The Leader - Vibration Hazards Issue - Spring 2014

VOLUME 1, ISSUE I, SPRING 2014

HAND-ARM VIBRATION HAZARDS

chairman’s message

Dear Members,

M

ark your calendars for the 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference August 25–28, 2014, at the Gaylord National Hotel which will also allow you to take in the many sights of Washington, D.C. For our 30th

anniversary, we are preparing a special celebration to recognize companies that have been in the program for 30 or more years, along with the affiliate partners who were our first four exhibitors.

Attendance at the national and regional conferences continues to be strong. In 2013, a total of 7,400 attendees participated in the conferences and we expect higher attendance this year. This shows that the national and regional conferences bring value to all VPP sites and those working to get into the program. Another indication of the value is the support from our valued exhibitors. Last year, there were a total of 868 exhibitors participating in the conferences. The regional conferences are finishing up and each region did an outstanding job putting together first-class events.

Our efforts to educate Congress on the value of VPP continue, and after the record setting 380 congressional meetings in 2013, we just completed 104 very successful meetings in March. The next congressional outreach is scheduled for June 17–19 and we invite everyone who possibly can, to join us for a very enjoyable experience.

Membership renewals are on pace to have a record setting year. Don’t miss out on the many benefits of being a member of the association if your site has not yet renewed for 2014. As we continue overcoming obstacles, remember strength is in numbers and we need

For our 30th anniversary, we are preparing a special celebration to recognize companies that have been in the program for 30 or more years, along with the affiliate partners who were our first four exhibitors.

help from all sites.

Thank you and remember with everyone working together, the best is yet to come.

MIKE MADDOX Chairman VPPPA Board of Directors THE LEADER

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LEADER THE

VOL 1. ISSUE I

SPRING 2014

cover

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CONTENTS

Hand-Arm Vibration Hazards

Some of the health effects that have been linked to hand transmitted vibrations are: 1) Vascular disorders where it is believed that vibrations can disturb digital circulation making it more sensitive to the vasoconstrictive action of cold; 2) Neurological disorders with sensorineural disturbances as well as entrapment neuropathies, the most common being carpal tunnel syndrome; and 3) Musculoskeletal disorders where there may be bone and joint degeneration, muscular weakness and fatigue. Other disorders associated with the effects of hand/arm vibration include vibration white finger, Raynaud’s syndrome, Depuytren’s contracture, Kienbock’s disease, and DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis.

features

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Control the Vibration!

What’s in Your Ergonomic Tool Box? Vibration transferred through soft tissue is one factor that can create spasms in the small blood vessels of the extremities. The spasm and inflammation result in impaired circulation. Adding other conditions such as duration and frequency or adding other ergonomic risk factors to the vibration exposure such as force, awkward postures, repetition and others may lead to cumulative trauma disorders. To lessen the effect, vibration dampening materials act as a barrier between the soft tissue and the source of vibration to lessen the effect.

This is a common initial response.

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30th Annual National VPPPA Conference

The 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference is rapidly approaching! For the past 29 years, thousands of safety and health professionals have attended the conference to gain new insights into innovative safety practices and to network with the best-of-the-best in the safety and health industry.

THE LEADER

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Vibration Safety in Utility Locating— Solving a Problem I Didn’t Know I Had

When first asked to write an article about vibration and vibration injuries, I had to stop and ask myself, is there really such a thing?

As a 20-year veteran of the utility locating business, I had never considered the hazards of vibration injury, especially in the field of utility locating and the process of vacuum excavation. I have implemented a number of safety processes and standards throughout my career that were designed to reduce injuries and fatigue in my employees but had never considered this element of the work until recently. After studying the facts surrounding vibration injuries and hand-arm vibration (HAV), the next task was to develop a better understanding of how all of the information I read related to me, my field employees, our field processes and what changes we can and have implemented to reduce the risk to our employees.

www.vpppa.org

features continued

VPPPA National Board of Directors

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Whole Body Vibration: The Wrong Chair Can Impact Your Driver’s Health and Hinder Your Bottom Line Back injuries, particularly lower back pain (LBP), are among the most prevalent and costly non-lethal medical conditions affecting adults. A number of scientific studies have shown an association between an exposure to vehicle-related whole body vibration (WBV) and the development of LBP. The potential adverse health effects associated with the exposure to whole body vibration is common knowledge to our neighbors over in Europe, where they have a health standard to limit a worker’s exposure to whole body vibration; but the same can’t be said for those of us working in the United States.

sections

Chairperson Mike Maddox, NuStar Energy, LP Vice Chairperson Mike Guillory, SGE, The Brock Group Treasurer Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory Secretary Anthony Stoner, Integrity Windows and Doors

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The ABC’s of Identifying, Assessing And Reducing Vibration Exposure In the Workplace

Director from a Site With a Collective Bargaining Agent Kent Lang, Clearwater Paper Corporation

Most of us don’t think about being exposed to vibration, but we are on a daily basis: when we drive our cars, mow the lawn and even when we are riding a bike on a rough surface. These exposures are usually short-term and may result in a tingling feeling or temporary discomfort. However, many people working in a number of different industries are exposed to vibration through the daily use of powered hand tools. These workers may develop a condition known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

Director from a DOE-VPP Site Stacy Thursby, Washington Closure Hanford

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INFOGRAPHICS CORNER

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CAPITOL WATCH

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IN BRIEF

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Director from a VPP Contractor/ Construction Site Richard McConnell, Austin Industrial at LyondellBasell Director-at-Large Frank Avila, Motorola Solutions Director-at-Large Shelley Baber, FirstEnergy Corporation Director-at-Large Bill Harkins, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company Director-at-Large J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE , Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC

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GLOBAL SAFETY & HEALTH WATCH

Director from a Site Without a Collective Bargaining Agent Robert Henson, LyondellBasell

Director-at-Large Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP Editor Sarah Neely, VPPPA, Inc.

MEMBER INFO CORNER

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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Look for these topics highlighted in the top right corner of each section.

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.

FEATURE COLUMN

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G overnment

STATE-PLAN MONITOR

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M embership

CHAPTER ROUND-UPS

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H ealth

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

BY THE NUMBERS

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VPPPA, Inc. • 7600-E Leesburg Pike • Ste. 100 Falls Church, VA 22043-2004

Business

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

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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.

Outreach

Ideas and opinions expressed within The Leader represent the independent views of the authors.

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global safety & health watch

Fever Pitch

BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

Labor ministry officials in Sao Paulo have now said that inspectors turned a blind eye to problems so that Itaquerao could be completed in time for the World Cup.

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THE LEADER

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une 12, 2014, will mark the beginning of the world’s largest sporting tournament, the monthlong 2014 FIFA World Cup. Brazil, the winningest country in the competition’s history, will host for the first time since 1950. Twelve cities from the southern coast to deep in the Amazon Jungle will host 32 teams from countries across the globe. As a showcase for the nation, Brazil has invested heavily in new stadia and transportation infrastructure running the gamut from bus systems to airports.

Spending is on track to more than double the next most expensive tournament (Germany in 2006), but Brazil views part of this as an investment for the even larger 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

With so much new construction needed to host the World Cup, many projects have slipped past their deadlines. In April, work was halted at Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo, the site of the opening match between Brazil and Croatia, after a worker fell 26 feet, having apparently failed to connect himself to a safety cable. He was helping to install 20,000 temporary seats to increase the stadium’s capacity. At the same location, two workers were killed in a crane collapse in November. A judge initially blocked a soccer match in a Rio de Janeiro venue due to scaffolding and exposed cables and bolts in May 2013.

Additionally, a portion of the roof of a stadium in Salvador collapsed after a rainstorm. In total, seven workers have lost their lives during construction in accidents at World Cup venues in Brazil.

Delays in construction originally due to disagreements over financing, have been compounded by these deaths.

FIFA set a deadline for all venues to be completed before 2014; six locations missed that deadline. As of publication, three are still under construction with the tournament less than two months

away. The requirement set by FIFA was to ensure enough time for adequate security arrangements in the event of violence or protests. These concerns were stoked by similar occurrences during the Confederations Cup in Brazil last year, partly attributed to dissatisfaction with overspending on preparations for the World Cup and Olympics. This has been exacerbated by a recent police strike in Salvador, the nation’s third largest city and the site of six matches this summer, which produced a spike in violent crime.

Labor ministry officials in Sao Paulo have now said that inspectors turned a blind eye to problems so that Itaquerao could be completed in time for the World Cup. State prosecutors have also threatened to close the venue if problems were identified, even during the tournament if necessary. Such an event would draw negative attention when the spotlight is on Brazil. In light of these problems and rising costs, detractors are questioning the decision to build 12 new stadia in different cities, some of which cannot justify arenas of that size outside of large international competitions.

The tension between completing a job on time and completing it safely is at the core of the issue. Hosting any major international event like the World Cup is an important occasion for any country and a matter of national pride. The bidding processes to be chosen as a host nation are intense and matched by subsequent pressure to put on the “best ever” event while showcasing national achievements.

News outlets are quick to report any failings or misfires, regardless of their size, as was recently the case with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Unfortunately, this problem is likely to remain as long as the competition for international bragging rights continues both on and off the pitch.

infographics corner

Nationally, almost

60%

of all work-related illnesses are

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).

ONE

IN 10

JOBS WITH A HIGH RISK OF VIBRATION INJURY THAT YOU HAVE PROBABLY NEVER CONSIDERED: TATTOO ARTISTS DENTAL HYGIENISTS DENTISTS MINERS

of these are vibration related.

TRUCK AND BUS DRIVERS

IN THE U.S. ALONE, ABOUT

2.5 MILLION WORKERS ARE EXPOSED DAILY TO HAND-ARM VIBRATION FROM POWER TOOLS THEY USE ON THEIR JOB. Even by conservative estimates, as many as 1.25 million power tool users may be at risk for developing HAVS.

RAILWAY OPERATORS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FARMERS VIOLINISTS AND PERCUSSIONISTS FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS FORKLIFT OPERATORS LANDSCAPERS THE LEADER

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capitol watch

BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

DOL Budget Hearings U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez has testified before three committees to discuss the Department of Labor’s (DOL) portion of the president’s proposed Fiscal Year 2015 Budget: the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies. Across all three, the secretary highlighted some of the administration’s major proposals including raising the federal minimum wage and highlighting April 8 as Equal Pay Day (the day when women’s wages catch up to men’s from the previous year on average). Additionally, Perez emphasized DOL’s work to help the unemployed and members of the armed services joining the civilian job

Perez emphasized DOL’s work to help the unemployed and members of the armed services joining the civilian job market, describing the department’s role as a “Match.com” helping employers and jobseekers match skills with job openings.

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THE LEADER

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market, describing the department’s role as a “Match.com” helping employers and jobseekers match skills with job openings.

As is usually the case, members of Congress took this time to raise concerns about DOL or the administration’s broader policies.

Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R TN-3) asked Perez about support of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), citing declining funding despite its savings for private and public sector worksites. The secretary responded that he was a strong believer in VPP, but that with reductions in funding for DOL as a whole, many of the departments’ programs are competing for resources. The most frequent line of questioning posed concerned OSHA’s ability to inspect family farms. Congress included a rider in legislation that specifically prevents OSHA from enforcing regulations at farming operations with 10 or fewer employees.

OSHA recently inspected a farm that listed its activities as more than farming operations.

Many members expressed concern over this instance, and Perez assured them that DOL is working to obey the rider where it applies.

Senate Confirmations In a voice vote on April 1, 2014, Christopher Lu was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the deputy secretary of labor. Lu was legislative director for then Senator Obama and served as executive director of the Obama-Biden transition team after the 2008 general election.

He served as cabinet secretary for the Obama administration from 2009 to 2013, managing the relationship between the president and members of the cabinet.

In another voice vote on March 12, 2014, Heather MacDougall was confirmed for a three-year term as a commissioner of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC). MacDougall was previously of counsel at Akerman LLP and served as chief legal counsel and special advisor to the chairman of OSHRC. She joins Commissioner Cynthia Attwood and Chairman Thomasina Rogers. OSHRC is an administrative court that provides trial and appellate review of contests of penalties and citations issued by OSHA.

Flood Insurance Law is a Policy Reversal The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 was signed into law on March 21, 2014, after passing both chambers of Congress by sizeable margins.

The legislation reverses some of the changes of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, which sought to address the $25 billion shortfall for the National Flood Insurance Program driven by large-scale disasters like Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.

The prior legislation was designed to allow premiums to rise to actuarial costs for some properties which have long received federal subsidies totaling half of the cost. In addition to reducing taxpayer burdens, the intention was to encourage property owners to take into account the risks and dangers posed by flooding through the premium price. New flood maps were supposed to replace outdated ones to better assess this risk. The 2014 act caps some of these premium increases and allows the use of outdated flood maps.

in brief

BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

Final Electric Power Rule The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a final rule updating 40-year old standards covering electric power generation, transmission and distribution. Specific changes are made to the construction standard for electric power line work for improved fall protection, changes to approach-distance requirements and additional protections from electric arcs. Electrical protective equipment standards are also revised for all construction work and include new performance-oriented requirements.

The administration estimates that the changes will prevent 20 deaths and more than

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has created a Healthy Aging at Work topic page, www. cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ healthyagingatwork/, to address issues like hearing loss and musculoskeletal disorders that will become more prevalent as the U.S. and global workforces age.

100 serious injuries per year along with $179 million in savings, totaling $130 million when accounting for cost. Portions of the changes enter into effect on July 10, 2014, with other provisions facing a compliance deadline of April 1, 2015. More details on the final rule and related resources can be found at www.osha.gov/dsg/power_generation/.

