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 this year.
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.
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, November 3, 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.
Follow IHMM on Twitter
IHMM UPDATES
IHMM & AHMP Launch 45 in 5 – National Credential Recognition
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. We have already succeeded in 5 states.
Now Mark at AHMP and Gene at IHMM are launching 45 in 5, getting the other 45 states to recognize our credentials in 5 years. If we can find a volunteer like Mark in 45 other states we can work with those volunteers on crafting the right message to the right agencies in state governments across the country. If we find enough volunteers we can get this done in less than 5 years.
Here’s what we ask each volunteer to do:
- Take a template letter we write and send it to the right people at the right agencies of state governments
- IHMM & AHMP will identify the agencies and the people to contact
- Follow up after sending the letter
- IHMM will engage all of our certificants and AHMP will engage all of its members in each state to communicate with the agencies in support of the recognition
Let’s get the rest of the country on board. Volunteer using this form > https://forms.gle/xVJ7UgwcfomWTpdR9
IHMM Board of Directors Election Began November 2, 2020
IHMM Board of Directors Election Began November 2, 2020In accordance with the IHMM Bylaws and Elections Guidelines, the 2020 elections for positions open on the IHMM Board of Directors began November 2, 2020, and runs through November 30, 2020.
For January 2021 we have two seats open, one for a CHMM and one for a non-credentialed Public Member, for which we solicited candidates every week from March through July.
The map at left shows RED states as states from which IHMM already has a Board member [2 from Maryland], and the BLUE states are the states from which we have candidates for next month’s election. One of the many things the IHMM Nominating Committee takes into account in selecting Nominees is geographic diversity. This year one candidate resides in Qatar.
Every IHMM certificant in good standing will receive a named and numbered ballot to ensure the security of the election and so each may only vote once. All IHMM certificants in good standing received ballots on November 2, 2020, by email, and will receive a reminder each week.
For the CHMM and Public Member Positions, We Have the Following Nominees.
Robert E. DeHart, CHMM
Boone, NC
Robert’s Bio
Why Robert Wants to Serve
William M. Diesslin, CHMM
Rick Huckfeldt, CHMM
Richland, WA
Rick’s Bio
Why Rick Wants to Serve
David Onchagwa, CHMM
Doha, Qatar
David’s Bio
W. Morgan Hyson, Public Member
Rockville, MD
Morgan’s Bio and Why Morgan Wants to Serve
Kermit Rader, Public Member
Philadelphia, PA
Kermit’s Bio
Why Kermit Wants to Serve
CHMM EXAMINATION COMMITTEE UPDATE
CHMM EXAMINATION COMMITTEE UPDATEThe CHMM Examination Committee is working hard and giving many hours of their time to develop the new exam. The exam will be aligned with the new 2020 CHMM Test Specifications as previously announced (click here for the information: https://ihmm.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020_CHMM_Blueprint.pdf). The release of the new exam has been delayed due to COVID-19 which has affected so many of our lives. Despite this enormous hurdle, the committee has been meeting this year virtually in many virtual sessions to write items, conduct a technical review, and validate content. After the item writing process is completed, the committee will embark on an Angoff Standard Setting exercise. The expected release of the new CHMM exam is 1Q of 2021.
IHMM Microcredential Task Force Gets Underway November 12th
In September the IHMM Board authorized the creation of a microcredential task force to explore how IHMM can create narrowly defined, specialized credentials that add value to each of its major, accredited credentials. The current task force membership is here https://ihmm.org/microcredential-task-force. The task force will get underway on November 12, 2020.
The survey of IHMM certificants has yielded more than 100 suggestions for specialized microcredentials ranging from environmental law, Climate Change Hazard Mitigation, climate policy, community vulnerability mitigation, recycling, landfill operator, waste management specialist, court qualified environmental expert, pandemics, and many more.
A CSHM credential holder may seek an “endorsement” to their credential specializing in pandemic crisis response, the CHMM may want an endorsement for a court qualified environmental expert. We are far away from those decisions but the task force will work through certificant suggestions and make recommendations to the IHMM Board next year.
