The Leader - Best Practices Issue - Summer 2015

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3, SUMMER 2015

BEST PRACTICES ISSUE

OBJECTS AT HEIGHTS:

STATE OF THE RISK

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• Join thousands of EHS professionals at the premier safety and health event of the year in Grapevine, TX! • Experience four days of activities, including over 100 workshops, over 300 exhibitors and numerous networking opportunities

• Hear from nationally-known keynote speakers • Meet with hundreds of exhibitors who are featuring the safest and newest products available to the EHS community • Network with dedicated safety and health professionals who share your vision for a safer workplace

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VOL 2. ISSUE 3

SUMMER 2015

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CONTENTS

Objects at Heights: State of The Risk

In its simplest form, an object at any height isn’t the issue, making sure that every object stays put is the real concern and has proven to be a pretty large issue on jobsites throughout the world. Aside from inconvenience and productivity losses of dropping an object-at-height and having to retrieve it, ‘struck by falling object’ was responsible for the loss of 245 lives in the workplace in 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Surprisingly, this often overlooked hazard claimed over 40 percent as many occupational deaths as actually falling from an elevated surface (595), not including non-fatal injuries.

features

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VPP Act Passes Unanimously in Virginia

Marking the culmination of a diverse coalition of labor, business interests and safety professionals, on June 3, 2015, Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe (D) signed the state’s Voluntary Protection Program Act. The legislation codifies, establishing through law, the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) administered by the commonwealth’s state-plan.

Virginia’s VPP Act was introduced at the start of the state’s 2015 legislative session. Its chief sponsors were Senator Kenneth Alexander (D) and Delegate Manoli Loupassi (R).

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Five Ways to Beat Back Pain

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the back is the most frequently cited body part for lost days away from work and it’s a problem that can threaten anyone. Liberty Mutual estimates the price tag for low back pain in America to be $50 billion annually. It’s an expensive problem without an easy solution, but there are several steps safety professionals can take to minimize the risk of employees straining their backs.

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Earning VPP Star Status in a Dangerous Profession

Roofing is the sixth most dangerous profession in the country. Rooftop safety changes each minute of each day, so every determination must be made to prepare for these challenges. In an effort to improve safety, Evans Roofing Company, Inc. committed to a formal total quality management (TQM) program in 1991, focusing on three core values: safety, quality and customer satisfaction. Obtaining Star status in this profession requires continual dedication and commitment from all associates.

www.vpppa.org

illustrated journey

WINNER page 28

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OSHA’s 2010 Proposed Rule for Walking and Working Surfaces

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Safety Tips from the World’s Highest Mountains When climbing icy mountains at 20,000 feet, if things go wrong, they go wrong fast. Your brain and body move in slow motion due to oxygen levels being 60 percent lower than at sea level, but gravity and Murphy’s Law still operate around you at full speed. Whether your operations include climbing, construction or other challenging activities, your team’s safety relies upon their attitudes, actions and awareness.

sections GLOBAL SAFETY AND HEALTH WATCH

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WASHINGTON UPDATE

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INFOGRAPHIC CORNER

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

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MEMBER INFO CORNER

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VPPPA CHAPTER ROUND-UPS 42 STATE-PLAN MONITOR

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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In August 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is scheduled to release new rules for Sub-part D—Walking and Working Surfaces (29 CFR Part 1910), which now focuses on one of the leading causes of accidental injury in the workplace—same level slips, trips and falls. The most recent (2010) proposed rule, including the preamble, totals 280 pages in length and details a wide range of information as it applies to both subpart D and I. For most, navigating the proposed rule may be challenging.

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Pregnant Workers— The New Safety Managers?

Are you ready for a new safety manager to call the shots on risks to pregnant workers? Issues simmering over the past decade have now come to a boil and you need to be ready to act since many jurisdictions are already implementing new standards protecting pregnant women in the workplace.

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

G overnment Membership

VPPPA National Board of Directors Chairperson Mike Maddox, NuStar Energy, LP Vice Chairperson Mike Guillory, SGE, The Brock Group Treasurer Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory Secretary Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP Director from a Site With a Collective Bargaining Agent Kent Lang, Clearwater Paper Corporation Director from a Site Without a Collective Bargaining Agent Rob Henson, LyondellBasell Director from a DOE-VPP Site Stacy Thursby, Washington Closure Hanford Director from a VPP Contractor/ Construction Site Richard McConnell, Austin Industrial at LyondellBasell Director-at-Large Bill Harkins, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company Director-at-Large J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE , Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC Director-at-Large Kristyn Grow, CSP, CHMM, SGE Cintas Corporation Director-at-Large Don Johnson, Phillips 66 Editor Sarah Neely, VPPPA, Inc. Editorial Mission The Leader (ISSN 1081-261X) is published quarterly for VPPPA members. The Leader delivers articles from members for members, safety and health best practices, developments in the field of occupational safety and health, association activities, educational and networking opportunities and the latest VPP approvals.

Subscriptions are available for members as part of their membership benefits and at a 50 percent discount beyond the complimentary allotment.

The nonmember subscription rate is $25 a year.

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

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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

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global safety and health watch

Think Inside the Box

BY BENJAMIN MASSOUD, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC.

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o matter the profession, there are certain tasks that nobody enjoys doing. The duties may be tedious, challenging or may take an extended amount of time to complete. But other times, it’s because the work can cost someone their life.

Electrocutions, explosions, exposure to toxic substances and asphyxiation— construction workers operating in confined spaces (manholes, tanks and crawl spaces) are all too familiar with the myriad of health and safety hazards in their line of work. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any thorough safety guidelines in place for workers to adequately prepare for those risks.

As if those dangers weren’t harmful enough, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), construction workers die at a rate of 9.7 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, compared with a rate of 3.3 workers

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction workers die at a rate of 9.7 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, compared with a rate of 3.3 workers across all industries.

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across all industries. Clearly something had to be done.

On May 4, 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new standard, Subpart AA of 29 CFR 1926, “designed to eliminate or isolate hazards in confined spaces at construction sites, similar to the way workers in other industries are protected.” Before the new standard was set to go into effect on August 3, 2015, the only requirement for construction workers operating in confined spaces was to have basic training. (As this issue went to print, OSHA extended the enforcement date 60 days for employers making “good faith” compliance efforts.) The new standard outlines six main requirements: • Before work begins, each employer must ensure that a competent person identifies and evaluates all confined spaces within the work sites.

• Employees must train workers on the location and hazards of permit-required confined spaces.

• If any employer decides that employees it directs will enter a permit space, that employer must have a written permit space program that complies with §1926.1204, implemented at the construction site • If the workplace contains one or more permit spaces, the employer who identifies, or who receives notice of, a permit space must: “Inform exposed employees by posting danger signs or by any other equally effective means, of the existence and location of, and the danger posed by, each permit space; and inform, in a timely manner and in a manner other than posting, its employees’ authorized representatives and the controlling contractor of the existence and location of, and the danger posed by each permit space.”

• Employers must ensure that unauthorized workers do not enter permit-required confined spaces.

• Companies should continually monitor confined spaces for hazards, including atmospheric and engulfment hazards, and eliminate or control hazards in confined spaces.

“This new rule will significantly improve the safety of construction workers who

enter confined spaces,” Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez said in a statement. “In fact, we estimate that it will prevent about 780 serious injuries every year.” According to OSHA, the new rule is expected to affect over 20,000 establishments.

While avoiding work in confined spaces isn’t often possible, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) suggests that by modifying equipment and its installation, it’s possible to limit the number of times workers must enter them. One of the major suggestions ANSI offers is to implement retrieval systems for items that are located at the bottom of a confined space. That way, they can be removed and serviced without the need for entry. However, when entry into a confined space is absolutely necessary, the use of remote monitoring systems (cameras and gas and leak detection) inside of confined spaces can reduce the number of times workers must enter the space. Furthermore, choosing highquality equipment that involves minimal maintenance will pay off in the long run.

The high cost of the equipment outweighs the possible risks associated with the entry of a confined space. Although this new standard may not make working in confined spaces more enjoyable, at least construction workers can take solace in the notion that they’ll now be safer.

For compliance assistance regarding application of the final rule, contact: Directorate of Construction, Room N3468, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20210; telephone (202) 693-2020 or fax (202) 693-1689.

References: • www.osha.gov/confinedspaces/ • www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp. show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_ REGISTER&p_id=25127 • www.aiha.org/government-affairs/ PositionStatements/PtD%20Conf%20 Space%20AIHA%20-%20BOD%20 Approved.pdf

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washington update

NHTSA Efforts Focus on New Technology

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

VPP Act Reintroduced In House The Voluntary Protection Program Act (H.R.2500) was reintroduced into the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support on May 21, 2015. The legislation seeks to codify the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), granting them official congressional authorization.

Longtime VPP champion, Congressman Gene Green (D-TX), was joined by Congressman Todd Rokita (R-IN) and Congresswoman Martha Roby (R-AL) in introducing the legislation. Reps. Rokita and Roby take over the role of lead Republican supporters after Rep. Tom Petri’s (R-WI) retirement at the end of the previous Congress.

The legislation was referred to the House’s Committee on Education and the Workforce and its Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, which has jurisdiction over OSHA. Testifying before that committee in March to discuss the Department of Labor’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget request, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez emphasized the program’s success and stated that, “Our aim for 2016 is to expand VPP because we think it’s a great program.” Recent budgetary pressures created a backlog of sites waiting for their VPP reapproval or to have their initial application considered by OSHA. The agency has worked to draw down the re-approval backlog, but the VPP Act would create the stability and certainty to meet Secretary Perez’s goal of growing the programs.

Rep. Green stressed the cooperative nature of VPP, “The Voluntary Protection Program is one of the few programs that has achieved unified support from both union and nonunionized labor, small and large businesses and government,” adding, “I am proud to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to codify this important safety program that saves money while protecting workers.”

“This collaboration is good for employees, employers, and the American economy,” stated Rep. Rokita. “VPP has been a great success in Indiana, including worksites like Cintas in Frankfort and Nucor in Crawfordsville. It is one federal program that works well, fostering

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cooperation between private businesses and a government regulator.”

Echoing the emphasis on partnerships, Rep. Roby said, “We all want to ensure worker safety, and VPP seeks to achieve that through partnerships, not penalties. VPP helps companies become compliant with workplace safety rules on the front end to avoid costly fines and harmful penalties on the back end. VPP is a smart way to ensure a safe and productive workplace, and I’m proud to be a part of this bipartisan legislation to finally codify it.”

VPPPA Chairman Mike Maddox underscored why VPP has drawn bipartisan support, “VPP sites are innovators and industry leaders in workplace safety. They create safer, more productive working environments that give American companies a competitive edge in the global marketplace. It is fantastic to have bipartisan recognition of VPP’s success as the Department of Labor’s premier cooperative program. This legislation will ensure that OSHA can continue to support VPP, matching the commitment of VPP companies, workers and unions who already volunteer time, expertise and resources toward making workplaces safer across the country.”

