s r e t s a s i D l a r Natu
VO L 6
AU T U /NO4/
19 MN 20
redness cy Prepa Emergen
&
THE STARS CONTINUE TO ALIGN FOR NUSTAR!
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VPP STAR
WORKSITES
AND COUNTING. . .
WWW.NUSTARENERGY.COM
CONTENTS
VOL 6 | NO 4 | AUTUMN 2 019
FEATURES
10
Critical Consideration for Social Media and Emergency Management Today By Captain Tiffany Danko, United States Coast Guard Reserve
18
Emergency Planning Best Practices for Effective Hazardous Chemical Management By Glenn Trout, VelocityEHS
22
From the Front Lines of Natural Disaster Rescue
By Tim Robson, Eddie Chapa and Heath Petty, Roco Rescue
28
Before, During and After: Surviving a Disaster with Effective Planning By Vivian Marinelli, Psy.D., FEI Behavioral Health
32
When Disaster Strikes... Do You Have the Right Protective Equipment?
By Lydia Baugh, International Safety Equipment Association
36
Why You Should Consider a Tornado Shelter By Dale Kiefer, Triple Canopy Media
41
Safety in the Era of Extreme Weather Events
By National Safety Council Staff
COLUMNS 4 6 44
A Message from the VPPPA Chairperson Global Safety and Health Watch From the Perspective of a First Responder
SECTIONS 8 46 50 54 58
Infographic Corner Membership Corner State-Plan Monitor Regional Round-Ups Calendar of Events
A Message From the VPPPA Chairperson
W
elcome to the Autumn issue
Welcome to our VPPPA family. We held 11
of the Leader magazine. In this
VPPPA National and Regional conferences
issue, we are focused on natural
across the country providing excellence in
disasters. A special shout-out to our authors
education and networking opportunities to
for sharing their expertise with us.
a total of over 7,200 attendees. Fiscal Year
We celebrated our 35th year of facilitiating
2018, ending in June of 2019, was the most
safety management system (SMS) excellence
financially successful on record for our
at the Safety+ Symposium in New Orleans, LA,
association in terms of revenue over expenses.
where we brought innovation and the learning experience to a new level. At the event, we also unleashed our new and
We formed a formal partnership with the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). ISEA members are leaders in safety
progressive VPPPA logo. We are the masters
equipment manufacturing, testing and
of SMS excellence and the facilitators of
application, and we are now united in the
collaboration, mentorship and the protection
goal of protecting workers worldwide. We
of workers. Our new logo is a testament to that
strengthened our partnership with the Board
commitment. The logo represents a pledge
of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). BCSP
to continuous progress, growth, superiority
is the leader in high quality credentialing for
of solutions, deliverance of the best in SMS
safety, health and environmental practitioners.
excellence and to innovation.
We strengthened our partnership with
We completely revamped this year’s Safety+ Symposium. Some of the innovations included:
• National VPPPA Mentor of the Year Award • Live-streamed several of our workshops • Daily live broadcasts from The SafetyPro Podcast
• A professional general session production team
• Three general sessions, with the first
Columbia Southern University to offer our members scholarships, discounted and flexible online associate, bachelors and master’s degree programs. We are a Top Tier Partner on the very successful OSHA Safe and Sound Week Campaign with participants in every state, four U.S. territories and 17 countries. We have partnered with the world’s best regional, national and international exhibitors to
one being a power hour with multiple
bring you the latest technology, education,
industry-leading speakers
products and services on the planet.
to download
now have access to all of our previously
• Recorded workshops for members • More networking opportunities in fun environments
• A relaxation/meditation room • The media center • New engaging tracks for our concurrent sessions including one for leaders
We also announced partnerships with our VPPPA Regions to hold joint symposiums for the first time ever. The first of the “super” events will be with Region IV in 2021, Region V in 2022 and Regions IX and X in 2023. We are lined up to partner with all of
As an additional member benefit, members recorded webinars for free on our website. As always, if you have any thoughts, comments, questions or ideas, please reach out to me, our amazing National Office Staff, or the National and/or Regional Boards of Directors. Everything we do is for you, our members. You asked, we listened, and we are forging a new and exciting future in this regard. We are truly transforming tomorrow together. —J.A. Rodriguez Jr., CSP, SGE
our VPPPA Regions. I am excited to announce we have 290 new member sites since fiscal year 2018.
4
Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
www.vpppa.org
VPPPA partner, the International Safety Equipment
Association (ISEA), is the leading association for personal protective equipment and technologies that enable people to work in hazardous environments, and an
ANSI-accredited standard developing organization. The
association works closely with manufacturers, test labs, subject matter experts, end-users and government
agencies in the standards development process. ISEA
members-leaders in safety equipment manufacturing, testing and application-are united in the goal of
protecting workers worldwide. ISEA has launched the #SafeHands Campaign to promote awareness and educate workers about keeping their hands safe.
VPPPA National Board of Directors Chairperson J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE, Raytheon Company, LLC Vice Chairperson Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP Treasurer Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory Secretary Dan Lazorcak, CSP, Honeywell International Director from a Site With a Collective Bargaining Unit Jack Griffith, CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company Director from a Site Without a Collective Bargaining Agent Johnathan “JD” Dyer, Shermco Industries Director from a DOE-VPP Site Stacy Thursby, Navarro—DOE Legacy Management Support Director from a VPP Contractor/ Construction Site Brad Gibson, S&B Engineers & Constructors Director-at-Large Kristyn Grow, CSP, CHMM, SGE Cintas Corporation Director-at-Large Sean D. Horne, Valero Energy Director-at-Large Alice Tatro, Acushnet Company—Ball Plant II Director-at-Large Shelly Ettel, PCAPP Director-at-Large Bill Linneweh, CSP, Hendrickson International Director-at-Large Andy Youpel, SGE, Brandenburg Industrial Service Company Editor Kerri Carpenter, VPPPA, Inc. Associate Editor Jamie Mitchell, VPPPA, Inc. EDITORIAL MISSION
The Leader (ISSN 1081-261X) is published quarterly for VPPPA members. The Leader delivers articles from members for members, safety and health best practices, developments in the field of occupational safety and health, association activities, educational and networking opportunities and the latest VPP approvals. Subscriptions are available for members as part of their membership benefits and at a 50 percent discount beyond the complimentary allotment. The nonmember subscription rate is $25 a year. Ideas and opinions expressed within The Leader represent the independent views of the authors. Postmaster >> Please send address changes to: VPPPA, Inc. • 7600 Leesburg Pike, East Building, Suite 100 • Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 VPPPA, Inc., the premier global safety and health organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities.
vpppa.org
Leader—Autumn 2019
5
By Jamie Mitchell Communications Coordinator, VPPPA, Inc.
Global Safety and Health Watch
How Can I Help?
N
atural disasters
charities to buy the most needed
consistently wreak
types of food, medicine, clothing,
supporting many active
Harvey, and the organization
havoc throughout the
shelter materials, and other
emergencies, including:
deployed 1,683 volunteers
world. In recent years
supplies. By buying relief products
hurricane relief, the California
during their Hurricane Harvey
it seems like the devastation is
locally or regionally, charities can
fires, the Mexico earthquakes
response. In addition, Team
never-ending. While sometimes
reduce shipping costs and more
and Puerto Rico. Regarding
Rubicon has launched a large-
it may seem hopeless, there are
rapidly deliver assistance. Before
the wildfires, Direct Relief has
scale response operation in the
things we can do to help. The
sending any goods, first contact
supplied masks that protect
Bahamas to help those impacted
following articles in this issue
the charity to find out if they are
against smoke and ash, as well
by Hurricane Dorian. A study
of the Leader provide countless
appropriate and if it will be cost
as medical assistance at 40
by the Department of Veterans
emergency preparedness tips.
effective to distribute them. For
health centers and clinics.
Affairs finds continued service
Taking the advice laid out in these
example, after a tsunami in the
pages is the first step toward
Pacific, boxes of donated winter
helping yourself, or loved ones,
coats, scarves and fuzzy hats,
survive a storm if you are directly
completely useless items in
impacted. For those of us lucky
tsunami-stricken nations with
enough to not be affected by
tropical climates, were sent.”
recent catastrophes, there are other ways to provide assistance. Unsure of where to donate? GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. When
There are a wide variety of amazing charities that are worthy of your donation. Including:
Direct Relief Directrelief.org
researching a nonprofit to donate
As stated by GuideStar, “Direct
to, GuideStar compares nonprofits
Relief is a medical relief
and presents information with
organization, active in all 50
transparency. In addition,
states and 80 countries, with a
CharityWatch, which was founded
mission to improve the health
25 years ago as the American
and lives of people affected by
Institute of Philanthropy, works
poverty or emergency situations.
to expose nonprofit abuses and
Direct Relief earns a 100 percent
advocates for the interests of
fundraising efficiency rating from
the donor. CharityWatch grades
Forbes, tops Charity Navigator’s
organizations on a scale of A+ to F.
list of the “10 Best Charities
Direct Relief is currently
helps veterans reintegrate into
Team Rubicon
Teamrubiconusa.org According to their website, “Team Rubicon is an international disaster response
Volunteering
While donating funds is always a great way to help disaster relief efforts, you can also offer your
veterans with first responders
time and energy by volunteering.
to rapidly provide relief to
By simply searching for
communities in need. Founded
“disaster relief” on a website like
in 2010 with the expressed goal
VolunteerMatch.org you can find
of quickly responding to large-
local opportunities.
scale disasters, Team Rubicon
Before sending unsolicited
has deployed thousands of
items, be sure to check if an
volunteers across the United
organization is accepting
States and world to provide
donated goods, and what those
relief to communities in need.”
goods are. In addition, giving
Team Rubicon recently finished rebuilding their fiftieth
blood is another meaningful way to help out after a storm.
RESOURCES
donors to be on guard for
named among “the world’s most
fraudulent organizations. Social
www.guidestar.org/
innovative companies in not-
media can be full of scammers
for-profit” by Fast Company.
www.directrelief.org/
using copy-cat charity names
Among other distinctions,
or people promoting completely
Direct Relief received the 2014
fake organizations. According
CECP Director’s Award, the
to CharityWatch, “The best way
President’s Award from Esri for
to help is by sending a check
excellence in GIS mapping, and
or donating securely by credit
the Peter F. Drucker Award for
card. Such cash donations enable
Nonprofit Innovation.”
Leader—Autumn 2019
mental health benefits.
and experiences of military
www.guidestar.org/profile/95-1831116
6
society and provides positive
nonprofit that unites the skills
Everyone’s Heard Of” and is
CharityWatch also warns
home damaged by Hurricane
www.charitywatch.org/ www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/10/15/17927688/disastershurricane-dorian-bahamas-relief-aid teamrubiconusa.org/blog/team-rubicon-is-providing-relief-in-thebahamas-while-remaining-ready-to-support-the-us/ blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2019/09/03/5-waysto-help-communities-affected-by-hurricane-florence-and-othernatural-disasters/
vpppa.org
Confined Space Rescue Training, Equipment & Stand-by Services WE DO RESCUE
800-647-7626 RocoRescue.com
Infographic Corner
According to DoSomething.org,
NOAA reports a
Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy were senior citizens over the age of 65.
direct or indirect weather-related deaths from 2013 to 2017.
over half of the victims of both
The number of weather events reported by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
has increased 7.6 percent; from 55,760 events in 2013 to 59,985 in 2017. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
attributes 25 to 50
22 percent decrease in
OSHA requires all companies with 10 or more employees to
have a written emergency action plan developed within OSHA standards.
Almost half of all flash flood fatalities are
deaths annually vehicle-related, in the U.S. to landslides and debris flows. 8
Leader—Autumn 2019
according to the National Weather Service.
vpppa.org
103
32
21
682
83
@CRITICAL 72 101 4 267
Consideration for Social Media and
#EMERGENCY 300
754
Management Today
99
By Captain Tiffany Danko, United States Coast Guard Reserve
53
10
352 577
Leader—Autumn 2019
58
486 382 vpppa.org
56
202
344
413
4
n a time when
and make sense of a significant
or understanding of the
even the Federal
amount of information within
evolving situation, decision-
Emergency
a limited period of time,
making, communications and
Management
creating that shared vision
preparation such as training
Agency (FEMA) “has an app
while establishing feedback and
and organization (Stern, 2013).
for that,” and Twitter and
communication throughout
Each of these comes into play
Facebook play a prominent
the organizations involved.
with an essential element
role in public communications,
For example, there were more
of this leadership process—
social media has become
than 100 agencies involved in
communications, including
an essential consideration
rescuing greater than 122,331
social media. The influence of
for leaders in emergency
people in the flooding of
social media in a crisis today
management. Leading in a
Houston during Hurricane
cannot be underestimated, as it
crisis or emergency scenario
Harvey (Federal Emergency
shapes actions of organizations
involves coordination and
Management Agency, 2017). The
and agencies while influencing
collaboration across a
dozens of federal, state and local
public risk perceptions and
multitude of individuals,
agencies and health providers
communicating essential
organizations and
that responded to the Las Vegas
information. According to
governments, understanding
shootings (The New York Times,
the Department of Homeland
and making sense of
2017) also required collaboration
Security (DHS), “Social media
the unexpected, while
and quick decision-making
and collaborative technologies
communicating and
while facing life-threatening
have become critical
partnering across boundaries.
concerns and effectively
components of emergency
Organizations must adapt
communicating with the
preparedness, response, and
and flexibly respond to
public. In the case of Hurricane
recovery” (Department of
capability and resource
Harvey, leaders quickly
Homeland Security, 2013).
demands, leveraging systems
leveraged established incident
Social media enables the
to effectively manage evolving
management procedures and
rapid diffusion of messages
risk and ensure safety for
networks, communicating to
and information, while also
personnel. Leaders who
create a system for coordination
facilitating community-
articulate a shared, common
and rescue of individuals across
building across the public and
vision while communicating
multiple cities by helicopter,
various organizations. (Liu,
expectations and managing
boat, truck, kayak and any
Lai, & Xu, 2018). Leaders in a
performance enable success
other conveyance capable of
crisis rely on these functions to
for organizations during times
handling the conditions at hand
effectively steer organizations
of crisis (Gruber, Smerek,
(Thomas, 2018).
and communities in successful
Thomas-Hunt, & Jones, 2015; James & Wooten, 2005, 2010). Leaders in emergency management must embrace vpppa.org
Leading an organization
response actions, maintaining
through confronting a
transparency while strategically
disaster or crisis involves key
framing efforts and adapting to
challenges such as sensemaking
a rapidly evolving environment. Leader—Autumn 2019
11
486
Influence of Social Media on Emergency Management Processes
The influence of social media on
352
today’s emergency management processes is tremendous. During the lead-up to Hurricane Irma, for example, Florida’s office of tourism sent over 280,000 targeted Facebook messages to those it believed to be visiting. Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used Twitter to post storm and forecast updates, and local agencies like Seminole County in Florida used the Nextdoor social media site to map potentially impacted areas of residents (MacMillan, 2017). During Hurricane Harvey, thousands of individuals used hashtags in Twitter posts, such as #HoustonRescue and #HoustonSoS, in order to post addresses and information for those requesting rescue. Authorities used social media to guide information flow and direct stranded members of the community to coordinate assistance. According to the While crisis communication
The influence of social media on today’s emergency management processes is tremendous.