Earning CMPs at CUHMMC or FET or AHMP
If you attended any of the recently completed CUHMMC, FET or AHMP conferencse, as with every conference, you may earn certification maintenance points for attending programs that have a relationship to your
credential at a rate of 1 [one] CMP per clock ho
ur of attendance – up to a maximum of 5 CMPs per day and a maximum of up to 20 CMPs for the conference. Keep your conference registration and annotate the programs you attended. Don’t wait! Login to your MYIHMM account and enter the CMPs you earned while it is fresh in your mind!
Earning and Claiming Recertification Points HERE
New COVID-19 Resources!
| OSHA has published several new guidance documents on reducing the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19 for workers and employers in different industries. Workers Wearing Face Coverings in Hot and Humid Conditions OSHA published guidance on the use of cloth face coverings while working both indoors and outdoors in hot and humid conditions or while performing strenuous activities. Employers should follow this guidance to protect against the spread of COVID-19 and the risk of heat-related illness. Cleaning Staff OSHA’s new poster outlines ways to keep janitorial and cleaning workers safe from the coronavirus. Restaurant Employees Learn how to protect workers safe from exposure to coronavirus when restaurants resume dine-in service. Workers Making In-Home Repairs Review guidance for workers making in-home repairs, including plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians to help reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Compliance Safety and Health Officers Read this memorandum that provides temporary enforcement guidance to Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) on Tight-Fitting Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) used during the COVID-19 Pandemic. |
Earning CMPs at IHMM to Recertify your Credential
IHMM took a survey through the weekly IHMM Today and want to know if you recognize these two comments about things you would like IHMM to do in the area of recertification:
- “I don’t know what the IHMM CMP standards are, so I can’t compare”
- “Wide variety of options to include in the recert process. Ability to certify both internal or external conferences or training opportunities to receive CMP’s.”
IHMM standards for earning CMPs are found in the RECERTIFICATION section of the IHMM website at https://ihmm.org/credentials/#recertification
Please see >> https://ihmm.org/recertification-claims/ from the site above. There are many many different ways you may earn CMPs, all presented in the document linked here.
As we pointed out earlier this week, you keep track of your CMPs by logging into your account at MYIHMM, found in the upper right-hand corner of the IHMM website. IHMM is also working out a transition plan for all CSHMs and CSMPs for their 5-year CMP requirements – so that the 30 or 20 points you were used to earning at ISHM will translate to the 200 you need with IHMM – so not to worry.
If you have any questions about recertification and using the MYIHMM system please contact Jimmy Nguyen at [email protected] or James Drosdak at [email protected]
HMS Launches Jobs Board
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 Launches Jobs Board
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.
Register for Live Virtual SafetyFOCUS 2021
ASSP has shifted its second-largest annual event to a live virtual experience early next year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. SafetyFOCUS 2021 will move from an 8-day in-person conference in Las Vegas, NV, to a 10-day online event with more than 100 OSH courses available Feb. 8-12 and 15-19. Register now to secure your spot at SafetyFOCUS 2021.
IHMM is a member of ASSP and is pleased to share this information with all IHMM certificants.
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.
ASSP Practice Specialties Host Webinars
ASSP’s practice specialties and common interest groups regularly host webinars and open calls, which are open to all ASSP members and nonmembers. The goal is to provide educational discussions for participants, as well as to share the benefits of these networking groups.
IHMM is a member of ASSP and is pleased to send all of our certificants this important information.
FREE Webinar –CE 1106- Coronavirus Facts: Understanding the Coronavirus
7 CMPs
This course covers basic information on coronavirus-related hazards and how proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures at home or in the workplace may protect against COVID-19. This course will cover facts about COVID-19 and risks related to the virus. The material will guide users through proper cleaning and disinfecting techniques that prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within the home and workplace.
$99 Webinar – Online DOT Bulk Tank Truck Training
1 CMP
Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a government department that regulates the transportation of hazardous materials within the United States. This course will focus on the DOT regulations relative to shipping hazardous materials primarily by tank truck.
This online program lasts 1 hour.