The introduction of the VPP Act in Congress comes at a time when the programs have enjoyed unprecedented success at the state level with similar legislation. Virginia recently codified its state-plan VPP with a unanimous vote in both houses of the state’s General Assembly.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is making use of new and proven technologies to improve safety across America’s roadways. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced a final rule requiring electronic stability control (ESC) systems on large buses and heavy trucks. After the enactment of a similar rule for light-duty vehicles in 2012, this final rule, first proposed in 2011, will enter into effect in August 2015.

NHTSA estimates that this rule will prevent more than half of rollover crashes that are not caused by striking an obstacle or leaving the road. In total, it could prevent 1,759 crashes, 649 injuries and 49 deaths each year. Most heavy trucks will have two years to comply with the rule. Buses, depending on their weight, will have three to four years.

At another event, Secretary Foxx announced an acceleration of rulemaking for vehicleto-vehicle (V2V) technology as required equipment on new vehicles. V2V allows communication between vehicles over the same frequencies as some wi-fi signals, sharing information such as speed, location, direction and braking. These will at first be used to alert drivers about blind spots and similar common problems and eventually may serve as a bridge to self-driving vehicles.

Numerous automakers are already researching and investing in the technology. The Federal Communications Commission and Congress are considering proposals to allow other users on the same band as V2V communications, 5.9 Ghz. The Department of Transportation plans, in response, to test for interference issues as soon as the industry has productionready devices available. This testing will also increase understanding of how signals may interfere with future vehicle-to-infrastructure communications systems as well.

Finally, the secretary joined Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Congresswoman Nita Lowey (DNY) to showcase industry improvements as part of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) program. In cooperation with NHTSA, an industry consortium has developed prototypes to detect alcohol levels by a driver’s touch and another by breath, to ensure they do not use a vehicle while intoxicated. With a target window for implementation in five years, the program

is projected to save 7,000 lives each year by preventing drivers from operating vehicles with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above 0.08 percent.

to improve existing articles with more accurate and detailed information and also authors new entries to further public understanding of occupational safety and health.

NTSB Backs Collision Avoidance Systems

OSHA Partners with Health Canada for Chemical Labelling

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has emphasized its support of making collision avoidance systems standard in all new commercial and passenger vehicles in a new report. It estimates that 1,700 die each year in rear-end collisions, but that 80 percent of these might have been avoided with such systems. Currently, only four out of 684 passenger vehicle models include a complete forward collision avoidance system as standard.

NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart decried the slow adoption of the feature, “You don’t pay extra for your seatbelt, and you shouldn’t have to pay extra for technology that can help prevent a collision altogether.” The report also recommends the subsequent adoption of autonomous emergency braking systems after the establishment of applicable standards.

As part of the Regulatory Cooperation Council, OSHA and Health Canada have announced their intent to reduce inconsistencies among hazard communication regulations through the use of one label and safety data sheet in both countries. This builds on a previous memorandum of understanding between the two on implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling in 2013.

EPA Forms Chemical Safety Committee In order to better advise the activities of its Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created the Chemical Safety Advisory Committee (CSAC). CSAC will advise and provide recommendations concerning pollution prevention measures using scientific methodologies and risk assessments.

The Maine Department of Labor has requested the creation of a state-plan for [the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970] to cover approximately 81,000 public sector workers across the state.

Maine Public Sector State-Plan Proposed Under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, state and local government employees are excluded from federal OSHA coverage. The Maine Department of Labor has requested the creation of a state-plan for it to cover approximately 81,000 public sector workers across the state. The proposal from OSHA must first go through a normal federal rulemaking process before being finalized. If the plan is approved, private sector and federal employees would remain under federal OSHA jurisdiction in the state.

NIOSH Collaborates with Wikipedia The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has become the second federal agency with a Wikipedianin-Residence in a collaborative effort with the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Both the website and the agency hope to leverage each other’s advantages in this partnership. As the fifth largest website in the world, Wikipedia offers a much larger audience than NIOSH can normally reach through its traditional platforms.

As a scientific agency dedicated to improving and spreading understanding of workplace health and safety, NIOSH has unparalleled expertise and conducts research on complicated subject matter. The dedicated employee works THE LEADER

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OBJAT STATE OF THE RISK 10

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BY NATE BOHMBACH

ECTS HEIGHTS: SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER, ERGODYNE

In its simplest form, an object at any height isn’t the issue; making sure that every object stays put is the real concern and has proven to be a pretty large issue on jobsites throughout the world. Aside from inconvenience and productivity losses of dropping an object-at-height and having to retrieve it, ‘struck by falling object’ was responsible for the loss of 245 lives in the workplace in 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Surprisingly, this often overlooked hazard claimed over 40 percent as many occupational deaths as actually falling from an elevated surface (595), not including non-fatal injuries.

Quit Shaming Slippery Fingers With the ever-present force of gravity, unsecured things like hand tools, nuts and bolts and even personal protective items like hardhats, become missiles when dropped from 50 stories. Slippery fingers aren’t the only problem; any of these items can be accidently kicked, dropped, blown or even fall out of a bucket from elevated work

locations, such as ladders, lifts, scaffolding or platforms.

Most employers understand fall protection for workers. These programs include: job safety or hazard analyses (JSA or JHA), training and awareness, restriction of elevated work to qualified workers and the use of harnesses, lifelines, tethers and more. Fewer employers understand that many of these

same controls are needed for parts, tools and equipment, as well.

Laying the Groundwork Recognition of this hazard has led companies in certain industries, like utilities and telecommunications, to form working groups to address the issue of dropped objects, develop prevention strategies and share best THE LEADER

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practices. Almost 20 years later, the Dropped Objects Prevention Scheme (DROPS) is an example of a global organization started by members in the oil and gas industry to address this jobsite problem.

Safety and equipment vendors have also responded with new solutions for tethering tools and equipment and for containing loose parts that need to be transported to elevated workplaces. These types of products help employers control these hazards and comply with regulatory requirements for controlling loose or falling objects.

Know Your Zone Many employers have opted for a third-party organization or trusted manufacturer to evaluate their specific jobsite for objectsat-heights risks. A comprehensive program like this will start with a survey of all elevated work areas. Similar in some ways to surveys associated with confined spaces, fall protection or certain process hazards, the DROPS Best Practice Guidance classifies work zones based on potential risk to workers below: • Green Zone—Where the layout and activities of the area present little likelihood of personnel being exposed to Caption TK

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The Dropped Objects Prevention Scheme (DROPS) is an example of a global organization started by members in the oil & gas industry to address this jobsite problem.

potential dropped objects under normal circumstances • Yellow Zone—Where the layout and activities of the area do present some risk of personnel being exposed to potential dropped objects under normal circumstances • Red Zone—Where the layout and activities of the area present significant risk of personnel being exposed to potential dropped objects under normal circumstances A site survey should also include an inventory of all tools, parts and equipment used above workzones, whether done on a regular basis at a fixed location, such as at a refinery or processing plant, or done on a temporary basis, such as when erecting a communications tower or wind generator,

or when performing repairs on a bridge, scaffolding or a crane.

This inventory should be consistent with those items identified in JSAs and JHAs for each task performed over the classified work zones. Tools and objects not included in the inventory or task analysis, or which do not meet program requirements, should be considered “out of compliance” and prohibited unless addressed in a special work permit.

This intentional approach of specifying or controlling what is allowed at elevated work locations can have other benefits. For example, the pre-assembling of parts or components on the ground can reduce the number of items that need to be tracked at elevation, reduce the number of tools that need to be carried to heights, eliminate carrying of waste or unnecessary packaging and reduce the amount of time spent at heights.

The best practice guidelines also recommend a review of all past incidents, including near miss events where objects have been dropped, to identify causal and contributing factors as well as needed controls.

Don’t be a Tool—Connect It the Right Way An increasing variety of tool and object tethering solutions for working at heights are available from vendors, including lanyards, tethers, tool connectors, closed pouches and re-closeable containers that prevent loose parts from flying if kicked over on a work platform or bumped when hoisting. These types of devices must be durable enough to withstand the challenges of the particular work environment (oils, chemicals, UV exposure, saltwater, heat, etc.) and, as always, allow convenient access for workers wearing appropriate gloves for the tasks involved.

One of the more challenging aspects of objects at heights planning is trying to safely connect a tool to a lanyard when the tool has no obvious connection point, such as a hammer. Employers must find and utilize tool connectors that create an attachment point but also make sure it does not interfere with the tool’s function or integrity.

In some cases, a wrench may incorporate some type of hanging hook or hole that is easy to tie or clip into. In other cases, such as specialty or power tools, a variety of cinch straps, swaged cables, hot or cold shrink tubing, clips or carabiners may be needed.

For multi-part tools, such as socket sets or

impact wrenches, special retention pins or safety wires may be required to keep all of the pieces at elevation.

These tethers should be thought of as a system, including anchor points to the worker, harness and railing. Each component of the system must be able to withstand anticipated shock loads and should be regularly inspected.

Temporary attachments should be secure to prevent unintended release, and tether lengths should be long enough to perform required tasks without creating entanglement, snagging or trip hazards. In some situations, coiled, stretchable or self-retracting lanyards might be preferred options.

A Well-Rounded Program As with a fall protection program for workers, a fall protection program for objects includes layered and overlapping controls.

Guardrails and toe boards are basic elements for elevated work platforms but must be kept clear of debris and clutter which could get kicked or blown over. In some situations, netting or other passive engineering controls may also be used. Typically designed to restrain or catch workers, each of these should be evaluated for their ability to prevent tools, parts or debris from falling onto areas below. Active engineering controls should also be used in the form of chin straps and lanyards. Other retention devices should always be used to keep tools and equipment from falling.

Training for workers above and below, along with signage and access control, are important administrative controls, especially with higher hazard ‘yellow’ and ‘red’ classified zones. Work practices that eliminate placing an unsecured tool or component on a rail, ledge, step or platform, even temporarily, need to be enforced.

The use of work permits or checklists for elevated work is another way to reinforce the importance of these measures and to help mitigate the hazard.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers below may be obvious, but it’s important.

Hard hats, eye protection and steel-toed boots (to name a few) may help reduce the severity of injury if a worker is hit by a falling item. If PPE is removed or exchanged, some type of storage pouch or clips should be considered to keep them with the worker.

Keeping tools and gear where they should be when taken to heights requires an intentional effort, a clear understanding of tasks and operations, and occasionally, some creative solutions.

Bottom Line Keeping tools and gear where they should be when taken to heights requires an intentional effort, a clear understanding of tasks and operations and occasionally some creative solutions. Training that encompasses awareness and hands-on demonstrations of the various products for tethering is key for protecting workers from even something as seemingly small and benign as a dropped bolt.

Fall prevention discussions have become commonplace in the workplace, but, typically, employers are focused solely on preventing actual worker falls. While that is extremely important, the often neglected tools and gear brought to heights can have equally devastating results.

References • OSHA Scaffolds: 1926.451(h)—“falling object protection” Fall Protection: 1926.501(c)— “Protection from falling objects” Steel Erection:1926.759(a)—“Securing loose items aloft” General Duty Clause 29 U.S.C. § 654, 5(a)1—“ . . .employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm . . .”