12
Leader—Autumn 2019
DHS (2013), the literature
of individuals and families based on this information, while simultaneously other volunteer services like CrowdSource Rescue directed similar efforts. Information sharing by these agencies, such as the Harris County Sheriff’s Office tweet on August 27 that, “HCSO deputies are out in the Blackhorse subdivision still working high water rescues” (HCSO, 2017), was reshared dozens of times, spreading the word of agency actions while engaging the community throughout the emergency management process. According to King (2018), social media may further enable those who are unable to use traditional means of communication or belong to vulnerable populations obtain information while also connecting to friends and family throughout an emergency. Leaders have the opportunity to advance this, providing social media structure and engagement and identifying the capabilities and resources needed to effectively manage the process.
Social Media and Emergency Management: Benefit or Challenge?
and risk has traditionally been
supports the use of social media
framed as a one-way conveyance
in a role for organizations
of information, new technologies
during emergencies and
have made this a dynamic,
requires a proactive strategy for
interactive exchange between
engagement with the community
agencies and organizations
organizations and the public.
and other organizations.
have the ability to shape public
Media and communication are
As an example of this, an
According to Freberg (2012),
perceptions of risk and actions
rapidly changing in response
analysis of social media used
for emergency preparedness.
to emerging technologies and
during Hurricanes Harvey
Simultaneously concerned for
social drivers, altering how
and Irma revealed five major
the safety of responders and the
people communicate with one
categories of information,
public, social media presents
another and how organizations
including “securing rescue,
both benefits and challenges
communicate with the
volunteerism, information
to organizations. Resources
public (Federal Emergency
sharing, activism and keeping
for managing an emergency
Management Agency, 2012).
friends and family updated”
situation are always constrained,
These changing patterns of
(King, 2018). When the 911
whether due to budgetary
information flow are seen in the
system was overwhelmed during
reasons, asset availability
role of social media in emergency
Hurricane Harvey, the public
or location. Social media,
management over the last few
turned to Twitter, Facebook
however, is driving volunteer
years, where Facebook posts and
and other social media sites to
organizations to greater
Twitter feeds have driven public
call for rescue. Local, state, and
interaction with traditional
opinion, agency responses and
federal agencies, from police and
emergency management
even rescues of individuals
fire departments to the U.S. Coast
processes, while also providing
and families.
Guard, rescued tens of thousands
a vehicle to leverage these
vpppa.org
AD p. 13
58 577
during these hurricanes,
this complex task, there can also
but without the additional
be an inundation of misleading
information normally sought by
and false information, even
the 911 system, it is difficult to
dangerous deceptions preying
determine the relative risk each
on the public.
group is facing. In a study of the social media posts for rescues related to
false or misleading information
Hurricane Harvey, for example,
proliferate in modern crises
University of Texas Researchers
(Department of Homeland
(Zhang, 2018) found problems
Security, 2018; Harper, 2018).
with coordination and redundant
Particularly dangerous to
or needless rescue efforts due
the agencies and volunteers
to overlap of information or
managing a crisis or disaster
multiple agencies responding
scenario, modern social media
to similar information. Further,
enables individuals and groups
first responders sent to assist the
to advance agendas or achieve
public are unable to determine
specific results while others
the relative risk in operations,
simultaneously spread outdated
without that additional
or incorrect information.
information. As leaders, this
At many points during the last two years, agencies have had to remind the public not to use social media for rescue requests, directing them to 911 systems for effective dispatch.
14
Leader—Autumn 2019
them into operational paradigms (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2012). At the same time, however, this additional connection to volunteers presents further management challenges, requiring an acknowledgement of the physical safety and coordination for potentially thousands of untrained
For example, during the 2017
requires critical reflection on the
California wildfires, a media
use of social media posts as well
source advanced a false claim
as the risk faced by responders in
about the source of the wildfires
unknown environments.
(Harper, 2018), and the 2017
An overwhelming amount of
resources and incorporate
Misinformation campaigns and the spread of deliberately
Oroville dam evacuation nearly
data may also result from the
engulfed nearby unaffected
adoption of social media as a
areas due to a misleading tweet
tool in emergency management,
(Department of Homeland
with a massive volume of
Security, 2018). In each case,
information to sort through
officials had to rapidly respond
for actionable information. At
and initiate the spread of
many points during the last
corrected information to
two years, agencies have had
counter the misleading and false
to remind the public not to use
data being distributed via social
social media for rescue requests,
media outlets to avert negative
directing them to 911 systems
consequences to the public and
for effective dispatch. Hundreds
first responders.
of thousands of unvetted social
Incorrect information,
media posts were involved
such as that distributed by
with the rescue efforts for the
fake accounts like those
2017 and 2018 U.S. hurricane
in play during Hurricane
seasons, and the Rice University
Sandy that distributed false
Kinder Institute found that
news of a flooded New York
there were over one million
Stock Exchange and sharks
Twitter posts alone related to
in the streets of New York
Hurricane Harvey hashtags in
(Department of Homeland
the 14-day period immediately
Security, 2018), mislead the
to incorrect information and
surrounding Harvey’s impact
public. When combined with
difficult prioritization. When all
on the Houston area in 2017
the insufficient information
the information that is available
(Rice Kinder, 2018). This volume
which often occurs when
is a few sentences from a
of data requires a risk-based
agencies are unable to rapidly
tweet or Facebook post, how
decision-making process
distribute updates like after the
do leaders prioritize between
for leaders to ensure that
2015 Nepal earthquake, public
the “family on the roof with
responders are being guided by
safety may be at risk. During the
2 kids” and the “women with
true operational needs, rather
2016 Louisiana floods, multiple
wheelchair and a dog”? Notes
than issues that simply yield the
false posts and insufficient
like these were common to the
largest amount of information,
information posted by FEMA
rescue information requested
to ensure their safety. Within
resulted in an overwhelmed
volunteers in an emergency. Further, the coordination of information for rescue through social media rather than the traditional 911 system, such as occurred during Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Florence, leaves organizations vulnerable
vpppa.org
911 system, inhibiting response
flooded or endangered
Homeland Security, 2018).
agencies and delaying critical
individuals and families who
Positive management of
information for first responders
remained in a dangerous
false information through
(Department of Homeland
environment. Old and outdated
rumor control pages like the
Security, 2018).
information can have a similar
one created by FEMA during
effect, exacerbated by the
Hurricane Florence (Kessler,
campaigns are also common in
overwhelming amount of data on
2018) or active, designated
a crisis, where individuals or
social media, driving response
social media managers like
groups look to social media to
personnel to locations where they
the Harris County Sheriff’s
exploit a political situation or a
may not be needed or people
Office or the National Weather
vulnerable social group. During
have already been rescued.
Center, can effectively
Specific disinformation
the response to Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a prominent social media rumor spread that shelter officials were asking for
Considering a Way Forward
counter misinformation while advancing public trust and transparency (Oyeniyi, 2017).
With these concerns, what
Swift action and a program
proof of immigration status, a
possible solutions exist for
of interactive notifications
rumor which resurfaced during
leaders to protect the public
further enables greater control
later 2017 and 2018 hurricanes
and personnel? First, rapid
of distributed information,
(Department of Homeland
distribution of essential
potentially countering false
Security, 2018; Kessler, 2018).
information is paramount.
rumors through credible sources
This potentially endangers a
Rumor control, through the
(Harper, 2018).
vulnerable population who
effective use of social media
Training in risk-based
may be influenced to not seek
to update the public as often
decision-making and social
shelter, as well as putting in
as possible, has been proven
media management empowers
danger emergency personnel
effective through multiple
personnel through active
who must then assist stranded,
responses (Department of
planning, training and
vpppa.org
Rumor control, through the effective use of social media to update the public as often as possible, has been proven effective through multiple responses (Department of Homeland Security, 2018).
Leader—Autumn 2019
15
103
Leaders of organizations responding to emergencies must take action to ensure the safety of responding personnel as well as the public, which includes awareness, training and deliberate effort toward the management of social media in emergencies.
86
expectation management.
with traditional media outlets
be completely deterred. Leaders
Established policies and training
enable collaborative efforts
of organizations responding to
in social media management
for consistent messaging
emergencies must take action to
provide personnel a framework
and greater detection of
ensure the safety of responding
within which to operate in a
misinformation spreading
personnel as well as the public,
crisis, enabling timely action
through social media
which includes awareness,
and effective engagement
(Department of Homeland
training and deliberate effort
(Department of Homeland
Security, 2018). Leaders who
toward the management of
Security, 2013). Leaders who
also include community
social media in emergencies.
encourage risk-based decision-
engagement in this process
The actions of individuals like
making combine risk assessment,
leverage the networks inherent
@ComfortablySmug who,
potential risk-reducing strategies
in communities combined with
during Hurricane Sandy, tweeted
and planning with social media
partnerships for crowd sources
that, “ConEdison has begun
management policies and
and information dissemination,
shutting down all power in
training to lessen the hazards
while remaining attuned to
Manhattan,” (Gross, 2012) while
to personnel and the public.
community sentiment that may
spreading additional dangerous
Training of responders can
be influenced by misinformation.
misinformation across multiple
further encourage identification
This collaboration can improve
media platforms, endanger the
of misinformation and its
the quality and verification
public and response personnel.
consequences, broadening
of operational information,
Rapid distribution of timely
organizational capacity in a crisis.
reducing ambiguity for
and accurate information by
responders and providing
organizations, training in
organizations to create
the most accurate detail
risk-based decision-making
partnerships establish a culture
available when social media
and social media management
of information-sharing and
information must be used in
and collaborative partnerships
engagement that is critical to
response operations.
between organizations and the
Finally, leaders who drive
effective action in an emergency.
Rumors, false information and
community have the ability to
Pre-established partnerships
other misleading sources that
stop trolls like this in their tracks
between organizations and
spread on social media cannot
and keep our people safe.
Tiffany Danko is an instructor in the Masters of Homeland Security Program at Northeastern University and The University of Southern California Bovard College’s Masters of Criminal Justice. A Captain in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, she is currently assigned as the Senior Reserve Officer and Deputy Chief of Staff for USCG District Eight, and is certified in numerous emergency management positions.
REFERENCES Department of Homeland Security. (2013). Innovative uses of social media in emergency management. Retrieved from www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Social-Media-EM_0913-508_0.pdf Department of Homeland Security. (2018). Countering false information on social media in disasters and emergencies. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/SMWG_Countering-FalseInfo-Social-Media-Disasters-Emergencies_Mar2018-508.pdf Gross, D. (2012, October 31). Man faces fallout for spreading false Sandy reports on Twitter. Re-trieved from www.cnn.com/2012/10/31/tech/social-media/sandy-twitter-hoax/index.html Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2012). Crisis response and disaster resilience 2030: Forging strategic action in an age of uncertainty. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/media-librarydata/20130726-1816-25045-5167/sfi_report_13.jan.2012_final.docx.pdf Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2017). Historic disaster response to Hurricane Harvey in Texas. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2017/09/22/historic-disaster-response-hurricaneharvey-texas Freberg, K. (2012). Intention to comply with crisis messages communicated via social media. Public Relations Review, 38(3), 416–421. doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.01.008. Gruber, D. A.; Smerek, R. E.; Thomas-Hunt, M. C.; & James, E. H. (2015). The real-time power of Twitter: Crisis management and leadership in an age of social media. Business Horizons, 58(2), 163–172. http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.10.006 Harper, T. (2018, July 6). How social media disinformation is complicating emergency response. Federal News Network. Retrieved from https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2018/07/how-social-mediadisinformation-is-complicating-emergency-response/ HCSO. (2017, August 27). twitter.com/hcsotexas/status/901887615070347266?lang=en James, E. H., & Wooten, L. P. (2005). Leadership as (un)usual: How to display competence in times of crisis. Organizational Dynamics, 34(2), 141–152. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.orgdyn.2005.03.005
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James, E. H., & Wooten, L. P. (2010). Leading under pressure: From surviving to thriving before, during, and after a crisis. New York: Routledge. Kessler, C. (2018, September 14). How social media can help (or hurt) during a hurricane. Fortune. Retrieved from https://fortune.com/2018/09/14/hurricane-florence-social-media/ King L. J. (2018). Social media use during natural disasters: An analysis of social media usage during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Proceedings of the International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference (pp. 20–23). Orlando, FL, USA. Nicholson School of Com-munication. doi.org/10.30658/icrcc.2018.6 Liu, W., Lai, C., & Xu, W. (2018). Tweeting about emergency: A semantic network analysis of government organizations’ social media messaging during Hurricane Harvey. Public Relations Review, 44(5), 807–819. doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2018.10.009 MacMillan, D. (2017, September 11). In Irma, emergency responders’ new tools: Twitter and Facebook. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-hurricane-irma-information-officials-poston-social-media-1505149661 Oyeniyi, D. (2017, October 8). How Hurricane Harvey changed social media disaster relief. Texas Monthly. Retrieved from https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/how-social-media-managers-respondedto-hurricane-harvey/ Rice Kinder. (2018, August). Lessons from Harvey: Crisis informatics for urban resilience. Retrieved from https://kinder.rice.edu/research/lessons-harvey-crisis-informatics-urban-resilience Stern, E. K. (2013, August 27). Crisis leadership: The 4 keys to preparing. Government Technology: Emergency Management. Retrieved from https://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Crisis-Leadership-4-Keys-Preparing.html The New York Times. (2017, October 3). Las Vegas shooting live updates. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2017/10/03/us/las-vegas-shooting-live-updates.html Thomas, Paul. (2018, April 9). Written testimony of USCG District 8 Commander Rear Admiral Paul Thomas for a House Committee on Homeland Security field hearing titled “Houston Strong: Hurricane Harvey Lessons Learned and the Path Forward.” Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/news/2018/04/09/written-testimonyuscg-house-committee-homeland-security-field-hearing-titled Zhang, A. L. (2018, September 14). UT research: Social media saved lives during Hurricane Harvey. The Daily Texan. www.dailytexanonline.com/2018/09/14/ut-research-social-media-saved-lives-during-hurricane-harvey
vpppa.org
Leader—Autumn 2019
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g:
n i n n a l P y c n e g r Eme
HEMICAL By Glenn Trout, VelocityEHS
18
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W
hen Hurricane Harvey made landfall over southeast Texas in 2017, it brought with it torrential rains that flooded the nation’s largest energy corridor.
During and immediately following the storm, chemical plants reported that
over 365 tons of hazardous chemicals were released into the air, land and water. Large-scale emergencies caused by natural disasters and other unplanned
incidents, like Hurricane Harvey, demonstrate the need for safeguards to prevent and respond to chemical spills. Often times these events are worsened due to failures in emergency planning that place first responders, workers and the general public at
risk for exposure to hazardous chemicals. Incomplete knowledge of the identities and hazards of chemicals on-site, as well as a lack of communication between facility
personnel and first responders can compromise incident prevention planning, and undermine emergency response efforts.
The following is a look at where these gaps in chemical safety knowledge and
communication occur, and ways to ensure your facility’s emergency plan identifies, anticipates and addresses these gaps before unplanned incidents occur.