Vehicle Backover Rule Announced The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a final rule addressing backover hazards for most vehicles. The rule requires rear visibility technology on all vehicles under 10,000 pounds that are manufactured after May 1, 2018. NHTSA hopes to prevent 210 deaths and 15,000 injuries a year caused by backover crashes in the U.S. For more on travel and transportation safety, check out the summer edition of The Leader which will be released in August.

part-time with 46 percent working fulltime. By 2007, these figures had reversed, suggesting that retirement-age workers are working longer, even before the effects of the recent economic recession. The rate of nonfatal injuries at work declines with age starting with individuals in their twenties.

However, the rate of fatal injuries increases continuously with age, with individuals over 65 years old subject to a much higher rate.

CDC Warns of E-Cigarette Poisonings The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are cautioning the public about the hazard of e-cigarette liquids due to a rise in the number of related calls to poison centers, now over 200 per month. The liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes is hazardous and ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the eyes or skin is dangerous. CDC reported that the majority of calls regarded children under the age of five but more than 40 percent concerned individuals over the age of 20.

NIOSH Resources on the Aging Workforce

CFPA Whistleblower Rule Issued

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has created a Healthy Aging at Work topic page, www.cdc.gov/niosh/ topics/healthyagingatwork/, to address issues like hearing loss and musculoskeletal disorders that will become more prevalent as the U.S. and global workforces age.

NIOSH estimates that by next year, one in five U.S. workers will be over age 65 and that this figure will grow to one in four by 2020. In 1995, approximately 56 percent of workers over the age of 65 were employed

Whistleblower protections related to the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) have been laid out in an interim final rule from OSHA. The included procedures address burdens of proof, statutes of limitations and other requirements for dealing with retaliation in the consumer financial products and services sectors, covering everything from home mortgages to payday and private student loans.

Comments will be accepted online at www.regulations.gov until June 2, 2014.

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feature column

Voice of VPP

BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

“The staffers and members of Congress are interested in what we have to say, which is refreshing to know as it is not always reported that way. They really want to hear from regular people who are trying to help people in their districts or states.”

—Kristyn Grow

Kristyn Grow and Rep. Eric Cantor after discussing Virginia’s VPP sites.

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n March, fifteen representatives from Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) worksites across the United States visited Washington, D.C., to discuss VPP with members of Congress. As part of the VPP Participants’ Association’s (VPPPA) congressional outreach, these dedicated volunteers shared their program experiences with more than 100 congressional offices, representing all corners of the country and crossing party lines. This event was the most recent in a series of efforts to educate policymakers about one of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) premier programs. Despite its small size, VPP helps to protect approximately one million workers across the U.S. at more than 2,300 different worksites. However, this fact is often lost among the hundreds of issues that elected officials deal with day-to-day. These congressional outreach events help to keep VPP on the minds of Congress and their staffs. Two outreach participants agreed to share their experiences with the visits and their advice for newcomers.

Kristyn Grow, VPP manager for Cintas, recalled the first time she took part, “Politics has never been one of my interests and civics was never my favorite subject in school, so I was outside of my comfort zone initially.” After seeing how VPPPA national board members communicated about VPP in her first meeting, Grow found that championing the program was something that came naturally, “By my second or third meeting, I felt comfortable taking the lead and sharing my personal experience and belief in VPP.” A couple years later Grow has just taken part in her sixth such outreach event “During the last visit, I met with 15 different offices and I loved that busy schedule—the more the better!”

The highlight of the most recent event was her meeting at House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-VA 7) office: “I was surprised that he took the time for the meeting himself and not just some of his aides. He asked insightful

questions about the program and really sought to understand how it worked.”

Terry Schulte, a HSE manager for NuStar Energy in Elk Grove, CA, recalls his shock that meeting with congressional offices was relatively uncomplicated, “I was very surprised at how easy it is to meet with aides and members of Congress.”

Although he only recently began chairing VPPPA’s national Legislative and Regulatory Committee, which helps to organize the events, Schulte has been involved for much longer. “I am not sure how many I have even participated in, but I started about four years ago.” Even those first visits paid dividends, “I also had some follow-up conversations with [the offices we met with originally] that have produced longstanding acquaintances.”

With so many meetings, participants find there is a certain pattern to most visits.

“Typically the icebreaker is asking how familiar they are with VPP,” Grow says “The first five minutes of a meeting are usually spent explaining where VPP fits within OSHA and the nature of cooperative programs. I then go over the specific benefits for participating employees and companies and share not only the effect on employee involvement but the savings for my company. I then talk about any Cintas sites in their districts, or, if there aren’t any of our locations nearby, I use the site list provided by the VPPPA National Office to highlight participating companies in their area.”

Schulte emphasizes this point, “The staffers and members of Congress are interested in what we have to say, which is refreshing to know as it is not always reported that way. They really want to hear from regular people who are trying to help people in their districts or states.”

Connecting the program in general to a representative’s home state or district is key.

Even small national programs like VPP seem abstract without connecting their effects to people and communities, a strategy that has worked for Schulte in the past. “I met with

a congressional aide from Iowa and he really wanted to know about the program so we talked several times in the months following our visit. He later visited a VPP Star site in his district and became a big advocate for the Voluntary Protection Programs.” Inviting policymakers to see your worksite is one of the best ways to share your experience with VPP. Even if they do not represent your area, you can offer to put them in contact with a local site by taking advantage of VPPPA’s regions and their local networks.

When asked about why it is important to spend the time to interact with Congress, given all the other important issues in the world, Grow pointed out that only a few people have the opportunity to do so and someone has to be a voice for VPP. “It is important to me because the 30,000 people at my company’s sites don’t all have the opportunity to speak out about VPP. I have the opportunity to share their experience and bring their message to Washington, D.C. Beyond that, I can help be a spokesperson for the 100,000 other VPP employees from Region III and Star sites across the country. A lot of the time that I mention OSHA, I’m met with the sound of crickets because people mainly know the enforcement side of the agency. But, it’s important to share VPP’s story. I don’t believe in this niche program because I am a corporate safety person, but because I believe in it personally. It’s better to speak about it from that place rather than a script. The more we educate people about VPP and make it a topic people are familiar with, the more likely it is that policymakers will remember it when difficult decisions need to be made.”

This belief is what drives VPP participants to share their story. Part of the stringent requirements that makes the program such a success is the requirement of safety and health outreach and sharing your own successes with other worksites. Whether by mentoring a potential new site, performing community service, planning a workshop or

visiting Capitol Hill, VPP sites want to share the difference that a safe, cooperative work environment has made in their lives.

Schulte shared his thoughts for someone debating taking part in a future event: “I would say every VPPPA member should participate in one outreach visit to not only get a better understanding of VPP, but to see how this great system of democracy works.

Our voice does count and members of Congress do listen. It is up to us to tell them what is important to us.”

“Our voice does count and members of Congress do listen. It is up to us to tell them what is important to us.”

— Terry Schulte

If you are interested in taking part in VPPPA’s next congressional outreach event or would like more information on how to interact with your representatives, contact the Government Affairs Department at governmentaffairs@ vpppa.org or (703) 761-1146.

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state-plan monitor COMPILED BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

Federal OSHA States State-Plan States Public Sector Only

Currently, 22 states and territories in the U.S. run their own complete state-plan programs (covering private sector, state and local government employees). These states developed and operate their own job safety and health programs, as encouraged by Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

Five other jurisdictions have plans that only cover public sector employees. Each report was collected from state-plan OSHA representatives.

Arizona Jessie Atencio and his staff are working to keep up with the re-approvals for 2014 and at the same time keep up with the new applications and demand for additional education on the program. The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) currently has 36 participating Star sites and, as noted, is working to see that increase even more.

ADOSH performed 17 VPP outreach sessions this year. The outcome of that effort has been several new application submittals. If you’re interested in learning more about the program, contact ADOSH, and ask for Jessie Atencio or someone in the Consultation Section.

California On March 19, 2014, California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) Consultation Program Manager Vicky Heza attended a California VPP (Cal/VPP) Star re-approval ceremony at Easter Municipal Water District (EMWD) and presented the award. The facility was originally recognized as a Star site in September 1999. Their employees are International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members and the facility is covered by the Process Safety Management (PSM) standard.

On April 25, Cal/VPP Manager Iraj Pourmehraban and Cal/OSHA Compliance Regional Manager William

Wood Group Cosumnes Power Plant in Herald was recently recognized as a Cal/VPP Star site.

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Estakheri presented the Cal/VPP Star award to all employees at Wood Group Cosumnes Power Plant in Herald. The plant was mentored by Terry Coble from Covanta Stanislaus originally and later by Terry Schulte from NuStar in Elk Grove.

The plant has great employee involvement and an exemplary safety record.

The Performance Mechanical Inc., Gardena (PMI) ceremony was on May 1, 2014, and Vicky Heza presented the Cal/ VPP Star award. The site was mentored by Terry Schulte and Maria Ilomin from Safeway Services LP. PMI-Gardena has been working to achieve VPP approval since 2006.

At the VPPPA Region IX VPPPA Safety Summit in Anaheim, CA, Vicky Heza provided an overview of Cal/OSHA’s program and Iraj Pourmehraban presented Cal/VPP Star updates and a workshop entitled “The Nuts and Bolts of Effective Auditing.” The topic on lessons learned from recent major incidents and accidents

by Dr. Najm Meshkati was well received by attendees and some of the attendees suggested a half day workshop be held in the future to cover the topic in more detail.

The Cal/VPP consultants and State Plan Monitors (STMs) were extremely busy during the first quarter of 2014 and below is an overview of their activities.

Re-Approved Sites • Foster Wheeler Martinez, Inc. in Martinez • NRG Encina Power Station in Carlsbad • Tropicana Products, Inc. in City of Industry • Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA) in Ventura • Precision Engine Controls Corporation in San Diego • Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems in San Diego • Covanta Stanislaus, Inc. in Crows Landing • CP Kelco in San Diego • Raytheon Space Airborne Systems in El-Segundo • Valero Benicia Refinery in Benicia • The Dow Chemical in Pittsburg New Sites • Control Components Inc in Rancho Santa Margarita

• Wheelabrator Shasta in Anderson • Wood Group Cosumnes Power Plant in Herald Thanks to all STMs for their participation in VPP activities. The Northern California STM training and refresher session on Sept.

23–25, 2014, has already filled up and we are planning a session in Southern California.

Hawaii In Hawaii, the Voluntary Protection Programs is also known as “Hana Po’okela,” which translates to “excellent work,” and has four Star sites participating under the jurisdiction of Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health (HIOSH). An additional site in the state falls under federal jurisdiction.

Iowa Iowa OSHA VPP currently has 43 Star sites and two Merit sites. Please join us in congratulating two new VPP Star sites.

Monsanto in Huxley, was approved for Star status in 2013, and Monsanto in Independence was approved for Star status in 2014. Each of these sites received a rigorous audit that included more than one visit for seasonal observations as activities varied widely, depending on the time of year.

We are also happy to announce the following companies were re-approved as Star sites in 2013: Monsanto in Muscatine; LyondellBasell Industries in Clinton; DuPont Pioneer in Mount Pleasant; and Clow Valve Foundry in Oskaloosa. More good news as the following Star sites were re-approved in 2014: DuPont Pioneer in Dysart; Rockwell Collins in Bellevue; and Monsanto in Williamsburg.

For more information about the Iowa VPP program, contact VPP Coordinator Shashi Patel at (515) 281-6369 or www. iowaworkforce.org/labor/iosh.

Minnesota Minnesota currently has 34 Star sites and two Merit sites within the Minnesota VPP (MNSTAR) program. Of the 34 Star sites, 33 are classified as general industry and one is a resident contractor at our

MNSTAR approved refinery. 2014 has been a very good year for Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) and the MNSTAR program. Since the beginning of the year, we have continued to process our reapproval audits in a timely manner, have one new site pending final approval and have three other new site visits scheduled for the year. Unfortunately, one of our longer-standing employers voluntarily withdrew from the program based on their injury and illness rates elevating.

Having a dedicated MNSTAR team has allowed us to build strong working relationships with our partners and open lines of communication from site to site. Our current stakeholders continue to promote the program to their clients which has led to an increase of inquiries into the program.

At this time MNSTAR has one official re-approval since the last issue of The Leader: Aveda—Midwest Distribution Center in Blaine has been re-approved as a full MNSTAR site. We have multiple other sites pending final approval or employers under the 90-day deferral period.

The MNSTAR Team continues to receive inquires and has visited multiple employers who expressed interest in the MNSTAR Program. The small team approach has allowed MNOSHA to remain consistent from site to site and has helped to alleviate any scheduling conflicts. All employers are held to the same high standard required for participation in the program and are encouraged to share the best practices among the other MNSTAR participants.

If you would like further information about the MNSTAR Program, please visit www.doli.state.mn.us/WSC/Mnstar.asp or contact Ryan Nosan, MNSTAR VPP coordinator, at ryan.nosan@state.mn.us.

state-plan, stated there was one application pending review and anticipates three additional re-approvals in the remainder of 2014, all out of Reno. In addition, three other locations are working to complete applications and are looking forward to growing the program.

Tennessee On Dec. 5, 2013, Steve Hawkins, administrator of Tennessee OSHA, presented the employees of Hendrickson Trailer in Clarksville with the site’s Volunteer Star re-approval award.

On March 5, 2014, Commissioner Burns Phillips recognized the Delta Air Lines— Memphis Technical Operations as the state’s newest Volunteer Star site.

On Feb. 18, 2014, Steve Hawkins, presented the employees of the Frito-Lay Distribution Center in Chattanooga with the site’s Volunteer Star re-approval award.

