The Leader Winter 2017

4:30 PM

97%

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1, WINTER 2017

Tech Tools for the Safety Professional How Apps, IoT and Big Data Analytics will Change your Game

1

2017 EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDEBOOK

2

3

6

message from the executive director

A

s most of you know, I stepped down as chairman of the National VPPPA Board of Directors in August 2016 and retired from my company, for the second time, on January 31, 2017. For the last three years, in addition to being chairman, I have also

served as the acting executive director for the association. The board has graciously appointed me to be the full time executive director. It is a great honor to serve as the sixth executive director in the association’s 33-year history.

These are exciting times for VPP and VPPPA. I fully expect we are entering into another period of rapid growth in the number of VPP sites. We, as an association, look forward to again having a strong and positive relationship with our OSHA partners both at the federal and state level.

In order to accomplish the numerous goals for the association that have been established by the national board, we need everyone’s assistance starting with renewing your site’s membership or joining for the first time.

Codification of VPP continues to be a major goal and we look forward to new bipartisan bills being introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives. In conjunction, we continue

Mike Maddox Executive Director

our successful education of members of Congress on the importance and value of VPP. Last year, we conducted over 500 educational meetings and more are scheduled for 2017 in March, June and November following each board meeting. If you can join us for these interesting and fun congressional meetings, please contact me at my new email address, mmaddox@vpppa.org or call me at (703) 761-6503.

It is also very important for everyone to contact their senators and representatives to express how important VPP is to you and your site. Additionally, send me information about VPP celebrations at your sites and if possible, I or one of that national board members will try to attend.

Thank you for your support,

Mike Maddox Executive Director

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

3

LEADER THE

VOL 4. ISSUE 1 WINTER 2017

cover

CONTENTS

18

Tech Tools for the Safety Professional— How Apps, IoT and Big Data Analytics will Change your Game An explosion of new safety products, processes and services are made possible by disruptive technology developments in consumer products, medical devices and through the adoption of innovative new business models. The impact in risk and exposure assessment is already being seen with the widespread adoption of safety apps, low cost embedded sensor networks (Internet of Things) and the use of ‘big data’ analysis and crowdsourcing of information to make more informed conclusions and decisions about workplace safety.

features

8

The Future of Safety as a Profession: Get Ready for Some Major Swings Current projections suggest that the economy is still recovering and choosing safety as a career choice is not enticing.

Companies are hiring more generalists than specialists and trying to survive with limited staffing. Optimistic projections suggest that the jobs currently held by baby boomers will begin to open up in the next decade as they retire, and the job prospects for younger professionals may begin to flourish.

4

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

12

Top Five Practices From OSHA: Construction Safety Recommendations to Incorporate in Your Warehouse One of OSHA’s measures is to foster safety through conceived recommendations that will undoubtedly raise the bar in warehouse operational safety. This creates a brighter future for construction safety as innovative tools, practices and approaches will further streamline laborious processes while reducing the likelihood of workplace incidents.

14

Lowering Fatality Rates: The Mining Industry Through Enhanced Hazard Recognition and Training The number of fatal injuries has been on the decline in recent years, but certainly, mining operators everywhere want to see this number go to zero.

Technological advancements in the industry have helped achieve these reductions and will continue to do so, but the reduction in fatalities could not have come about without the focus and dedication to safety provided by safety professionals, company management and the miners themselves.

www.vpppa.org

features continued

24

VPPPA National Board of Directors Chairperson Mike Guillory, SGE, The Brock Group

In Loving Memory of Cynthia Mahoney

In November 2016, the VPPPA community lost a fierce advocate for the safety and health world. She was a consistent, unwavering fixture within the industry, at conferences and a hub of wisdom and advice to the many friends she gathered through the years. We all knew her as the strong, dauntless safety professional, motivational speaker, regional board member and national board member but she was also a beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend.