Best Practices for Effective Hazardous
MANAGEMENT Chemical Inventory
products you have, but also the
threshold planning quantities
identities and quantities of the
(TPQs) trigger requirements to
plan that accounts for the
individual chemical ingredients
develop emergency response
that compose these products,
plans and notify local fire
since they can pose significant
departments, state emergency
safety and environmental risks,
response commissions (SERCs)
and may even be reportable
and local emergency planning
if present at all, or in certain
committees (LEPCs). Storage
quantities, in your inventory.
of EHSs may also trigger Tier
You can’t develop an emergency hazardous materials in your inventory if you don’t know you have them. A complete picture of your hazardous chemical footprint allows you to better identify substances that pose extreme hazards to
vpppa.org
Once you know what specific
2 reporting obligations. These
workers, first responders or
chemicals are on-site, the next
additional requirements
even the community if spilled
step is to identify any special
highlight the fact that it is
or leaked during an emergency.
planning considerations,
sometimes best to ban use of
Review your current chemical
especially for any chemicals
these chemicals and to remove
inventory, making sure to
that are extremely hazardous
and substitute them for safer
account for materials purchased
substances (EHSs) as identified
alternatives whenever possible.
by employees from industrial
in Section 302 of the Emergency
supply or hardware stores that
Planning and Community
software solution provides
may not be subject to a formal
Right to Know Act (EPCRA)
greater visibility of your chemical
safety review or accompanied by
and on the Environmental
inventory, helping you identify
safety data sheets. Make sure to
Protection Agency’s (EPA) List
what products you have, what
not just account for the chemical
of Lists. EHSs stored at or above
ingredients make up those
A good chemical management
Leader—Autumn 2019
19
You can’t develop an emergency plan that accounts for the hazardous materials in your inventory if you don’t know you have them.
anywhere, across multiple PC and
company—in which location,
mobile device platforms. Utilizing
facility, department or storage
cloud technology, the best
the safe handling, storage,
room—you have them, down
solutions store SDSs on remote
transportation and disposal
to the container level. The best
servers, ensuring access to your
software systems offer visual
current SDS libraries whenever
insight into your chemical
the documents are needed.
footprint with drag-and-drop
This seamless, off-site access
controls that allow you to
to critical hazardous chemical
instantly identify, move and
safety information is key if your
manage your chemical inventory
physical facility is unreachable
on an image map of your facility.
or even destroyed completely. When considering chemical
When you’re evaluating different chemical management software
management software options,
options, look for a solution that
make sure to pay attention to
features centralized, multi-
how easy it is to fill gaps in your
location chemical inventory
SDS library. Do you get a library
management capabilities and
of SDSs to start your search
ingredient indexing tools to
and a simple way to request
help you easily track chemical
missing or updated SDSs?
ingredients across products and
How often does the solution
company locations, and flags
update existing documents,
chemicals that are subject to
and does it push updates to
stringent regulatory reporting
you automatically? Systems
and other chemical hazard
with databases of millions of
compliance standards.
accessible SDSs and additional services can help you quickly
SDS Management
track-down missing documents
hazardous chemical users with
when time is limited. The best
Safety data sheets (SDSs) provide crucial information about the hazards of the chemicals in your facility, their storage and handling precautions, symptoms of exposure and emergency response considerations. While OSHA requires your employees to have access to SDSs during their work shifts, a common practice is to amass SDSs in paper binders only, making them potentially inaccessible in the event of evacuations and flooding.
solutions offer unlimited, 24/7 SDS access and exposure support through dedicated emergency call centers with trained specialists, toxicologists and medical technicians able to provide critical chemical safety information and escalated incident reporting.
Maintaining Your Program
The key to successful emergency planning is vigilance. As often as
these SDSs, it’s impossible to
possible, ask yourself:
releases involving the chemicals to which they pertain, or how to safely approach a clean-up process where they are present. This is an area where chemical management software can make a big difference. The same software used to track your chemical inventory also should provide you and your workers with quick and easy access to your workplace-specific library of SDSs at any time, and from Leader—Autumn 2019
during emergency situations
Without the information from understand the full impact of any
20
• Do we have comprehensive
products and where in your
• What chemicals do we have? • Where are they stored, and in what kinds of containers?
• Are any of our chemicals
of these chemicals?
• Are our employees trained as well as they should be? How do we know?
• Do we know all of the
regulatory agencies we need to report to?
• Do local and state emergency response agencies know
the types and amounts of chemicals on-site?
• Have we properly labeled
everything, and do we have the SDS for all chemicals?
• How quickly can we find the SDS in the event of an emergency?
• Are there appropriate hazard controls in place?
Frequent inspections are essential to maintaining your program. Check all areas where chemicals are stored and used to ensure your inventory is up-todate, review your SDS library for missing or outdated documents and assess your training program and other communication channels to verify critical safety and emergency procedure information is being properly communicated to employees and first responders. Good inspection management software can help ensure that inspections are accurately documented and reported in a timely manner, and that corrective actions are being initiated, assigned and verified when completed.
Leadership and Communication
Effective emergency planning requires active communication
classified as extremely
on several levels: between your
hazardous substances?
company and local emergency
• Have we cross-checked those
responders, between the different
chemicals against applicable
individuals on your emergency
regulatory lists?
planning team and between your
• What is the worst thing that could happen with
•
plans in place to address
those chemicals?
emergency planning team and top-level management. When communicating with
Are we prepared for that
local first responders, you’ll
worst-case scenario?
want to notify them about your vpppa.org
company’s chemical storage
all employers represented
planning, communication
practices and whether or not
team, it’s important to keep open
at your workplace so you all
between your emergency
you’re already performing
lines of communication among
understand your roles, and no
response team and management
regulatory reporting, such
all the participating members.
communication gaps occur. This
is critical to ensure all involved
as Tier 2 reporting and EHS
Keep in mind that employees
is another area where a chemical
parties remain on the same page.
come and go. Having good
management solution that
communication with the team
provides 24/7 SDS mobile access
other unplanned emergencies
ensures each person’s role and
online or offline, as well as a
are unavoidable, you can work
responsibilities can be quickly
dedicated, expert staffed hotline
toward implementing mitigation
covered or assumed by other
for SDS rapid access and chemical
and prevention measures
members on the team if needed.
exposure support, can help you
that keep these events from
ensure you’re protecting all
escalating into larger, chemical
and contracted workers. OSHA’s
employees in your workplace by
disasters. With proper planning
Temporary Worker Initiative
equipping them with unlimited,
and the right tools in place,
maintains that employers
multi-way access to the critical
present at multi-employer
safety information they need.
you’ll be able to more easily
reporting. You’ll want to also provide information to your local fire department about significant new chemical hazards at your site and changes to your storage locations, container types, chemical inventory and the SDSs in your library. The best solutions allow for the seamless distribution of hazardous chemical information to first responders, who are
For your emergency planning
Don’t forget about temporary
worksites share responsibility
Lastly, when it comes to
for worker safety, with host
communication between your
employers being responsible
emergency planning team and
for addressing the aspects of
the company’s management
safety specifically under their
team, you cannot overestimate
control. Make sure any temp and
the importance of obtaining buy-
contracted labor workers receive
in and encouraging participation.
training on the specific hazards
Given that you’ll be sharing
better prepare for emergencies
of chemicals in your facility and
chemical storage information
involving hazardous chemicals
know how to reduce exposure.
with emergency responders,
and respond quickly and safely
It’s important to maintain open
and will need to coordinate with
to incidents at your facility.
lines of communication between
them during emergency response
all-too-often forced to address emergencies without access to a clear and accurate picture of potential on-site chemical dangers. By sharing this information, first responders can
While natural disasters and
prepare for the worst while aspiring toward the best. Glenn Trout is the CEO of VelocityEHS, the global leader in cloud environment, health, safety (EHS) and sustainability software. To learn more about VelocityEHS and the ways its MSDSonline Chemical Management solutions can help you manage your chemical inventory and reach your EHS goals faster, visit MSDSonline.com and EHS.com.
®
• Keeps extension ladders from slipping on slick surfaces such as composite decking • Unique design of foam creates tiny suction cups that grip the surface, even when wet • Light weight for easy use, weighs less than 6 pounds • Works on smooth surfaces, plastic, wood, concrete, etc., even when wet • Prevents marring and scratches to deck caused by ladder feet • Attaches to the bottom ladder rung, with adjustable strap, for easy movement of ladder along wall • Fits most extension ladders, up to 21” wide • Replaceable self-adhesive foam pad
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888-456-3372 • www.softknees.com • info@softknees.com Patent Pending vpppa.org
Leader—Autumn 2019
21
BEST PRACTICES FOR SAFETY TEAMS
OF NATURAL DISASTER RESCUE Lead Author: Tim Robson Contributing Authors: Eddie Chapa and Heath Petty 22
Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
After driving through the night, our rescue team arrived in New Orleans in the pre-dawn hours of the morning. Hurricane Katrina was pounding the city. The drive was not at all what you’d expect when entering a major city—there was no traffic, no glow from city lights on the horizon. In fact, there were no lights whatsoever. It was unnerving; it felt as though we were entering a ghost town, but we also knew that thousands of people were hanging on for life in that darkness.
s the sun rose
important guidance to safety
manpower will be stretched
that morning, the
teams in their training and
way beyond their limits.
devastation was
preparations for such events.
laid bare. Instead of the city, there was a sea. I was part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Task Force conducting thousands of water and medical rescues, along with many of my Roco Rescue colleagues. This and other experiences during events ranging from earthquakes to 9/11, inform the training we conduct for industrial safety teams, firefighters and others, and also informs the writing of this article; while we touch on regulations, our focus is to discuss our personal experiences with all-hazard events, outlining lessons learned and best practices that can be applied in industrial contexts, to protect life and property. With the rise in recent decades of natural disasters
The bottom line is that industrial facilities should have
You Are On Your Own
A FEMA analysis of recent major disasters reveals that the fire service at large is ill-prepared for natural disasters and other all-hazard operations at regional and national levels. “If past disasters have taught us anything, it is that emergency 911 requests, welfare/safety checks, evacuations, rescues and damage assessments will overwhelm response agencies,” says the report. It goes without saying that municipal firefighters and first responders’ top priority during all-hazard events, will not be the protection of industrial facilities and assets, but rather of the civilian population as a whole. Moreover, local fire
an emergency response plan of their own that does not rely on municipal rescuers, especially for large-scale disaster scenarios. Comprehensive planning will help you to understand your vulnerabilities. Risk assessment is a crucial first step in this process. Your risk of facing a disaster event will vary depending on your geographic location, among other things. Outcomes will vary based upon your facility’s age, size and structure, the training and readiness of your crew, and so on. A thorough assessment of your risks, including the risk of structural collapse and potential for release of hazardous materials, will dictate everything from equipment type to the category of response
due to many factors—from
departments and responders
population density to extreme
are advised to prepare to be
the event of a disaster. In short,
weather patterns—the time is
self-reliant for at least the
your risk assessment will be the
now for industrial facilities to
first three days of a disaster,
foundation of your planning
take these threats seriously.
and possibly longer; this was
process. And when assessing
We hope that our experiences
certainly our experience during
your vulnerabilities in the
and takeaways will provide
Katrina. Thus, resources and
event of a disaster, make your
vpppa.org
task force(s) you may need in
The bottom line is that industrial facilities should have an emergency response plan of their own that does not rely on municipal rescuers, especially for large scale disaster scenarios. Leader—Autumn 2019
23
The three most common deficiencies we see in allhazard planning are insufficient leadership structures, overreliance on conventional communications systems and inadequate training.
calculations and contingencies
Leader—Autumn 2019
hazard planning are insufficient
planning frameworks to follow
leadership structures,
that you are on your own. If you
dependent on industry, but
overreliance on conventional
do, you will be better prepared
there are many commonalities.
communications systems
when disaster strikes.
For example, oil rig evacuation
and inadequate training.
in the face of hurricanes may
These deficiencies can lead to
Planning Saves Lives
seem to occupy a small niche
significant loss of life in the event
in disaster planning, however,
of a disaster. The following are
before the disaster.
there are key elements that are
brief tips related to these points:
Successful recovery begins long The National Incident
broadly applicable. Chief among
1. Establish a Unified Command
Management System (NIMS)
these is, to begin with the end
defines preparedness as a
in mind and to build your plan,
continuous cycle of planning,
from the desired outcome,
organizing, training, equipping,
backward. For any industrial
command and a location for your
exercising, evaluating and
facility, this likely will involve
unified command post, with
taking corrective action to
a plan to shut down production
plenty of redundancies in the
ensure effective coordination
in advance, secure assets inside
event of a disaster. The NIMS, as
during incident response.
the facility or possibly relocate
well as the US National Response
This preparedness cycle is one
them, secure and protect the
Team Unified Command/Area
element of FEMA’s National
physical structures, and evacuate
Command models, provide
Preparedness System to
personnel. Training to the plan
guidance as well as insight into
prevent, respond to, recover
will shed light on how much time
how FEMA and other agencies
from and mitigate the effects
is actually required to accomplish
work (useful for establishing
of all types of large-scale
everything—in our experience,
communications with these
disasters. Components of the
it always takes longer than
agencies during a disaster
preparedness cycle are:
expected. A good plan will also
scenario). Understand common
detail a process for assessing
command post failures, such as
the damage, making repairs and
over-reliance on overburdened
bringing the facility back online.
dispatch centers rather than
• Plan • Organize and equip • Train • Exercise • Evaluate and improve 24
There are a wide variety of
based upon the assumption
The three most common deficiencies we see in all-
Establish a clear chain of
developing logistics and planning functions on-the-ground. vpppa.org
2. Plan for Catastrophic Communications Failure
precious time and resources are
every kind are present, requiring
wasted while people in other
multidisciplinary teams to
areas are in desperate need of
maneuver. Every discipline
rescue. Our team created our
will operate differently with
own communications system
varying priorities, and even
command structure may be, if
by climbing trees, telephone
different terminologies, making
poles and radio towers to hang
communications a challenge.
No matter how strong your your communications systems fail, your entire operation will be imperiled. Of all the disruptions caused
radio repeater equipment to reestablish communications. Post Katrina incident reports
We recommend industrial facility safety teams train for scenarios in multi-disciplinary
and lessons learned have greatly
teams using all personnel who
improved communications in
could, potentially, be involved
worst for first responders was the
subsequent disasters. But the
in the event of a disaster.
breakdown of communication
lesson for industrial facilities
This can include engineers or
systems. When phones failed and
is clear… Plan, train and
others charged with decisions
batteries died, responders were
equip for the eventuality that
regarding structural integrity,
unable to communicate with
communications channels will
key equipment operators and
one another, and with central
be lost and equipment will fail.
power technicians, onsite
command. This was dangerous
Anything less is tempting fate,
paramedics or nurses, as well
for many reasons, and it led to
and in a disaster scenario, fate
as the local fire department or
duplication of efforts. At several
will usually not be kind.
municipal emergency response
by power failure during Katrina (and there were many), by far the
junctures, we learned we had been searching an area that had already been covered by other emergency responders. This is not a trivial matter. It means
VPP
3. Build and Train in Multidisciplinary Teams
No matter how strong your command structure may be, if your communications systems fail, your entire operation will be imperiled.
teams. (While fire departments cannot be relied upon for largescale emergencies, they do,
An all-hazard event is just
of course, provide important
that—an event where hazards of
support in smaller events).