Tennessee OSHA has recently conducted successful on-site evaluations at Performance Pipe in Knoxville, General Electric Capital Aviation Services in Memphis, ITW Dynatec in Hendersonville and Owens Corning in Springfield.

Nevada VPP is growing in Nevada—now with nine total sites. Desert Star Energy and Chevron Phillips are the most recent re-approvals, and the newest approval is Clearwater Paper Inc. in north Las Vegas. Congratulations to you all for the accomplishment! Jess Lankford, program coordinator for the THE LEADER

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state-plan monitor Vermont Over the course of the past three years we have lost a total of four Green Mountain VPP (GMVPP) sites, which have all voluntarily withdrawn. That’s the bad news, the good news is that we seem to be stabilizing and we actually accepted a new GMVPP Star site in December of 2013.

The site, Curtis Lumber, Burlington, is a small site which is a lumber and building supplies retail establishment. The members we presently have include IBM, Essex Junction; Energizer Bennington; GE Aviation, Rutland; Ben and Jerry’s Homemade, Saint Albans; and Curtis Lumber, Burlington.

The Challenge program is still effective with two partners presently going through the process, Stratton Mountain Ski Area as well as Dailey Precast currently enrolled.

We (the VPP sites and myself ) conduct quarterly “VOSHA Challenge” meetings to discuss issues as well as strategize mentoring projects including current and future Challenge partners.

Recent outreach efforts include meeting with the Safety Committee of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters concerning VPP meeting with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation about the possibility of becoming a Challenge participant

VPP in Virginia continues to expand. Recently there were four regional coordinator positions created in the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry to help the state’s program grow from its current 40 active VPP sites.

We have received five new VPP applications from interested sites and expect additional interested sites to follow later this year.

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All in all, I think, we have stabilized the GMVPP. We have a core of active and strong membership and are taking steps to build into the future. The GMVPP has the support of Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) and the Vermont Department of Labor, and we see it only becoming more active as we go forward.

Virginia VPP in Virginia continues to expand.

Recently there were four regional coordinator positions created in the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry to help the state’s program grow from its current 40 active VPP sites. We have received five new VPP applications from interested sites and expect additional interested sites to follow later this year.

The new regional coordinators have taken over leading re-approval evaluation teams and joined in on other evaluation teams.

These new employees have been vital in keeping the momentum going in Virginia.

Congratulations to our newest VPP site Tecton Products, LLC in Salem for their recent successful Merit approval evaluation.

Congratulations to the following sites for their recent re-approval as Star sites: • Kraft Foods Global Planters Peanuts in Suffolk • Huber Engineered Woods in Crystal Hill • Toray Plastics in Front Royal • ABB, Inc in Bland Kraft, Huber and ABB hosted a number of visitors from sites interested in VPP during the opening day of their reapproval evaluations.

There have been other events where VPP has been showcased by current sites. FAREVA-Richmond held a Best Practices Day with more than 40 visitors with presenters from several VPP sites.

A big thank you to FAREVA-Richmond, PGI-Waynesboro, International PaperRichmond and Cintas Corporate for sponsoring this event and having their employees provide a review of their employee-driven safety initiatives.

Additionally, Integrity Windows & Doors in Roanoke provided more than 25 visitors with a back stage pass to

their annual Safety Day event. There were games of skill, knowledge and entertainment for the employees and visitors to discover the benefits and requirements of VPP. Congratulations to 2014 Region III Mentor of the Year Ronald Buck of BASF in Suffolk. He and BASF-Suffolk personnel have been very active in mentoring other sites in the Tidewater region of Virginia. They have also mentored FAREVA-Richmond and a group of Sherwin-Williams personnel in Process Safety Management (PSM) concerns at their sites.

Plans are coming together for the 19th Annual VOSH Conference in October 2014. For more information, vendor registration or sponsorships, contact the director of cooperative programs at (804) 786-6613 or visit www.doli.virginia.gov.

Finally, there will be an SGE class scheduled for Sept. 16–18, 2014, at the NASA Langley Conference Center in Hampton. Approved participants will spend two and a half days learning about the responsibilities of being an SGE and how they can support VPP. In order to participate, applicants must complete the SGE application www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/ sge/sge_application.doc and the Financial Disclosure Form www.usoge.gov/forms/ oge450_pdf/oge450_accessible_08.pdf.

Applications must be received by the U.S. DOL SGE coordinator no later than June 15, 2014, in order to participate in the NASA Hampton, Virginia class. The mailing address is on the application.

Being an SGE is an excellent way to be part of the continued growth of VPP and contributing to the sustained reduction of accidents at VPP sites.

Washington There are currently 28 recognized VPP sites in the Washington state program.

Onsite evaluations for continued participation were conducted at The Dow Chemical Company in Elma and Phillips 66 in Renton. An initial onsite evaluation for participation was completed with Cascades Sonoco in Tacoma.

Cascades Sonoco was the state’s first Star site. Re-approval onsites are scheduled in the coming months for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman and Intermech in Richland. Ceremonies were held for Trident Seafoods in Anacortes, PSC Environmental Services in Tacoma and US Gypsum in Auburn.

VPP in Washington held its second annual Continuous Improvement and Safety Excellence Seminar on March 20, 2014, at the Labor and Industries Main Office. One hundred and ten people were in attendance and included participation from state and federal VPP sites as well as numerous state agencies and Washington workplaces. The agenda for the seminar was chosen based on results from a survey completed by potential attendees. Topics and presenters included: • Lean Problem Solving Using an A3 • Ralph Seely, Point B Management Consultants • Lean Daily Management • Joel Beherndt, Point B Management Consultants • Lean Case Studies • Marjorie Brice, CPU River Road Generating Plant • Jeremy Fanning, Cascades Sonoco, Tacoma • Tim Miller and Ted Hansen, US Gypsum, Auburn • Stew Henderson, WA Employment Security Department • What Can We Learn About Safety from Pete Carroll and Coach K? Hint, It’s All About Culture.

• Lennie Mees, MD, President, Kennis Corporation • Safety Culture Panel from VPP Worksites • Max VanValey, Oldcastle Precast, Auburn • Maxine Larsen, Trident Seafoods, Anacortes • Oliver Lyles, Nucor Steel Seattle, Inc. The seminar was well received by attendees and there is interest in another seminar in spring 2015.

contacting each state >> Alaska Bill Nickerson VPP Coordinator Phone: (907) 269-4948 www.labor.state.ak.us/lss/ oshhome.htm Arizona Jessie Atencio Assistant Director Phone: (520) 220-4222 www.ica.state.az.us/ ADOSH/ADOSH_main.aspx California Iraj Pourmehraban Cal/VPP & PSM Manager Phone: (510) 622-1080 www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/cal_ vpp/cal_vpp_index.html Hawaii Clayton Chun Manager Phone: (808) 586-9110 labor.hawaii.gov/hiosh Indiana Michael Gaskill Manager Phone: (260) 373-2860 www.in.gov/dol/ Iowa Shashi Patel VPP Coordinator Phone: (515) 281-6369 www.iowaworkforce.org/ labor/iosh Kentucky Joe Giles VPP Program Administrator Phone: (502) 564-4089 labor.ky.gov/dows/ oshp/doet/partnership/ pages/VPP---VoluntaryProtection-Partnership.aspx Maryland Cynthia L. Wheeler VPP Coordinator Phone: (410) 527-4473 www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/ mosh/vpp.shtml

Michigan Doug Kimmel MVPP Specialist Phone: (231) 546-2366 Sherry Scott MVPP Manager Phone: (517) 322-5817 www.michigan.gov/mvpp Minnesota Ryan Nosan MNSTAR VPP Coordinator Phone: (651) 284-5120 www.doli.state.mn.us/ mnStar.html Nevada Jess Lankford VPP Coordinator Phone: (702) 486-9046 www.dirweb.state.nv.us New Mexico Melissa Barker VPP Coordinator Phone: (505) 222-9595 www.nmenv.state. nm.us/Ohsb_Website/ ComplianceAssistance/VPP. htm North Carolina LaMont Smith Recognition Program Manager Phone: (919) 807-2909 www.nclabor.com/osha/osh. htm Oregon Mark E. Hurliman, CSHM VPP/SHARP Program Manager Phone: (541) 776-6016 www.cbs.state.or.us/osha/ subjects/vpp.htm Puerto Rico Ilza Roman Director Phone: (787) 754-2171 www.dtrh.gobierno.pr

South Carolina Sharon Dumit VPP Coordinator Phone: (803) 896-7788 www.scosha.llronline.com Tennessee David Blessman VPP Manager Phone: (615) 253-6890 www.state.tn.us/labor-wfd/ vppStar.html Utah Holly Lawrence VPP Manager Phone: (801) 530-6494 www.laborcommission. utah.gov/divisions/UOSH/ VPPprogram.html Vermont Daniel Whipple VPP Coordinator Phone: (802) 828-5084 www.labor.vermont.gov/ vosha Virginia Milford Stern VPP Coordinator Phone: (540) 562-3580 www.doli.virginia.gov/vosh_ coop/vosh_vpp.html Washington John Geppert VPP Manager Phone: (360) 902-5496 www.lni.wa.gov/safety/ topics/atoz/vpp/default.asp Wyoming Karin Schubert Consultation Supervisor Phone: (307) 777-7710 www.wyomingworkforce. org/employers-andbusinesses/osha/Pages/ safety-and-healthcompliance.aspx

For additional information and up-to-date contacts, please visit www.vpppa.org/chapters/contacts.cfm

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BY CHRISTOPHER J. COLBURN, MENG, CSP VPPPA DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE FOR REGION IV

HAND-A RM

VIBRATION HAZARDS 16

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Nikola Tesla made a significant impact upon society. Possibly, Tesla’s greatest contribution to society was the redesign of Thomas Edison’s inefficient direct current (DC) motors and generators to operate on the more efficient alternating current (AC) electrical energy source.

This was one of the many, great contributions Tesla made that society is still benefiting from today. Tesla is quoted as saying, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” It was a profound statement, and very applicable to the subject of the hazards associated with vibration.

Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) Vibration is a form of energy release that may easily be overlooked in many work environments. It is in fact often an uncontrolled release of energy. Normally, the term “uncontrolled release of energy” is used in the discussion of energy isolation and lockout/tagout, but how does it apply to the control of vibration? When a powered press cycles to punch out a part, when a drill is used to penetrate a piece of material, or when a hammer is used to drive a nail or manipulate a part for assembly, vibration energy is released. After all, energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another, and when the work is done, the uncontrolled energy that is released is going somewhere. In the previous example of the worker manipulating a part for assembly, it often travels through the hammer handle, into the hand and up the arm of the worker. Depending on the magnitude of the energy, and the physiology of the worker, it can result in the significant injury to the worker, especially in a situation where there is repetitive exposure.

Potential Effects of Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) Some of the health effects that have been linked to hand transmitted vibrations are: 1) Vascular disorders where it is believed that vibrations can disturb digital circulation making it more sensitive to the vasoconstrictive action of cold; 2) Neurological disorders with sensorineural disturbances as well as entrapment neuropathies, the most common being carpal tunnel syndrome; and 3) Musculoskeletal disorders where there may be bone and joint degeneration, muscular weakness and fatigue. Other disorders associated with the effects of hand/arm vibration include vibration white finger, Raynaud’s syndrome, Depuytren’s contracture, Kienbock’s disease, and DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis.

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According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) there is strong evidence of a positive association between high level exposures to HAV and vascular symptoms of HAV syndrome. This is based on studies that have been conducted of exposures in occupations such as forestry workers, stone drillers, stone cutters or carvers and shipyard workers.

These workers were typically exposed to acceleration levels of 5–3 meters per second squared (m/s2).

How Do We Measure?

A typical vibration measurement system includes a device to sense the vibration (accelerometer) and an instrument to measure the level of vibration. There are a number of industries today that are making vibration measuring instruments that look like sound level meters. This equipment also has settings for measuring frequency, a frequency-weighting network and a display, such as a meter, printer or recorder.

The accelerometer produces an electrical signal that has a size proportional to the acceleration applied to it. The frequencyweighting network mimics the human sensitivity to vibration of different frequencies.

The use of weighting networks gives a single number as a measure of vibration exposure and is expressed as the frequencyweighted vibration exposure in m/s2, units of acceleration.

Hand-Arm Vibration Guideline Guidelines regarding HAV were issued in 2006 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The ANSI S2.702006 Guide for the Measurement and Evaluation of Human Exposure to Vibration Transmitted to the Hand provides two metrics associated with vibration exposure.

The ANSI S2.70 guideline established a daily exposure action value (DEAV) which is 2.5 m/s2 and daily exposure limit value (DELV) of 5.0 m/s2, both of these metrics are based on an eight-hour work period.

The DEAV is defined as the dose of handtransmitted vibration exposure sufficient to produce abnormal signs, symptoms and laboratory findings in the vascular, bone or joint, neurological or muscular systems

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of the hands and arms in some exposed individuals.

The DELV identifies levels at which workers who are exposed to handtransmitted vibration at or above this level are expected to have a “high health risk,” which is defined as the dose of handtransmitted vibration exposure sufficient to produce abnormal signs, symptoms and laboratory findings in the vascular, bone or joint, neurological or muscular systems of the hands and arms in a high proportion of exposed individuals.

Note that there is a significant difference between these two metrics. The DELV identifies a high risk in a high proportion of exposed individuals, while the DEAV is a measure of the levels that just produce a symptom and only in some exposed individuals.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has also issued threshold limit values (TLV) for exposure of the hand to vibration. The ACGIH TLVs are similar to the ANSI guidelines in most regards; however, they are expressed differently.