Vice Chairperson Rob Henson, LyondellBasell Treasurer Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory Secretary Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP Director from a Site With a Collective Bargaining Agent Don Johnson, Phillips 66 Director from a Site Without a Collective Bargaining Agent Richard McConnell, Austin Industrial at LyondellBasell Director from a DOE-VPP Site Stacy Thursby, AECOM

38

The Future of Safety Training in a Mobile World Life today is extremely mobile and fastpaced, creating a legion of employees who are often overwhelmed, distracted and eager to receive digestible information—fast! In examining the way that learners are influenced by this increasingly mobile world, we can gather insight about the state of mobile learning today, why mobile learning works and some of the best mobile safety training solutions.

Director from a VPP Contractor/ Construction Site Jamie Robey, CSP, SGE, The Brock Group 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 Kimberly Watson, Southwire Director-at-Large Carey West, The Mundy Companies Director-at-Large Jack Griffith, CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company Director-at-Large Dan Lazorcak, CSP, Honeywell International Editor Sarah Neely, VPPPA, Inc. Associate Editor Jamie Mitchell, VPPPA, Inc.

sections MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

3

GLOBAL SAFETY AND HEALTH WATCH

6 Membership

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.

H ealth

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

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

G overnment

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

28

MEMBER INFO CORNER

29

STATE-PLAN MONITOR

30

VPPPA REGION ROUND-UPS

33

WASHINGTON UPDATE

36

INFOGRAPHIC CORNER

42

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

43

Postmaster >> Please send address changes to:

Business Outreach

VPPPA, Inc. • 7600-E Leesburg Pike • Ste. 100 Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 VPPPA, Inc., the premier global safety and health organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

5

global safety and health watch

What Does Brexit Mean For Safety & Health?

BY JAMIE MITCHELL, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA INC.

6

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

O

n June 23, 2016, a referendum was held to decide whether the United Kingdom (U.K.) should leave or remain in the European Union (EU), an economic and political partnership involving 28 countries. The decision to leave the EU narrowly won the vote, and shocked the world. An agreement known as Article 50 of The Lisbon Treaty states, “Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.” Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the U.K., has confirmed that the U.K. will trigger Article 50, leaving the EU, and begin a two-year period of negotiation to agree to the terms of the split. Therefore the U.K. will be expected to have left the EU by the summer of 2019. The government will also enact a Great Repeal Bill—ending the primacy of EU law in the U.K.—allowing the government to decide which parts of the law to keep, change or remove. Many have wondered what Brexit (a merging of the words “Britain” and “exit”) will mean for the future of politics, economics, travel and more. But what are the implications of Brexit on safety and health?

The European Communities Act dictates that when there is a clash between U.K. Parliament and EU Law, the latter will always

succeed. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) interprets EU law with judgements that are binding for all member states. However, now that the EU will no longer control laws in the U.K., concerns have been raised about the future of safety and health regulations.

Could changes to these laws put workers’ rights and safety at risk? According to Brexit Secretary, David Davis, the answer is no.

Davis has stated, “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying, ‘When we leave, employment rights will be eroded,’ I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘no they won’t.’”

The two-year period of negotiations between the U.K. and EU will determine the future of this relationship, however, Theresa May has confirmed her plans for the U.K. to leave the European single market and work out a new trade deal with the EU. It appears that EU regulations will be utilized similarly for now, and eventually become modified as the U.K. seems fit—because while EU laws may control aspects of the U.K.’s safety and health programs, the U.K. is a known safety leader in Europe. According to a paper by Teresa Hitchcock and Bob Martens, “Health and safety law as it applies between employers and employees, as opposed to between businesses and third parties, is now largely set by EU

Directives, but following a pattern originally adopted in the U.K. under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The U.K. is unlikely to want to change this speedily, particularly since the U.K. has one of the better safety records in Europe, generally at acceptable cost to businesses.”

The U.K. and EU will begin the two-year period of negotiations soon, and until that has concluded, the future of relations between these bodies will be somewhat unknown.