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Program Details This certificate program is strategically aligned with the VPPPA’s mission to promote the VPP Program and support member organizations who have achieved, or are in the process of preparing for, admission to the VPP Program. The program will also equip students with the leadership skills needed to guide transformational change within the safety culture and enable them to lead from behind or to manage from the middle. Upon completion of this certificate program, students can expect to be fully prepared to manage through the VPP process, using the knowledge gained to achieve OSHA VPP Certification or Re-certification.
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vpppa.org
Leader—Autumn 2019
25
You’ve got to gear up, turn on your headlamps and start the generators to honestly evaluate your team’s capabilities.
4. Match Your Equipment to Your Need
5. If You Think You’ve Trained Enough, You Probably Haven’t
know how to do the job in pitch
responded to Katrina, a
tabletop planning is an easy way
do the job with a skeleton crew,
significant portion of our cache
to get out of actually doing live
of cutting and heavy equipment
training scenarios. If you ain’t
was rendered useless either
sweating while you are training,
because it didn’t have a mobile
then you ain’t training properly.
power source or it was too
You’ve got to gear up, turn on
cumbersome to be useful in
your headlamps and start the
those conditions.
generators to honestly evaluate
When members of our team
Since that time, manufacturers, in partnership with FEMA and
How frequently your safety
breaks? Do they know how to or can they continue no matter which shift is on duty? All these scenarios and more should be covered by training. One of the greatest challenges presented by all-hazard events is their low frequency; it makes maintaining assets and skills difficult. These events are
teams train depends upon
also highly unpredictable,
hard to design lighter and more
many factors, including the
so training for every single
energy-efficient equipment
size of your facility, industry,
contingency is simply not
options. Holmatro, for example,
threat matrix, and more. Most
feasible. For these reasons, the
has refined many of its designs
should be training at least
most important thing a trainer
and some can now be used for
monthly with quarterly or bi-
can do is to foster problem-
underwater extrications.
annual multidisciplinary team
solving and throw curveballs to
trainings. But if you have a large
get rescuers thinking outside of
planning phases should identify
footprint or deal with special
the box.
the type of equipment most
hazards, then you should be
needed onsite based upon your
training more frequently.
particular facility’s risk profile.
Leader—Autumn 2019
your team’s capabilities.
the key piece of equipment
other agencies, have worked
Your assessment and
26
To me, relying too much on
black? Could they proceed when
When it comes to training
6. Foster OutsideOf-The Box Thinking
Even if it is not possible to train
And always remember to have
tips, yes, practicing how to
a contingency plan in place—if
locate and operate equipment
for every contingency, one of
roadways are impassible, or
is critical, but training should
the benefits of frequent training
tools fail, your teams will need
be so much more. You should
is the strong foundation of
alternative options so they can
practice as many contingencies
knowledge and confidence
do their jobs.
as possible. Would your team
that it builds in rescuers. This vpppa.org
confidence is what enables a competency for creative problem-solving that, when a disaster strikes, saves lives. For example, recruiting civilian help was, generally speaking, frowned upon in disaster scenarios. That is, until Katrina hit and we had no choice but to get creative. Similarly, the challenges our team encountered at the Pentagon after 9/11 led our rescue team to design—on the fly—a new system for shoring the support columns so the building would not fall on rescuers. This system is still taught to this day as a method for shoring in certain disaster scenarios. Good training establishes readiness, skills and equipment competencies and hazard awareness. From that foundation, teams can then graduate to developing sophisticated risk/reward assessments and improvised problem-solving skills. After all, seldom does a crisis unfold according to plan.
7. Evaluate and Learn A final, critical element for
building a culture of safety at your facility is post-incident evaluation. Evaluating what went right and wrong in every scenario—large and small— enables teams to learn and improve. Such reviews conducted and lessons learned as a result of disasters have led to significant improvements in equipment design, rescue techniques, communications, and in the overall ways that agencies respond to all-hazard events. Industrial safety teams are learning from these lessons as well. They are changing the way that they train their teams, providing more specialized training for a variety of scenarios, from weather events to active shooter drills. They are adopting new technologies, like drones, to make search and rescue even safer and more effective. vpppa.org
Conclusion
While preparedness for lowfrequency all-hazard events may seem like a low priority, it may help to think about disaster preparedness as an extension of overall rescue response competency. A facility that invests time and resources to train for a hurricane or wildfires will be better prepared to deal with much simpler, more isolated emergency incidents. And finally, we owe it to our team, our colleagues and our communities to prepare as best we can to minimize the devastating impacts these events can have. Chief Instructor for Roco Rescue and longtime Rescue Team Manager, Rescue Squad Officer and Safety Officer for FEMA’s/ Department of Homeland Security New Mexico Task Force 1, Tim Robson participated in three national deployments for FEMA, including one to the Pentagon after 9/11 and two to the Gulf Coast for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Tim leads training courses in trench rescue, confined space, high angle, structural collapse, tactical, and fall protection for Roco Rescue. Prior to joining Roco Rescue, Tim spent six years with the Albuquerque Fire Department and served in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he trained as a Combat Water Survival Specialist Instructor, Rescue Swimmer, and Rescue Diver. During his service, Tim deployed to Egypt, Japan, Korea, Philippines, the Mediterranean, and took part in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Kuwait and Iraq. He was awarded “NCO of the Quarter” and received numerous other awards for civilian and military search and rescue operations. Tim is a Certified Medical First Responder and a Certified Occupational Safety Specialist. He has earned technical rescue certifications in several states, including New Mexico and Louisiana.
Army before transitioning to work as Operations Lead for a major oil and gas company’s offshore operations. In that role, he trained and led a 15-member fire brigade and rescue team. In addition to his expertise in a wide variety of technical rescue disciplines, Eddie has also completed training in MEM (Major Emergencies Management) and Helicopter Underwater Escape training. At Roco Rescue, Eddie teaches industrial training courses in fall protection, confined space rescue, rope and high angle rescue, and trench rescue across the country.
Good training establishes readiness, skills and equipment competencies and hazard awareness.
Heath Petty was a Rescue Squad Specialist on the FEMA New Mexico Task Force 1 and assisted with the rescue and recovery efforts at the Pentagon after 9/11, and following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Heath also deployed as a US Army flight medic to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where he flew almost 200 combat MEDEVAC missions. Heath has worked for Roco Rescue for 20 years as a Confined Space Rescue Team member and as an Instructor. He is currently a Chief Instructor primarily in Roco Rescue’s tactical program, teaching urban/ confined space rescue to include ship board operations, mountain rescue, structural collapse rescue, and vehicle extrication to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Justice. Heath teaches industrial training courses as well.
Roco Rescue’s Industrial Business Development Leader and Chief Instructor Eddie Chapa started his career as a Paratrooper in the U.S. Leader—Autumn 2019
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BEFORE, DURING AFTER: r e t s a s i D a g n i v i v r u S g n i n n a l P e v i t c e f f E wi th
By Vivian Marinelli, Psy.D., FEI Behavioral Health
28
Leader—Autumn 2019
In 2019, we have already experienced numerous natural and man-made disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared the first disaster in January with Tropical Storm Michael and the earthquake that impacted Alaska. Since the start of 2019, natural disasters have included severe storms and flooding throughout the Midwest and the South, wildfires in Alaska, Montana and Oregon, earthquakes in Southern California, and most recently Hurricane Dorian, which impacted the Bahamas and the entire Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. (As of press time.)
vpppa.org
, & There are no cookie-cutter templates!
M
an-made disasters have taken a heavy
equipping the facility; ensuring a backup power
toll on businesses and communities this
supply is available; storing enough food and water
year. In a thirteen-hour timeframe in
to last three to ten days; stocking medical supplies;
August, 32 employee and patron lives
and preparing a communication plan with
were lost, 51 people were directly injured and many the workplace. These tragedies took place at only two businesses; the reality is that during that same time period, more violent acts occurred at other business locations within the United States. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a societal crisis, disaster situations can be impossible to predict. It’s important for companies to transition from “we never saw it coming” to “we knew what to do when the time came.” Benjamin Franklin was once quoted as saying, “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Although you may be unable to predict when a disaster will occur, you can protect your employees and assets with proper planning, training and communication tactics. Consider taking an “all hazards” approach to your planning. This will ensure that your employees and business are best prepared to respond to the crisis and recover as quickly and effectively as possible.
It’s important for companies to transition from “we never saw it coming” to “we knew what to do when the time came.” Shelter-in-place needs focus on the ability to keep your staff safe from external, potentially life-threatening situations. You need to do a risk assessment for each location to identify both natural and man-made threats that could occur. Then, your plan should identify multiple safe areas that can be secured from the inside. These areas should be able to accommodate the number of staff and visitors that could be on-site at any given time.
BEFORE
The cell service reception in these areas should be
A comprehensive plan can help your organization
that the initial critical tasks can be completed by
minimize damage before, during and after a
the first person available. This is important to
disaster. No two businesses are the same—location,
consider when drafting your plan, and you should
employees, office layout and other factors will
make sure staff at all levels understand and are
require individualized planning. There are no
familiar with the plan.
Putting Together Your Plan
cookie-cutter templates for the perfect disaster
tested as it will be critical to receive and provide information on the situation. Disasters are not convenient, and don’t necessarily happen during business hours. If a disaster strikes after hours, or when there is limited staff, your plan needs to be written so
There is a difference between a Business
response plan; however, there are common
Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) Plan and an
elements that all plans should include.
Emergency Response Plan. The first one is focused
A disaster response plan should extend
on business continuity and disaster recovery.
beyond the event itself—it’s important to guide
Disaster recovery in a BC/DR plan typically is
your business through a disaster as well as
focused on the IT recovery for the business.
recovery and mitigation after the event. It will
An emergency response plan focuses on the
be critical to conduct a thorough risk assessment
immediate response to a disaster that has impacted
of all potential dangers before you develop your
people. Although it will include technology in the
plan which should include addressing how you
response, it is typically using the technology to
will mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from
support the response.
specific hazards and risks. To best prepare you to handle any situation,
vpppa.org
emergency contacts.
more were traumatized as a result of violence in
When drafting the plan, you will need to take into consideration the various business units
your disaster plan should include details specific
within your company. Some of these units also
to evacuation as well as sheltering-in-place. For
may be included in drafting the plan due to their
example, evacuation plans need to identify the
specific involvement in a response. Areas such as
notification or alarm process, emergency exits,
security, IT and communications will be critical.
safety systems, meeting areas and communication
Large companies may be interested in assigning
plans. However, if the situation requires you to
a team to facilitate drafting the plan. Creating a
shelter-in-place, additional needs may include
disaster response team comprised of multiple
Leader—Autumn 2019
29
departments helps ensure the entire business is invested during the process. The first draft of the disaster plan is just that, a first draft. Your plan is always a “work in progress.” It will need to be tested, reviewed and updated as your company and processes change.
Communicating effectively on social media during a crisis will keep internal and external audiences informed and assuage any fears.
DURING Communicating During a Crisis
During a disaster, both internal and external communications will be critical to inform your staff, various stakeholders and the community about the ongoing response and the impact of the disaster. In our world of technology, everyone is used to having the news at their fingertips every second of every day. During the immediate hours of a disaster response, the teams are so focused on assessing and responding to the situation that they often fail to effectively communicate with their stakeholders,
Preparing for Anything
Once a plan has been developed, it’s important for everyone to know how to access the plan and put it into practice in case of a disaster. Ahead of any emergency, all staff need to know what their roles and responsibilities are and where they will report at the time of an emergency. An effective disaster response plan should include an org chart detailing the various teams and the integration of these teams into an organized response. It should also identify who should oversee the entire operations and lines of communication. Orientation for new employees should include an overview of the evacuation and shelter-inplace protocols. Review training for all employees
Your plan is always a “work in progress.”
should be done annually and address:
• Evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures • Emergency response procedures • Protective action against threats and hazards • Location and use of emergency equipment • Internal and external communications • Emergency contact information review and updates
An annual emergency response exercise is a
which includes their staff and the community. Your emergency response plan also should include a crisis communications plan. Because the need for information is immediate during a disaster, your crisis communications plan should include templates for initial company statements for your website, social media and traditional media outlets. Internal communication should notify your staff of the situation and there should be a process for you to account for their location and status. Family members will be anxious to hear if their loved ones have been impacted. Secondary communication will focus on the impact of the disaster on the organization and the community. Social media greatly accelerates the speed of communication and can instantly identify urgent needs, provide updates (including pictures and videos from the scene) and reconnect family members. A word of caution, though—inaccurate news spreads just as fast on social media as accurate news. Make sure to confirm information before sending it out and caution community members to only trust news coming from an official source. Social media platforms provide a broad audience
great way to review the plan for any necessary
with instantaneous updates, which makes
updates and to provide an overview to the teams
monitoring social media during a disaster vital
that would be tasked with taking on the various
in order to keep audiences accurately informed.
roles. Since it has the greatest likelihood to occur,
Communicating effectively on social media during
most facilities plan and practice for a fire. More
a crisis will keep internal and external audiences
recently, companies have been incorporating an
informed and assuage any fears. It also allows
active threat or active shooter exercise into their
organizations to monitor the public opinion and
annual exercises to prepare their staff to respond.
prevent the spread of rumors, misinformation and
The goal of an emergency response exercise is
false narratives.
to identify if there are any gaps in the planning. Very few exercises ever run 100 percent smoothly. Changes in the company, staffing and processes are always occurring and these may impact the plan.
30
Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
AFTER Picking up the Pieces
Getting your organization up and running again after a disaster is critical, but this may be difficult if your physical location has been damaged or compromised. During the response, part of the planning should include identifying what might be necessary for critical operations to resume, but also to be fully operational again. Resources should be vetted and listed in your BC/DR Plan. Also, many companies are providing the
In addition to keeping the business resilient, employees may also need help recovering. The effects of disasters often impact both work and home life, taking a devastating toll on one’s physical and mental health. Flexibility with work schedules, allowing time off and providing an employee assistance program (EAP) will help staff adjust to the changes in their lives. Hiring a third-party EAP service that provides access to counseling, management consultation and local disaster resources will ensure support for employees before, during and after a disaster. Hiring an outside thirdparty that will work with your HR and management will optimize the level of support for your staff. Disasters, both natural and man-made, are
means for employees to work remotely. If that
unavoidable forces: businesses must prepare
is a possibility for your company, testing this
themselves to safeguard their employees, and the
throughout the year is a good practice. For many
best defense is a good offense. Organizations with
organizations, this will not be a possibility, and
a strong disaster response plan are best-suited to
for those, identifying an alternate work site or
respond to a disaster and recover as efficiently and
relocating your staff will be necessary.
effectively as possible.
FEI has a 40-year history in enhancing workforce resiliency by offering a full spectrum of solutions, from EAP and organizational development to workplace violence prevention and crisis management. One of the most successful social enterprises in America, FEI is wholly owned by the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, a national network of social sector organizations working to achieve its vision of a healthy and equitable society.