• DROPS www.dropsonline.org/ Nate Bohmbach is senior product manager of the productivity pillar of products at Ergodyne and is dedicated to keeping worksite tools and equipment organized, efficient and safe. He has a passion for at-heights safety solutions including the emerging category of objects-atheights. Bohmbach has developed innovative safety products for nearly 10 years and has taught best practices to multiple industries.

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Marking the culmination of a diverse coalition of labor, business interests and safety professionals, on June 3, 2015, Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe (D) signed the state’s Voluntary Protection Program Act. The legislation codifies, establishing through law, the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) administered by the commonwealth’s state-plan.

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nder the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, states can elect to administer their own state-plans. These states operate their own version of OSHA at the state level as long as said agencies have requirements that are at least as stringent as federal OSHA. Furthermore, four other states and the Virgin Islands have state-plans that only cover state and local government public sector workers.

Currently, all 22 full state-plans have created VPP initiatives. Virginia began their programs in 1996, which currently cover 44 sites. These cross all sectors of the economy, ranging from hightech defense contractors to a brewery to the first correctional facility in the country in VPP.

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Virginia’s VPP Act was introduced at the start of the state’s 2015 legislative session. Its chief sponsors were Senator Kenneth Alexander (D) and Delegate Manoli Loupassi (R). Beyond bipartisan support, these VPP champions represent a coalition between two of Virginia’s major regions. Senator Alexander represents portions of Norfolk and Chesapeake in the state’s tidewater region and Delegate Loupassi hails from a district that includes portions of the city of Richmond and its suburbs.

The Virginia VPP Act quickly drew support from labor across the state, eliciting an endorsement from the state American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial

Organizations (AFL-CIO): “This legislation is important for the continued protection of working people everywhere. VPP ensures that workers’ rights to be safe on the job are guaranteed and takes great steps towards saving lives,” said Virginia AFL-CIO President Doris Crouse-Mays.

Drawing similar praise from industry organizations, Virginia Manufacturers Association President Brett Vassey added, “Labor and management have a strong record of implementing VPP together, which creates a safer work environment for everyone and is a program labor and management can get behind.” Additionally, the Virginia Chamber

BY CHARLIE DOSS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA

VPP ACT UNANIMOUSLY IN VIRGINIA of Commerce, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) added their support.

Building Momentum With injury and illness rates 50 percent below industry averages, VPP sites are safety and health innovators that address every hazard faced by employees, regardless of whether it is covered by existing regulations. Acting as a force multiplier, VPP sites are dedicated to outreach and sharing best practices with their peers and competitors. Through lower compensation costs, reduced lost time and increased productivity, VPP sites realize dramatic savings for the private sector. Public sector sites pass on these same savings to taxpayers.

With such widespread backing, the legislation sailed through the committee process and was passed by both houses of the Virginia General Assembly unanimously. Governor McAuliffe

signed the legislation into law in March 2015.

Ahead of the legislation’s effective date of July 1, 2015, the governor held a signing ceremony to bring together VPP’s many supporters throughout the state and honor participating sites. He was joined by representatives from labor, industry and VPPPA’s board of directors.

However, not every VPP site in Virginia is covered by its newly codified state-plan.

Certain worksites remain under federal jurisdiction, including important employers such as Norfolk Naval Shipyard and NASA’s Langley Research Center. The federal VPP Act, as discussed in the “Washington Update” section on page 8, would give these sites the same certainty of support as their peers in Virginia by codifying OSHA’s federal administration of VPP. For more information on how to share your site’s VPP story with your elected officials, contact governmentaffairs@ vpppa.org or (703) 761-1146.

Mike Guillory, VPPPA Vice Chairman (Left), and Richard McConnell, VPPPA Director-atLarge from a VPP Contractor/Construction Site (Right) join Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (Center) at the bill signing.

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BY ANDREW FAULKNER

COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTENT MANAGER, SAFESTART

WAYS TO BEAT BACK PAIN Kyla Cullain received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008 and

quickly found a job with a municipal public health unit. As part of her schooling she received instruction on proper body mechanics but there were no practice situations that simulated working conditions. Once she joined the workforce, the expectation was that the safety skills she learned while training to be a nurse were more than sufficient.

You’re reading this in a safety magazine so you probably already know that it wasn’t enough.

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here was a long stretch of days when Kyla’s team was tasked with urgently providing vaccines to group homes.

The schedule was demanding and at each home they were forced to set up makeshift clinics in whatever office space they could find. As she was packing up at one location so that she could rush off to the next, she bent over to retrieve her cooler of vaccines from a cramped corner.

She doesn’t know if it was because she overreached or if the vaccine container was too heavy, but the result of her attempt to lift the cooler was three herniated discs and a compressed S1 nerve root that eventually led to an L5 discectomy and set her up for a lifetime of back pain and spinal issues.

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Kyla’s story is a common one. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the back is the most frequently cited body part for lost days away from work and it’s a problem that can threaten anyone. While staying fit can provide some protection, Kyla was in great physical shape at the time of her injury and that was not enough to prevent serious damage from occurring.

Liberty Mutual estimates the price tag for low back pain in America to be $50 billion annually. It’s an expensive problem without an easy solution, but there are several steps safety professionals can take to minimize the risk of employees straining their backs.

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A paper published in the Journal for Occupational Rehabilitation in 2012 discovered that cumulative load on the lower back is more consistently associated with lower back pain than previously identified risk factors. Improper body position can also be a contributor, and overreaching or excessive torque can cause lifting even small weights to have a big impact on your back.

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Follow the Hierarchy of Controls

The hierarchy of controls should be your first step in minimizing back strain among workers.

This includes obvious steps like minimizing lifting where possible, eliminating any twisting required when lifting and reducing the frequency and distance that employees have to bend or lift.

In most cases, it’s impossible to completely eliminate the hazard, and engineering solutions are limited—lifting is an unavoidable element of many jobs and weight is a function of gravity. When it comes to PPE, there’s a single fact that is ignored in far too many workplaces: back belts don’t work.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined over 13,000 material-handling employees at 160 retail stores across the United States to determine the effectiveness of back belts and policies requiring their use. After observing these employees for two years and adjusting for multiple risk factors, the study concluded that frequent back belt use wasn’t effective at reducing back injury claim rates or selfreported back pain.

Not only have back belts been demonstrated to be ineffective, but in some cases, they may actually have a negative effect. They could give employees the mistaken belief that they can attempt to lift more than is safe or lend employers a false sense that their workers’ backs are adequately taken care of. It’s better to provide proven devices that directly help with lifting.

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Teach—and Practice— Safe Lifting Techniques

Too many back training programs consist of gathering employees in a room once a year, showing a 10-minute DVD with outdated footage and then sending them back to work once it’s over. The lifting techniques in these videos may be perfectly applicable because there hasn’t been any major breakthroughs in lifting procedures for years, but information transfer is only one part of safety training. It’s also essential to provide frequent, hands-on training to increase the likelihood that workers will retain the knowledge.

It’s important to remember that back safety training almost always happens in a controlled environment without the stress and hustle of the workplace. If you want employees to remember safe lifting procedures when they’re rushing, frustrated or tired, they need to practice

It’s important to remember that back safety training almost always happens in a controlled environment without the stress and hustle of the workplace. If you want employees to remember safe lifting procedures when they’re rushing, frustrated or tired, they need to practice lifting demos and receive regular positive correction and feedback. lifting demos and receive regular positive correction and feedback. Ideally, they should also be trained in identifying and contending with the human factors that are most likely to compromise their lifting technique.

Frequent reminders are also important. In a 2014 survey of safety professionals conducted by the BLS, 85 percent of respondents said that reminding workers about safety issues is effective, but only provides a temporary benefit. The survey focused on slips, trips and falls in the workplace, but many of its findings, including this one, are broadly applicable to safety practices. This means that not only should you provide reminders, but you also need to offer training that will keep workers safe in between their reminders—including building better habits.

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Build Better Habits

The Society for Personality and Social Psychology notes that 40 percent of our daily behavior is habitual, echoing a long-standing belief that a great deal of our behavior is a result of routines. Many people have established lifting habits long before they enter the workforce, and these habits play a huge role in determining the long-term status of an individual’s back health.

Back injuries can result from a single incident, but they can also be caused by a history of poor lifting techniques that compound over time. A paper published in the Journal for Occupational Rehabilitation in 2012 discovered that cumulative load on the lower back is more consistently associated with lower back pain than previously identified risk factors. Improper body position can also be

a contributor, and overreaching or excessive torque can cause lifting even small weights to have a big impact on your back. Whether it’s one lift or a thousand lifts, once the total load you’ve carried exceeds your limit, you’re at risk of an injury.

In Kyla’s case, the strain of lifting the container of vaccines led to an injury, but it didn’t occur in isolation. Rather, it was the culmination of years of bad body mechanics catching up with her. “Hauling out the vaccine cooler was a trigger but it definitely wasn’t the only factor in my injury,” she notes. “Looking back, I definitely had something coming and it was just a question of what would set it off.”

Your training program should identify important back-health habits, like reaching your arm out to build a bridge when bending over, and should provide employees with the support they require to properly form habits that will protect their back throughout their careers.

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Identify the Workplace Risks

Knowledge is power and there’s no better way to avoid unsafe lifting techniques than to make sure employees know their safe lifting thresholds and which oddly shaped objects are most likely to cause them to alter their approach to lifting.

Teach employees to recognize awkward or dangerously large loads and help them learn to quickly spot instances when they should ask for help. “The thought never crossed my mind that the cooler was too big for me to carry or that having to reach out and bend for it would make it trickier to move,” Kyla says. “It also never occurred to me that I should ask for help.” Among the measures she thinks could have helped her prevent her back injury, hazard identification and awareness is at the top of the list. It’s also important not to rush through a task without taking the time to ensure that workers are employing the proper techniques.

Not all hazards come in big packages. In some cases, the danger may be repetitive strain rather than large loads. In these cases, provide ample breaks for rest and recovery, and consider periodically rotating employees to other positions that demand less from their backs.

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Appeal to Their Agenda

Everyone has a safety agenda. Employers typically aim to minimize workplace injuries to keep their workforce healthy, productive and to avoid potentially costly workers’ compensation

expenses. Unsurprisingly, employees have a more personal take on the issue—they want to stay healthy so they can provide for their family, coach their kid’s softball game after work and continue enjoying all that life has to offer.

The goal is the same, but the motivations are much different. You’ll get much better employee engagement when you appeal to the employee’s personal agenda rather than a corporate mandate.

This can take a number of different forms, from creating training collateral that provides off-the-job examples, to frequent reminders that a back injury will affect their entire lives, no matter where it occurs. Addressing off-thejob safety is a surprising but effective solution to workplace back injuries. Employees who are aware of the off-the-job cost of straining their back and who practice safe techniques at home are more likely to stay safe at work too.

Back injury prevention revolves around employee behavior and buy-in. You can’t force anyone to follow safe lifting practices, so you need to educate them on its importance, give them the skill set to reliably perform safe behavior on the job and recognize when their

approach may be compromised by human factors. Once a back injury occurs, there’s little you can do but accommodate the employee as best you can.