Predictions show that the future of safety and health is bright. Both the U.K. and EU value workers and their futures—meaning safety and health regulations are definitely a priority. The following are a few predictions and concerns for the future of safety and health in the U.K. and EU from experts in the field: “Post-Brexit, the UK now has less influence over EU law. Now we’re exiting, it’s vital the U.K. continues to apply our successful risk-based health and safety system, which includes laws from EU directives, because it’s been found to be fit for purpose by several independent reviews and is respected and imitated across the world…IOSH will continue to promote agreed international standards and to defend against any erosion of health and safety protections…As UK organizations will want to continue to trade with Europe, it will be in everyone’s interest to maintain the status quo…The U.K. has already helped to influence sound foundations for European health and safety and beyond and our expertise will continue to be sought and valued.”

— Richard Jones, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH) “Now that the U.K. has voted to leave the EU, and depending on the terms of any future agreements, there may be a need to review the framework. Caution is required here if we are to continue to maintain our current standards and protect the health and safety of workers in the UK. The objective must be to judge each element of the framework on its own merits and

effectiveness not just on its origin…The British Safety Council urges government to ensure that any proposed alteration to items of health and safety and environmental legislation is considered carefully. These important decisions must be properly evidence-based and ensure continuity of proportionate and effective protection for workers in the U.K.” — Louise Ward, Director of Policy and Standards, British Safety Council

“ To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying, ‘When we leave, employment rights will be eroded,’ I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘no they won’t.’”

—DAVID DAVIS

“The Personal Protective Equipment market in the UK has been based on EU directives for a generation. After years of discussion, the new Regulation (EU) 2016/425 came ‘into force’ in April this year. We can only at this stage assume that the market will continue to recognize it. The Federation will work diligently with legislators to be on the inside of any discussions, and we will ensure that members of the BSIF are kept up to date with all pertinent developments.”

— Alan Murray, Chief Executive, British Safety Industry Federation

References

1. www.thsp.co.uk/brexit-mean-health-safety/ 2. www.dlapiper.com/en/uk/insights/ publications/2016/04/brexit-at-a-glance/ brexit-safety-health-environment/ 3. www.shponline.co.uk/brexit-health-andsafety-reacts/ 4. www.healthandsafetyatwork.com/ regulation/eu-referendum-result 5. www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbontreaty/treaty-on-European-union-andcomments/title-6-final-provisions/137article-50.html 6. www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887 7. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/23/ leave-or-remain-eu-referendum-results-andlive-maps/ 8. www.smh.com.au/world/theresa-maybrexit-speech-pm-reveals-uk-will-leavesingle-market-flags-australia-trade-deal20170117-gttd98.html 9. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ great-repeal-bill-brexit-law-eu-law-theresamay-david-davis-a7343256.html 10. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ great-repeal-bill-brexit-law-eu-law-theresamay-david-davis-a7343256.html

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

7

BY BRENDA WIEDERKEHR, CSC OWNER OF ACCESS COMPLIANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF ACCESS HEALTH SYSTEMS AND VPPPA REGION II CHAIRPERSON

THE FUTURE

OF SAFETY as a

PROFESSION: GET READY FOR SOME MAJOR SWINGS

8

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

The chance to predict the future is a great and somewhat risky business. Going out on a limb is not safe… but someone has to do it. In researching this topic, I had the chance to look at some of the existing projections. Many articles discuss how there will be improvements in personal protection equipment.

Others focus in on the changing workforce dynamics, such as identifying the trend of manufacturing jobs leaving the United States and being replaced by service jobs with far fewer hazards. One can also focus on the relationship between the rise and fall of regulatory powers on the employers. After all, when OSHA was aggressively developing standards and putting them out in rapid fashion in the 1980s with penalties, we saw a rise in safety programs and jobs for safety personnel. Now, with a far less aggressive and understaffed set of federal and state agencies, combined with a very slow approval process for new regulation in most federal and state programs, we find attendance at safety meetings dropping. This has also been impacted by the recent ailing economy. The level of government funding for regulatory agencies could be a predictor of the future of jobs for safety professionals. There is no indication of a big financial boost for these agencies on the horizon.

L

ooking towards the more distant future and the bigger picture items, it seems that predicting the future depends upon two things: how far out you want to look and your vantage point.