VPP is much more than a statement of principles and standards,
Vivian Marinelli is the Senior Director of Crisis Management Services for FEI Behavioral Health. Vivian holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and is a Licensed Psychologist in Wisconsin. She brings over 20 years of work in direct clinical services specializing in trauma and grief counseling to her position which focuses on assisting individuals involved in critical incidents. As the Senior Director of Crisis Management Services, she is responsible for leading and directing a full complement of emergency support services for corporate customers. Vivian has been the principal architect in designing, developing and continuing to oversee a highly successful team of specialists focused on supporting the critical needs of individuals, families and communities during disasters. She is recognized as a subject matter expert in community and organizational emergency response.
Voluntary Protection Programs An OSHA Cooperative Program
it’s the way we do business. www.MarathonPetroleum.com
vpppa.org
Leader—Autumn 2019
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When Strikes... By Lydia Baugh, International Safety Equipment Association
32
Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
If only we had a crystal ball that would tell us exactly when a natural disaster will occur. Weather forecasters do their best, but they can’t know when an earthquake is about to rumble, or a forest fire is about to spark out of control. And those fortune-telling apps on our smartphones are about as helpful as the latest “Sharknado” movie. Autumn has actually brought us some of the worst disasters, including the Camp Fire around Paradise, California, which started in November 2018, and Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. But since we never know what disaster might be around the corner throughout the year, we’re left with the Boy Scout motto for guidance: Be prepared.
Do You Have the Right Protective Equipment? Remembering Personal Protective Equipment
T
he piece of preparedness that’s often overlooked is also one of the most
important: personal protective
out-of-mind approach to PPE preparedness. When disaster strikes, we
So, what types of PPE should we keep at the ready? After all, few people over the age of 10 will
wade in—sometimes literally—
have a superhero’s cape hanging
to whatever nature throws at us,
from their wall—Comic-Con
and bare-handedly grapple with
habitués notwithstanding.
rescues and cleanups, barely
There’s a two-part answer to
giving a thought to what might
that question. First, think about
be lurking in the air, the water, or
the types of disasters your area
kit in their car or store a case
under that stack of drywall and
is prone to, as well as the types
of bottled water in their closet.
lumber that used to be a house.
of hazards those events will
equipment (PPE). People might remember to throw a first-aid
But protective apparel, like the
We tend to respond emotionally
likely present. (Note that man-
right gloves, boots or waders?
rather than rationally in a crisis,
made calamities could pose as
Not so much. Other than first-
and that’s understandable. We
many risks as Mother Nature’s,
responders and healthcare
want to be Superman or Wonder
and that some of these events
workers, who are hopefully
Woman and jump in to save the
and hazards can co-occur and
equipped appropriately by
day, or at least help our neighbors.
overlap.) Second, think about the
their respective agencies, most
But even Superman and Wonder
parts of your body that are likely to
of us take an out-of-sight/
Woman wore special suits.
be harmed from various hazards.
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Leader—Autumn 2019
33
Disasters & Risks
Let’s start with a quick overview of the elements nature can throw at us in different forms, and consider some of the risks they pose.
Water
Fire
Wind
In liquid form, it can overflow
reasons. It can grow from a spark
tornadoes and derechos also
stream banks and levees, rising
to a wildfire incredibly fast. And
exact major damage every year.
up as a localized flash flood,
our brains fool us—with denial
According to the National Oceanic
or spreading on a biblical
(it won’t happen to us), with
and Atmospheric Administration
scale. Frozen, it can pelt us as
bravado (we can fight it), and
(NOAA), tornadoes have been
hail, dangerously coat roads
with faulty perception (we can
documented in every U.S. state,
and bridges, or fall gently as
outrun it). Lives are lost every
and on every continent, except
snowflakes that delight us
year because of these factors.
Antarctica. An average of 1,253
H2O is a tricky adversary.
until they collect in roofcrushing quantities.
Fire is equally tricky, for two
Whether it burns one building
We touched on hurricanes, but
tornadoes tear through the U.S.
or levels an entire town, a fire
annually. As for derechos, these
usually leaves insidious hazards
often-destructive straight-line
massive snowstorms not
amid its embers and ashes: live
winds can rip across hundreds
only bring copious amounts
electrical wires and natural gas
of miles.
of water, but also often
lines, items and substances
damage sanitation and energy
turned toxic from melting in the
the effects of other events to
infrastructure, compounding
fire’s heat, exploded batteries,
lethal levels. Add wind to even
an already overwhelming
damaged sanitation systems,
a modest snowstorm and you’ll
disaster. Electric shock risks
shards of glass, nails and
have blizzard conditions. Wind
and waterborne biological or
woodscrews protruding from
will literally turbocharge a small
chemical contaminants are
rubble and the list goes on.
forest fire into a monster wildfire.
Hurricanes, floods and
common during such events.
Wind, of course, can amplify
Wind and hail together keep insurance claims adjusters busy. From toppled trees to mangled wires, wind’s hazards are legion.
Protecting Your Body
Personal protective equipment (PPE) that meets the criteria of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) should always be used during the cleanup and recovery phase of a disaster. Conducting a top-to-bottom inventory of your body’s exposure to various hazards will help guide your PPE choices.
Head
Torso
Eyes & Face
protect your head from falling
vests are vital for working in
a full-face mask may be needed
objects, for example during
low-light conditions. A life
for protection from flying
earthquake aftershocks. Dropped
vest or similar flotation device
debris and particles, chemicals
objects are a big problem
may be needed for work in
and biohazards. ISEA offers a
for workers and the general
flooded areas. Wear waterproof
free selection and use guide
public alike, which is why the
and chemical-resistant PPE
for eye-and-face PPE, which
International Safety Equipment
whenever you come in contact
also addresses PPE cleaning,
Association (ISEA) launched
with floodwater to reduce the
maintenance and storage.
its Safety at Heights campaign,
risk of exposure to harmful
including an op-ed in EHS Today
bacteria or chemicals.
A full-brim hard hat will help
aimed at construction employers and workers.
High-visibility reflective
Safety glasses, goggles or even
Ears
Hearing protection is recommended for noise levels of 85 decibels (dB) or above. For every 3 dB above 85 dB, National Institute for
Important note: Before
Occupational Safety and Health
check it for damage or worn
the permissible exposure time
holes, tears or abrasions.
org initiative includes helpful
wearing any PPE, be sure to
(NIOSH) recommends cutting
areas, looking carefully for
in half. ISEA’s HearingAtWork.
34 Leader—Autumn 2019
hearing-safety tips.
vpppa.org
Earth
Airborne Disease
Bottom Line
well as water-saturated ground.
scary word they hear in news
ball to see that thanks to
an earthquake, mudslide or
Mudslides are not uncommon
stories about an outbreak of
climate change, as well as other
landslide. Every now and then,
when rain loosens hillsides
the usually deadly disease in
factors like coastal erosion and
Hollywood makes a movie
where vegetation was burned
a remote village in an African
development patterns, many
that shakes us into sensory
off in a fire. The Centers for
nation. In fact, the World
people are likely to have more
overload while beguiling us
Disease Control and Prevention
Health Organization (WHO)
disasters to prepare for and
with romantic entanglements
(CDC) attributes 25 to 50
is responding to 19 pandemic,
clean up after. We only have to
and Herculean feats. The reality
deaths annually in the U.S. to
epidemic diseases, from Ebola
look at recent trends to get a
of a serious earthquake is very
landslides and debris flows, and
to SARS to smallpox. Just this
glimpse of what we’re in for.
unromantic, though, with a
notes that the typical health
past summer, WHO declared
simple plot line: destruction.
hazards they create include
the latest Ebola outbreak,
Information Institute (III), “The
Even a minor earthquake
trauma from rapidly moving
which was already the second
number of catastrophes rose to
can send objects falling from
water and debris, as well as
largest in history, a global
46 in 2017 from 42 in 2016, the
heights, and a big one can bring
broken electrical, water, gas and
health emergency.
highest number of catastrophes
down buildings and bridges,
sewage lines.
The very ground beneath our
(such as an earthen dam), as
feet can turn hostile during
For most people, Ebola is a
So, the rest of the world is
We don’t really need a crystal
According to the Insurance
for years with an industry loss
leaving a minefield of hazards
one airline-flight away from
event threshold of $25 million.”
jumbled on the ground.
pandemic. And, other than
III observed that insured losses
Landslides and debris flows
some elite healthcare workers
in 2017 were the highest since
can be caused by earthquakes,
connected to the CDC, most of
the Property Claim Services unit
but can also be triggered by
us are utterly unprepared for
of ISO began collecting insured
natural erosion, the collapse
the chaos and health effects of
loss data in 1949.
of man-made infrastructure
such diseases.
So, it’s all the more important that everyone—not only safety professionals and specific industries, but all of us—be prepared with the right kinds of personal protective equipment. PPE is a vital part of how we each adapt to a changing planet.
Hands
Legs & Feet
Airways & Lungs
gloves can improve grip and
most cleanup scenarios. In
may be adequate in some
flooded areas, full waders will
situations, full respirators are
be needed. Boots and waders
vital where mold, airborne
should be puncture-resistant,
contaminants or certain diseases
While basic leather or rubber offer some protection, it’s best to use purpose-built hand protection when exposed to
Boots are recommended for
While basic breathing masks
cut-resistant, waterproof and
are present. Be sure to use
as impacts, cuts, punctures or
sealed against contaminants.
respirators approved by NIOSH.
chemical/biohazard exposure.
Knees & Elbows
specific types of hazards, such
ISEA’s SafeHandsAtWork.org campaign provides tips that are as applicable in disaster cleanups as they are on a factory floor.
For cleanup work that involves kneeling or crawling, flexible joint guards will offer protection from abrasions and contusions. If the risk of puncture or cutting is present, be sure to use guards rated for
ISEA offers additional discussion about respirators (see Additional Resources at right).
Lydia Baugh is Director, External Affairs, at the International Safety Equipment Association.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a very helpful tool called the Hurricane eMatrix. While the eMatrix was prepared for hurricane response and recovery workers, it has wide applicability to clean up after other types of disasters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website offers a comprehensive Natural Disasters and Severe Weather section that provides extensive information and guidance.
puncture and cut resistance.
vpppa.org
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Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
D YOU SHOULD CONSIDER A TORNADO SHELTER
epending on where
deadlier than those that affect the
you live or what your
more well-known Tornado Alley.
occupation is, you might
higher population density in the
time thinking about
Southeast compared to the Plains.
tornadoes and the damage they
In addition, the storms that
can do to homes, businesses and
often bring tornadoes to this area
entire communities. But maybe
shield the twisters with curtains
you should—and if you operate
of heavy rain. This makes these
a mid- to large-sized business,
tornadoes harder to see from afar.
there’s no maybe about it.
The forest-covered, hilly terrain
That’s because tornadoes, with winds of up to 300 mph, are powerful and destructive. Their movements are wildly unpredictable and they can strike with little to no warning. Strong tornadoes can tear the roofs off buildings, uproot trees and lift vehicles into the air, turning all of these objects into deadly flying projectiles. They can obliterate one structure while leaving a neighboring structure virtually untouched. What’s more, tornadoes don’t have a well-defined season like Atlantic-based hurricanes do. These often-deadly storms can occur at any time of the day, and on any day of the year. In fact, every year, roughly 1,200
By Dale Kiefer, Triple Canopy Media
tornadoes strike the United States. No state is spared from their deadly force. All 50 have experienced tornadoes. In other words, even if you don’t live in Kansas (and even if you aren’t named Dorothy), you should still invest your energy in tornado preparedness. Although many Americans associate tornadoes mostly with the Great Plains, a large part of which is often referred to colloquially as “Tornado Alley,”
vpppa.org
Part of the reason for this is the
not spend very much
adds to the challenge of spotting these approaching storms ahead of time, both for residents and business owners, as well as for the authorities charged with keeping the public informed. The bottom line is that tornadoes can potentially strike anywhere and at any time, with little warning. Misconceptions about these severe weather events may compound the damage they can cause.
How Can I Protect Myself or My Workers? One harmful myth about
tornadoes is that they target mobile home parks. They don’t, of course, but manufactured housing is certainly more vulnerable to the effects of high winds than buildings made of heavier, sturdier materials. Because of the focus on this widely-held belief that only trailers are susceptible to damage from strong winds, often too little attention is paid to protecting standing structures, especially commercial buildings, in areas that encounter tornadoes most frequently. There has been a wider adoption of community storm shelters in places like Alabama
other regions are prime targets
and its neighboring states in
for these potentially devastating
recent years. This reflects a
natural disasters. “Dixie Alley,”
growing awareness of the need to
comprising a swath of the
protect residents of mobile home
lower Mississippi Valley, often
parks, apartment complexes
experiences tornadoes even
and nursing homes, as well as Leader—Autumn 2019
37
occupants of other community
Such costs may come about as
need to use it. Above-ground
facilities such as hospitals, schools
a result of lost production and
shelters are better in this regard,
and churches from tornadoes. The
an overall decrease in economic
as there are no stairs to contend
Federal Emergency Management
activity following the storm.
with in a panicked situation. But
Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation
installing a storm shelter is more
effective and are available for
for the installation of these
than offset by the potential legal
businesses that prefer them for
community shelters, largely in
and financial risks of not having
aesthetic reasons.
low-income rural areas.
one in the event of a deadly
Tornado shelters can also be
tornado. Large companies run
scaled according to occupancy.
are not usually eligible for these
the risk of being on the receiving
And installers will work with
grants, meaning that the private
end of civil lawsuits brought
your organization to determine
sector has to procure such shelters
on as a result of damages
the most strategic placement
for its employees on its own.
wrought by severe storms.
for your company’s shelters
Investing in a shelter can help
in order to make sure that all
Fortunately, many midto large-sized companies in
mitigate this possibility. And,
tornado-prone areas have
depending on the product or
begun doing just that. There
service a business provides, the
is an obvious health benefit
storm shelter could be used as a
to providing a safe haven for
temporary base of operations in
employees to take shelter
the immediate aftermath of
during a severe weather event.
a tornado.
Shelters can and do save lives. Nonetheless, environmental
On the plus side, companies that have storm shelters on the
safety and health (ES&H)
premises may recruit better
literature doesn’t devote much
talent, as they can offer the
space to advocating for the value
refuge as an employee benefit. In
of tornado shelters for private
addition, employers that provide
enterprises. According to Matt
shelters may earn positive media
Williams, a former member of the
attention as a result, which is
board of directors at the National
always good for business.
Storm Shelter Association (NSSA),
Storm shelters are an
“We have reached out to various
effective solution for saving
publications and thought leaders
lives during a tornado.
in the ES&H industry, but there
According to FEMA, the cost of
seems to be a lack of context for
a safe room will increase as its
starting a conversation on the
number of openings increases.
important and necessary role of
This makes it cost prohibitive
tornado shelters in ES&H plans.”
to construct a regular building
Despite this lack of attention
according to the same standards
from many ES&H professionals,
as a storm shelter. Most
erecting shelters not only helps
buildings for everyday use will
keep workers safe; embracing
require too many doors and
them may also be good business.
windows for this to be feasible.