Kyla is now the CEO of Next Step Transitions Inc., a company that provides barrier-free living and safety aids to seniors, and she understands the importance of prevention and risk awareness.

When asked if knowing her safe lifting limit and the dangers of rushing would have changed things, she answers quickly, “There’s no doubt in my mind that more training and recognizing the real risks of rushing could have helped me avoid getting hurt. If I’d taken the time to better assess the situation, things would have been completely different.”

Andrew Faulkner is the communications and content manager at SafeStart. He produces safety and training resources for safety professionals, including guides on PPE compliance and preventing slips, trips and falls in the workplace, and writes about the intersection of traditional safety compliance measures and human factors. Learn more and download resources at safestart.com.

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EARNING VPP STAR STATUS IN A DANGEROUS PROFESSION— HOW EVANS ROOFING COMPANY, INC. BECAME THE ONLY ROOFING COMPANY TO ACHIEVE VPP

BY DAN NOWAK CORPORATE RISK SPECIALIST, EVANS ROOFING COMPANY, INC.

Evans Roofing Company, Inc., (ERC) is a commercial roofing and wall panel contractor located in upstate New York. Our two subsidiary companies, Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. (union) and CFE Inc. (nonunion) both proudly achieved VPP Merit recognition in 2008 and more recently, Star status in 2012. These two companies are the only roofing companies in the United States to achieve this honor and both were re-approved at the VPP Star level in August 2014. This achievement requires continual dedication and commitment from all associates.

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and all mentoring sessions are complete, the new associate is recognized with an orange hard hat sticker, signifying his or her completion of the mentoring program.

Going Electronic

R

oofing is the sixth most dangerous profession in the country. Rooftop safety changes each minute of each day, so every determination must be made to prepare for these challenges. In an effort to improve safety, ERC committed to a formal total quality management (TQM) program in 1991, focusing on three core values: safety, quality and customer satisfaction. This led to a paradigm of how safety was to be integrated into projects.

The TQM program allows associates to get actively involved in sharing ideas directly from the field. Every associate is encouraged to complete a written TQM ideas form and submit their suggestions for review. Once an idea is submitted, it is then handed to a quality improvement team (QIT) to be discussed for merit and practicality. If the TQM idea is determined to have merit, it is approved and put into action. The process of getting associates to submit their ideas to management has led to success within our organization.

Many submissions are now everyday best practices. This has raised us to a new level of commitment to safety and quality. With this said, we are recognized as a leader in the roofing industry with the simple message of continuous improvement.

We would like to take you on a journey through our everyday best practices from start to finish. After ERC is awarded a job and the contract is in place, we focus on how to keep our associates safe, from beginning to end.

Basic things, such as a site-specific fall/rescue plan along with our job hazard analysis (JHA), are developed. The JHA describes the safety system that is to be installed and any other precautionary measures that are to be taken.

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The fall/rescue plan is then communicated to all associates and we check to make sure everyone understands and agrees upon it. Every associate involved then signs off on the documents.

New Employee Mentoring Program Once our safety system is set up and the roof is loaded with materials and supplies, our associates then have a safety huddle to discuss the operations. During this time, any associates that are in our new employee mentoring program are assigned an experienced mentor if one has not already been assigned.

Over the next two months, the new associate works closely with their mentor to learn everyday operations, such as proper setup and placement of job boxes, making sure all appropriate materials are in First Aid Kits and learning our fire extinguisher cone best practice. For example, part of the training focuses on the proper placement of fire extinguishers to avoid them tipping over.

We take a regular orange safety cone and cut the top off, allowing us to place the fire extinguisher down inside to keep it upright and stable. We then label the cone with a “fire extinguisher sticker.” All of this helps our new associate gain the skills and knowledge for their new journey in the commercial roofing industry.

New associates are required to carry their pocket-sized safety manuals along with their mentoring packets. They are also issued a lime green hard hat sticker to signify that they are in the mentoring program. Once a week, they review that week’s mentoring session with their mentor or team leader. This process encourages our new hires to ask questions and it helps our mentors and team leaders check for complete understanding. After the two months are over

In an effort to maintain pace in a fast and competitive industry, we decided to “go electronic” for our comprehensive safety and health program. In 2013, we made a financial commitment to reduce project paperwork by purchasing electronic tablets for all field supervision. These tablets allow information to be shared in real-time with field and office associates.

During the course of a project, our teams are not only responsible for maintaining and adjusting the safety practices as needed, but also for holding weekly team meetings, called “tool box talks,” (TBT) along with conducting a site safety audit. Not only do our EH&S specialists conduct a weekly safety audit for each site, it is also the responsibility of the team leader, foreman, project manager and corporate office to complete and submit a safety audit, as well. This process helps hold us accountable on all levels while keeping up with our high standards for safety. The safety audit processes are very user-friendly, quick and allow real-time reporting for our managers conducting them. As you scroll down through the checklist, there is an easy “Yes,” “No” or “N/A” questionnaire for evaluators to fill out. If there is an item that is not in compliance, damaged or needs to be “red tagged,” “No” is selected. We then have the ability to take a picture of the issue and, if possible, abate or correct the problem and upload the before-and-after photos to show how a problem was solved. Once the audit is complete, it is sent out via email directly from the job site in real time. To further promote accountability, we can also use our system to assign an issue ticket to a team leader or project manager. When they have resolved the issue, they can now email it back out to their supervisors to show how and when the problem was solved. Both the TBT and the safety audits can then be emailed out onsite and uploaded to a shared drive for the company’s personnel to access.

QR Code Tag System To stress accountability, we have implemented a tagging system for safety equipment. Fall protection equipment, such as harnesses and

lanyards, are tagged with a QR code. At any time, these tags can be scanned with our tablets by using an app. Once scanned, our system will tell us the associate’s name and product details such as the date of issue (DOI), date of manufacture (DOM), serial number and the last time it had a documented inspection as opposed to the daily visual inspection we require all associates to perform before using their assigned equipment.

Punch Cards Although each individual associate is trained to conduct a visual walk-around inspection, we document these inspections before the equipment is used. Our associates use inhouse punch cards for different equipment.

We believe that different equipment requires different criteria. Our punch cards are specific to the equipment and are UV resistant, weather resistant, flexible and durable. They range from scaffolding, fork lifts, various aerial lifts and mobile fall protection carts, to name just a few.

We inspect these items whether they are ours or a rental company’s. This ensures that we take the time to do our due diligence when it comes to safety. The punch card has the inspection criteria written right on it. The proper associate will use the punch card and select the year, month and day. If all of the items on the inspection list are compliant, they will punch the “Y” on the Y/N that is next to the day of that month. Using the tablets, we can show proof that the inspections are being completed. We simply take a picture of the punch card that is attached to the equipment and upload it right into our safety audit reports.

We have both English and Spanish versions along with our OSHA 3165 and 3167 posters. The posters are displayed in every job box as well.

Equipment & Safety Equipment Manuals—All equipment manuals are now easy to access. If there is a troubleshooting question or if a new associate is being trained, the manual is there for review.

Safety Checklists—The safety checklist folder holds all of the criteria items for inspection of any equipment and also our site audits.

Policies-Procedures—This one is crucial for human resources. Sometimes on job sites, questions arise on what the exact policy or certain procedure for handling issues or items is. Associates can now quickly reference these documents and forms.

All of this touch-and-go technology that we’ve implemented into our safety culture has brought operations together, full circle, and maintains our accountability theme.

In March of this year, we presented our best practices at the Western New York State Safety Conference and won the 1st Annual Safety Innovation Award. This prestigious award, voted

on by peers, recognizes companies that have made an extraordinary effort to improve worker health and safety by continuously creating and applying new and better approaches to solving problems. This award would not have been possible without all of our incredibly intelligent and hard-working employees and we look forward to continuing to make strides in our safety program and continuing to develop and implement innovative solutions at Evans Roofing Company.

Dan Nowak began working in the safety field in 2003 as a team leader, safety representative and chainsaw safety instructor for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor. In 2011, he transitioned into the oil and gas sector where he represented EH&S and field coordination in both the seismic and fracking industries.

Dan found what he considers to be his true home, Evans Roofing Company, Inc., in 2013 and is happy to be in the most safety-oriented company he has ever known.

Readily Accessible and Searchable Documents Anyone at any time can access our tablets onsite. On the home screen, the main folders are accessible along with various other files or apps that we have found useful. The main folders include the safety data sheet (SDS) collections, safety manuals, equipment manuals, safety equipment manuals, safety checklists and policies and procedures.

SDS Collection—We now have all of our SDS right at our fingertips. All we have to do is select the manufacturer-product-type.

This automatically shows specific SDS and all 16 parts. We update our records as the manufacturer updates them.

Safety Manuals—Our company safety manual is just a touch away. Associates can refer to the safety manual quickly when questions may arise.

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BY JIM DAVIDSON 31ST ANNUAL NATIONAL VPPPA SAFETY & HEALTH CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

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Safety Tips from the World’s

HIGHEST MOUNTAINS After scaling dozens of highaltitude mountains from Alaska to Tibet, my teammates and I have adopted some crucial methods for avoiding mishaps.

When climbing icy mountains

More than just checklists, we

at 20,000 feet, if things go

integrate safety into all of our

wrong, they go wrong fast.

plans, actions and decisions.

Your brain and body move in

Whether your operations

slow motion due to oxygen

include climbing, construction

levels being 60 percent lower

or other challenging activities,

than at sea level, but gravity

your team’s safety relies

and Murphy’s Law still operate

upon their attitudes, actions

around you at full speed.

and awareness.

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Attitudes On Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska, we spent twelve cold days getting our team safely to the highest camp at 17,200 feet.

Nighttime temperatures of minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit froze our exhaled breath to the tent’s inside surface like a million ice feathers. It took all the enthusiasm we could muster to stiffly exit our sleeping bags and begin two frigid hours of preparation for our summit push.

We expected hours of brutal work before we might reach the 20,320 foot summit. But, just shy of the summit, we were surprised to encounter three European climbers struggling to rescue an altitude-stricken American. The trio of first responders had heroically dragged the patient down to 19,200 feet but were now exhausted. Seeing the patient wave his frostbitten hand in the air, and hearing him moan, “I want to go home!” made my heart ache. This young man was someone’s brother, someone’s son. Our priorities on Denali, and on all climbs, were: 1—Come home. 2—Come home friends. 3—Climb, if we can. Our “safety first, summits second” attitude made it instantly clear that both the rescuers and patient needed our help. The summit push was over.

Establishing a “safety first” attitude before we stepped foot on Denali made this critical mind shift fast and clear when the emergency arose. We could change our perspective

and our goals without doubt or delay. This allowed us to help faster, help better and enabled us to keep ourselves safe while we participated in the risky rescue.

The evacuation dragged on for seven cold hours. Eventually, the patient was airlifted on a short haul line dangling beneath a straining helicopter. The patient did survive and recover, though not without damage. We trudged down Denali in a snow storm having not summited, yet satisfied in the knowledge that a safety-first attitude allowed us all to get home.