$45 Webinar – OSHA Asbestos Awareness Training
2 CMPs
Do you work in or around areas that may contain asbestos? If so, you may need asbestos awareness training to work safely and maintain compliance with U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. At Hazmat School, we offer a 2-hour online asbestos awareness course designed to meet the needs of maintenance and custodial personnel and other workers who may come into contact with asbestos-containing materials.
Our online asbestos awareness course satisfies the training requirements outlined by OSHA in 29 CFR 1926.1101. This regulation requires employers to provide training to every employee likely to be exposed to asbestos in excess of permissible exposure limits (PEL) and who performs Class IV asbestos operations. According to the regulation, training must occur annually and at no cost to the employee. The training program must also ensure employees receive information about a number of specific asbestos-related topics.
A Collaborative Culture
There are 252 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.
In October HMS added the following new communities:
- HMS Academia Community
- HMS Consultants Community
- HMS Government Employees Community
- HMS International Members Community
- HMS Senior Members Community
- HMS Student Members Community
- HMS Women Member Community
- HMS Youth Member Community
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.
HMS Education and Training
Hazardous Materials Society now has 14,903 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 14.000 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/
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.
HMS Affinity Programs – CINTAS
With more than 27,000 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.
Save up to 65% off Cintas uniforms, safety, and facility services.
Keep your team and workspace looking their best. New Cintas contracts enjoy special discounts and a free one-time UltraClean service and free installation of hygiene dispensers. Enroll with NPP today and save on Cintas!
Enroll your business for FREE with NPP to learn more about Cintas discounts. Enroll with NPP here: https://mynpp.com/association/hms/
Product Showcase
Free Virtual Hazmat Audit With Hazmat Training Purchase!
- Make Sure Your Hazmat Operations Are Fine Proof
- Take Advantage Of TCA’s Expertise
- DOT, IATA, IMDG, TDG, ADR Training
- Purchase Must Be $1995+ For Free Virtual Audit
- Mention This Ad For Your Free Virtual Audit
- This Special Is Good For November And December Trainings
CONTACT US TODAY!
IHMM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Beltway Buzz – Ogletree & Deakins
Voting in the 2020 elections starts today, November 3, 2020. However, due to many tight races and the unprecedented volume of mail-in ballots (and states’ differing rules on when those ballots can begin to be counted), it may be some time before we know which party will control the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, or the White House—or one or both houses of Congress and the White House—beginning in 2021. With everyone’s emotions already running high, this potential uncertainty means that next week may be a particularly challenging and nerve-racking one for employers and employees. To help relieve this anxiety, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has provided a helpful fact sheet that reminds us that such delays are normal occurrences in our electoral system.
You Dirty Rat! Gigantic inflatable rats might be great Halloween decorations, but is displaying them during labor protests a violation of the secondary boycott prohibitions contained in the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)? This week, the National Labor Relations Board announced that it would accept amicus briefs in a case dealing with this very question. The debate is not new. Labor unions’ use of the inflatable rat display and other bannering tactics were given the green light in a pair of decisions issued by the Board during President Barack Obama’s first term. However, the dissenting Board members in those cases argued that the rat was a coercive and familiar symbol of labor unrest and that its use should have been considered unlawful secondary activity. The Board will determine whether its prior decisions impermissibly narrowed the type of activity covered by the NLRA’s secondary activity prohibitions. Amicus briefs are due on or before December 28, 2020.
Independent Contractor Comment Period Closes. October 26, 2020, was the deadline for stakeholders to submit comments in response to the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed independent contractor regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposal focuses on “economic dependence” as the “ultimate inquiry” when determining whether, “as a matter of economic reality,” a worker “is in business for him- or herself” (an independent contractor) or is dependent on another entity for work (an employee). The proposal also identifies two core factors that are the most probative in determining independent contractor status: (1) “the nature and degree of the worker’s control over the work” and (2) “the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss.” Among the groups filing comments was the National Retail Federation, which wrote:
The DOL’s proposed rule benefits all stakeholders, as it creates clear guidelines for when entrepreneurs are properly viewed and treated as independent contractors. It allows both them and their clients and business partners to have the confidence and certainty needed to thrive in a turbulent economy.