According to the ACGIH, an individual should not be exposed to vibration at levels greater than 4 m/s2 for four to less than eight hours, levels greater than 6 m/s2 for two to less than four hours, levels greater than 8 m/s2 for one to less than two hours, and levels greater than 12 m/s2 for periods of less than one hour.

As with any hazard, the hierarchy of controls should be considered when developing processes to lower the risk associated with the hazard. In accordance with the ANSI Z10—2012 standard, the six level hierarchy of controls includes: 1) elimination; 2) substitution; 3) engineering controls; 4) warnings; 5) administrative controls; and 6) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The hierarchy of controls are listed in the order of the effectiveness of the control. Although PPE is often the first control that is utilized, it is the least effective. The lack of PPE effectiveness may be due, in part, to many variables that are difficult to control including a reliance on employees to properly use, care for and maintain PPE.

Ideally, one should seek to eliminate the uncontrolled release of energy at its source.

This is often best achieved in the design phase of the equipment or process. If the energy cannot be eliminated, the second option to consider is the substitution of a less hazardous energy source. If the amount of energy initially utilized is reduced, the potential uncontrolled energy release will likewise be reduced. Third, if the energy source cannot be eliminated altogether, or a reasonable substitution cannot be achieved to reduce the potential uncontrolled release of energy, then consideration should be given to how the energy release can be controlled to prevent it from coming into contact with a person or inanimate object in which it could cause harm or damage.

If elimination, substitution and engineering controls prove to be impractical, then warnings may be considered. It is important that the degree of protection between an engineering control, such as a guard, and a warning control should be carefully considered.

Another control that some safety professionals may look to when considering vibration is an administrative control.

Administrative controls, such as job rotation, can be effective in reducing the vibration dose. A dose is often best defined as an amount of something deposited within the body or subjected to the body over a period of time. In this application, reducing the amount of exposure time can reduce the overall dosage. One should carefully consider the job rotation plan. If a careful rotation plan is not developed, workers may rotate into jobs which may be different but have the same type or magnitude of exposure.

This would render the job rotation an ineffective control.

Lastly, in the absence of other controls, there is PPE. Please note that PPE is an effective control when used in conjunction with other controls, to build a redundancy of controls but is often inadequate when used alone. An ANSI /ISO standard does exist for anti-vibration gloves. ANSI S2.73-2002 / ISO 10819:1996 standard entitled Mechanical Vibration and Shock—Hand-Arm Vibration— Method for the measure and evaluation of the

TABLE 1. exposure controls Hierarchy Of Controls 1. E limination 2. S ubstitution 3. E ngineering Controls 4. W arnings 5. A dministrative Controls 6. P ersonal Protective Equipment Source: ANSI Z10 – 2012; Section 5.1.2

vibration transmissibility of gloves at the palm of the hand was reaffirmed in 2007. In its simplest terms, this standard specifies a screening test of vibration transmission from a handle to the palm of the gloved hand in the frequency range from 31.5 Hz to 1,250 Hz. There is a criteria that the glove must fulfill for “transmissibility for vibration” (TR) in medium (31.5-200 Hz) and high (2001250 Hz) ranges. The transmissibility for the medium frequency cannot be greater than 1.0 TR and the high ranges can be no greater than 0.6 TR. A word of caution, not all anti-vibration gloves are created equal. Unless the PPE is marked with the ANSI rating, one cannot be certain of its performance.

Conclusion The unwanted energy release theory, originated by Dr. William Haddon, states that, “unwanted transfers of energy can be harmful (and wasteful) and that a systemic approach to limiting the possibility of their occurrence should be taken.” The first step is to understand that vibration is a form of energy that can be harmful to employees, when they are exposed to levels above those previously identified as acceptable. The second step, in accordance with Haddon’s theory, is to address these transfers of energy using a systemic process, namely the hierarchy of controls, to reduce employee exposure and thus prevent injuries associated with HAV. Colburn is the manager, safety and training engineer at Norbord Mississippi.

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BY KURT REVER, MS

CONTROL THE VIBRATION! What’s in Your Ergonomic Tool Box?

V

ibration transferred though soft tissue is one factor that can create spasms in the small blood vessels of the extremities. The spasm and inflammation result in impaired circulation. Adding other conditions such as duration and frequency or adding other ergonomic risk factors to the vibration exposure such as force, awkward postures, repetition and others may lead to cumulative trauma disorders. To lessen the effect, vibration dampening materials act as a barrier between the soft tissue and the source of vibration. This is a common initial response.

Successfully controlling the discomfort experienced from vibration exposure should incorporate other tools in your ergonomic tool box. Whether the vibration exposure is brief or in longer durations, the effect of spasm is relative to other conditions that the reader should consider. Checking what tools (solutions) are in you ergonomic tool box is your starting point. In this situation, I suggest that you stop and assess the situation and ask yourself, “What can I control?” Taking the time to answer this question may provide you more soft tissue recovery benefit than simply

reaching for vibration dampening materials.

People with ergonomic awareness do not delay acting on their condition and create multiple solutions to lessen the vibration exposure.

You are savvy about ergonomic risk factors. You understand how adding force and/or awkward posture to vibration may make your symptoms arise quicker and recede slower. You may not know the technical or medical aspects, yet experience has made you wise! By using your eye for ergonomics, you realize the drill bit you are using is dull (hence more force is needed to use the tool). The orientation of the drill bit to the wood results in awkward shoulder, elbow and wrist postures requiring extra body segment soft tissue effort. This requires extra effort, uses more blood, oxygen and nutrients. So what can you control?

A sharper drill bit allows the tool to do the work and not your arm. If the orientation (angle) of the drill bit to the wood can be more neutral and less awkward then the benefit is less effort.

This example and solution may seem too simple—even worthless. Yet using

your eye for ergonomics provides you the opportunity to uncover the unnecessary ergonomic exposures that add to the overall fatigue and body segment effort. Even if the task is short in duration, the benefit is a faster recovery time and less prolonged discomfort. Before you reach only for your vibration dampening gloves, reassess your work environment and task. See how many ergonomic risk factors you can eliminate or minimize for all body segments. Find the obvious exposures such as replacing the drill bit or having it sharpened. Also assess and correct the subtle exposures experienced in other body segments while performing the task and remembering that body segment effort, both subtle and obvious, is cumulative. Breaking the cycle of accumulation by using all the tools in your ergonomic tool box can help to reach your goal of increased soft tissue rest and recovery while performing work tasks.

Kurt Rever has worked in the field of ergonomics and human performance in various work environments for over 30 years. He currently works with GE Aviation in the Northeast U.S.

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Speakers Keni Thomas, a ranger in the mission made famous by the movie “Black Hawk Down,” is a powerful speaker who uses his experiences from the battlefield to inspire people to achieve greatness. Thomas emphasizes the importance of leadership at every level and motivates others to proactively explore what they can do to lead their organizations. He will be speaking at the opening general session.

The 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference is rapidly approaching. With less than three months to go, the time to register is now. The conference is taking place Aug. 25–28, 2014, in National Harbor, MD. For the past 29 years, thousands of safety and health professionals have attended the conference to gain new insights into innovative safety practices and to network with the best-of-the-best in the safety and health industry.

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Jeff “Odie” Espenship, the closing session speaker, is a USAF fighter, airline pilot and the founder and CEO of Target Leadership.

Espenship was inspired to use his personal experiences to become a motivational, leadership and safety speaker. Espenship’s family is an integral part of his inspiration by reminding him of the legacy he wishes to leave.

Things to do in National Harbor National Harbor brandishes sweeping city views with the added luxury of a calming riverfront experience. Boasting the only riverfront hotel in the area, the Gaylord National Hotel is ideally situated to provide guests access to enjoy charming farmers markets, water front dining, shopping in both outlets and upscale boutiques and casual bars. If you are looking to explore other sites throughout the area, a shuttle is available from National Harbor that will usher you to charming and historic downtown of Alexandria, VA. For those of us looking to experience the journey in addition to the final destination, water taxis provide a relaxing alternative from National Harbor to downtown Alexandria. The short water taxi ride allows for the opportunity to bask in the picturesque views of National Harbor, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C.; river boat cruises to Mount Vernon, VA, and Georgetown, are also offered. If you are looking to take in the sites of Washington, D.C., a shuttle from the Gaylord National Hotel travels downtown on a regular basis.

AGENDA Saturday, August 23, 2014 Early Registration Day

Tuesday, August 26, 2014 7:00 am–4:00 pm

Registration

4:00 pm–7:00 pm

7:00 am–8:00 am

Labor & Management Open Forum

8:00 am–5:00 pm

V PPPA Board Candidate Information Counter

8:00 am–3:30 pm

Exhibit Hall Open

8:00 am–3:30 pm

VPPPA Booth in Exhibit Hall

8:30 am–9:30 pm

Workshops

Registration

Sunday, August 24, 2014 Pre-Conference 7:00 am–5:00 pm

Registration

7:30 am–8:00 am

E arly Morning Coffee and Tea for Workshop Participants

8:00 am–5:00 pm

S kill Builder Workshops (additional fees apply)

9:45 am–10:45 am Exhibit Hall

12:00 pm–1:00 pm L unch for Skill Builder Workshop Participants

10:45 am–11:45 am Workshops

12:00 pm–5:00 pm Exhibitor Installation

1:00 pm–2:00 pm

Regional Networking Meetings

2:15 pm–3:15 pm

Exhibit Hall

3:15 pm–4:15 pm

Workshops

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm V PPPA Awards Ceremony (by invitation only)

Monday, August 25, 2014 7:30 am–5:00 pm

Registration

8:00 am–4:00 pm

Exhibitor Installation

11:45 am–12:45 pm Lunch

Wednesday, August 27, 2014 8:00 am–1:00 pm

Registration

8:30 am–9:30 am

Workshops

9:00 am–3:00 pm

Exhibit Hall Open

11:30 am–5:00 pm V PPPA Board Candidate Information Counter

9:00 am–3:00 pm

VPPPA Booth in Exhibit Hall

11:30 am–12:30 pm Lunch

10:45 am–11:45 am Workshops

12:45 pm–1:45 pm Workshops

11:45 am–12:45 pm Lunch

2:00 pm–4:00 pm

Opening General Session

1:00 pm–2:00 pm

Workshops

6:00 pm–8:00 pm

R eception & Grand Opening of the Exhibit Hall

2:00 pm–3:00 pm

Exhibit Hall

3:15 pm–4:15 pm

Workshops

6:00 pm–9:00 pm

Closing Reception

9:00 am–10:00 am Workshops 10:15 am–11:15 am Annual Meeting of the Membership

9:30 am–10:30 am Exhibit Hall Break

MOBILE APP The conference app is now available to download! Use the conference mobile app to: • Build your personal daily schedule— Plan your day by selecting sessions from the schedule, or events in the exhibit hall.

• Receive reminders and updates—Keep an eye on your home screen to see important messages, upcoming events, or notifications about sessions that are about to start.

• Engage and network—Read more about speakers and exhibitors, share information about the conference via Twitter, or Facebook, and more!

• Find what you are looking for— Use the search, filters, and floor plans to find sessions and exhibitors more easily.

• Personalize the event program— Select sessions, attendees, and exhibitors to create your favorites for a quick reference to your schedule, contacts, booths, and other activities.

Thursday, August 28, 2014 8:00 am–8:50 am

Breakfast

9:00 am–11:00 am Closing General Session

TO REGISTER ONLINE, PERUSE CONFERENCE INFORMATION, DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION MATERIAL AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DESTINATION, PLEASE VISIT OUR CONFERENCE WEBSITE: WWW.VPPPA.ORG/CONFERENCE

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chapter round-ups COMPILED BY JENNA SHAY, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC.

Region II asks for your continued support of the Norman Deitch Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund. Its mission is to provide free AEDs to nonprofits and organizations that traditionally do not have the resources to purchase AEDs on their own. Contact Brenda@ accesshealthsystems.com.

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Region 1 Hello from Region I! I hope you are reading this issue in the warm sun, because it’s being written in the cold winter weather of New England where temperatures are in the teens.

Region I has been busy preparing for our conference which occurred on May 4–7, 2014, in downtown Portland, ME. Our opening and closing speakers, Jeff “Odie” Espenship, Target Leadership, and Michael Viggezzi, GE corporate, along with 20 excellent workshops will not be soon forgotten.

Feb. 12, 2014, we held our chapter meeting at OSHA’s Training Institute in Manchester, NH. OSHA’s James E. Mulligan, OSHA Region I assistant regional administrator for cooperative and state programs, gave an update on several national initiatives and OSHA VPP Manager Robert Sands gave an overview of VPP. Current VPP sites in the region include 76 Star sites, representing 56,876 employees, two sites are pending initial onsites and five sites are scheduled for 2014. There are also several new companies being mentored. The OSHA office continues to review self-evaluations to accurately update active SGEs. Currently we have 23 companies with 78 active SGEs. A big thanks goes out to Raytheon Intergraded Deference Systems who will host the 2014 SGE training here in Region I on June 23-25, 2014.

The training application deadline was April 15, 2014. Remember, if you are an SGE, avoid allowing your status to expire.

Recertification can be a timely process.

The other part of our meeting was having Hypertherm from Hanover, NH, a VPP site, present the company’s first aid training program as part of a best practice.

This is what makes Region I so great, companies continue to share with other area companies.

The region continues to reach out and provide our members with educational opportunities either by attending a chapter meeting, learning from best practices shared by member companies, or by

attending other events such as NIOSH’s Prevention through Design (PtD), which was offered to all VPPPA members of Region I and the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center roundtable.

The ultimate goal of the PtD initiative is to prevent or reduce occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities through the inclusion of prevention considerations into all designs that impact workers.