Actions In 1998, two climbing partners and I were most of the way up a 21,122 foot peak in Bolivia. Though it was daylight, the massive ice ridge to our right blocked the sun’s rays, so we had to climb continuously to stay warm. We had already overcome the steepest ice section and we stood a good chance of summiting around noon. But the thin air forced us to move even slower and we got colder. Our stiffening hands made it difficult to clip carabiners to the ice screws anchoring us to the glacier.

Like the slow accumulation of bad debt, these small difficulties began piling up on us.

It was getting harder to execute the actions we needed to maintain progress safely. While nothing major was wrong yet, our safety was becoming less and less assured. I began to get an ominous feeling that we could make

Jim Davidson at the highest base camp on Mount McKinley

the top, but I was not sure we could get back down safely before dark.

At 20,500 feet, we stopped on a flat ice shelf and had a quick team meeting. We all agreed that we were starting to rely more on luck, rather than our own intentional protective actions, and that was not good enough.

Like it or not, we had to turn around before something bad happened. After a short break, we checked each other’s knots and harnesses, and then began the descent.

Working in a dangerous situation requires every team member to take actions that promote their own safety and the safety of the team. Those actions begin before we enter the work space, continue during the work day, and end only when everyone makes it home at night. Here are some actions that high-altitude climbers take, which apply to every work team: • Ignore distractions while preparing your safety gear • Check over your own safety system when done • Do a mutual buddy-check of each other’s safety gear; say the checkpoints out loud • Re-check later if anyone adds, changes or removes safety gear • Double-check just before doing something especially risky (ex: rappelling down a rope) • Increase alertness when tough environmental conditions (ex: heat, cold, wind, darkness, etc.) make human errors more likely • Take good care of your safety equipment and it will take care of you We did not reach the summit that day in Bolivia. But 17 years later, we are all still alive and climbing, so I’m certain that we made the right call.

Awareness At last, we were climbing Mount Everest. Neither the thin Himalayan air, nor the low hanging clouds could dampen the enthusiasm as my teammates and I moved up the Khumbu Glacier.

We had been in Nepal for a month and had spent the previous year training hard for the world’s highest peak. Now, we were finally moving out of base camp and on up to Camp 1 at 19,900 feet.

To reach camp, we had to thread our way through the maze of the infamous Khumbu icefall, a frozen burial ground for many climbers. The entire tilted ice sheet slides downhill three to four feet per day, so deep cracks spilt the glacier about every ten yards for the entire 2,500-foot ascent to Camp 1.

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Mountain climbing in Bolivia

Around me, below me and above me teetered unattached ice blocks, ranging from dishwasher-size, up to house-size behemoths.

They leaned unsteadily against one another, waiting for some minute shift that would let them suddenly fall over. Tense and wide-eyed, I was at the most heightened state of awareness I had ever been during 33 years of climbing.

At every job site there are dangers. The mountains have objective hazards (those that naturally exist even without climbers present) like rock fall, avalanches or storms. At most workplaces, the dangers are subjective (those that exist as a result of human presence and actions). The key to avoiding all these hazards is situational awareness, a process of seeking, noting and reacting to the potential dangers around you. Some tips for enhanced situational awareness include: • Move your eyes and your head to continually survey your surroundings.

• Notice potential hazards and assess their danger now and later, to yourself and others.

• When you’re in an unfamiliar situation, ask advice from veterans who may see dangers that you do not yet recognize.

• Experienced personnel should proactively teach new team members the risks and the ways to mitigate them.

With climbing, working and life, there are always risks that must be addressed. By having positive attitudes, actions and awareness, smart teams can both increase safety and enhance success. Climb well.

The key to avoiding all these hazards is situational awareness, a process of seeking, noting and reacting to the potential dangers around you.

Jim Davidson is a high-altitude climber and expedition leader. After working as an industrial painter and environmental geologist, Jim is now a professional speaker and author who shares lessons on resilience, teamwork and safety through keynotes and workshops for organizations around the world. He just returned from Mount Everest where he made it safely through the avalanches and the tragic Nepal earthquake. www.speakingofadventure.com Attend the 31st Annual National Safety & Health Conference to hear Jim’s compelling story and more about the safety philosophy that has kept him alive throughout his 30+ year climbing career.

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illustrated journey winner

Meet NIBCO, Inc., VPPPA’s Illustrated Journey Winner

BY TAMI HOLBERT, SGE, NIBCO, INC.

“The pride I feel every time I see the sign hanging over the entrance of our facility, ‘You are entering an OSHA Star site,’ can’t adequately be put into words.”

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ami Holbert of NIBCO, Inc. (NIBCO), in Stuarts Draft, VA, laughs as she recounts the start of her VPP Journey in 2006. “When I first got involved in safety, I expected that we would achieve VPP in a year!

I naively thought that this would be a simple, straightforward process. From beginning to end, it has not been an easy road. We have had many bumps, obstacles, fears and tears, and over 2.1 million dollars was invested, trying to achieve what was thought to be an unattainable goal.”

NIBCO realized in 2006 that they needed a more comprehensive health and safety training program and a more inclusive industrial hygiene testing program. The plant safety teams needed to be expanded to include more of the required VPP elements. Nearly two years later, in late 2008, the first major step was restructuring the plant’s safety teams. The goal of the new team structure was to (1) create a plant-wide, multi-team program incorporating both salaried and hourly associates, and (2) at the same time, establish the required VPP “beyond compliance” mindset.

“We don’t incentivize employees to participate because we feel like a safe work environment should be its own reward. It was hard to get people to participate at the beginning but it did come, and now, it’s ingrained in us,” Tami said.

By mid-2013, the foundation of the safety and health program was in place and was successfully being managed by the ten safety teams designated to implement and oversee the process.

One of the first things that NIBCO invested in was machine guarding and interlock door systems. They had hundreds of machines that needed guarding, making this preliminary initiative one of the largest upfront investments. NIBCO had a lot of older equipment as well, so it was especially challenging to find solutions for some of the machines. Another demanding task was creating 44 binders of ISO programs and information that were VPP compliant. The team thought at the onset that they would only need one binder, but quickly realized that hundreds of pages of documentation were necessary to achieve their goal.

NIBCO admits that a couple of things surprised them during the VPP process.

“One thing that we didn’t expect was that the

auditors would go onto the roof. One of the first things that we needed to address was some type of fall protection. We ended up spending about $100K to achieve this. Most of our employees do not go up there but we do have a few that do. That was one of our 90-day items from the audit,” said Tami.

Another element featured in the collage of NIBCO’s journey is a picture of several ladders stacked against a wall. The problem was, all of those ladders didn’t have capacity levels on them and no one caught it. “We discovered that during the audit,” Tami recalled. “We thought we were doing well on that, and we thought they were all up to code but they weren’t. It took a long time to find all the ladders and replace them and it also showed us how many of our manufacturers didn’t have limits on their ladders.”

Tami remembers being shocked when she learned that injury rates actually went up at the onset of the process. “We thought our injury rates were pretty good, but once we got into the VPP process, they spiked! It was surprising. The reason for it, we believe, is that we were underreporting prior to our journey and we didn’t have the awareness about how and when to report injuries.

Once we educated people on what they should be reporting and how to do it, the number started going up. We learned from those reports but now, rates are going down,” said Tami. NIBCO is now making near-miss reporting a top priority.

In 2014, the associates of NIBCO finally had the chance to raise the VPP Star flag.

“These pictures represent a small portion of our journey—before, during and after the process—and each time I look at them, I feel a sense of pride and dedication to truly never giving up and pursuing the ultimate goal of creating a safer environment for our associates,” declared Tami. The pride that the VPP flag exudes every morning that I walk into this plant can’t be put into words. There isn’t one second that I don’t look at it, and think about how every single person in this plant should be proud when they go through that door. The pride I feel every time I see the sign hanging over the entrance of our facility, ‘You are entering an OSHA Star site,’ can’t adequately be put into words.”

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BY RUSSELL J. KENDZIOR PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL FLOOR SAFETY INSTITUTE (NFSI)

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OSHA’S 2010

PROPOSED RULE FOR WALKING AND WORKING SURFACES What’s Changed and How Will It Impact You?

IN

August 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is scheduled to release new rules for Subpart D—Walking and Working Surfaces (29 CFR Part 1910), which now focuses on one of the leading causes of accidental injury in the workplace—same level slips, trips and falls. The most recent (2010) proposed rule, including the preamble, totals 280 pages in length and details a wide range of information as it applies to both subpart D and I. For most, navigating the proposed rule may be challenging.

2010 Proposed Rule for Sub-part D—Walking and Working Surfaces Much of the language in the proposed rule is identical to that of the current rule. For example, currently § 1910.22 “General” sub-section (a) states that: “Housekeeping

regulations requires that: (1.) A11 places of employment, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms shall be kept clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition. (2.) The floor of every workroom shall be maintained in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition.

Where wet processes are used, drainage shall be maintained, and false floors, platforms, mats, or other dry standing places should be provided where practicable. (3) To facilitate cleaning, every floor, working place, and passageway shall be kept free from protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards, (b) aisles and passageways.” However, under the proposed rule, more emphasis is placed on same level slips, trips and falls than under the current rule where slips, trips and falls are not specifically addressed.

So what exactly constitutes a fall hazard?

Under the revised rule, a “fall hazard” is defined as: “any condition on a walkingworking surface that exposes an employee to

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injury from a fall on the same level or to a lower level.” The term “Walking-Working Surface” is defined to mean: “any surface, horizontal or vertical, on or through which an employee walks, works, or gains access to a workplace location. Walking-working surfaces include, but are not limited to, floors, stairs, steps, roofs, ladders, ramps, runways, aisles, and step bolts.”

Under the proposed rule: “OSHA does not expect all surfaces to be maintained in a pristine manner; however, surfaces must be maintained in a condition that will prevent slips, trips, falls, and other hazards. These two provisions are identical to existing Sec.1910.22(a)(1) and (a)(2). [...]

In proposed paragraph (a)(3), OSHA requires employers to ensure that all surfaces be designed, constructed, and maintained free of recognized hazards that can result in death or serious injury to employees. [...] Proposed paragraph (d) is new and addresses the maintenance and repair of walking-working surfaces in general industry.

Proposed paragraph (d)(1) requires the employer to ensure through regular and periodic inspection and maintenance that walking-working surfaces are in a safe condition for employee use. Proposed paragraph (d)(2) requires the employer to ensure that all hazardous conditions are corrected, repaired, or guarded to prevent employee use until repairs are made. Proposed paragraph (d) (3) requires that where hazardous conditions may affect the structural integrity of the walkingworking surface, a qualified person must perform or supervise the maintenance or repair of that surface.

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The intent of proposed paragraph (d) is to ensure that the employer, or the employer’s designee, monitors walking-working surfaces to identify hazards that may lead to injury or death and to address those hazards promptly. A qualified person must perform or supervise the repair where hazards are of such a nature that the structural integrity of the walking-working surface may be affected. While the provision does not require the employer to develop an inspection schedule, or keep records of inspections, it does require the employer to ensure that inspections are conducted frequently enough so that hazards are corrected in a timely manner.”