The vantage point issue addresses concerns.

If you want to predict the future of safety as a career choice, you would be looking at the projected supply and demand of safety professionals in the marketplace. Are we “bullish on safety?” It is a complex task since the demand for safety personnel is multifactorial. Will there be new regulations?

Will regulatory agencies be more involved with compliance or looking to penalize? Will the economy grow, leading to expansion of safety as a motivating factor, or shrink, with resources put towards production at the cost of prevention? How will green technology impact the field? What about the supply side?

The current projections suggest that the market is still recovering and the choice of safety as a career choice is not enticing.

Companies are hiring more generalists than specialists and trying to survive with limited staffing. However, optimistic projections suggest that the jobs currently held by baby boomers will begin to open up in the next decade as they retire, and job prospects for younger professionals may begin to flourish.

The situation creates an odd dynamic. A company will boast about the experience and

ability of their safety department, while failing to plan for an upcoming generational shift and experience shortfall. It’s not uncommon to hear: “All of our safety professionals have been here for at least 20 years.”

It is a very common scenario, but in fact, how great is it? What will happen in 10 years when all of this experience has retired? On the surface, that issue is quite concerning, but it may not be a problem. Research shows that the younger population, particularly millennials, have a different way of solving problems that could be dampened by too much mentoring.

It is not that millennials know how to solve the problems, which come up in an industrial environment without having the experience; it is that the solutions will likely be far different and more efficient than the current set of eyes can imagine: Technology based…cloud based…real time…shared data…artificial intelligence…analytics. Even the simplest task, such as finding a piece of personal protective gear, will be a simpler process. The old guard looked through a catalogue from a supplier while the new guard will search the world and find the latest and best technologies. As an example, the old guard would examine a problem, write up a report, bring it back to the office and try to track down the people to deal with it. The new guard will use a cell phone, share a video, analyze the data right on the phone and have a solution in seconds, or

even the personnel and equipment at the site in minutes. Bring back a “boomer” 10 years after retirement, and it’s likely they will see very little that is familiar. Data access can turn a specialist into a generalist, or vice versa, by giving instant availability to answers in the field.

Let’s Explore the New Administration’s Impact on Safety 1. The new administration has attacked companies for trying to take advantage of cheap overseas labor, particularly when it comes to losing U.S. manufacturing jobs. By adding hefty tariffs on imported goods, will we begin to reverse the U.S. trend of steadily losing manufacturing jobs and becoming a service economy?

Maybe these jobs will return if this type of “isolationist” legislation is enacted.

The larger corporations appear to be anticipating this with reports of large employers cancelling the construction of factories overseas and stopping the transfer of work out of the U.S. Obviously, if manufacturing companies return to the U.S., it should benefit the safety community…theoretically.

2. A major objective of the new administration is going to be promoting fossil fuel energy. Hazardous jobs in the fracking, drilling and mining operations

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

9

If U.S. production ramps up again, as it likely will, we will see some major growth in chemical manufacturing in the U.S. with jobs returning from Asia and the European Union.

will all need safety professionals. In addition, the recent price advantage by a supply of cheap natural gas in the U.S. which, is literally well below world prices, had started a boom of chemical manufacturing operations to produce “feedstock” precursor chemicals from the natural gas to give us a manufacturing advantage over the world. The recent glut of oil production by Saudi Arabia and other nations was designed to create a drop in the cost of oil and gas that would drive prices below profitable levels for U.S.

10

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

fracking companies. This would stop the rapid growth in the U.S. and competitive advantage. Remember when gasoline dropped below $2.00 again after many years? This was an economic action by the Middle East producers designed to cripple the U.S. fracking industry.

Due to financial pressures on these countries, this is now coming to an end, as is reflected in the rapid rise of gasoline prices again. If U.S. production ramps up again, as it likely will, we will see some major growth in chemical manufacturing in the U.S. with jobs returning from Asia and the European Union. The fly in the ointment is the question of whether the oil and gas manufacturers will be allowed to sell the U.S. production freely overseas, bringing down the world price and losing the U.S. advantage for the chemical industry. Large natural gas export facilities in the gulf are testimony to the current administration’s willingness to allow short-term profit for the oil companies over the long-term benefit for U.S. jobs.