What happens next, like so many policy discussions these days, depends on the results of the election. If President Donald Trump wins, it will be full speed ahead to finalization (likely followed by litigation). If former vice president Joe Biden wins (and brings the Senate with him), things could get tricky. In this scenario, a Biden administration could put the brakes on a not-yet-finalized rule. If the current administration tried to finalize the rule on its way out, the Biden administration could rescind the rule using the Congressional Review Act (though doing so would severely limit Democrats’ ability to promulgate their own version of an independent contractor regulation). Stay tuned.
DOL on Press Releases. One of the long-standing employment policy debates in Washington, D.C., centers on regulatory agencies’ use of the press as a regulatory tool. This is perhaps most common in the workplace safety arena, where the Obama-era Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) popularized a “regulation by shaming” campaign. This policy often resulted in the issuance of press releases that castigated employers and were conclusory in nature. In some cases, press releases would accuse employers of violations yet never correct the record when the accusations were later found to be without merit. The administration has curtailed this policy, but has not ended it completely. Recently, the DOL issued a memorandum to the heads of its sub-agencies (OSHA, the Wage and Hour Division, etc.) to provide guidance on enforcement-related press releases. The memorandum instructs agency heads that “[a]s a matter of Department policy, in general, enforcement agencies should not issue news releases before achieving a successful outcome.” Thus, the memo instructs that the appropriate times for press releases are following a settlement or conciliation agreement, a conviction or plea agreement, a decision by a court or other tribunal, and so forth.
DHS Proposes Scrapping H-1B Visa Lottery. Another week, another effort by the administration to upend the existing H-1B guest worker program. On October 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to end the H-1B visa lottery by amending its regulations controlling the process by which H-1B cap-subject petitions are approved. Pursuant to the proposal, USCIS would prioritize selection of H-1B applicants with the highest promised salaries and work down from there. USCIS claims that this new selection criteria “would increase the average and median wage levels of H-1B beneficiaries who would be selected” and “would maximize H-1B cap allocations, so that they more likely would go to the best and brightest workers.” Like other recent immigration proposals, this one is also prone to legal challenge, particularly since DHS itself admitted in its 2019 H-1B preregistration regulation the following: “DHS believes, however, that prioritization of selection on other factors, such as salary, would require statutory changes.” The NPRM is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on November 2, 2020, and comments are due 30 days later.
Tuesday Afternoon. Why is this year’s Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, and why is the election always on a Tuesday in November? Way back when, states held elections whenever they pleased within about a 30-day window leading up to the beginning of December. But in 1845, Congress got everybody on the same page by passing a law designating the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November as Election Day. The nineteenth century agrarian economy of the United States explains why this time was chosen. Spring and summer voting would have interfered with planting and harvesting, and winter weather was too harsh. Additionally, many voters needed a two-day window to travel long distances to get to urban polling centers. Weekends were out due to religious observances, and Wednesday was a popular day for farmers’ markets. So a Tuesday in early November was chosen as the ideal time for Election Day.
TSCA Section 21 Petition Seeks Section 4 Test Rule for 54 PFAS
The Environmental Transformation Podcast by Sean Grady
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
SPCC Enforcement: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tank Battery Operator Enter into Expedited Settlement Agreement
US EPA to evaluate cyclic siloxane
Healthcare law update
EPA- Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Asbestos Abatement Worker Protection (Renewal)
CHEMTREC’s Online Hazmat Training Meets U.S. DOT Training Requirements!
CHEMTREC, the world’s leader in hazmat emergency response, can help keep your company safe and compliant with its self-paced online hazmat training courses. Available training includes 49 CFR, Hazmat General, Safety and Security Awareness, IATA, and Lithium Battery Shipping. Sign up today!
IHMM EVENTS CALENDAR
IHMM NOW HAS A COMPANION ORGANIZATION FOR WHICH EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE PRESENTED AND DELIVERED. THE CALENDAR IN THIS SPACE FROM THE IHMM WEBSITE IS BEING REPLACED BY THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SOCIETY WEBSITE AND THE EDUCATION AND TRAINING SECTION FOUND HERE: https://hazmatsociety.org/education-training/
9210 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 470, Rockville, Maryland, 20850
www.ihmm.org | [email protected]
Phone: 301-984-8969 Fax:301-984-1516