Qualified vs. Competent Person OSHA has historically required employers to designate a “competent person” to be the point of contact or the designee who is the most knowledgeable and responsible for safety compliance. When an employer designates an employee a “competent person,” it is not necessarily a compliment, but a legal obligation. In the proposed rule, OSHA defines a competent person “to mean a person who is capable of identifying hazardous or dangerous conditions.” A competent person has historically been understood to be that of an employee who is able to recognize hazards associated with a particular task, and has the ability to mitigate those hazards.”

However, if the 2010 proposed rule is published, OSHA will now require inspections to be performed by a “Qualified

Person”, who under the proposed rule is defined as: “a person who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training and experience has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project.” “Training” may include informal, or on-the-job training.

Per the proposed rule, the qualified person must demonstrate some level of training in identifying hazardous walkways and be responsible for safeguarding employees from the risks associated with same level slips, trips and falls.

Needless to say, there are only a few individuals that currently have any specific training in this area. Such training, although not mandated by OSHA, can be used as a basis of establishing the credentialing of an employer’s qualified person designee. The leading organization providing such training is the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), which is the only organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to provide slip, trip and fall prevention training, and issues the Walkway Auditor Certificate Holder (WACH) designation.

OSHA Regulations and ANSI Standards If you are like most people, you probably are not real clear as to the relationship between OSHA and ANSI and exactly how OSHA relies upon and references ANSI standards.

In the early 1970s, when OSHA was issuing new workplace safety regulations, they referenced the ANSI consensus standards available at the time and relied upon them as the basis for establishing its new regulations, or incorporating them into an existing standard. In either case, ANSI standards are, at the very least, considered best practices and are often seen as implicit regulations by the American justice system.

In 1991, OSHA published a Memorandum of Understanding, outlining their relationship with ANSI which states: “Whereas ANSI is recognized as a coordinating and approval agency for voluntary national consensus standards in the United States and is ready to provide assistance and support in occupational safety and health standards, regulations and related issues; and Whereas, ANSI working through its accredited standards developers has already demonstrated through

the performance of various activities an ability to render technical assistance and support to OSHA in carrying out its statutory authority.

ANSI will furnish assistance and support and continue to encourage the development of national consensus standards for occupational safety or health issues for the use of OSHA and others. ANSI will encourage its accredited standards developers to provide technical support, as requested, in the development, promulgation and application. The purpose of the cooperative effort sought under the Memorandum of Understanding is to bring the technical resources and support of ANSI together for the purpose of assisting OSHA in carrying out its responsibilities” Under the proposed rule’s preamble, a higher level of awareness and attention may be expected of employers by way of the 34 technical standards cited in the reference section. The proposed rule states “Under Section VI, ‘Applicability of Existing National Consensus Standards,’ Section 6(b)(8) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (“the Act”; 29 U.S.C. 655(b)(8)) requires OSHA to explain ‘why a rule promulgated by the Secretary differs substantially from an existing national consensus standard,’ by publishing ‘a statement of the reasons why the rule as adopted will better effectuate the purposes of the Act than the national consensus standard.’ The Agency is not proposing to adopt any of the 34 national consensus standards listed in the reference section of the proposal because the Agency believes that it is too difficult and costly for employers, especially employers in small businesses, to determine which of these national consensus standards apply to their workplaces, and then to collate and organize the relevant standards for compliance purposes. In this regard, no single, national consensus standard would fully address all of the fall hazards found in most of these workplaces.”

Although the 34 technical standards may not be mandated, they certainly will play an important role in the way employers inspect, identify and mitigate slips, trips and falls.

For example, let’s say that under the General Duty clause, an OSHA compliance officer cites you for having hazardous (slippery) walkways. Given that both the current and proposed rules do not require that you test the coefficient of friction (COF) of your walkways, the burden of proving that your walkways are not hazardous rests on your

Demonstrating compliance with the appropriate ANSI B101 standard can serve as an important tool in identifying hazardous walkways in advance of a citation and be even more important when attempting to abate a citation.

Although not mandated, employers can and should be testing their walkways per the ANSI/NFSI B101.1 or B101.3 wet COF standards.

Oftentimes it’s not what you did, but rather what you failed to do that will lead to a slip and fall!

shoulders. How then, can employers defend against such a claim? One way is via the application of the ANSI B101 walkway safety standards which you can use to measure the traction level of your walkways.

The ANSI/NFSI B101.1 or B101.3 wet COF test methods describe three traction ranges. Walkways that are defined as “hightraction” offer the lowest level of risk while “low-traction” walkways represent the highest risk level.

Where there is no OSHA regulation, apply the appropriate ANSI/NFSI B101 walkway safety standard to fill in the compliance gap.

Demonstrating compliance with the appropriate ANSI B101 standard can serve as an important tool in identifying hazardous walkways in advance of a citation and be even more important when attempting to abate a citation. Although not mandated, employers can and should be testing their walkways per the ANSI/NFSI B101.1 or B101.3 wet COF standards. Oftentimes it’s not what you did, but rather what you failed to do, that will lead to a slip and fall!

ANSI standards. For example, the industry standard for non-prescription sunglasses requires compliance with the ANSI Z80.3 standard which standardizes UV transmittance, cosmetic quality and lens durability. Most employers mandate ANSI compliance for the products they provide to their workers, not because OSHA necessarily requires such, but because it’s their guarantee that the product is in compliance with the appropriate safety standard and demonstrates “voluntary compliance” to OSHA’s overarching requirement for workplace safety. So why not require ANSI compliance for the products you use to clean and maintain your walkways?

Since 2006, the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) has risen to become the certifying authority for walkway safety products. The NFSI serves as the Standards Developing Organization (SDO) of the ANSI B101 committee on slip, trip and fall prevention and provides independent product testing per the ANSI/NFSI B101 walkway safety standards. Hundreds of flooring, coating and floor care manufacturers have voluntarily submitted their products to the NFSI for certification, which is displayed on their product packaging.

In the end, nothing in the proposed rule will change the status quo. Employers are still responsible for inspections and must ensure that walkways are safe. What may be changing is the means by which compliance will be enforced. In a 2010 OSHA press release, Dr. David Michaels stated; “Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.”

Russell J. Kendzior is internationally recognized as a leading expert in slip and fall accident prevention. He is the president and CEO of Traction Experts, Inc. and is the founder and president of the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) and Secretary of the ANSI B101 committee on slip, trip and fall

ANSI Product Testing and Certification

prevention. Mr. Kendzior is the author of two

Most employers today purchase PPE products which are tested to be in compliance with

“Slip and Fall Prevention Made Easy” and

best-selling books on slip and fall prevention, “Falls Aren’t Funny.”

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BY DAN MARKIEWICZ, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

PREGNANT

WORKERS—

The New Safety Managers?

Are you ready for a new safety manager to call the shots on risks to pregnant workers? Issues simmering over the past decade have now come to a boil and you need to be ready to act since many jurisdictions are already implementing new standards protecting pregnant women in the workplace.

O

n January 1, 2015, Public Act 098-1050 took effect in Illinois.1 According to the Illinois Department of Human Rights, an objective of the act requires employers to provide “…safe working conditions for expectant mothers so that they can continue working without fear of endangering their health or the health of the child.”2 Illinois PA 098-1050 is part of a floodgate trend in city and state laws (in nearly all cases by unanimous legislative approval) to provide fairness to pregnant workers. In 2014 alone, laws became effective in Philadelphia; New Jersey; New York City; Central Falls, RI; Minnesota; West Virginia; Providence, RI; Delaware; and Pittsburgh. At the time of this writing, the District of Columbia, Nebraska and New York State followed Illinois and put new laws into effect for pregnant workers in 2015. Seven states now have active bills for new laws for pregnant workers and campaigns for similar legislation appear to be underway in every U.S. state.

While new laws are coming into force, existing laws for pregnant workers must be reconsidered.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on March

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25, 2015, in Young v United Parcel Service to require lower courts to favorably reinterpret accommodation rights, such as safe lifting for pregnant workers, under current federal law such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).3 The day after the court’s decision in Young, the U.S. Senate gave unanimous (100-0) non-binding support for a new federal law that would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers if the accommodation can be done without undue hardship upon the employer.4 To help bind the vote, the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, sponsored by both Republican and Democratic senators, was introduced into Congress on June 4, 2015.5 Time will soon tell if the bipartisan bill gets enough votes to become federal law. If the federal law stalls or is stopped, however, calls for new local laws will pick up steam.

A full explanation of what’s driving sentiments for pregnant workers is beyond the scope of this article. A key driver is demographics. About 50 percent of the U.S. workforce is now composed of women

and about 75 percent of these women will become pregnant at least once during their work career. However, recent polls show that over 90 percent of registered voters favor more rights for pregnant workers.6 Politicians react and often bend to the will of voters and stakeholders. The issue is likely to pick up more steam as the 2016 presidential election campaign continues to unfold.

Unfortunately, new U.S. pregnant worker fairness laws are just strong enough to pass, yet weak enough not to greatly offend. The local laws are varied enough that each must be considered on its own. Therefore, consideration of pregnant workers and subsequent new and revised laws will continue to evolve in varied directions during coming years.

Global Best Practice The global best practice and law in many areas of the world for pregnant workers is found in the following two-stage flow diagram on page 36. Modern roots for the flow were established by the European Commission’s 1992 Pregnant Worker’s Directive.7 Stage one is skipped to avoid opposition to new U.S. laws. New U.S. law generally begins

at stage two—provide reasonable accommodations. New local laws and reinterpreted existing federal law now allow pregnant workers to request accommodation(s) without fear of reprisals, such as being fired or demoted.

Consistent among all local laws and a key point in proposed federal law is that if the request is not reasonable, the employer is not required to provide the accommodation and pregnant workers can refuse an unwanted accommodation.

Debate may be expected on these two points.

Additionally, paid leave at the end of the flow is another lengthy argument. Some local laws call for paid leave, others do not.

New Safety Manager The trajectory on U.S. pregnant worker rights is clear. Laws will remove a pregnant worker’s fear about speaking up for her own safety and the health of her future child.

With fear of job loss and demotion gone, the pregnant worker will become her own safety manager, looking for information online, leaning on her friends to provide safety guidance and later in pregnancy— usually beyond the first trimester, the THE LEADER

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BEST PRACTICE for Managing Pregnant Workers

STAGE ONE: ASSESS THE RISKS Look For Hazards

Any Hazards that could Harm Pregnant Worker or Unborn child?



NO 

Be Alert to Changes

YES



Assess Risks

 Account for Individual Factors (As Needed, Consult Health Care Provider/Expert)

 Inform Worker of Any Significant Risk

STAGE TWO: AVOID HARM Can All Hazards Be Eliminated From the Workplace?

YES 

Eliminate Hazard

Reference links 1. www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext. asp?Name=098-1050

NO



Reduce Hazards to Minimum.

Does Significant Risk Remain?