Contributed by Region I VPPPA Chapter Chair Stephen L. Gauthier, CMFS, SGE General Electric Aviation Lynn, MA

Region II Region II’s 2014 Regional Conference returned to the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ. The conference ran from June 2–4, 2014, with post-conference classes on June 5. We are working to update our database to ensure that everyone who is interested in participating in future conferences will have time to allocate the appropriate resources.

In the coming months, you may receive calls from volunteers to update contact information. We appreciate any help you can provide in this regard. Individuals or organizations interested in submitting workshop proposals, sponsoring breakout sessions, advertising in the Official Conference Program for next year’s event should visit our website at www.region2chapter-vpppa.org.

Region II asks for your continued support of the Norman Deitch Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Fund.

Its mission is to provide free AEDs to nonprofits and organizations that traditionally do not have the resources to purchase AEDs on their own. Over the past eight years, with your help, we have donated more than 18 machines. Anyone interested in contributing to the fund should contact the Region II Secretary at Brenda@accesshealthsystems.com.

Contributed by Region II Secretary Brenda Wiederkehr, CSC, Access Health Systems, Latham, NY.

Region III This year’s Symposium was held at the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA, on May 6-9, 2014. The speakers for this event were Keni Thomas, Cliff Meidl and Dale Lesinski. A full Symposium report will occur in the next edition of The Leader.

2015 Region III Symposium Mark your calendar a little earlier for next year’s Region III VPPPA Symposium and Workshop. We are scheduled for March 3– 5, 2015, at the beautiful Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA. This is an event you will not want to miss!

Once again, the board of directors is encouraging everyone in Region III to take advantage of the Region III website as a resource. We continue to make improvements to provide valuable information. If you have job opportunities or safety alerts that you would like to post on the website, please reach out to any member of the board. Contact information is on the website: vppparegion3.org/ homepage.html In addition to following Region III VPPPA on our website, you can also keep up with activity by becoming a Facebook “friend” of Region III VPPPA. Contributed by Region III Secretary Bob Schroeder, Noramco, Inc., Wilmington, DE.

Region IV On March 25–27, 2014, the Region IV Conference was held at the Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, NC. We had a total of 531 attendees, 44 speakers and 60 exhibitors.

Dave Anderson was our speaker for the opening general session. Jones Loflin wrapped up our conference as our closing speaker.

Thanks to all the volunteers that helped out this year. Region IV couldn’t have done it without you. We are looking forward to seeing you all at our next conference on June 16–18, 2015, in Orlando, FL, at the Caribe Royale!

The regional mentor of the Year is Bob Edwards (GE/Roper) Corporation, Chattanooga, TN.

Columbus, Ohio, location of the 2015 Region V Conference

The regional SGE of the Year is Maxwell Bassett from Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, FL. Contributed by Region IV Director-at-Large Kim Burton, Pike Electric, Mount Airy, N.C.

Region V 2014 Conference Highlights Thank you to all those who attended this year’s Region V Conference. Your participation and contribution to the conference is what makes it such a success!

A recap of the conference along with conference presentations will be available on our website later this summer. In case you missed the conference, here’s a quick glimpse of the fun times in Indianapolis!

• Pre-Conference Site Tour—Frito-Lay, Frankfurt, IN • VPP Application Workshop—Indiana OSHA Office • SGE Training—Eli Lily Technology Center • Opening Keynote—Dale Lesinski, DiVal Safety Equipment • Closing Keynote—Tim Maley, Indiana OSHA • 40+ Exhibitors • 40 Break Out Sessions

2015 Region V Conference— Save the Date We know it’s early, but it’s a good time to mark your calendars for the 2015 Region V Conference. The conference will take place in Columbus, OH, at the Convention Center. Be sure to save the dates—May 19–21, 2015, with the application workshop on May 19.

Additional information will be posted on our website later this summer: www.vppregionv.com.

Contributed by Bill Linneweh (Hendrickson), Region V Chairperson.

Region VI The Region VI VPPPA kicked off the 26th Annual Safety & Health Conference in Little Rock, AR. Starting things off at the opening of the conference was Dan Clark. Dan had participants laughing and crying with his many stories and life experiences. Closing out the conference was Randy Royall with his very emotional, heartfelt story.

Prior to the conference, we had our 2014 conference golf tournament which

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chapter round-ups • March 14–17, 2016: Ft. Worth, TX, Hotel—Omni Ft. Worth, Convention Center—Ft. Worth Convention Center There will be more information concerning the Region VI conference in the summer edition of The Leader.

Region VI SGE Training Schedule • June 17–19, 2014: NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX • September 9–11, 2014: Center for Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Oklahoma City, OK Success Stories Have you recently celebrated a success at your site? If so, share your story with the rest of the VPP community! We want to hear what’s going on at your site. Send us your stories with photos and brag a little about what you’re doing well and how it’s impacted your site and safety program, a recent re-approval, etc. Send your stories and photos to Kirk Crandall (kirk. crandall@nrgenergy.com) so we can get them published.

Visit the Region VI website at www. regionvivpp.org for more details.

Contributed by Region VI Director-at-Large Kirk Crandall, NRG Energy, Houston, TX.

Region VII

was held at the Rebsamen Park Golf Course, Championship Course.

Scholarship Info The Region VI VPPPA Scholarship Committee will select and award two scholarships to students studying in the occupational safety or occupational health fields. Each scholarship will be valued at $1,500.

Future Conference Dates; • May 4–7, 2015: Corpus Christi, TX, Hotel—Omni Bayfront & Marina, Convention Center—American Bank Center

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Region VII had our conference May 19–21, 2014, at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Omaha, NE. We started the conference off Monday with a golf tournament, followed by the Exhibitors Reception and Dueling Pianos for entertainment.

We had some quality workshops on the agenda, along with the Application Workshop and the Sustaining Star Quality Workshop.

We were excited to have one of the greatest shot blockers in the NBA, Mark Eaton (3.50 shots blocked per game) as our guest speaker.

Mark talked about teamwork and doing your job to help the team.

Our annual business meeting along with elections were held on the Tuesday of the conference and there will be a full report in the next Chapter Round-up.

NuStar Energy’s vice president of pipeline operations, Gary Koegeboehn, closed out the conference by speaking about the importance of safety for him and the industry as a whole.

We also held the First Annual Region VII VPPPA Scholarship Fundraiser Silent Auction.

Region VIII The 2014 Region VIII Safety Summit just wrapped up at the Doubletree Hotel Denver Tech, which has been our home for the previous three years. This is an excellent facility with an exceptional staff, and we enjoyed being back! Pre-summit workshops took place on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, with the Summit continuing on April 30–May 1.

We had two excellent keynote speakers this year, Keni Thomas, and Garrison Wynn. Our Wednesday keynote speaker, Keni Thomas, former Army Ranger and participant in the mission made famous by the movie “Black Hawk Down” in Mogadishu, Somalia, energized attendees with his inspiring story. Many of you may remember Keni’s presentation from two years ago at our summit. He’s a great speaker with a great message! Our Thursday keynote was Garrison Wynn, a great motivational speaker, author and former stand-up comedian. We were excited for the opportunity to have him on board to help us influence safety in our own organizations.

We had a significant expansion to our exhibit hall this year due to the increase in the number of exhibitors at our summit.

The exhibit hall officially opened on Tuesday evening to allow all of our attendees’ sufficient time to meet with all of our exhibit partners, as well as recognize the part they play in the success of our summit.

In keeping with tradition, we also continued our fifth annual “Not Your Grandma’s Bingo” fundraiser on Wednesday night. This year’s proceeds were donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). Keni Thomas, our opening keynote, is a spokesman for the SOWF and we felt this was a great opportunity to support this worthy organization. SOWF

provides immediate support for families of special operations personnel who are killed in the line of duty, as well as providing for college funding for their children.

Chapter Elections Four positions were up for election at our 2014 Safety Summit. Elections for the positions of vice-chair, secretary, site representative—non-union and directorat-large were held on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. We have a great group of talented, experienced board members right now and I am pleased to announce that all four board members, Christina Ross, Deb Clingan, Mark Moya, and Jenni Lubbers were reelected for their respective positions.

On a more somber note, Tony Stoner announced his departure from the Region VIII Board of Directors. Stoner said, “I’ve been part of the Region VIII Board for the last 10 years and it has been an amazing experience. Seeing where we started compared to where we are now— the growth and the challenges—has been an incredible honor. While I will certainly miss the Region VIII Board, I’m not going away entirely—I will still be part of the summits each year and I will continue to serve Region VIII as a member of the National VPPPA Board of Directors. Thank you to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past 10 years and everyone who’s helped make our summits a success!”

Mark Moya is serving as the interim chairperson.

Contributed by former Region VIII Chapter Chair Tony Stoner, Integrity Windows & Doors, Fargo, ND.

Region IX April arrived with the power of a superhero and that’s just what was delivered at the Region IX Safety Summit in Anaheim, CA—Power! The theme for this year’s summit was “Safety Superheros” and they turned out in droves to deliver their message of safety excellence, cooperation, involvement and leadership. Attendees listened attentively as Jeff “Odie” Espenship spoke about commitment and consistency,

leadership and situational awareness, while illustrating what happens when we fail to maintain focus. There were heroes of all types, yet there were no capes, no masks and certainly no tights—just dedicated people all with one mindset, the prevention of injuries and illnesses in the work-place.

Executive managers from Dow Chemical, Palo Verde Nuclear, Pepsico, Philips 66 and Toyota explained to everyone why safety is important and the impact it has on both the organization as well as its members, collectively and individually. In movies, heroes have an impact on individual lives; in real life, we witnessed that impact first hand. We witnessed it in the form of best practices, knowledge, training and the sharing of methodologies, while at the same time asking nothing in return. Those who have achieved and showed others the way, those who excelled and shared to help others move forward; is that not the true essence of the word hero?

As I look back on my involvement in VPP and the course it has run over the years, I have worked this program from the side of a regulator with state OSHA as well as an auditor, as a trainer at the conference level and the site level, as a safety manager under the cross hairs anxiously awaiting the decision of the VPP team; and still I disagree with what the naysayers spout. There is so much strength in the DNA of this program, creating building and generating momentum.

If more people understood the power in cooperative collaboration, sharing of best practices, striving for continuous improvements and focused definitive leadership, workplaces and workers could accomplish even more. I hope eventually, that many more organizations can see the good this program has done and what it can do for them.

The Region IX VPPPA conference played host to over 40 workshops and both preand post-conference workshops, in the VPP application workshop and a re-approval workshop, so that those who are knocking on the door can enter, and those who have entered, can remain.

After the conference we all returned to our respective work places with infused visions of great things happening, as we put to use those lessons learned. Or do we? Great things can’t happen, if we simply return to business as usual. That is the time to dawn our capes, adjust the mask and become the true hero.

That is the time to breathe new life into the staleness of what we have been doing for a while and change attitudes, and that is the time to say we can be, and do so much more.

It is up to each and every one of us to return to our organizations as a new superhero, one trying to inject new life into the processes that have taken us so far. If you think Region IX board members, ambassadors and volunteers only work on the conference activities during the off season, think again! Your Region IX board of directors will continue working to bring you the best conference experiences and help everyone learn more about the Voluntary Protection Programs and their many benefits.

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chapter round-ups

Alaska, location of the NorthWestern Safety & Health Summit

Contributed by former Region IX Secretary Mark Norton, formerly with Central Arizona Project, Phoenix, AZ.

Region X

In January, one of the first VPP sites in Region X was re-approved for Star status.

Monsanto in Soda Springs, ID, celebrated their 20-year anniversary as a VPP Star site.

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Region X has experienced a number of changes over the last six months. We have had new Star in Region X with some of our Stars shining a little brighter as they were approved.

Congratulations to Phillips 66 Portland as they are among those Stars that are shining a little brighter and to Roseburg Forest Products’ Engineered Wood Products facility in Riddle, OR, who was recognized as a Merit site.

In January, one of the first VPP sites in Region X was re-approved for Star status.

Monsanto in Soda Springs, ID, celebrated their 20-year anniversary as a VPP Star site.

Monsanto employees, along with Agrium (also a VPP Star site in Soda Springs), have changed the safety culture in their small town.

One of the noteworthy practices that were identified in the Monsanto audit was the fact that they care so much about their employees’ safety 24/7 by allowing employees to check out safety equipment to use at home. Hats off to Monsanto’s Soda Springs plant.

Region X’s Department of Energy (DOE) sites also have some exciting news to share. The CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) contractor at the Hanford, WA, DOE site was recognized by DOE as a Star site, as well as the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) contractor, BEA, at the Idaho DOE Site. Several other DOE contractors have been recommended for recognition as Star sites.

Hopefully the announcement of their success will happen soon.

The Northwest Safety & Health Summit just wrapped up on May 15, 2015 and was held in the beautiful frontier state of Alaska.

There was a VPP Application Workshop on Tuesday, May 13, as well as a new class, “Learn to Return, Aviation Crash Survival Experience,” as a pre-conference workshop.