The Real Cost of A Tornado
Storm Shelters
In addition to the physical
concerned about finding a tornado
destruction they bring, tornadoes
shelter that can accommodate
can also wreak havoc on the
your staff while also fitting nicely
economy. The three costliest
at your company’s location, the
tornadoes in the history of the
good news is that storm shelter
U.S. have all struck within the
manufacturers will work with
last 10 years. Each one caused
you to custom design one or more
damages amounting to $2 billion
units to meet your needs.
or more. Often, it’s the indirect
Leader—Autumn 2019
below ground shelters are still
Grant Program provides funding
Unfortunately, businesses
38
The monetary cost of
If you own a business and are
The best kind of tornado
costs of devastating storms that
shelter is one that is easily
hamper businesses the most.
accessible to all of the people who
employees can reach them in the shortest possible timeframe. There are even transitional shelters that can be erected temporarily in remote areas to protect mobile employees such as road crews and oil field workers. These shelters are sturdy enough to withstand the 250 mph winds of the strongest tornadoes but can still be dismantled and redeployed to accompany work crews as they relocate. They are built by attaching an above ground shelter to a steel foundation filled with locallyexcavated soil or sand that acts as ballast. Although they are mobile, individual transitional shelters can still be designed and built to protect over 1,500 occupants. We don’t have the technology to prevent the formation of tornadoes. Nor do we have the power to halt them in their tracks. And although we often know when conditions are right for them to strike, much of the time we still get very little notice before they do. The best defense is a shelter built specifically for the purpose of protecting people from tornadoes and the destruction they can bring. For a mid- to large-sized business, the consequences of not having a proper tornado shelter definitely outweigh the monetary costs of getting one. Dale Kiefer writes for Triple Canopy Media (triplecanopymedia.com) based in Canton, Ohio. vpppa.org
32ND ANNUAL SAFETY & HEALTH CONFERENCE May 19 ~ 22, 2020
Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, 900 East Market St., San Antonio Hotel: Hilton Palacio Del Rio, 200 South Alamo, San Antonio
Being ready to react and deal with catastrophic weather conditions— disaster preparedness— is something millions of American face every year. Unfortunately for all of us, these events are becoming ever more commonplace, and are increasingly affecting us from the
EXTRE workplace to anyplace.
SAFETY IN THE ERA OF
WEATHER EVENTS
40 Leader—Autumn 2019
T
he number of weather events reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has increased 7.6 percent; from 55,760 events in 2013 to 59,985 in 2017. These include large-scale weather events that make the news like the recent Hurricane Dorian, tornadoes
and wildfires, but also smaller localized conditions like flash floods and debris flows, which can present significant danger. Changes in weather and climate are making these events more frequent, and the need for all of us to be prepared to deal with them, essential. If you’ve never faced an emergency situation, be grateful, but don’t take it for granted. Complacency can be a killer. In the event of a real emergency, the more thoughtful practice you have, the more likely
EME By National Safety Council Staff
you will be able to react in a way that leads to better outcomes. If there is a bright spot here, it is that NOAA reports a 22 percent decrease in direct or indirect weather related deaths from 2013 to 2017. However, the number of injuries during this period have increased significantly—117 percent in four years, with a 43.4 percent jump between 2016 and 2017. That’s a large number of people who, while they may not have lost their lives, were injured while trying to evade a catastrophic weather event; far too many. A key step in disaster preparedness is heeding advanced warnings about impending events. A recent AccuWeather article1 points out that people tend to wait to see how a weather event will affect them before taking action. While people react to the imminent threat of property damage or physical harm, there are psychological underpinnings as people hesitate to act quickly, doubting they will be in the path of the next event, being fearful to leave their belongings or pets behind, or assuming they will have more time to make that decision. Meteorologists have become increasingly better at predicting impact with new and existing technology, so when local and state authorities issue warnings, they must be taken seriously. Trust that any barricades, road closures and detours have been put in place for your safety. Willfully ignoring or circumventing them can place not only your life in danger, but also the lives of first responders who will have to come to your aid. The first step of disaster preparedness is also one of the most important—having a plan of action and some basic resources ready. These “catch-alls” can cover a wide variety of climate disasters: tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and events like heatwaves and cold snaps which might not be top-of-mind when considering catastrophic weather events, but which nonetheless can be dangerous if power outages or roads are affected. Any employer should ensure that there’s a strong communication system in place to alert employees in case of a natural disaster or weather event, and a way to account for the safety or whereabouts of employees. Make sure everyone is aware of where all of the escape routes are located in your facility and what the alarms sound like for different types of emergencies. When preparing for the annual NSC Congress & Expo in San Diego this year, National Safety Council employees took charge in setting up an emergency response team, testing SMS alerts to all employees, and ensuring there was a clear plan in place in case of a natural or man-made disaster that may affect the event. As one of our keynote speakers reminded attendees, it’s better to have a plan and not need it, than not have a plan at all. Encourage employees to create a family communication plan as well. It is likely people may not be with their loved ones when a disaster hits. Therefore, having an agreed upon meeting spot is a good way to ensure that everyone can stay safe in the event of an emergency, with a backup meeting spot in a public place just in case. Make sure everybody knows
vpppa.org
Leader—Autumn 2019
41
to always follow alerts or first
items will be familiar to a travel
responder instructions.
kit or car emergency kit, but this
life-saving tool. In case there
supply kit will also need enough
is no one nearby who is trained
In the event of a tornado, is
non-perishable food and water
in First Aid, keep a small guide
there a low floor or basement
on hand for at least three days
(download the NSC First Aid
accessible? Will you be able
per person. For water, that means
app) to help make informed
to receive updates, alerts and
one gallon per person, per day.
choices with the first aid kit until
A shelter plan is also a must.
medical assistance arrives. If all
instructions? If you are in a basement and can’t get cellular reception, is there a radio or TV with an external power source? Equally important is having an evacuation plan. When instructions come through to move to a more secure area, will you be able to? Don’t go back to your workstation for personal items during a drill—time is of the essence. If the main road near your meeting place is impassable, do you have an alternate route? Can you get there on foot or are you dependent on a vehicle? Consider that you may not have your vehicle or may not be able to use it if it is damaged or roads are closed. Flash flooding events were
Dangerous weather
events have always been a concern, but they are becoming more frequent and severe, ensuring that employers
must take notice and take a
leadership role
in helping people stay safe.
In addition to food and
responsible for the most deaths
daunting, Ready.gov offers many useful resources to help everyone plan and prepare for the worst. Know your company’s emergency plans for each type of drill, often located in a safety manual or you can always ask your supervisor. It’s especially important for supervisors to go over and reinforce this safety information with new hires. Know where physical fire alarms are located in your facility as well as fire extinguishers. Even if you are not trained to use them, assisting others to locate them can save time in an emergency. Always keep evacuation routes clear year round, and after practicing safety drills at
water, a basic first aid kit
your home or office, go over
Flooding can also accompany
with necessary medicines is
what worked well and what
essential, including a battery-
didn’t to identify strengths as
operated or crank radio, a flash
well as weaknesses and look for
light, extra batteries, garbage
improvements so that next time
bags, wet wipes, basic tools,
everyone is better prepared.
events. Crossing flooded areas, in a car or on foot, can be extremely dangerous. Almost half of all flash flood fatalities are vehicle-related, according to the National Weather Service. Approaching a water-covered road while driving, turn around. Just six inches of water can stall a vehicle, and two feet can float most cars, trucks and SUVs. Be especially careful around bridges, underpasses and underground garages. On foot, that same 6 inches of rushing water can sweep someone right off their feet, so avoid walking in water above the ankle. Watch for downed power lines and live wires. Remember to heed any barricades or instructions to avoid flooded areas; they are in place for our safety. An emergency supply kit is another essential to have on hand, ideally kept at your agreed meetup spot. Many of the Leader—Autumn 2019
the planning and kit prep seems
in 2017, according to NOAA. or result from other weather
42
Basic first aid skills can be a
extra clothes, glasses or contact
Dangerous weather events
lenses (if you wear them)
have always been a concern,
cellphone chargers, and ideally
but they are becoming more
extra portable battery chargers.
frequent and severe, ensuring
This is not a comprehensive
that employers must take notice
list and it’s best to use personal
and take a leadership role in
judgement to add additional
helping people stay safe. Luckily,
items as necessary. Make sure to
staying informed and receiving
store items in plastic bags and
lifesaving alerts and information
then pack in duffle bags or plastic
has never been more prevalent.
bins. The kit needs to be easily
The key to keeping yourself and
mobile and perishable items
your loved ones safe is knowing
should be checked regularly and
the risks and being prepared to
re-supplied as needed.
deal with them.
For more information on disaster preparedness, visit: www.nsc.org/ home-safety/safety-topics/emergency-preparedness/ For more information about the NSC First Aid app, visit: www.nsc.org/ safety-training/first-aid/app For more data on weather fatalities and injuries visit: injuryfacts.nsc. org/home-and-community/safety-topics/weather-related-deathsand-injuries/
RESOURCE 1
www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/psychology-of-warningswhy-do-people-ignore-weather-alerts/70000135 vpppa.org
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From the Perspective of
A FIRST RESPONDER
By Lee Vernon Code3 Medical Services
When Disaster Strikes— You Are on Your Own! *Author of this column, Lee Vernon, started the Brotherhood of Heroes Foundation—a foundation created by first responders, for first responders. You can find more information and donate at www.brotherhoodofheroes.org.
W
hen it comes
out what YOU should be doing to
to safety, what
prepare for such an incident.
do natural disasters (i.e.
Understand that when
have to be your own rescuer.
natural disasters initially occur,
But officially, there are three
floods, hurricanes, earthquakes,
local first responders are going
basic categories:
tornadoes, fires, etc.) mean for
to be overwhelmed due to the
1. Means of egress/escape
you, your emergency response
sheer volume of calls for help,
2. First aid and security
team and your facility? As a first
and other issues that take
3. Essentials for survival
responder for over 27 years, I have lost count as to how many times I have heard people say; “Well, if it gets bad, we will just call the fire department, EMS or law enforcement.” That would be great in an ideal world, but here is the hard truth: You are on your own and we are not coming to help you… initially. Not because first responders don’t want to help, but because they CAN’T. That is probably not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth of the matter. However, we can figure
precedence to sustain life and safety. With only so many fire, medical and rescue responders,
As soon as a disaster is in progress, emergency responders will be quickly overwhelmed. Response time for emergency personnel to arrive could be hours to days in a worst-case scenario.
Egress & Escape
This solution can help you avoid
it doesn’t take but a few
a lot of unwanted problems. If
emergencies to overwhelm
given the opportunity, and you
responders, creating a backlog
are requested to do so… LEAVE!
of several hours, or even days.
Get out of the impending disaster
Your location and available
zone if you have the ability. If you
resources will dictate the kind
are not there, you will not end up
of response, or lack thereof,
as a casualty of any chaos that
you could potentially see.
takes place. If given the chance,
A perfect example of this occurred in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. Due to
move to a safe place away from the epicenter of the disaster. However, there are times you
location, minimal response
may be caught by surprise, or
crews, the amount of damage,
there is not enough time to leave
inaccessibility and lack of basic
conventionally. A prime example
resources, there was a severe
is the 2016 Louisiana flood.
delay in fire, medical and rescue
Within hours of heavy nonstop
response. It does not matter if
rain, the rivers overflowed their
the disaster is happening on
banks and proceeded to flood
an island, or on the mainland
a large area of Baton Rouge,
of the United States. There are
LA, unexpectedly, resulting
countless examples of incidents
in useless, submerged motor
that lasted days into weeks and
vehicles. The only means of
months, such as Hurricanes
escape, or movement, was
Katrina, Harvey and Michael;
by boat.
the California and Texas
44 Leader—Autumn 2019
How does one prepare for emergencies? It’s simple. You
Having multiple options as
wildfires; the 2016 Baton Rouge
a means to escape a situation
flood, and many more. The first
is going to be dependent on
72 hours are some of the worst,
where you live and the potential
depending on how extensive the
disasters that you have to
damage is, so be prepared to be
contend with. Summers in the
on your own until emergency
South feature regular hurricanes
crews can catch up and get
and flooding, so pickup trucks
accessibility to your location.
and boats are an advantage vpppa.org
2016 Louisiana Flood: Prime example of inaccessibility on a massive scale where first responders were not able to quickly or effectively respond to the demands of all the emergency calls due to lack of access.
You need a true trauma kit for serious injuries, not just a regular “Boo-boo Kit” that doesn’t have the essentials for control of severe bleeding and other serious injuries.
if you have them. In the
a first aid class or something
North, with months of snow,
equivalent to learn how to
a four-wheel drive vehicle
properly handle the equipment.
or snowmobile would be an
Another component that
A bathtub full of water will provide a few days, or more, of drinking water depending on the number of people and exertion of the individuals.
Survival Essentials
harm within hours if water is
Finally, the most important
not readily available to replace
things to consider for
your fluid loss due to sweating.
preparedness—food and water.
As far as water storage, one may
advantage. You need to assess
is often forgotten is security.
During a disaster, food and water
your area and make the right
During a disaster, you will
will become scarce within 24
have “lawlessness” that takes
hours. Depending on the amount
choice that best fits you and your budget. The last part of the escape equation is having plenty of fuel. Spare gas cans to get you from point A to point B are an important, and often disregarded (or forgotten), aspect of disaster survival—that can result in getting trapped on the side of the road and still in harm’s way. Be sure to keep fuel on hand, and make sure it is preserved with a fuel additive to keep it usable.
First Aid & Security
The odds of needing lifesaving supplies is substantially high if you cannot escape a disaster situation. Having the right gear and training is paramount to surviving a major injury, such as a severe bleed, amputation or even a minor emergency (like a cut) that can lead to a deadly infection. Having equipment like tourniquets and hemostatic gauze, to simpler
place. Seeing how people act when they are desperate and scared is truly eye-opening. You must be able to defend yourself, family, co-workers, etc. Whether you choose to have a firearm, knife or club—you need to look to your local and state laws to determine what is permissible. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, there were assaults and gun fights in the streets. If you were
of devastation, it could be weeks or months before access to
want to keep cases of water or have some type of rainwater storage container. Filling up bathtubs before the water is cut off is also a viable option.
regular food and water returns.
Something to at least get you
Seeing how
supplies arrive. Clean drinking
people act when
they are desperate and scared is truly eye-opening.