NO 

Keep Under Review as Pregnancy Progresses

YES

YES 

Provide Reasonable Accommodations

NO

NO



Give Her Paid Leave Until it is Safe for Her to Return

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3. www.supremecourt.gov/ opinions/14pdf/12-1226_k5fl.pdf

5. thinkprogress.org/ economy/2015/06/03/3665919/pwfarepublicans/ 6. www.democracycorps.com/NationalSurveys/the-womens-economic-agenda/ 7. osha.europa.eu/en/legislation/directives/ sector-specific-and-worker-relatedprovisions/osh-directives/10



Can She Be Transferred to Alternate Work?

2. www3.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ ShowPressRelease. cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=12912

4. www.pahouse.com/InTheNews/ NewsRelease/?id=65429



Can Risk Be Avoided By Providing Reasonable Accommodations?

pregnant worker’s healthcare provider will offer additional advice. There will be no shortage of information on risks for pregnant workers. OSHA’s June 2015 deadline for full Hazard Communication/Globally Harmonized System compliance includes the precautionary hazard statement “may damage the unborn child.” This is just one of numerous modern examples of the evolving view on the handling of this subject.

Pregnancy cannot be put on hold until decisions are carefully made. Curiosity may quickly turn into concern, concern into controversy and last, controversy into conflict—with lawyers and courts to settle disputes. Curiosity, concern, controversy and conflict may all be avoided or greatly minimized if employers, through their safety and health pros, voluntarily complete stage one and upper portions of stage two in the provided flow chart.

If you are uncertain on how to assess risks to pregnant workers, begin by reading the European Commission’s 2000 “Guidelines on the assessment of the chemical, physical and biological agents and industrial processes considered hazardous for the safety or health of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding.”9 Think global, act local.

YES 

Temporary Transfer to Other Work

8. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIhKAQX5izw 9. eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ TXT/?uri=CELEX:52000DC0466

infographic corner

Liberty Mutual estimates the price tag for American low back pain to be

$50 billion annually.

Roofing is the

6th most dangerous profession in the country.

25 percent

of all compensation indemnity claims involve back injuries, costing billions of dollars on top of the pain and suffering borne by employees.

Falls

account for 76 percent of fatalities in the roofing industry, and workers in the roofing industry are three times more likely to experience fatal work-related injuries than other construction workers.

“Struck by falling object�

was responsible for the loss of 245 lives in the workplace in 2013.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one million workers suffer back injuries each year and back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries or illnesses.

The Society for Personality and Social Psychology notes that

40 percent of our daily behavior is habitual, echoing a longstanding belief that a great deal of our behavior is a result of routines.

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member spotlight

Wes Hansen, Safety Specialist for Nucor Steel, Plymouth

BY BENJAMIN MASSOUD, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC.

“We want to be there for other facilities if they need any help through the VPP process, or if they have hazards that are similar to ours; we are there to help anyone. We’re not just looking out for us, we look out for everybody,” explains Wes Hansen, safety specialist at Nucor Steel, Plymouth, located in Plymouth, Utah. It’s easy to offer others help when you’re already a VPP Star site. However, Nucor Plymouth isn’t a Star site yet, and it realizes VPP is not the end goal, it’s just a milestone along the way.

Culture is Key

“We want to be there for other facilities if they need any help through the VPP process, or if they have hazards that are similar to ours; we are there to help anyone.

We’re not just looking out for us, we look out for everybody...”

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What makes Nucor Steel, Plymouth, a division of one of the largest manufacturers of steel in North America, Nucor Corporation, so confident in its safety and health program?

Wes believes it’s the company’s inclusive culture, a culture in which everyone’s input is valued equally, and where management actively facilitates employee growth. “It’s the great thing about Nucor—they don’t limit you,” Wes says. “As long as you put effort into your work, and are passionate about it, whatever you want to do, if you’re the best person for the job, you can do it.” It’s this philosophy that afforded Wes the chance to hold the position he does today. Wes worked as a welder for Vulcraft, a division of Nucor, when one day, the company’s need for more emergency medical technicians (EMT), provided Wes with the opportunity he never even realized he wanted. He enrolled in classes and joined ride-alongs with ambulances to hone his skills, and before long, Wes became a certified EMT. Vulcraft was so impressed with Wes’ determination, that when Vulcraft started the VPP process, Wes was asked to be a part of the bloodborne pathogen group. He gladly accepted and became more involved with the preparations for the site’s VPP audit,

finding himself in a role that gave him his first exposure to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards, and his first real introduction to safety. After acquiring more knowledge and developing even more passion for safety, Wes was eager to accept an even bigger responsibility. A full-time position as a safety specialist became available at the Plymouth steel mill—Wes was the obvious choice.

Protected from the Elements Comprised of approximately 200 operating facilities throughout the country, Nucor Corporation melts down scrap steel, including old cars, beams and rebar, with a production capacity of 29 million tons. Also North America’s largest recycler, Nucor recycles the melted-down steel and prepares it to be sold to other companies for parts. To ensure the steel is safe to melt down, it must first pass through a scrap supplier who certifies it for melting. What are the possible hazards of the work? Heat stress, lead exposure and hazardous material handling are just a few of the most common health concerns. Heat stress can be an issue due to the high temperatures created by the melting process. Therefore, to limit the workers’ exposure to heat, management aims to reduce the amount of time they are out on the production floor. Under their required personal protective equipment (PPE), employees wear ice vests to cool down their body temperature.

After their shift is up, they are rotated out, and to help further combat heat stress, the workers enter “clean rooms,” equipped with air conditioning, filtered, ventilated air and plenty of fruit and water to keep them hydrated. In fact, the workers enter the clean room multiple times a day to rest and take a break. To avoid contaminating the clean room, there is a locker room that workers must enter beforehand, where they change out of their PPE and clean themselves of any possible contamination from hazardous chemicals. However, Wes is quick to acknowledge that none of the

workers have ever been overexposed to lead.

Clearly these aren’t work conditions you’d want children exposed to, but Wes says in order to stay motivated to work in the safest manner possible, it helps to imagine that his four-yearold nephew works alongside him: “In some of my trainings I use our children as an example.

When writing job safety analyses (JSA) and performing our daily tasks, I tell the workers to imagine their children or other loved ones are working with them or are reading that same JSA to learn the job. How would you want them to perform that job? What would you do differently to keep them safe? If we keep that in our minds every single day, I’m sure we would make at least a couple better decisions.”

A Tall Task How does a safety department of only five people protect a staff of 460 workers and 150 onsite contractors? “We’re not safety cops,” Wes states. “We don’t police the team; instead, we serve as a resource to help them gain the knowledge to make good decisions and hold each other accountable.” Specifically, he’s responsible for coordinating trainings for Nucor’s emergency response teams, creating and presenting safety trainings, conducting audits on contractors, completing risk

assessments on new equipment and analyzing incidents and corrective actions the team comes up with to ensure all the root causes have been found and that the corrective actions will prevent the incident from happening again.

But Wes and the safety department aren’t the only forces behind the success of the safety program. Refer back to Nucor’s philosophy of equality, and you’ll realize that Nucor is run differently than most companies. To find evidence of this, look no further than the way employees are referred to. A term usually reserved for athletics “teammates,” are what the employees of Nucor are called, and it signifies how everyone works together to achieve success. It’s not a gimmick; both management and teammates work hand-in-hand to foster a sense of unity. In fact, it’s management that often relies on the teammates to come up with ideas to improve the safety of the operations and the production process. When there aren’t clear solutions to safety issues, focus groups, made up of teammates off the working floor, are formed to provide feedback. The focus groups meet several times for each specific issue and the safety team makes sure the group has the resources and help they need to find and fix the problem. The plan is then presented to Nucor’s management for execution.

“We don’t police the team; instead, we serve as a resource to help them gain the knowledge to make good decisions and hold each other accountable.”

A Mountain with No Top What does the future hold for Wes? Nucor Steel continues to grant Wes opportunities to gain the knowledge and experience to be a safety director. “The only limitations that exist are the ones that we place on ourselves,” Wes believes. Perhaps Nucor’s motto “In everything we do, we’re climbing a mountain with no top,” has rubbed off on him: “I want to be the best I can be at my job. When I master that job, I want to keep moving up. As long as I’m challenged, I’m happy.”

With that kind of fortitude, Wes reaffirms that he won’t be completely satisfied with just achieving VPP Star status—an accomplishment that is bound to happen very soon.

The casting process where molten steel is formed into billets.

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39

member info corner

Congratulations to our 2015 award and scholarship winners!

Safety & Health Achievement Program Whether it is at the worksite or in the community, the VPPPA Safety & Health Achievement Program provides special acknowledgement to non-managerial employees at VPPPA member sites who have taken the initiative to learn and apply safety and health best practices. Candidates are expected to fulfill the program criteria and complete a workbook containing questions on the major elements of workplace safety and health. The program is geared toward hourly, non-safety and health workers at VPPPA member sites.

Winners: • Colleen Schmidt, GE Healthcare-ISS, Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Kevin M. Schoonover, Mission Support Alliance LLC, Richland, Washington • Michael Kinder, Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia • Robert Hill, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Aiken, South Carolina • Sharon Kidd, Savannah River Remediation, LLC, Aiken, South Carolina

Annual Awards VPP Outreach Award The purpose of the VPP Outreach Award is to provide recognition for our “VPP Ambassadors.” This award recognizes those who achieve an outstanding level of outreach activity and encourage others to share their knowledge. Reaching out to communicate and persuade others of the benefits of pursuing OSHA or DOE VPP approval is an important part of the mission of VPPPA. Another part of the mission is to persuade other government regulatory agencies to adopt similar programs. The VPP Outreach Award is for an individual, company or worksite that has done an extraordinary amount of work in these areas.

Winner: • Tropicana Products, Inc., Jersey City, New Jersey

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VPP Innovation Award:

Scholarships

The purpose of the VPP Innovation Award is to provide recognition for an individual, company or worksite that has developed and successfully implemented an innovation, encouraged others to try new approaches and emphasized the value of creativity and flexibility in the resolution of worker safety and health problems. The innovation may be program-related or of a technical nature.

June Brothers Scholarship

Winners: • Washington River Protection Solutions, Richland, Washington • Raytheon-Intelligence, Information and Services (IIS) Indianapolis Site, Indianapolis, Indiana

VPPPA Safety & Health Outreach Award The purpose of the Safety and Health Outreach Award is to provide recognition for our “VPP Models,” who reach out to share the safety, health, technical and management expertise developed at their sites. The award is for an individual, company or worksite that has achieved an outstanding level of outreach in the safety and health arena, not directly encompassing the VPP. Winners: • CH2MHill Plateau Remediation Company, Richland, Washington • Marathon Petroleum Company LP, Robinson, Illinois

The VPPPA June Brothers Scholarship was established in 2005 to recognize students who are leaders and role models in their schools and communities and who are entering either the environmental, safety and health areas or the trades (respectively). This annual scholarship is granted to students who are either employed at a VPPPA Full member site or to the child/ grandchild of a member.

Winner: • Debra Henze, Ammon, Idaho

Stephen Brown Scholarship The VPPPA Stephen Brown Scholarship was established in 2005 and is intended for students pursuing a degree in the trades. This scholarship is open to students enrolled in or enrolling in a vocational school, college or university. This annual scholarship is granted to one student who is either employed at a VPPPA Full member site or to the child/ grandchild of a member.