The keynote speaker was, Jim Wetherbee, a former astronaut and the first American to command five space missions. The conference took place in the beautiful, modern Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in the historical downtown of Anchorage, AK. Contributed by Region X Chapter Chair Bonnie Anderson, CH2M-WG Idaho, LLC

national conference by the numbers

2,544

SAFETY AND HEALTH ATTENDEES IN 2013

2014

2014 TOPIC TRACKS:

TOPIC TRACKS: BEHAVIOR BASED SAFETY BEST PRACTICES CHALLENGE DOE/EPA/OSHA

of surveyed attendees rated the conference favorably

EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT GENERAL ERGONOMICS HAZARD PREVENTION AND CONTROL HEALTH/MEDICAL

99%

MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TRAINING

of attendees surveyed found the educational content valuable

64% of surveyed attendees purchased, or planned to purchase products and/or services from the exhibitors at the conference

WORKSITE ANALYSIS

Executive Level Staff (4%)

Government Employee (6%) Other (7%)

Consultant (3%) Administrative /HR (3%)

EHS attendees by role

VPP coordinator/ Manager/Supervisor (21%)

Safety, Health, or Environmental Professionals (34%)

Management (22%)

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BY AARON BLOW AND SARAH NEELY

VIBRATION

SAFETY

IN UTILITY LOCATING

W

hen first asked to write an article about vibration and vibration injuries, I had to stop and ask myself, is there really such a thing? As a 20-year veteran of the utility locating business, I

had never considered the hazards of vibration injury, especially in the field of utility locating and the process of vacuum excavation. I have implemented a number of safety processes and standards throughout my career that were designed to reduce injuries and fatigue in my employees but had never considered this element of the work until recently. It was time to do my homework on vibration, vibration injuries and the mitigation of such injuries. >>

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Solving a Problem I Didn’t Know I Had

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The question I asked myself was: What steps could I take to protect our field employees from excessive exposure to vibration, and the potential injuries that can result from prolonged exposure?

After studying the facts surrounding vibration injuries and HAV, the next task was to develop a better understanding of how all of the information I read related to me, my field employees, our field processes and what changes we can and have implemented to reduce the risk to our employees. The majority of our work involves the use of ground penetrating radars and vacuum excavation to provide the exact locations of buried utility lines. With a few minor modifications to our existing processes, we have been able to significantly reduce the risk of long-term, high intensity exposure to the vibrating tools we use on a regular basis. While implementing our new processes, I discovered that we were already following a number of the recommendations to reduce exposure to extensive vibration for other safety reasons including reduction of fatigue, muscle strain and overuse injuries.

Most people have not spent any time working with a vacuum excavation unit; those who have are no stranger to vibration. A vacuum excavation unit is a tool used to extract soil from the ground at a high intensity and rapid speed to expose any buried utilities. This process is

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commonly used to locate utilities prior to and during construction in urban areas; to locate utilities if records have not been properly maintained; to expose utilities at chemical and nuclear facilities; to pinpoint exact locations for safety and security reasons; and for large scale infrastructure projects such as new roads, bridges and metro lines. When performing vacuum excavation work, vibration is all around and is amplified by increasing air pressure through the unit, as well as an increase in the weight as the unit digs deeper.

Vacuum excavation trucks are typically powered by large diesel engines that provide power to blower and compressor units, exposing the workers’ bodies to high levels of multiple frequencies transmitted through the air in the vacuum unit. Additionally, work on roadways always requires the use of pneumatic jackhammers to break asphalt paving and rock drills for demolishing concrete paving before the jackhammer is again used to finish the job. Once each excavation is completed, pneumatic tampers must be utilized to properly compact soil and restore surfaces back to their preexcavation condition. All of these tools transmit high levels of vibration directly into the user’s body. The intensity of vibration created by these tools, and the effects caused by prolonged levels of exposure are well documented.

The question I asked myself was: What steps could I take to protect our field employees from excessive exposure to vibration and the potential injuries that can result from prolonged exposure? Elimination of these vibration sources and hazards is

impossible but what can we do to reduce the levels of exposure?

At Accumark, the process of protecting our field employees started with an examination of the ANSI Z10-2012 standards, a control used to measure vibration risk and communicate protocols to avoid extensive, unhealthy levels of exposure. Elimination of vibration and substitution of tools, the first and second recommendations, is impossible and/or impractical. Engineering Controls, the third recommendation, are out of our hands, as we are in the business of using tools, not designing them. While investment in newer vibration reduction tools may be possible at a later date, it is not feasible for us at this time. However, warning of the hazards, administrative controls and personal protection equipment (PPE) are all within our control. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a number of the risk reduction measures we could be taking, were already included in our general safety practices.

Warning of the Hazards This is a relatively simple task. In a word: education. This takes the form of safety training, e.g.: toolbox talks and regular safety briefings. When field employees understand the risks involved, they take a more active role in protecting themselves and their coworkers. The list varies widely between the thousands of jobs in the construction, engineering and industrial worlds, but the list can include the following: • Select the correct tool for the job task.

Instead of using jackhammers, ask if concrete saws or coring tools are available

or practical under certain conditions.

They will not always be the right tool to use however, and investigating possible alternatives should be considered. Tools that emit lower levels of vibration should always be considered first when preparing for a job. Additionally, alternative tools such as ground penetrating radar can be considered if a location approximation is sufficient rather than an exact location that would require vacuum excavation.

• Make sure these tools, including vehicles, are in good repair and that the safety guards and safety systems are properly adjusted and functioning correctly. There should also be daily checks to verify blades, cutting surfaces and material manipulation parts are sharp and in proper working order.

• Train employees on proper techniques and safe use of high intensity vibration tools, and have frequent training and safety reminders about the safe and effective use of these tools.

These simple steps reduce the time the employee uses the tool, which in turn reduces their exposure time well below hazardous levels of vibration. It is also practical to create and maintain buffer zones around equipment or tools that create high levels of vibration.

Administrative Controls Tying back into education, it is imperative that both project and field management teams fully understand the risks of excessive vibration and prolonged exposure to it for administrative controls to work. This knowledge allows them to take an active role in reducing the amount of exposure their field workers encounter. You may say to yourself, “easier said than done,” or, “it can’t be done here,” but each member of a company’s management team can work together to come up with creative ways to rotate employees between job tasks where they are exposed to high levels of vibration and tasks with much lower impacts. It may be practical to rotate employees between

different job tasks on a single worksite or rotate the employees between different worksites, where a higher number of job tasks may be available.

At Accumark, our vacuum excavation crews are divided into teams of two to three people. By doing this, we are able to limit an employee’s time on a high intensity vibrating tool, by rotating the jackhammer work if it extends beyond an hour. We have also been able to reduce exposure by rotating the intensity of tasks on a regular basis ensuring that one employee isn’t always going to be using vibrating tools and then having to perform the air lancing work which further exposes their joints to pounding forces. We have also taken steps to train more people on multiple tools to more adequately rotate tasks.

At Accumark, our vacuum excavation crews are divided into teams of two to three people. By doing this, we are able to limit an employee’s time on a high intensity vibrating tool, by rotating the jackhammer work if it extends beyond an hour.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Any PPE that isolates the tool user from the vibration source should be utilized for employee protection along with all of the other safety guards and equipment noted earlier. Specifically, ANSI-approved antivibration gloves should be considered for use with hand tools, or other sources of vibration that may be transmitted through the hands into the user.

Exposure to high levels of vibration for prolonged periods of time can cause irreversible injuries to your employees. However, the risks can be mitigated with employee education, consideration to employee task planning and the utilization of proper PPE. At Accumark, taking the simple steps listed above has significantly lowered the risk of long-term injuries to our employees.

Aaron Blow has over 17 years of experience in subsurface utility engineering and land surveying throughout Washington, D.C. Blow is experienced in all aspects of Subsurface Utility Engineering and has worked on several notable roadway and transportation projects throughout the region. He regularly provides continuing education to both professional and student groups about subsurface utility engineering best practices.

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BY PETER JOHNSON, PhD

WHOLE

BODY VIBRATION The Wrong Chair Can Impact Your Driver’s Health 34

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B

ack injuries, particularly lower back pain (LBP), are among the most prevalent and costly non-lethal medical conditions affecting adults. A number of scientific studies have shown an

association between an exposure to vehicle-related whole body vibration (WBV) and the development of LBP (for a summary, see the National Research Council publication). 1 The potential adverse health effects associated with the exposure to WBV is common knowledge to our neighbors over in Europe, where they have a health standard to limit a worker’s exposure to WBV; but the same can’t be said for those of us working in the United States. Currently, the U.S. only has voluntary standards for controlling a vehicle operator’s exposure to WBV. WBV is created as a vehicle travels over terrain and the perturbations from the terrain are transmitted from the floor of the vehicle, through the seat suspension and into the driver. The musculoskeletal system and the body’s organs then dissipate the vibration energy as it travels through the body. One body structure heavily affected by these vibrations is the spine. The frequency of the vibration entering the spine matches the spine’s natural frequency and the movements in the structures of the spine are accentuated.

If you remember seeing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge clip as a kid, where the frequency of the wind energy matched the natural frequency of the bridge, making the bridge move violently until it failed, WBV has a similar effect on a vehicle operator’s spine.

Unfortunately, the adverse health effects associated with WBV are not limited to the back alone. WBV may also contribute to cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nervous and urological disorders. The bottom line is that efforts should be made to reduce you or your employees’ exposure to WBV when possible.

and Hinder Your Bottom Line

Seat research has shown that the type of seat suspension matters and will affect how much of the vehicle-generated vibration is transmitted to the operator. Around 60 years ago, the only protection from WBV was the foam padding used in the seat cushion. It was typical for the seat to adjust only in height, and there was no shock absorbing capability in the seat suspension. In the 1960s, mechanical suspension seats were introduced followed by air-suspension seats in the late 1970s. Both of these seat suspension advancements were thought to incrementally reduce a vehicle operator’s exposure to WBV. A seat’s performance can be measured by taking the ratio of vibration measured at the seat of the operator and dividing it by the vibration measure from the vehicle floor. This ratio indicates the percentage of the vehiclegenerated vibration being transmitted to the seat of the operator, with lower values indicating better seat performance (less vibration transmission). Research has shown that investing in a quality constructed seat may be a cost effective way to reduce a worker or vehicle operator’s exposure to WBV.2 In a simple study comparing a mechanical and an air-suspension seat made by the same seat manufacturer (Grammer Seating, Hudson, WI), in a group of 13 forklift operators, the slightly more expensive air suspension seat was shown to attenuate 55 percent of the vehicle transmitted vibration and have lower WBV exposures relative to the mechanical suspension seat. Just like a loan with a slightly higher interest rate, the slightly higher WBV exposures with the mechanical seat may accumulate over time leading to earlier injury onset and/or greater levels of LBP.

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Vehicle design can also affect WBV exposures and worker health. One of the major epidemics that all employers will face is the aging of the workforce as the baby boomers make their way towards retirement. Ensuring your most experienced older workers stay healthy will take on even greater importance over the next two decades. To evaluate the impacts of vehicle design,3 WBV exposures were compared between a European cab-over light duty truck where the driver sits over the front axle and a conventional North American truck where the cab is situated behind the front axle. There were substantial differences in WBV exposures between the two vehicles with the conventional truck’s WBV exposure 25 percent lower compared to the cab over truck’s exposure. Additionally, the ease of

(left) Industry standard air-suspension seat; (above) Cab-over truck

getting in and out of the cab was much greater and the impact on the joints much lower in the conventional truck where the floorboards are much lower to the ground.

Although companies may choose the lessexpensive cab-over design, the down-road and down-stream expenses associated with the day-in and day-out wear and tear on the driver’s body may exceed the procurement savings. Most companies do not take the downstream, hidden, claims-related medical costs into a procurement decision, but Injury Rates per 100 FTE for Trucking Industry Groups Compared to All Industries in Washington State

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ERGONOMICS PROGRAM The Estimated Average Cost per Claim and Total Cost of All Claims

LOST WORK TIME CLAIMS INJURY GROUP TYPE

AVG. ESTIMATED COST PER CLAIM

AVG. TOTAL COST $1,000,000

VEHICLES FALLS FROM ELEVATION FALLS FROM SAME LEVEL MSDS STRUCK BY OTHER ALL TYPES COMBINED

$46,500 $36,700 $30,300 $29,600 $23,700 $21,500 $29,500

68 69 51 265 68 104 641

ALL INDUSTRIES 2.5 6.9

SPECIALIZED FREIGHT GENERAL FREIGHT

7.1

ALL TRUCKING

7.5

WASTE COLLECTION

8.1

COURIERS & MANAGERS

8.5

Occupational Injury and Illness in the Trucking Industry by the Injury Type 13%

22%

8% 8% 8% 41%

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STRUCK VEHICLES FALLS ELEVATION FALLS SAME LEVEL MSDS OTHER

if they did, they may be surprised by the substantial, long-term cost savings.

Although air-suspension seats performed well in our forklift tests, we find different seat performance results in on-road vehicles which travel at higher speeds (e.g. city buses and semi-trucks). At higher speeds, the typical air-suspension seat may only attenuate between 5–15 percent of the vehicle-induced vibrations. A common problem arises when suspension seats wear out; the seat’s suspension can “bottom out”, hitting the end range of downward travel and sending an impulsive shock to the driver. These seatinduced shocks can be two- to ten-fold higher than the road perturbations that created the seat movement. Anecdotally, many of the oldest bus drivers stated that they preferred their 1950’s era bus seats with no suspension.

Additionally, many truck drivers state that they prefer to bleed the air-out of their air suspension seat, in order to reduce how much they bounce around. Bleeding the air out of the seat is referred to as “low-riding”, and low riding is frowned upon because smaller statured drivers may have reduced visibility.

In Europe, some of these old-school, 1950’s era height-adjustable suspensionless seats are still being produced and sold.

In a group of 16 drivers, we tested one of these old school seats in a bus, and found that relative to the industry standard airsuspension seat, there were no differences in WBV exposures between the two seat types. This indicates that there may be

(above) Conventional truck; (right) Modern, height-adjustable pedestal seat

some merit behind the old timer bus drivers’ preferences for suspensionless seats. Alternatively, some of the fancier semi-truck seats have two air controls, one air control adjusts the seat height and the other air control adjusts the seat stiffness.

