the manufacturer to businesses and consumers. They may ship via road, rail, ocean, and air.

As such, IATA (International Air Transport Association) aids in providing shippers with information and guidance on how to prepare the battery safely for transport.

One document is the Lithium Battery Guidance Document, which has been updated for 2023. The latest version is based on the provisions set out in the 2023-2024 edition of the ICAO (ICAO Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air) and the 64^th Edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).

The Document provides guidance for complying with provisions regarding the transportation of lithium (ion and metal) by air.

Some of the changes in the 2023 edition include:

• Clarification of the lithium battery test summary requirements
• Updated classification flow charts for both Lithium-ion and Lithium-metal
• Reference to the new Lithium Battery Mark, without the telephone number
• Updated and New Q&A/FAQ
• Clarification of the edition of the UN Manual and Criteria to be referenced for the testing of lithium batteries

Note that this Guidance Document does not replace training required. It is intended to supplement and aid in the transport process.

OIG Says EPA Slow To Spend Infrastructure Funds, Denting FY24 Request

EPA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is warning that the agency has only obligated and expended 1 percent of the $60 billion Congress appropriated in the bipartisan infrastructure law, bolstering Republican charges that it should not receive requested budget increases in fiscal year 2024 given its inability to spend the infrastructure funds.

In a March 23 report, the OIG noted that Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) appropriates over $60 billion to EPA for FY22-26.

But citing data from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the OIG found that “as of December 16, 2022, less than 1 percent of the $60 billion in IIJA funds had been obligated and expended.”

This report comes on the heels of the Biden administration releasing its FY24 budget, which requests $12 billion, an increase of $1.9 billion from FY23, for EPA.

EPA officials have argued the increase is needed to hire hundreds of new full-time equivalent (FTE) staff and provide other resources to bolster the agency’s core missions.

But the OIG report and its findings are likely to provide fodder for Republican lawmakers, who are already raising concerns that the agency is mismanaging its resources, arguing that the budget increase combined with funding through the infrastructure law and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is challenging the agency to spend it effectively.

–Inside EPA

2023 National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction – May 1-5, 2023

Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 378 of the 986 construction fatalities recorded in 2021 (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.

What is a Safety Stand-Down?

A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. Any workplace can hold a stand-down by taking a break to focus on “Fall Hazards” and reinforcing the importance of “Fall Prevention”. Employers of companies not exposed to fall hazards, can also use this opportunity to have a conversation with employees about the other job hazards they face, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies and goals. It can also be an opportunity for employees to talk to management about fall and other job hazards they see.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone who wants to prevent hazards in the workplace can participate in the Stand-Down. In past years, participants included commercial construction companies of all sizes, residential construction contractors, sub- and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, the U.S. Military, other government participants, unions, employer’s trade associations, institutes, employee interest organizations, and safety equipment manufacturers.

• Webinar: Preventing Falls through Improved Design (Wednesday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET). This interorganizational webinar will begin with a general explanation of Prevention through Design (PtD) and how it can be used to improve not only building design, but also work and equipment design.

For more information >> https://www.osha.gov/stop-falls-stand-down

ECHA seeks input on proposed PFAS restriction

The European Chemicals Agency invites interested parties to send in scientific and technical information on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by 25 September 2023.

Read more >> https://echa.europa.eu/-/echa-seeks-input-on-proposed-pfas-restriction?_cldee=WfufxU6IcTACphRY6fGB3dj68qU8FebqgYQnFlPqv_r05tKZxAB74pq_lzAhyhmV&recipientid=lead-fcb6989c61f3ec11813c005056b9310e-4afba0e046ba4118a88ea34d95c770aa&esid=b15041c1-9bc8-ed11-8146-005056952b31

Reminder: send in your questions early on the PFAS restriction proposal

We encourage you to send your questions to us and the five national authorities well ahead of the 5 April 2023 info session. Having the questions in advance will help us prepare and respond to as many questions as possible during the Q&A.

Send your questions | More info

OSHA’s Safe + Sound Campaign is a nationwide opportunity to raise awareness and understanding of the value of proactive occupational safety and health (OSH) programs in all workplaces. Look for the 2023 Safe+Sound program in August this year.

Safe + Sound emphasizes the need for safety programs at small- and mid-sized businesses, which are more likely to have limited resources dedicated to safety. As you know, effective OSH programs can help organizations identify and manage workplace risk before they cause injury or illness, improving sustainability and the bottom line. Safety and health management systems are a critical best practice to ensure that OSH programs achieve significant results and lower risk exposure.

Earn a Challenge Coin

Workers are an important resource for identifying workplace hazards and implementing changes. Safety reporting systems allow ideas and suggestions for improving safety to be captured.

Take the Speak Up for Safety Challenge! Review your safety reports with a team to find common themes and opportunities to improve your overall workplace safety and health performance.

Complete the challenge and earn your virtual challenge coin! Then, share the results in your workplace and on social media to show how you encourage workers to #SpeakUpForSafety to be #SafeAndSoundAtWork.

Your Partner Punch List

We would appreciate if you could support Safe + Sound by doing the following:

• Promote the Speak Up for Safety Challenge to your stakeholders

Sponsored Content

A Collaborative Culture

There are 904 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]

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.

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