Winner: • Garret Hamby, Kennewick, Washington

William “Sully” Sullivan Scholarship During the February 2007 VPPPA National Board of Directors meeting, the board established the VPPPA William “Sully” Sullivan Scholarship. This scholarship is

intended to recognize an employee at a VPPPA Full member site who has made significant contributions to the VPP program at his/her site. This scholarship is open to employees enrolled in or enrolling in a vocational school, college or university.

Winner: • Tyler J. Dean, Richland, Washington

2015 Regional Mentors and SGEs of the Year Mentor of the Year • Region I: Jack Popp, Hasbro Inc. East Longmeadow, MA • Region II: Alan Kerstner, Pentair Corporation/Westlock Controls, Saddlebrook, NJ • Region III: Drew Holland, Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Program Manager, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia.

• Region IV: North Alabama VPP Committee Core Team (Tiffany Beddoe, Michael Perry, Arthur Gray) • Region V: DSM Coatings and Resins, Frankfort, Indiana • Region VI: Rickey Meyers, Zachry, Houston, TX • Region VII: Bill Turner, NuStar Energy Wichita, KS

SGE of the Year • Region I: Stephen Gauthier, General Electric Aviation, Lynn, MA • Region II: Dominic Bruno, Sabic Innovative Plastics, Inc., Selkirk, NY • Region III: Thomas (Tom) S. Rimel, Jr., Dunmore Corporation, Bristol, PA • Region IV: Jeff Moyer, Florida Power & Light—Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL • Region VI: Don Dauzat, Monsanto, Luling, LA • Region VII: Mike Murphy, Ply Gem, Kearney, MO • Region VIII: Mark Moya, Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc • Region X: Chris Knight, Owens Corning Linnton Asphalt Facility, Portland, Oregon

Twitter Contest Tweet! Tweet! Calling all tweeters! We’re holding a Twitter contest during the national conference, Aug. 24–27! The person who tweets the most about the conference using “#VPPPA31” will win a gift card! Your tweets can be about any of part of the conference: Which interesting workshops did you attend?

What did you learn from the keynote speaker?

What connections did you make with other attendees or exhibitors?

The winner will be notified via Twitter on Monday, Aug. 31. If you have any questions, contact the Membership Department at (703) 761-1146 or membership@vpppa.org.

The VPPPA Safety & Health Achievement Program provides special acknowledgement to nonmanagerial employees at VPPPA member sites who have taken the initiative to learn and apply safety and health best practices.

Roster Contest Winner Congratulations to Keith Bergseld, from Lion Copolymer Geismar, LLC, in Geismar, Louisiana, for winning the roster contest!

Thank you to all who submitted updated rosters; your efforts will help us provide you with all the benefits of VPPPA membership.

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41

chapter round-ups

COMPILED BY BENJAMIN MASSOUD, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC.

Region II Region II would like to extend our congratulations to the 2015 SGE of the Year, Dominic Bruno from SABIC Innovative Plastics, Inc. Selkirk, NY, and the 2015 Mentor of the Year, Alan Kerstner from Pentair Corporation, Westlock Controls, NJ. We ask 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 an AED on their own. Over the past nine years, with your help, we have donated 19 machines. Anyone interested in contributing to the fund should contact the Region II chairperson at Brenda@ accesshealthsystems.com.

Contributed by Brenda Wiederkehr, Region II Chairperson

Region III Raytheon Dulles celebrated their VPP Star Worksite approval on May 27, 2015. The Raytheon Dulles Campus has a total threeyear average for the Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) for injuries and illnesses of 0.14 compared with a 2012 Bureau of Labor Statistics national rate of 0.8 for this industry, representing a TCIR rate 83 percent lower than the national average for the industry. Raytheon

Dulles is the second Raytheon VPP Star site in Virginia and currently one of 33 Raytheon VPP sites throughout the United States.

Contributed by National Office Staff in attendance at the Star ceremony

Region VII The Region VII VPPPA held its 22nd annual conference in St. Louis, MO, from May 18– 20. The keynote speaker Keni Thomas inspired the crowd with his heartfelt message about the importance of following Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), leading by example, training and teamwork. Other conference highlights included a well-attended VPP Application Workshop, Bill Turner’s recognition as the Region VII Mentor of the Year and NuStar Energy receiving the Dale Randal Award, which recognizes commitment to safety.

Additionally, the scholarship committee worked through 32 excellent applications to choose Alejandra Marin as the recipient of the $5,000 Region VII Scholarship.

Congratulations to our new and returning board members!

• Bill Turner (NuStar Energy) retained the vice chairperson position • Alicia Hardacre (Tyler Pipe) retained the secretary/historian position • Tom Hauber (Rockwell Collins) retained the labor representative without bargaining agreement position • Chris Wige (Steris) was elected to the open director-at-large #1 position • Terry Bass (Ply Gem Siding) retained the director-at-large #3 position • Eric Befort (GE Aviation) was elected to the open director-at-large #5 position In early May, NuStar Energy, Nebraska Region, conducted their flag raising ceremony in York, Nebraska.

Contributed by Bill Turner, Region VII Vice Chairperson

Raytheon celebrates its VPP Star approval in Dulles, Virginia.

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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

Arizona The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety & Health (ADOSH) is seeing growth in the VPP ranks with the addition of several sites, bringing the total to 37 active VPP sites within the state. In an effort to continue spreading the word, ADOSH puts out information on VPP via their in-house publication entitled the “ADOSH Advocate.” This is a quarterly publication and it can be accessed by going to their website and signing up for the publication electronically at www.ice.state.az.us/ADOSH/ ADOSH_main.

In addition, ADOSH holds several safety summits throughout the year where they discuss the benefits of VPP. A summit was held April 29–30, 2015, during which Region IX had an informational booth manned by Region IX Board Member William Bracken and several site VPP representatives from Raytheon Missile Systems, ready to answer questions from attendees regarding VPP. There will be two more summits during 2015. Information can be found at the same link noted above.

ADOSH has done nine site re-evaluations this year and have several more slated to complete. Kitchell Contractors Inc., had their flag raising ceremony on May 15.

In addition, several of the VPP participants in Arizona were present at the Arizona Worker Memorial Day event held on April 28. VPP participants also recognized the National Safety Stand-Down for fall protection in May. If you wish to learn more about how to get involved in these activities in the future or just want more information about VPP, please contact Jessie Atencio, assistant director, VPP coordinator for ADOSH at (602) 542-5795.

Michigan The number of sites in the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP) remains at 28, with 26 Star and two MVPP/C (construction) sites. There are currently no Rising Star (Merit) sites in the MVPP. MIOSHA has been active in the promotion of the MVPP with MVPP Specialist Doug Kimmel giving a presentation on Michigan’s program at the VPPPA Region V Conference. In addition, Doug has met with sites aspiring to join MVPP and conducted initial evaluations of their safety and health management systems.

The spring 2015 MVPP/C Mentor Meeting was held in conjunction with the Michigan Safety Conference. The meeting was attended by representatives from several

Flag raising ceremony at Kitchell Contractors in May 2015.

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state-plan monitor

has met with representatives from each of these sites to discuss the findings from the review of their applications.

A Star re-evaluation onsite review was performed at United Water in Wixom.

The report submitted by the onsite team is currently being reviewed.

Sherwin-Williams in Holland and DTE Milford Compressor Station in Milford have been re-approved for participation in the MVPP. The second meeting of the newly established MVPP Advisory Group was held on June 30, 2015.

“Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more details on MVPP, please contact Doug Kimmel, MVPP specialist, at (231) 546-2366, or visit the MIOSHA website at www.michigan.gov/miosha.

SGE class at the Region IX conference after being sworn in.

MVPP/C sites. Best practice presentations were provided by representatives from DTE Milford Compressor Station and Johnson Technology.

E&E Manufacturing in Plymouth, Marathon Pipe Line LLC in Woodhaven and Marathon TT&R North in Muskegon have submitted applications for the MVPP. Doug

Nevada Nevada now has 10 active VPP sites participating in the program and interest is growing. Region IX recently held their Regional Safety Summit in Reno. As a prelude to the conference, Peter Wilsey, federal OSHA’s VPP program manager for Region IX, hosted a Special Government Employee (SGE) training class in which nine

Left: DENSO Manufacturing Athens Tennessee proudly display their flag and plaque following their second re-approval; Right: The employees of Monsanto’s Union City site and Tennessee OSHA Administrator Steve Hawkins celebrate the location’s first re-approval.

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contacting each state >> new SGEs were trained and ultimately sworn in by Barbara Goto, who at the time was the acting Region IX federal administrator.

The newest VPP site in Nevada is Copper Mountain Solar 1, LLC.; they were approved and had their flag raising ceremony on May 29, 2015. Congratulations to all who worked so hard to achieve this at the beginning of the year. There have been two successful reapprovals so far in 2015.

Tennessee On January 28, 2015, Commissioner Burns Phillips presented the employees of DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc. in Maryville with the site’s Volunteer Star re-approval. This was the site’s second reapproval. On February 10, Steve Hawkins, administrator of Tennessee OSHA, presented the employees of Monsanto in Union City with the site’s Volunteer Star re-approval.

This was the site’s first re-approval. On April 2, Commissioner Burns Phillips presented the employees of Frito-Lay in Fayetteville with the site’s Volunteer Star re-approval award. This was the site’s third re-approval. A successful onsite evaluation was recently conducted by Tennessee OSHA at Manufacturing Sciences Corporation in Oak Ridge.

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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VPPPA Contacts

calendar of events

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 Director of Operations Ext. 107 Amanda Buckner abuckner@vpppa.org Senior Conference Coordinator Ext. 112

August

September

August 3–August 27, 2015

September 10, 2015

Onsite Registration Period for 31st Annual National VPPPA Safety & Health Conference

Conference Survey Deadline

August 24–27, 2015 31st Annual National VPPPA Safety & Health Conference Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, TX

August 24–27, 2015 Conference Twitter Contest

October October 12, 2015 Priority Period ends for exhibitors and sponsors

Sarah Neely sneely@vpppa.org Communications Manager Ext. 121 Benjamin Massoud bmassoud@vpppa.org Communications Coordinator Ext. 117 Charlie Doss cdoss@vpppa.org Government Affairs Manager Ext. 113 Tom Webb twebb@vpppa.org Strategic Development & Member Services Manager Ext. 114 Katlyn Pagliuca kpagliuca@vpppa.org Member Services Coordinator Ext. 115 Heidi Hill hhill@vpppa.org Event Sales & Advertising Coordinator Ext. 111 Marianne Trinh mtrinh@vpppa.org Senior Accountant Ext. 106 Michael Khosrofian mkhosrofian@vpppa.org Accountant Ext. 104 Bryant Walker bwalker@vpppa.org Information & Data Analyst Manager Ext. 110 Courtney Malveaux, Esq cmalveaux@vpppa.org Government Relations Counsel Ext. 105

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AXION MSR 速

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.

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