Think about the calorie
through a week until help and water is key in order to avoid illness and dehydration. The aforementioned are simple, general things to keep in mind when preparing to safely get through a disaster. As someone who has responded to many disasters over my career, I can tell you that emergency
not able to defend it, it was
intake one will need to survive a
personnel will be stretched
forcefully taken, even if that
disaster as you will be moving,
beyond capacity very quickly.
repairing and cleaning up. You
In a worst-case scenario, the
will need calories in order to
above will at least buy you time
be productive and stay healthy.
if you do get stuck in a disaster.
meant your life was also taken. On the opposite end of the spectrum, during the flooding of 2016 in Baton Rouge, armed citizens and residents were able to keep looting and theft to a minimum. The difference in being prepared to defend your property, self and others around you is something very serious to keep in mind when preparing
Some easy and economical
In all seriousness, if you
options for food storage are
do find yourself in the midst
protein bars, dried food, canned
of a disaster, it is extremely
items and anything else that
possible that you will be on
does not require refrigeration.
your own. Luck will determine
Water is the most important
if that is for a brief period or for
because we can only go
a prolonged amount of time.
roughly three days without it
I personally will not base my
before we start having health
safety off of luck. I have seen
complications, and that is three
what can happen when luck
days under normal non-exertive
runs out. Leave luck in Las
circumstances. If you are
Vegas—your personal safety is
items like rubbing alcohol and
for a worst-case scenario. But,
antibiotic ointments, could
again, please consult all local
prove beneficial. Having the
and federal laws, and obtain
tools alone will not make
any weapons in a legal and safe
physically active, and depending
worth more than that. Be safe
you an emergency medical
manner. Learn how to use and
on the weather conditions, you
and train like your life depends
professional, so consider taking
store them by a professional.
could push yourself to physical
on it. Because it does.
vpppa.org
Leader—Autumn 2019
45
Like us on Facebook & Follow us on Twitter: @VPPPA & Instagram: @VPPPA_Inc
Membership Corner
Meet the VPPPA Team
As VPPPA members, you talk to National Office Staff members
Autumn Members of the Month Congratulations to our
on the phone, chat with us via
Autumn (September, October,
email and sometimes see us at
November) Members of the
regional and national events.
Month: Lesli Trahan, Mark
But we want our members
Rauenzahn and Rene Snoel.
to be able to more easily put names with faces. Check back here in future issues to see more VPPPA National Office
Want to submit someone to be considered as a VPPPA Member of the Month? Email
staff member profiles.
membership@vpppa.org. You
Name: Brielle Mroczkco
previous Members of the Month
Job Title: Conference Coordinator
can also check out all of the on our website.
Nickname: Lil B or Bri
VPPPA Trivia & Prizes!
Length of Time with VPPPA:
Symposium is over, we are
Since August 2017
still celebrating our 35th
Favorite Parts of Working for
birthday throughout the year
VPPPA: Being able to learn about safety and meeting the
Even though the Safety+
with VPPPA trivia contests! We are posting trivia questions
people so passionate about it.
twice a month with prizes for
Hometown: Lancaster, CA
trivia questions at vpppa.org/
Alma Mater: University of California Irvine Fun Facts About Me: I studied abroad in South Korea during high school and speak Korean. Favorite Food: Hamburgers Favorite Movie: Pride and Prejudice
the winners. You can find the
We are thrilled to announce that all of our previously recorded webinars are now on our website as a member benefit. This is free for members only. Tune into all of this great and free educational content on our website, here: vpppa.org/education/webinars/ view-previously-recorded-webinars.
National Board of Directors Update
Congratulations to our new National Board of Directors members! Shelly Ettel, Bill Linneweh and Andy Youpel have all joined the board as Directorsat-Large. They were elected during the 2019 Safety+ Symposium.
#VPPPAnimals Contest Winner
Congratulations to Casper the
membership/vpppabirthday.
cat, and owner,
Congratulations to our
winning the
winners so far: Sheri F.,
#VPPPAnimals
Cintas; Kim B., Acushnet
Contest!
Golf; Vanessa K., Nucor; Brian B., Shermco; Joshua
Sara Smith, for
Name: Casper
H., Prairie State Generating
Age: 1
Company; Elisa C., Huber;
Favorite Toy: Active feather teaser
Keenan M., Solvay; Nevena S.,
Dream Vacation Spot:
Sherwin; Neha S., Honeywell;
Greece or Malta
Leischen N., Alstom Group;
Favorite Musician/Band:
Jake V., Occidental Chemical
Ed Sheeran
New VPPPA Member Benefit: Webinar Library
Corporation; Tonya W., Firestone Industrial Products/ Bridgestone; Lesli T., Chevron
Likes: He loves to cuddle, he will follow you everywhere you go in the house and he loves to sit on the couch and take pictures. He actually loves the vacuum cleaner and will lay on the couch and let you vacuum him.
Phillips Chemical; Scott Slie,
Dislikes: Casper doesn’t like when
Westlake Chemical; Donald B.,
his food bowl shows the bottom of
Aerojet Rocketdyne; Zach G.,
the bowl just a little bit. He will give
Morton Salt; Elsy P., Multi-
the weirdest meow until you fix it.
Plastics Extrusions, Inc.; Tiffany H., Entergy.
Why Sara Loves Safety: Safety is my primary goal at my workplace, Robins Air Force Base, GA. Safety is reassurance that I am doing everything I can so my wingmen and I make it home safe every day to our family and fur buddies. “No faster than quality and safety” is our slogan at work!
46 Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
48 Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
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Leader—Autumn 2019
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Compiled By Katlyn Pagliuca Membership Manager, VPPPA, Inc.
State-Plan Monitor
INDIANA
Indiana presently has 88 sites in VPP. In 2019, the VPP leaders have been working to complete the 17 reapproval evaluations and four to five new site evaluations. They are also working to schedule the
Three regional Best Practices Meetings will be conducted in November 2019:
• Nucor Steel on November 7 (Crawfordsville) • Raytheon on November 13 (Fort Wayne) • Cintas #314 on November 19 (Evansville) At these meetings, sites will present best
27 reapproval evaluations for 2020 and working
practices and have networking group discussions
with several sites so they can have a new site
on various topics. For more information about
evaluation in 2020. As of July 29, Indiana has four
Regional Best Practices Meetings email
VPP Leaders, one for north, one for south and two
Beth Gonzalez bgonzalez@dol.in.gov.
for central Indiana. Lisa Stephenson is the new South VPP Leader. Before taking on the VPP Leader role, she was originally hired into Indiana Department of Labor as an IOSHA Construction Compliance Safety & Health Officer (CSHO) in May 2017. Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science degree in applied health science with a major in safety and a minor in safety supervision. She also earned a bachelor of general studies degree in humanities from Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Indiana. Patricia McIntire is the newest Central VPP Leader. Before taking on the VPP Leader role, she was originally hired into the Indiana Department of Labor as an IOSHA CSHO in October 2015. From there, Patricia took a promotional opportunity and position with INSafe in January 2019.
IOWA
VPP Audits for Seasonal Operations
Iowa is a huge agriculture state. Take a fall drive and you will see fields of drying corn and soybeans as far as the eye can see. There are several agriculturalrelated VPP sites that include Bayer (formally Monsanto) and Cargill. The Bayer seed corn and soybean sites are seasonal operations that require a unique audit approach. The sites plant in the spring, de-tassel corn in the summer, harvest in the fall and sort and package corn hybrids and soybean varieties in the winter. In order to review these distinct operations, the VPP approval process stretches out over several months. Currently, the Bayer sites in Grinnell and Williamsburg are in the midst of the VPP reapproval process. The 48th Annual Iowa Governor’s Safety &
Patricia also has experience from various risk
Health Conference took place from October 31–
management roles along with her experience
November 1 in Altoona. Attendees collaborated
at IOSHA.
on how best to protect Iowa workers, network
When you see Lisa and Patricia, welcome them to the VPP family.
with colleagues, make new contacts, and continue growth as a safety and health professional.
Fourteen new Special Government Employees (SGEs) were trained at the SGE Class on July 30 to 31 at Cintas #388 in Indianapolis. On August 1–2, the Basis Industrial Hygiene Class was conducted at Cintas #388 in Indianapolis. 50 Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
MICHIGAN
There are currently 31 sites in the Michigan Voluntary Protection Programs (MVPP), with 27 Star, one Rising Star (Merit), two MVPP/C (construction) and one MVPP/C Rising Star site. The following is a quick update of MIOSHA MVPP activities.
Promotion
Representatives from several MVPP sites gave presentations on safety and health best practices at the VPPPA Region V Conference in Grand Rapids this past April. MVPP Specialist, Doug Kimmel, lead an MVPP/C Informational Workshop in Lansing on May 30. A MVPP Process Safety Management (PSM) onsite review was conducted at Marathon TT&R, Muskegon on June 11–12. A MVPP triennial onsite reevaluation review was conducted at Potlatch/Deltic, Gwinn on June 25–27. MVPP award celebrations have been held at Cintas First Aid and Safety #305 in Kentwood and Huntsman in Auburn Hills (reevaluation). Applications currently pending for the MVPP include:
• Cintas Fire Protection—D26 (Troy) • Honeywell (Muskegon) • Robert Bosch (Plymouth) Upcoming Event
On June 17, Marvin Wood Products in Baker City was re-approved as a Star site. This facility has been a VPP site since October 20, 2003.
OREGON
VPP Star Site Updates
Oregon OSHA conducted two VPP evaluations since June, and both sites are currently working on 90-day items. We have six VPP audits planned between October 2019 and April 2020. On June 17, Marvin Wood Products in Baker City was re-approved as a Star site. This facility has been a VPP site since October 20, 2003. In addition, on August 22, NuStar Energy’s Shore Terminals LLC was re-approved as a Star site. This facility has been a VPP site since April 21, 2016. Oregon OSHA is co-hosting the following safety and health conferences and activities:
• Western Pulp, Paper and Forest Products Safety & Health
Conference, December 3–6, 2019. Taking place at the Red Lion on the River, in Jantzen Beach, Portland.
MVPP/C Advisory group meeting will take place November 7. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/MIOSHA_MI. For further details on the MVPP, contact Doug Kimmel, MVPP specialist, at (517) 719-7296, or visit the MIOSHA website at www.michigan.gov/miosha.
MINNESOTA
Minnesota currently has 35 sites in the MNSTAR (VPP) program. Of the 35 MNSTAR sites, 33 are classified as general industry and two are resident contractors at a refinery. Since the last update, we completed three reapproval visits:
• Danfoss Power Solutions (Plymouth), received a threeyear reapproval.
• Marvin Windows (Warroad) will be recommended for continued
Technology you can
trust
with your life
participation in the MNSTAR program upon completion of the 90day items discovered during the onsite visit.
• Aptim Services LLC (Rosemount) will be recommended for
continued participation in the MNSTAR program upon completion of the 90-day items discovered during the onsite visit. Additionally, five reapproval visits have been scheduled for the fall
of 2019 and early 2020. If you would like further information about Minnesota’s MNSTAR Program, please visit www.doli.state.mn.us/WSC/Mnstar.asp or contact Marnie Prochniak, MNSTAR/VPP Coordinator, at marnie.prochniak@state.mn.us.
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Leader—Autumn 2019
51
SPM
• Oregon SHARP Alliance General Training Session, December 12, 2019, Safety & the Supervisor, in Tangent.
• Oregon SHARP Alliance Region 1 Training Session, January 14, 2020, (topic and site TBA), in Portland/Metro.
TENNESSEE
On July 8, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Deputy Commissioner, Steve Hawkins, presented the
• Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit, January 27–28, 2020,
employees of Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems in Clarksville
• Cascade Occupational Safety & Health Conference, March 2 & 3,
has received the award. The site received their first approval in 2010.
• Oregon SHARP Alliance General Training Session, March 12, 2020,
Petroleum in Nashville and a successful initial onsite evaluation was
taking place at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes, in Bend. 2020, taking place at the Graduate Hotel, in Eugene.
Improving Your Safety Program, Taking Safety to the Next Level, in Durham.
with the Volunteer Star Award. This was the third time the company A successful onsite evaluation was recently conducted at Marathon conducted at Honeywell International, Inc. in Memphis.
(topic and site TBA), in Portland/Metro.
WASHINGTON
May 12–14, 2020, taking place at The Grove Hotel & Boise Centre,
• An onsite evaluation for Star participation was completed with Cintas
• Oregon SHARP Alliance Region 1 Training Session, April 14, 2020, • Northwest Safety & Health Summit by Region X VPPPA, in Boise, ID.
Washington State VPP currently has 32 Star sites and one Merit site. Corporation #461 in Puyallup. The approval report is in process.
• An onsite evaluation for Star participation is scheduled with MacDonald-Miller Facilities Solutions in Seattle in October.
• An application has been received from Cintas Corporation in Yakima. Recent VPP Ceremonies
• Congratulations to Cintas Corporation #460 in Everett. contacting each state Alaska Christian Hendrickson VPP Manager Christian.hendrickson@alaska.gov Phone: (907) 269-4946
Kentucky Brian Black VPP Program Administrator brian.black@ky.gov Phone: (502) 564-3320
New Mexico Melissa Barker VPP Coordinator melissa.barker@state.nm.us Phone: (505) 222-9595
Tennessee David Blessman VPP Manager david.blessman@tn.gov Phone: (615) 253-6890
Arizona Jessie Atencio Assistant Director jessie.atencio@azdosh.gov Phone: (520) 220-4222
Maryland Allen Stump VPP Manager allen.stump@maryland.gov Phone: (410) 527-4473
North Carolina LaMont Smith Recognition Program Manager lamont.smith@labor.nc.gov Phone: (919) 807-2909
Utah Jerry Parkstone VPP Coordinator jparkstone@utah.gov Phone: (801) 530-6901
California Iraj Pourmehraban Cal/VPP & PSM Manager ipourmehraban@hq.dir.ca.gov Phone: (510) 622-1080
Michigan Sherry Scott MVPP Manager scotts1@michigan.gov Phone: (517) 322-5817
Oregon Mark E. Hurliman, CSHM VPP/SHARP Program Coordinator mark.e.hurliman@oregon.gov Phone: (541) 776-6016
Vermont Daniel Whipple VPP Coordinator dan.whipple@vermont.gov Phone: (802) 828-5084
Hawaii Nicole G. Bennett OSH Program Specialist Administrative & Technical Support Manager nicole.g.bennett@hawaii.gov Phone: (808) 586-9081
Minnesota Tyrone Taylor, MBA Director of Workplace Safety Consultation MN Dept. of Labor & Industry Occupational Safety & Health Division tyrone.taylor@state.mn.us Phone: (651) 284-5203
Puerto Rico Judith M. Cruz Concepción Puerto Rico VPP Manager PR OSHA Voluntary Programs Division Cruz.Judith@dol.gov Phone: (787) 754-2172 ext 3343
Virginia Milford Stern VPP Manager milford.stern@doli.virginia.gov Phone: (540) 562-3580 x 123
Indiana Beth A. Gonzalez VPP Team Leader bgonzalez@dol.in.gov Phone: (317) 607-6118 Iowa Shashi Patel VPP Coordinator patel.shashi@iwd.iowa.gov Phone: (515) 281-6369
Nevada Jimmy Andrews VPP Manager jimmy.andrews@business.nv.gov Phone: (702) 486-9046
South Carolina Sharon Dumit VPP Coordinator sharon.dumit@llr.sc.gov Phone: (803) 896-7788
Washington John Geppert VPP Manager gepp.235@lni.wa.gov Phone: (360) 902-5496 Wyoming Clayton Gaunt VPP Manager clayrton.gaunt1@wyo.gov Phone: (307) 777-7710
For additional information and up-to-date contacts, please visit www.vpppa.org/chapters/contacts.cfm
52
Leader—Autumn 2019
vpppa.org
Trusted products. Unmatched service. Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get readyTM to open their doors with confidence every day by providing a wide range of products and services that enhance our customers’ image and help keep their facilities and employees clean, safe and looking their best. With over 100 VPP locations, Cintas is uniquely positioned to help businesses get Ready for the Workday®.