If we are careful and prevent domestic production from being sold overseas, safety jobs in petrochemical production will be in demand for the next 20 years. The major potential obstacles to this program are the impact of environmentalism and the

economics and growth of renewable energy sources. However, even if we generate our electricity by air, sun and water, the growth of chemical companies producing feedstock chemicals to make many other products is likely to continue to expand.

China has tried to match this effort using its gigantic coal reserves as the source for these “feedstock” chemical production plants, but this has generally failed to be as competitive as our cheap natural gas.

3. Another area of particular interest to the new administration is a focus on infrastructure. This means jobs in building roads, bridges, airports, rail and other federally funded supports to the industrial economy. It is a job stimulus program similar to Roosevelt’s New Deal that brought the U.S. out of the Great Depression of the 1930s. Safety for construction projects is likely to grow if these federal programs are funded.

On the other hand, if your vantage point is the technology of safety and its future, the conversation changes to evolutions in how we protect workers. Clearly, there is an evolution in personal protective equipment that fuels convention hall floors with a wide array of ever-expanding, cool things to prevent human bodies from sustaining injuries from their work environments. However, there are always

new challenges to overcome based on the new technologies introduced to the workplace. For example, a worker in 1960 would have no need for protection against lasers because they did not yet exist in the workplace. Neither did a large number of the chemicals we see used in production or manufacturing. As new technologies advance, there will be a need to develop new protections for new hazards.

Let’s Talk Nanoparticles and Sci-fi Concepts…The Real Future All of these viewpoints are fun to think about but what I don’t see in existing projections is the realm to more distant possibilities. To go there you have to think sci-fi—artificial intelligence and robotics will really change the landscape.

To understand that, I would use the example of a computer chip foundry, the place where the chips are made to run computers, phones and the “Internet of Things.” These are manufacturing plants where the step-by-step building of chips is done virtually and entirely by computer programming. The really fascinating fact is that data shows that the productivity of these plants is enhanced when the human employees are off on vacation. Hands-on human involvement is a hindrance rather than a benefit. Another example: self-driving taxis and soon, self-driving trucks and cars. Could package delivery by drones be far off?

Here is the future of safety: The human risks will be almost eliminated along with production jobs. If you want to buy a television set, it will be built by robots, shipped to a warehouse by self-driving vehicles, unloaded by self-propelled machines, stored in a warehouse that has automated stocking and picking, then the item will be delivered by a combination of self-driving trucks and drones. We can all sit back and watch as we order from our phones and have items delivered in an hour.

What does the future hold for road construction? It depends on how long it is before self-driving vehicles and the operating of heavy equipment are exclusively performed by machines, thereby eliminating human error.

What else will we see? Self-flying air transports? Self-sailing battleships…“plot a course for”—already done…Of course these are technically doable right now. Mechanized medical care by a “Watson” type computer?

Absolutely, and with fewer errors. By 2020, this will all be commonplace. Defensive driver

course trainers will go the way of travel agents.

Is this something for future generations to deal with? Tomorrow is here my friend. Take a look at these headlines: • The U.S. Military Announces Plans to Acquire Self-Driving Tanks sputniknews.com/us/ 201607031042353288-us-army-selfdriving-tanks/ • U.S. military Christens Self-Driving ‘Sea Hunter’ warship www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-militaryrobot-ship-idUSKCN0X42I4 • Ohio to start testing Otto self-driving trucks on two routes on public roads www.digitaltrends.com/cars/ otto-self-driving-truck-testing-ohio/ • The Autonomous Ship www.unmanned-ship.org/munin/about/ the-autonomus-ship/ • Automated Warehouse Systems and Distribution Solutions www.egemin-automation.com/en/ automation/material-handling-automation_ ha-solutions/automated-warehouse-systems • The Robots Are Coming! Driverless Dozers and the Dawn of Autonomous Vehicle Technology in Construction redshift.autodesk.com/autonomous-vehicletechnology-in-construction/ • The Economics of Drone Delivery www.flexport.com/blog/ drone-delivery-economics/ • Amazon Prime Air www.amazon.com/Amazon-Prime-Air/ b?ie=UTF8&node=8037720011 All of this seems sci-fi when we think about a paper plant or a high rise being entirely run or built by computers, robots and machines, but it’s not. Millennials will see all of these things happen in their lifetimes and frankly, the biggest challenge will be finding the jobs of the future for displaced workers.