These dual control seats are relatively new to U.S. semi-trucks and have yet to be formally tested. Consequently, if the driver sets the correct height and then stiffens the seat suspension, they may have the best of both worlds, a less bouncy ride without the dangers associated with low-riding.

Finally, after 30 years of very little change, vehicle seating may be entering a renaissance. Around three years ago, Bose Corporation came out with a truck seat which cancels out much of the vehicleinduced vibrations reaching the driver. The seat uses vibration cancellation algorithms which are similar to those used in their noise-cancellation headphones. Using a group of 16 truck drivers, we tested Bose’s active suspension seat against an industry standard air-suspension seat, and relative to the air suspension seat, the Bose seat reduced the drivers exposure to WBV by 50 percent.4 These seats are not necessarily cheap ($3,995 to $5,995 each, depending on the quantity), but with a musculoskeletal-related work-loss claim costing trucking companies on average $30,000 and injury rates three to four times higher than most other industries, there may be a payback, especially where older, more experienced drivers are concerned. Finally,

there may be other less expensive seating solutions on the horizon. We have evaluated an air-filled seat cushion originally designed to absorb the impulsive shocks when a military vehicle drives over improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Compared to the current standard form used in most seats, the IED seat cushion reduced WBV exposure by 25 to 30 percent. These seat cushions are not commercially available yet, but hopefully we will see them on some seats in the future.

Cushion, seat and vehicle design can substantially influence a vehicle operator’s exposure to WBV. As a result, the procurement of seats and vehicles merit close attention when exposure to WBV is a concern. Rather than making procurement decisions on price alone, the long-term health savings by investing in superior equipment may far outweigh the short-term savings.

3. Blood RP, Rynell PW, and Johnson PW. (2011) Vehicle design influences whole body vibration exposures: Effect of the location of the front axle relative to the cab. J Occ Env Hygiene, 8(6): 364–374.

4. Blood R, Dennerlein J, Lewis L, Rynell P and Johnson P. (2011) Evaluating whole-body vibration exposure engineering control options in a population of semi-truck drivers: Comparison of an active and passive suspension seat. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society’s 55th Annual Meeting, Santa Monica, CA: HFES, pp 1750–1754.

Further Reading

He earned his Doctorate in Bioengineering

1. National Research Council. 2001. National Research Council. Institute of Medicine.

Panel on Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace. Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

Musculoskeletal disorders and the workplace: low back and upper extremities.

Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

2. Blood RP, Ploger JD, and Johnson PW. (2010) Whole body vibration exposures in forklift drivers: a comparison of a mechanical and air-ride seat. Ergonomics, 53 (11): 1385–1394.

Peter Johnson, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Washington in the Occupational and Environmental Exposure Sciences Program, specializing in ergonomics. from the University of California - Berkeley and has worked as a researcher at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the United States, Sweden and Denmark.

In cooperation with Harvard University, he has developed and validated an exposure assessment system for measuring physical risk factors during computer work. He has worked on two large-scale studies in Sweden measuring and characterizing upper-extremity hazards associated with computer and cell phone use; and is conducting studies evaluating ways to reduce whole body vibration exposures in bus and semi-truck drivers.

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BY KRISTINE KRAJNAK, PhD ENGINEERING CONTROLS AND TECHNOLOGY BRANCH, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

BYLINE BYLINE TITLE

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ASSESSING AND REDUCING

HAND-TRANSMITTED VIBRATION EXPOSURE IN THE WORKPLACE M

ost of us don’t think about being exposed to vibration, but we are on a daily basis: when we drive our cars, mow the lawn and even when we are riding a bike on a rough surface. These exposures are usually short-term and may result in a tingling feeling or temporary discomfort.

However, many people working in a number of different industries are exposed to vibration for an extended period through the repeated use of powered hand tools on a daily basis, and these people can develop more serious health problems as a result of this exposure. These workers may develop a condition known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). The symptoms of HAVS include cold-induced constriction of the blood vessels in the fingers and hands that result in the skin appearing white. This whitening or blanching of the skin may also be accompanied by pain. Vibration can also induce a decrease in sensation to touch and reduce muscle strength in the hands. These changes result in a reduced ability to work and can have a significant effect on the quality of life if the condition progresses to the point where a worker can no longer grip utensils or button

their clothing. Long-term health problems such as chronic pain and reductions in blood flow to the periphery can occur. Reducing the risk of developing these symptoms involves recognizing all possible sources of vibration, and then reducing or eliminating the transmission of that vibration to the worker.

The main question for occupational health and safety professionals is, where are workers exposed to vibration? Most workers and safety professionals in construction and mining recognize that the use of tools such as impact hammers, concrete saws and polishers, drills and jackleg hammers result in significant exposures to hand-transmitted vibration. It is also well recognized that employees in the manufacturing and services sectors and the military receive significant exposures from tools such as riveting hammers and impact wrenches. However, there are less obvious exposures to vibration. For example, dental hygienists are exposed to vibration while using cleaning tools, and dentists using drills and cutters to fill cavities and make dentures and dental implants are also exposed to vibration.

In addition, tattoo artists are often exposed to

hours of vibration produced by tattoo guns when creating their designs. Even musicians can be exposed to vibration when playing drums or stringed instruments. Although the vibration exposure experienced by workers in each of these sectors is different, there is a potential risk for each worker to develop a vibration-induced disorder.

To protect workers from the negative health consequences of vibration exposure, health and safety professionals need to know how to identify sources of vibration and then estimate the exposure. Vibration exposures are characterized by three components; the frequency, the amplitude and the duration of the vibration. The frequency of vibration is defined as the cyclic repetitiveness of the waves. This is usually measured in hertz (i.e., cycles per second). Although low-frequency (< 25 Hz) vibration can be transmitted to the entire hand-arm system, high-frequency (>100 Hz) vibration is primarily limited to the hand or fingers. The amplitude of a vibration exposure is defined by the displacement, or the peak-to-peak distance of the wave. The duration can be measured THE LEADER

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In the images above, workers are using a riveting gun in both a standing and sitting position. Use of the riveting device, along with posture, can affect how vibration is being transmitted along the hand-arm system and influence the type of disorder a worker develops.

as the length of time a worker is exposed to hand transmitted vibration (HTV) on a single day, or an estimate of the cumulative exposure can be calculated. Formulas for calculating vibration exposure limits and estimated risk can be found in the International Standards Organization standard ISO 5349-1 and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard S2.70. The European directive 2002/44/EC also uses the ISO-5349-1 standard as a reference for setting exposure limits and designing tools.

The formulas presented in the standards use frequency-based weighting to predict

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the risk of developing HAVS. The heaviest weighting is given to exposure frequencies below 32 Hz, and based on this weighting one would predict that exposures in this frequency range would pose the greatest injury risk. The dominant frequency of many percussive tools, such as chipping hammers, falls into this range. Significantly less weighting is given to vibration frequencies in the mid-range (i.e., 60-300 Hz). Tools emitting dominant frequencies in this range include sanders and grinders. Little weighting is associated with high-range frequencies (i.e., above 500 Hz), and thus there would be little risk of injury predicted for people using dental equipment and tattoo guns. However, some studies have demonstrated that the standards may not accurately predict the risk of injury. Because of the displacement associated with exposure to low-frequency vibration, the energy is transmitted further up the hand-arm system, and such exposures may be more likely to result in injury to the joints and soft tissues of the arm. Vibration exposures in mid-range frequencies are primarily transmitted only to the fingers and palms of the users, and have been associated with the development of disorders in blood vessels located in the fingers and hands, changes in sensory perception and muscle weakness in the hands. High-frequency exposures encountered by workers in the dental field and by tattoo artists have been associated with some tingling, numbness and pain in the fingers. Additional pain in the hands, wrist and arms reported by these workers may be due to the postures they maintain while working. Thus, to predict the potential risk of developing a vibrationinduced disorder, workers and health and safety professionals need to know the primary or dominant frequencies of the tools workers are using and then try to identify strategies to prevent the transmission of vibration to the regions where injuries may occur.

There are a number of different strategies that can be used to prevent the transmission of vibration to the hand-arm system. The most effective approach is to reduce the vibration at the source. This can be achieved by improving the design of tools or machines, using tools that emit low magnitudes of vibration, implementing regular tool maintenance programs, and modifying the support systems

of machines or working materials. The next approach is to use a vibration-reducing device to isolate or attenuate the vibration transmitted to the hand. This can be achieved by using anti-vibration handles, anti-vibration adapters and tool supporting devices. While anti-vibration gloves are unlikely to reduce the vibration transmitted from low-frequency tools such as vibrating sand forks, soil tampers and sand rammers, they may reduce the impact vibration or high-frequency vibration transmitted to the hand from rock drills, chipping hammers and grinders. Gloves can also help keep a workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands warm in colder environments, and this may help reduce the chances of developing injuries to peripheral blood vessels and nerves. In addition, there are now tools available in different sizes and tools designed specifically for women. Using the correct sized tool is critical for maintaining an appropriate grip and control of the tool.

Loosening the grip on the tool may reduce the transmission of vibration energy from the tool to the user. Finally, alternating work tasks and taking breaks can also help reduce the amount of time a worker is exposed to vibration, thereby decreasing the chances of developing HAVS. Other personal factors that can affect the risk of developing HAVS include smoking, stress and the presence of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. These diseases may also exacerbate vibration-induced health effects involving blood vessels and nerves.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that reduces the risk of developing these diseases may also help reduce the chances of developing HAVS. It is almost completely impossible to eliminate vibration exposures in the workplace or at home. However, by recognizing the sources of vibration exposure and then taking appropriate measures to reduce the generation, or block the transmission of vibration to the user, it is possible to reduce the potential for negative health consequences associated with HTV exposures.

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Kristine Krajnak, Ph.D., works at the Engineering Controls and Technology Branch, at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown, WV.

member spotlight

Steve Gauthier STEVE GAUTHIER, CMFS, CHAIRPERSON FOR VPPPA REGION I, is a health & safety representative at GE Aviation Riverworks in Lynn, MA. GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is among the top aircraft engine suppliers in the world and offers engines for commercial and military aircrafts. Gauthier has been involved with health and safety for a number of years but got involved with VPP in 2006 when the stage was set in Lynn to achieve VPP status. He is a member of the Governor’s Council in his home state of Massachusetts, a member of the National Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLB) and is a founding member for the Alliance for a Healthier Tomorrow (AHT). Gautheir is a union representative of four bargaining units onsite.

How long have you been involved in the association?

Seven years.

How did your career start?

My career started 34 years ago as a machinist in the Generator/Turbine Division, where I operated a variety of machines, including NC lathes, manual lathes and vertical boring mills. These were very large lathes where the parts weighed thousands of pounds.

How did you get involved in VPPPA?

My involvement in VPPPA started after my site was certified by OSHA as a Star site in 2006.

What role are you playing in shaping the organization?

I began playing a bigger role in VPPPA when I was elected as the vice chairman of Region I Board of Directors (BOD).

I then became a committee member of the Labor and Management Committee (L&M Committee) and continued on to become the committee’s chairperson for two years. During this time, we expanded to include members from all 10 regions of the country. This committee also received federal mediator skills training, provided by the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service. While holding the national position, I continued as the Region I vice chairman as well as the chair of the Communications Committee. In 2013, I was elected as chapter chairman. After becoming chairman of Region I, I found it necessary to step down from my role as the L&M Committee chair because I felt that my time should be dedicated to Region I, where I work and live. It was easier to step down because the L&M Committee achieved all the goals set in the beginning of my tenure. I can never thank

the members enough for their creativity and dedication. I still remain a committee member.

Do you feel like being a member of VPPPA has helped you?

VPPPA has provided me with a greater insight into the program, its member companies and their employees. The education received can only be obtained by the interaction that was made possible

by VPPPA. During this time, the network of resources developed is invaluable. These resources are valuable in the sense that the ideas and best practices have been proven in practice every day and have demonstrated their effectiveness. Armed with this knowledge, I’m able to share what I learn with others as a mentor.

What do you feel is one of the most valuable things you have gained through your involvement in the association?

I have come to realize that my company and I are part of the association’s 2,300 companies representing more than 900,000 workers. It’s a good feeling knowing that workers are more likely to go home safer, allowing them to enjoy time with family and friends. This is the responsibility of all safety professionals that work in the field of EHS. I experienced this value very clearly during my time on the national board as I worked with others who share the same passion.

Do you have any particular accomplishment within GE or VPPPA that you are most proud of?

I believe I have a unique relationship with GE and the union which I am a member of, International Union of Electrical Workers/ Communication Workers of America (IUE/CWA) Local 201. I say this based on participation in the joint safety programs we have onsite. The accomplishments are numerous, starting with the Standard

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member spotlight

I have observed and been part of a joint health and safety program at my site that has been in place for 20 years, which reduced our OSHA recordable rate from 23.0 to approximately 2.0.

Operating Procedure for Metalworking Fluids.

This program was developed and implemented based upon my experience and education. The company allowed me to pilot the first Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)for Metalworking Fluids (MWF) in the Gear Division. This program was successful and then implemented across the entire site. It has benefited the workers and company by reducing possible exposure and hazardous contamination from the fluids. The company benefits from the reduction of hazardous contaminates once contained. The SOP allows these fluids to be extended and avoid the continuous disposal of hazardous waste, which impacts the environment as well as increases disposal cost.

As a benefit of becoming an OSHA VPP Star site, I became a special government employee (SGE), which allows private sector employees to assist OSHA when performing onsite assessments of companies applying for VPP status or being re-approved.

In 2009 and 2012, I was nominated by Region I OSHA as SGE of the year.