UNIFORMS | FACILITY SERVICES | FIRST AID & SAFETY | FIRE PROTECTION 200790 R0919
Compiled by Jamie Mitchell Communications Coordinator, VPPPA, Inc.
Regional Round-Ups
REGION I vppregion1.com
Region I is beginning to gear up for its annual conference and will be looking for speakers, exhibitors and sponsors. Anyone interested in any of these opportunities, or in helping the Region I Board with any conference activities, can reach out to any Board member. More information can be found on the Region I website: vppregion1.com. Region I will be having their annual conference in Killington, VT, on June 15–17, 2020. The Region will also be having SGE Training at GE Healthcare in Marlborough, MA, on September I5–I7, 2020. For more
presentation on December 10,
how to join the board of directors,
during VPP onsite evaluations.
20I9, on the topic of Contractor
scholarships, how to become a
(Photo on page 55.)
Safety Program & Temporary
speaker at the annual conference,
Staffing as part of the OSHA/
Best Practices of Region I VPP
Keene State College/NH Small
sites, how to become an exhibitor
Business Development Center’s
or a sponsor of the Region I
monthly General Industry
conference, and much more.
Roundtable Series. Huber Engineered Woods, LLC, a VPP site in Easton, ME, recently received an award for being one of the “Best Places to Work in Maine.” There were two flag raising ceremonies that happened recently within Region I.
REGION II
www.vppparegion2.org
Region II currently has seven upcoming VPP evaluations with
• A.J. Oster, LLC in Warwick, RI
spots open for SGEs. Contact
• Huber Engineered Woods,
dol.gov, if you are interested in
• SGE of the Year: Raymond
Robbins, Lockheed Martin Corporations.
• Mentors of the Year: John
Bawiec and Kevin Mihalenko, Tropicana, Jersey City, NJ.
• Solvay Specialty Polymers
USA, LLC, West Deptford, NJ, had their flag presentation at the Region II Safety Forum. (Photo on page 55.)
Regional Board Updates
on July 9.
Ms. Greta Olsson, Olsson.greta@
LLC in Easton, ME on June 18.
volunteering for any of these
Chairperson and a Director-
Elections will take place during
SGE opportunities. More details
at-Large. Kevin Mihalenko was
available on our website.
re-elected as Secretary. William
information please keep checking
the Region I Annual Meeting
the Region I website for updates
happening at the Region I
throughout the year, or ask any of
Conference in June 2020 where
the Region I Board members.
the following positions will be
Region I held a VPP Application
Contributed by Karen Girardin, Region I Chairperson
Recognitions
up for re-election: Vice-Chair,
Our next SGE class will be held
We have an opening for Vice
DePuy, Michael Bell and Brian
March 31–April 2, 2020, at VPP
Bennett, Ph.D., CSP, were re-
Star site, Bartell Machinery. The
elected as Directors-at-Large.
deadline to submit an application
Congratulations to all!
is January 15, 2020. The training
Pre-Conference Workshop at
Secretary, and three Director-at-
their 2019 annual conference.
Large positions. Currently, there
downloaded at www.osha.gov/
The workshop was held on
is still one open Director-at-
dcsp/vpp/sge/sge_application_
May 20, 2019 and there were
Large position. Anyone interested
abstract.html.
approximately six attendees.
in joining the Regional Board
is free, and applications can be
Mr. Joseph Guzzetta from VPP
2019 Safety Forum Highlights
We had 104 attendees at our 2019 Safety Forum (June 24–25). We call it our safety forum
Region I will have a booth at
can reach out to a current board
Star site, Occidental Chemical,
because it is only a day and a
the 92nd Annual Maine Safety
member, or check on the Region I
in Niagara Falls, completed
half (which allows employers to
& Health Conference on October
website to get more information.
the August 24–26, SGE class
be able to send their employees
16–17, 2020, in Augusta, ME. In
Sometime this fall, Region I
prior to the VPPPA National
without taking excessive time
addition, two VPP companies have
will be looking for candidates that
Safety+ Symposium in New
away from work).
individuals that are speaking in
might be interested in receiving
Orleans, LA. Region II VPPPA
the breakout sessions: L.L. Bean,
one of three $1,000 scholarships.
Chairperson, Mr. Robert Brynes
Chairperson’s Award recipient.
Inc. and Cianbro. The Chairman of
For more information about these
from Wheelabrator, was a SGE
Our dynamic keynote speaker,
the Cianbro Company will be the
scholarships and how to apply,
instructor during the class. Mr.
Gary Norland, spoke on “The
keynote speaker at the conference.
please check the Region I website.
Guzzetta took the oath of office
impact of an injury. What are
along with SGEs from across
you risking?” Kristyn Grow also
The Region I website hosts a lot
Two SGEs from the VPP
Brenda Wiederkehr was the
worksite Aclara in Somersworth,
of information. It provides details
the country, growing the ranks
attended as our representative
NH, are providing an outreach
about the annual conference,
of SGEs who can assist OSHA
from the National Board of
Huber Engineered Woods, LLC flag raising. 54 Leader—Autumn 2019
A.J. Oster, LLC flag raising. vpppa.org
Directors and Heidi Hill, from
their VPP Star. They are the
the VPPPA National Office,
first company in Lansing to
helped us with registration.
receive the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program Star Award.
Contributed by Grace Irby, Region II Member
REGION V
www.vppregionv.org
In 2019 the Region V VPPPA Board of Directors, and a few extremely helpful SGEs, completed many VPP PreOnsite Evaluations to assist with
Marathon Petroleum’s Illinois Refining Division in Robinson, IL, recently celebrated its 20th year of VPP Star certification. Congratulations! Let’s go for another 20 years! (Photos located on page 56.)
Board of Directors Updates
Currently, there is one Director-
the overall readiness of sites
at-large position open on the
looking to join VPP. This initiative
Region V Board of Directors.
has been led and organized by our
If interested, please reach out
Chairperson, Bill Linneweh. To
to Bill Linneweh by email at
learn more about VPP Pre-Onsite
wlinneweh@hendrickson-intl.com.
Evaluations please reach out to
We would like to introduce
Nancy Mugavero, Region V VPP
our newest Region V Board
Manager at U.S. DOL-OSHA.
of Directors member, Troy
Nancy can be reached by email at:
Munson, CSP, CHMM. He is the
mugavero.nancy@dol.gov.
Director of Health, Safety and
Oshkosh Defense located in
Security for Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh, WI, recently held a SGE
in the position of Director-at-
training class from September
Large since May 2019. Oshkosh
4–5. Nine SGEs were sworn in by
Defense is an industry-leading
Ron Bonack, Area Director, OSHA
tactical vehicle manufacturer
Appleton Office in Appleton, WI.
in Oshkosh, WI. Troy earned
(Bottom photo to the right.)
his B.S.E in Occupational
2020 Conference Updates
Conference planning is in full swing for the 2020 VPPPA Region V Conference. The 2020 conference will be held
Safety from the University of Wisconsin—Whitewater. Contributed by Jimmy Jacquez, Region V Director Ex-Officio
looking forward to an excellent
REGION VII
conference in the family-
We had over 220 attendees
in Lake Geneva, WI. We are
regionviivpp.org
friendly, relaxing Lake Geneva.
during our May conference
This is our second conference at
in Wichita, KS. We have two
this location, and we are back for
new board members, Meghan
a reason! The feedback from our
Moberly from Cintas and
conference attendees was great
Nathan Gentges of Tyler Pipe.
when we were in Lake Geneva in 2017. We are looking forward to a great turnout with awesome speakers and presentations.
New Star Sites
Congratulations to the Oshkosh Defense Oakwood Facility. They are the first location in Oshkosh Defense to achieve a VPP Star.
Award Winners
Terminal and Fleet facility on vpppa.org
REGION VIII vppparegion8. clubexpress.com
The 2019 Region VIII Conference was held at the Salt Lake Sheraton from April 22–26, and we had a record number of attendees. The
• SGE of the Year: Terry
2020 conference will be held in
•
We will host a Lucky Bowling
Bass, Plygem
Mentor of the Year: Sarah Van Meter, Monsanto/Bayer
• Our $5,000 scholarship
winner was Cameron Klug, whose father works for Vulcraft in Nebraska.
Another big congratulations to the Marathon Petroleum Lansing
(Top photo) SGE Class participants before the Safety+ Symposium. (Middle photo) Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC, West Deptford, NJ. (Bottom photo) Oshkosh Defense.
Contributed by Bill Turner, Region VII Chairperson
Denver, CO, at The Curtis Hotel.
VPP and grow the program in the state of Utah. Contributed by Shelly Ettel, VPPPA National Board Director-at-Large and Region VIII Vice Chairperson
REGION IX
www.regionixvpppa.org Well, if you haven’t guessed
fundraiser, a brewery tour and a
by now, you missed it. That’s
Rockies baseball game outing.
right, you missed another great
Jerry Parkstone, a standalone
Safety+ Symposium, this time
VPP Manager (first for Utah),
in New Orleans. It was so great
has organized a VPP promotion
to see everyone who was able
alliance with Utah companies
to attend. If you were there, let
(both state and federal) and the
us know how you enjoyed the
Utah Safety Council to promote
event overall. Did your questions Leader—Autumn 2019
55
RRU
Region V photos continued. Chairperson, J.A. Rodriguez,
to helping you understand how,
Jr. and Vice Chairperson, Terry
simply by working the VPP
Schulte? If you didn’t, you
program elements.
should, they made us proud! Your Region IX Board of Directors, and the rest of
and its members, maintain a
the family, want to thank
presence as a valuable resource,
everyone for coming. Those
always ready to pitch in and
of you who could not make it,
help whenever they can. That’s
we understand; calendars fill
the partnership commitment
quickly, summer vacations, life
the program fosters. Paying it
happens! Remember to block out
forward by collaborating with
your calendar now, for April 21,
our state and federal OSHA
2020, our next big regional event!
partners where possible.
The Region IX safety summit
of the regional members have
Pack your bags, write down your
provided much needed support
safety questions and come join
and assistance for past safety
us in Las Vegas, NV. Oh hey, you
events working with Hawaii
know what they say about Las
OSHA and the Hawaiian ASSP...
Vegas? Well if you don’t, come
Now, that’s rough duty, but hey
join us, and find out.
someone’s got to do it, right? They also help by working with
the upcoming 2020 VPPPA
their Federal OSHA partners to
Regional Safety Summit,
provide support for activities
several Board members are
in Guam and the many military
busy working to support the
facilities within the Region.
National Conference for next year
Another example of the Board’s
as well. Your Region IX Board
tireless effort is the ongoing
representatives are actively
work toward building process
working with each of the state
improvement, by attending the
VPP Program Coordinators, to
California VPP Roundtable, where
develop a more state-specific,
open discussions take place
VPP instructional workshop. They
on best practices and program
do all this, in an effort to support
improvement… does it get any
each states’ unique needs. I
better than that?
know, I know, you’re thinking…
As you can see, they don’t sit
Do these people ever stop? The
around and wait until something
answer is, NO! Representatives
happens, they go out and make
have met on multiple occasions
it happen. If you want to get
with California reps, as part of
involved, reach out to one of
the ongoing labor/management
the representatives in your area
committee discussions.
and simply ask… how can I help?
In Arizona, there have been
Remember, it takes a lot of effort
numerous occasions where local
to put on a conference, coordinate
regional VPPPA representatives
speakers, figure out menus, (yes,
make appearances at various
we like to eat), and everything that
collaborative events, ranging from
goes into the effort, but that is
VPP star site celebrations, to a
one small part of the year-round
presence at local Safety Summits,
work that goes into improving
put on by the Arizona Division
safety and health for workers and
of Occupational Safety & Health
workplaces throughout Region
or ADOSH; all in an effort to help
IX. Come join us in Vegas and
educate others on the benefits of
“See How We Roll!” Get it… Vegas,
a world class safety management
see how we roll... Ha-Ha, see what I did there. Stay safe!
get answered, did you get the
until next year? Did you enjoy
system. Your company can
assistance you need? Did your
gaming it up, during the regional
take safety and health to a
safety batteries get the full
breakout session? Did you catch
new level and the regional
charge necessary to carry them
the SafetyPro Podcast featuring
representatives are committed
56 Leader—Autumn 2019
Speaking of support, several
will be here before you know it.
In addition to planning for
(Top two photos) Oshkosh Defense Oakwood Facility flag raising. (Third photo) Marathon Petroleum Lansing Terminal flag raising. (Fourth photo) Cintas site #355 in Rockford, IL, raising their VPP Star worksite flag. (Bottom photo) Cintas in Bedford, IL, celebrating their VPP Star approval.
In Nevada, VPP continues to grow, and your Region IX Board
Contributed by Mark Norton, Ambassador to Region IX vpppa.org
SAFETY NEVER STOPS. Nucor believes that safety isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. Our teammates meet daily to reinforce good habits and discuss ways to improve on safety. But those conversations aren’t just about the workplace. From the home to the job and everywhere in between, safety never stops with the Nucor team.
www.nucor.com
R
More events to come! Check VPPPA Regional websites for up-to-date information.
Calendar of Events December
April
Mid-December
Membership Renewals February
25–27
National Board of Directors Meeting & Congressional Outreach May
25
Safety+ Registration Opens
12–14
9–11
Boise, Idaho
Birmingham, AL
Region IV Conference
19–22
15–17
San Antonio, TX
Killington, VT
Region VI Conference
VPPPA contacts
Region IX Conference
Las Vegas, NV
27–May 1 Region III Conference
Pocono Manor, PA
July June
Region X Conference
20–24
10
Safety+ Symposium Regular Rate Deadline
27–30
Region V Conference Lake Geneva, WI
27–29
Region VII Conference Des Moines, IA
27–May 1
Region VIII Conference Denver, CO
August
7
Safety+ Symposium Registration Closes (onsite registration still available)
27–30
Region I Conference
Orlando, FL
To reach the VPPPA National Office, call (703) 761-1146 or visit www. vpppa.org. To reach a particular staff member, please refer to the contact information below.
Sara A. Taylor, CMP Director of Operations staylor@vpppa.org Brielle Mroczko Conference Coordinator bmroczko@vpppa.org
Kerri Carpenter Communications & Outreach Manager kcarpenter@vpppa.org Jamie Mitchell Communications Coordinator jmitchell@vpppa.org Heidi Hill Senior Event Sales & Advertising Coordinator hhill@vpppa.org
58 Leader—Autumn 2019
Katlyn Pagliuca Membership Manager kpagliuca@vpppa.org Natasha Cole Member Services Coordinator ncole@vpppa.org Sierra Johnson Special Projects Coordinator sjohnson@vpppa.org
Bryant Walker, CIOS, CSIS Information & Data Analyst Manager bwalker@vpppa.org Courtney Malveaux, Esq Government Relations Counsel cmalveaux@vpppa.org
vpppa.org
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