In the 1960s, people warned us that the computer would eliminate jobs, just as I am implying a similar scenario now. This did not happen as there are more people employed today than ever in our history. Does that mean they were wrong? Where are secretaries and stenographers? Where are travel agents?

Why are malls dying or morphing into entertainment areas? How many soldiers can a drone replace?

Here is the future of safety: The human risks will be almost eliminated as will production jobs.

The challenge will be to find new jobs for us to do. Will they be unsafe? Well, there will still be environmental issues. There will still be the risks of interacting with this multitude of self-directed machines.

Walking across the street with an oncoming self-driven truck is projected to be almost accident free with automatic impact detectors and self-stopping mechanisms, but what about the unexpected? I guess we will figure that out as we go.

Safety? Here is the key until artificial intelligence eliminates this option: The safety person of the future might be protecting machines rather than humans. Computer analytics and programming will be part of the job. A falling girder can still do quite a bit of damage to an expensive robot.

Science fiction movies of the 1950s and 1960s projected that we would eventually be serving robots instead of the other way around. Well, it seems they were right, but then of course, robotic machines may someday be your best personal companion and dearest friend. As for flesh and blood people…I used to know a few.

Brenda Wiederkehr, CSC, has been a VPPPA member since 2002 and is currently the vice president at Access Health Systems, the Owner of Access Compliance and the VPPPA Region II Chairperson.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

11

BY TOM REDDON

TOP FIVE PRACTICES FROM OSHA: Construction Safety Recommendations to Incorporate in Your Warehouse

12

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is a federal level organization calibrated and committed to conceptualizing and integrating protocol and policy geared toward enhancing employee safety and reducing accidents and injuries in the workplace.

One of OSHA’s measures is to foster safety through conceived recommendations that will undoubtedly raise the bar in warehouse operational safety. This creates a brighter future for construction safety as innovative tools, practices and approaches will further streamline laborious processes while reducing the likelihood of workplace incidents. Adhering to these recommendations will lower liabilities, enhance accountability and ultimately build quality-driven, safetyfocused teams that will assuredly proliferate growth

1. Enforce Regulatory Compliance A commitment to safety starts with adherence to regulatory compliance. On a local, federal or organizational level, these narratives are applied on a daily basis. Understanding and gaining comprehension of these directives can prevent liabilities while solidifying a foundation for improving workplace safety. Employers and staff can visit OSHA’s website to learn each of their established directives as well as download their construction safety recommendations literature. Many of these imperatives can be seamlessly integrated into the warehouse.

2. Establish Emergency Plans Establishing an employee emergency plan is essential to the welfare and safety of all personnel. First and foremost, in the event of an emergency, implementing a response framework is optimal in terms of minimizing collateral damage and preventing the hazard. In addition, a chain of command and action plan should also be implemented for various incidents. It is imperative that all employees know what to do when certain scenarios unfold.

3. Equip Personnel to Deal With Various Hazards Many workplace accidents are brought forth by many avoidable circumstances and variables that could be circumvented.

Equipping employees with the skill set to recognize, manage and deal with various hazards is encouraged for many reasons.