My company and union have supported my activities which continue to benefit workers and companies today.

What are some of the ways that you got started with the safety programs at GE?

It wasn’t some top-down rule or procedure. It wasn’t some training seminar

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or incentive program. Instead, I took a chance, which resulted in unintended consequences that I learned from. I have since come to realize the importance of safety in the workplace, and continue to share my experiences.

Have you always had the resources and support that you have needed to accomplish your safety goals?

This is a challenge for all companies. I feel that I have been supported and have been able to obtain the resources needed for our accomplishments. It has been obtainable because I have provided a clear explanation and reasoning. It has been my experience that presenting a solution and not just the problem sparks a more positive response. I often say we’ll get the needs met but maybe not the wants. I think the company realizes the savings incurred by providing the necessary resources.

What are some of the positive safety trends you have seen over the past several years?

I have observed and been part of a joint health and safety program at my site that has been in place for 20 years, which reduced our OSHA recordable rate from 23.0 to approximately 2.0. This was accomplished by the willingness to “listen

to learn, and learn to listen,” after all, the safety program was made up of wellseasoned professionals. Today the focus is on leading indicators as opposed to trailing indicators, which provide no prevention whatsoever. Leading indicators allow the outcome to be one of promote prevention, employee concern, near miss reporting etc.

Are you starting to see new safety issues that need to be addressed that perhaps did not exist in previous years?

Yes, one of the major issues is chemical hazards. I believe as technology evolves, safety issues will be associated with new processes, but this can be good and bad.

Programs created to identify issues such as Prevention through Design, a National initiative from NIOSH/CDC, also assist in every aspect of production for new chemicals that may be introduced. Remember, as safer chemicals are used as alternatives and are introduced in place of old formulations, they will need to be watched for their effects over the short and long term.

When chemicals are created, there is the assumption on the part of the manufacturer that they will be used in a certain manner, but when it hits the floor and is out in homes, it is often not used in the way it was intended or is modified and mixed with other chemicals creating an untested formula. This is a huge challenge, getting information out there about the hazardous risks and ensuring that they are used for their intended use, unchanged.

What are some of the challenges that you have encountered with VPP/OSHA?

The challenge regarding incentives is the one that has been the most difficult and communicating the difficulties associated with certain programs. This goes back to the trailing and leading indicators being measured. If we only continue to look at the output of recordable injuries, disincentives will continue.

By focusing on the leading indicators a force multiplier is created, increasing employee involvement because of the encouragement to participate in the safety programs.

What do you do at home to implement the safety measures that are so abundant in your professional life?

that have been fully implemented in the workplace.

For most in the Northeast, snow blower safety is important. In the spring it’s the lawn mower and ladder safety, also distracted driving caused by cell phones and other technologies.

This has been one of the worst winters on record and has hit nearly every state very hard. Has the weather had any impact on the safety procedures you have in place at any of your sites?

Has your family played a role in your safety agenda at work, interest in the implementation and further development of safety education, or in other aspects of your personal life?

I can’t begin to explain the tremendous support my family has provided me. Not only supporting my interest in career advancement, but caring for me when I suffered occupational injuries. They also supported me in the early years when I was away from home, nights and weekends at school, or providing training sessions across the country, not to mention today’s continued outreach efforts. It reminds me of something I heard long ago, “An injury to one is an injury to all,” when it comes to the family. They surely don’t want to see anyone get hurt or have to take care of someone as the result of an occupational injury.

The winter has its challenges, slip falls due to ice is the one condition I’ve found most difficult to control. Rooftop snow loads are a big problem as well.

What is the one lesson or piece of advice you would like to offer your peers regarding your experiences?

What legacy would you like to leave either at your company, or at VPPPA?

I can only hope I’ve made a difference in someone’s life, whether it’s been a kind word or someone to talk to, being considerate and understanding of others will build confidence in others the same way it was built in me. I have learned this from people and would encourage everyone to do the same.

The statements contained in this document represent the opinions of the author, and do not reflect the views or positions of any other persons or parties.

I have made a lot of mistakes and have paid the consequences for them. Don’t take any chances. If you have to question yourself, don’t do it. Stop and get the proper tooling or assistance before you start. As many know, injury can occur in a blink of an eye.

Who inspires/inspired you? Who have you looked to for guidance over the years?

This is a difficult question for me because there are so many. I have been very fortunate to have the mentors I’ve had over the years. These are people who I have looked to for guidance, when feeling a lack of confidence or knowledge; they were and are there for me.

Our members would be interested to know where you go to get your questions answered. Who are your safety resources?

I utilize every contact I have developed over the years, not hesitating to ask anyone for guidance. The OSHA VPP and VPPPA have been a resource that has provided tremendous knowledge by way of the health and safety conferences both regionally and nationally. I enjoy the gathering of companies and their employees and the networking that allows us to share the latest innovations and best practices THE LEADER

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member info corner

Calling All Associate Sites: Mentoring Program is an Excellent Benefit

T

They learn alternative approaches to similar problems they have previously addressed and feel empowered by contributing to another siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success.

he award-winning VPPPA Mentoring Program is a formal process to assist companies and facilities interested in improving their safety and health management systems. The program matches interested sites with current VPP Star sites to help them excel. The association utilizes a network of regional coordinators and agency officials in establishing a mentoring relationship. Depending on preferences indicated on the VPPPA Mentoring Application Form, coordinators consider similar experiences, industries, geographic location and union representation when choosing prospective mentors.

Once a match has been made, the sites form a unique relationship based on the needs of the mentored site and the time and resources of the mentor.

The Mentoring Process To initiate the mentoring process, begin by contacting the Membership Department or the VPPPA National Office at (703) 761-1146 or mentoring@

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vpppa.org. The VPPPA National Office mentoring coordinator explains the mentoring process and provides the site with an application form. This form is very important because it contains all the essential information that factors into the matching process: location; number of employees; NAICS or SIC code; a description of what activities the site engages in; and whether and which unions are present at the site.

With a good idea of what the site is looking for and with help from the appropriate OSHA VPP regional manager, state-plan representative or DOE representative, the regional coordinator, who receives the request from the national office, identifies potential mentors.

Once a match is made, the relationship forged between the current VPP site and the mentee is unique. Mentoring activities occur at a variety of levels, ranging from phone calls to site visits. Some mentors have even conducted mock audits to prepare applicants for the actual VPP onsite evaluation.

Mentoring Program Benefits A highly effective tool, the VPPPA Mentoring Program has many success stories to its credit.

The advantage for the mentee is obvious at first glance. The mentor is not only interested in the success of the mentee site, but often becomes a teacher to guide the site on its journey. With the mentor, the mentee has access to a ready resource and support that will prove invaluable as the mentor directs the mentee through the process.

Additionally, mentoring is mutually beneficial. Mentors also have an opportunity to improve their safety and health knowledge during the process. They learn alternative approaches to similar problems they have previously addressed and feel empowered by contributing to another siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success.

Both sites can learn from each other and strengthen their safety and health management systems along the way.

Twitter Contest Getting geared up for the 30th Annual National VPPPA Conference? Why not tweet about it and get rewarded? A gift card will be given away to the VPPPA member who sends the most tweets before, during and after the conference using the official conference hashtag: #30VPPPA. This is your opportunity to spread the news with your colleagues and share in the excitement!

Questions regarding the contest can be directed to membership@vpppa.org or by calling (703) 761-1146.

Why not tweet about it and get rewarded?

A gift card will be given away to the VPPPA member who sends the most tweets before, during and after the conference using the official conference hashtag:

#30VPPPA

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calendar of events

VPPPA Contacts

june

august

National Conference Mobile App Now Live

Aug. 1, 2014

June 4, 2014 “OSHA Process Safety Regulation Update” Webinar 11:00 a.m. EDT

June 11, 2014 “Inspiring Manager Engagement in ESH” Webinar

Cutoff for the Conference Hotel Discounted Rate Gaylord National Convention Center National Harbor, MD Hotel Reservations: (877) 382-7299

Aug. 15–28, 2014 Late/Onsite Registration for National Conference

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.

R. Davis Layne rdlayne@vpppa.org Senior Advisor

Sara A. Taylor, CMP staylor@vpppa.org Marketing Director Ext. 107

Latisha Dutch, CMM

11:30 a.m. EDT

Aug. 25–28, 2014

ldutch@vpppa.org Conference & Education Manager Ext. 116

June 23, 2014

30th Annual National VPPPA Conference

Amanda Buckner

“Integrity Based Safety” Webinar 11:30 a.m. EDT

july July 2, 2014 “PSM Alert—OSHA Chemical Facility NEP is Issued Nationwide” Webinar 11:00 a.m. EDT

July 15, 2014 Regular Registration Deadline for National VPPPA Conference

Aug. 25–28, 2014 Gaylord National Convention Center National Harbor, MD Hotel Reservations: (877) 382-7299

september

abuckner@vpppa.org Conference Coordinator Ext. 112

Sarah Neely sneely@vpppa.org Communications Manager Ext. 121

Jenna Shay

September 17, 2014

jshay@vpppa.org Communications Coordinator Ext. 115

“Noise Dosimetry & Hearing Conservation” Webinar

Charlie Doss

11:30 a.m. EDT

cdoss@vpppa.org Government Affairs Manager Ext. 113

Tom Webb

“Indoor Air Quality & Particulate Monitoring” Webinar

twebb@vpppa.org Strategic Development & Member Services Manager Ext. 114

11:30 a.m. EDT

Laura S. Rotzler, CMP

July 16, 2014

July 29, 2014 “A Workplace Safe for Pregnant Workers” Webinar 11:30 a.m. EDT

lrotzler@vpppa.org Member Services & Administrative Coordinator Ext. 111

Marianne Trinh mtrinh@vpppa.org Senior Accountant Ext. 106

Bryant Walker

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bwalker@vpppa.org Information & Data Analyst Manager Ext. 110

crossword puzzle Fill out this crossword puzzle featuring clues on VPP, the association and content from this issue! Answers to this puzzle will appear in the summer issue of The Leader. Do not include spaces for multiple-word answers. To submit a crossword puzzle clue/answer in the next issue of The Leader, contact communications@vpppa.org.

1 2

3

Across: 2.

Chairperson for VPPPA Region I

3.

ADOSH currently has ____ participating Star sites

5.

Number of VPP sites in Nevada

8.

Identifies levels that workers are exposed to hand-transmitted vibration

4 5 8

7

10

9

12

11

13

14

16

15 17

10. Number of representatives from VPP worksites who visited Washington, D.C. in March

18

19

12. Location of Region III VPPPA Symposium

20

16. Is created when perturbations from the terrain are transmitted from the floor of vehicle, through the seat suspension, and into the driver 17. Years Steve Gauthier has worked with VPPPA 19. Mid-range frequencies of vibration are primarily transmitted only to the ____

6

21 22 23 24

25

26

27

20. Affects WBV exposures and worker health

28 29

21. One body structure heavily affected by whole body vibrations 22. Vibration transferred though the soft tissue is one factor that can create ____

ANSWERS FROM THE LAST ISSUE

23. Vascular disorders affecting digital circulation and sensitivity to the cold are likely caused by _____ 26. The frequency of vibration is usually measured in 27. A form of energy release that may easily be overlooked in many work environments 28. Cannot be created or destroyed 29. Confirmed deputy secretary of labor

Down:

11. Vibration exposures are characterized by ____ components 13. National conference opening general session 14. Symptoms of this disease include coldinduced constriction of the blood vessels in the fingers and hands that result in the skin appearing white

1.

Tool that transmits high levels of vibration directly into the user’s body

4.

Host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup

18. Number one of the six-level hierarchy of controls

6.

Released a final rule addressing backover hazards for most vehicles

22. Percent of all work-related illnesses are musculoskeletal disorders

7.

“Inspiring _____ Engagement in ESH” Webinar

24. Percent of workers exposed to power tools on a regular basis

9.

Most prevalent and costly non-lethal medical conditions affecting adults

25. Venue for VPPPA National Conference

15. Device to sense vibration

ACROSS 1. Lupine retiring rep. (WOLF); 3. California safety theme; cape not required (SUPERHEROES); 5. State with highest union affiliation (NEWYORK); 8. Page of puzzle (FORTYSIX); 9. The Queen’s NSC (BSC); 11. Wellness and work-life programs that help with substance abuse and depression (EAP); 12. Association anniversary (THIRTIETH); 14. Unsafe at any level [Pb] (LEAD); 15. Topics for instruction; plant support (STEM); Down: ; 2. “12 for Life” partnership with this school system; famous nurse (FLORENCE); 4. Second word of webinar to save your ears (DOSIMETRY); 6.

OSHA is promoting VPP among these common worksites (HOSPITALS); 7. Former committee of the new U.S. ambassador to China (FINANCE); 10. Mentoring benefit acronym; benevolent business (CSR); 12. One out of _____ cancer deaths are preventable (THREE); 13. Cost of prescription pain medicine abuse [$ billion] (TWENTYSIX);

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7600-E Leesburg Pike, Suite 100 Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 Tel: (703) 761-1146 Fax: (703) 761-1148 www.vpppa.org VPPPA, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) charitable organization, promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities.

SCAN QR CODE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VPPPA, INC.

http://bit.ly/jVQcBo

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Renew Your Membership with VPPPA! If you haven’t already renewed your membership with VPPPA, you can still do so by going online at www.vpppa.org. It’s not too late to sign up and save money on our exciting webinars and registration for you 30th Annual National Conference.

Show your dedication to strengthening the occupational safety and health excellence by renewing your membership!

If you have any questions regarding your membership or dues contact membership@vpppa.org or call (703) 761-1146.