From an enterprise-level, it will catalyze productivity. Employees that are not focused are more prone to fail to perceive a potential hazard and thus, there is an increased likelihood of an accident.

for any enterprise heading

4. Encourage Communication

into tomorrow. While the

Communication is fundamental for workplace safety. This interaction should be endorsed and encouraged by management and administrators. This should be an initiative that is promoted from top to bottom. If something appears unsafe or hazardous, personnel should feel safe in notifying the appropriate party and collaborating to address the situation. Communication and coordination as a whole enhances employee relations and drives a level of trust and support that will be instrumental in the event of an actual emergency.

future is bright, there are still many steps any business can take to foster such an outcome. Here are steps your business can take to assure conformance to OSHA while also preventing deadly workplace incidents.

Adhering to these recommendations will lower liabilities, enhance accountability and ultimately build qualitydriven, safety-focused teams that will assuredly proliferate growth for any enterprise heading into tomorrow.

5. Enhance Overall Business Operations Believe it or not, many of the modern business methodologies geared to enhance overall business operations can play an influential role in improving safety within your warehouse. Bolstering the mantra of “work smarter not harder” actually decreases the likelihood of worker fatigue and exhaustion which, in turn, can decrease the incidence of tribulations in the workplace.

Leading the way in these ‘best practices’ is LEAN and Six Sigma. Both schools value and champion efficiency and productivity while achieving prescribed business goals and objectives in fail-safe approaches. OSHA is a huge proponent of businesses incorporating these ideologies into the standardized operating procedures.

Tom Reddon is a forklift specialist and blog manager for the National Forklift Exchange.

He also sits on the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA) Executive Dialogue Team. Follow him on Twitter at @TomReddon.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

13

BY MARGARET S. LOPEZ, ESQ. OGLETREE DEAKINS

In 2016, the United States mining industry experienced a significant milestone in safety and health—the lowest number of fatal accidents ever recorded. There were 26 fatalities in total. Nine of those occurred in coal mines and 17 in all other types of mines, which are classified collectively by the federal government as “metal/nonmetal” mines. These include stone, sand, aggregate, zinc, silver, copper and gold mines plus certain types of milling and processing facilities such as cement plants. In 2016, the entire mining industry included 330,000 miners in 13,000 mining operations.

14

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

LOWERING fatality rates IN THE

MINING INDUSTRY Through Enhanced Hazard Recognition and Training

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

15

Effective safety programs at mines typically go well beyond the minimum federal training requirements. Most mines have weekly or daily safety meetings.

T

he number of fatal injuries has been on the decline in recent years, but certainly, mining operators everywhere want to see this number go to zero. Technological advancements in the industry have helped achieve these reductions and will continue to do so, but the reduction in fatalities could not have come about without the focus and dedication to safety provided by safety professionals, company management and the miners themselves.

The mining environment is ever-changing.

Safety conditions can change quickly and sometimes without warning. Unexpected, sudden hazards contribute to the incidence of accidents and injuries, but there are two preventable things that are a causal factor in many occurrences.

It is easy to skip the steps necessary for safety in the haste of trying to complete a task.

This often occurs with inexperienced workers who are not fully aware of risks and safety procedures. It also can occur when doing a familiar task and thinking it will just take a minute to complete—so it’s okay to take a quick shortcut to get it done.

Another common cause of accidents is inattention. Working in the same environment daily can lull workers into not noticing hazards. They become numb to the risks.

Inattention also occurs when distractions interfere with good safety practices. Cell phone use while driving is a common example.

Fatigue can also cause inattention.

In recent years, the mining industry has focused increasingly on hazard recognition and enhanced safety training to address these common causes of accidents. This emphasis on finding and correcting hazards and reinforcing good safety practices has contributed significantly to the current reduction in fatalities and can be expected to continue in the future.

Hazard Recognition There are several hazard recognition initiatives that are often a key feature of effective safety programs at mines: Workplace examinations: Federal regulations mandate that all working areas at a mine be examined each shift for hazards that may exist. Hazards found in the examinations are corrected or other protective measures are taken before work begins. Examination requirements differ depending on the type of mine, but many mine operators go beyond what is required in the federal standards. The law does not mandate that every miner perform his or her own examination, but many mine operators do

16

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

require that of their workers. This emphasizes to the miners the important role they play in safety. It also reinforces good hazard recognition skills. Every miner is given the authority and responsibility to address safety hazards by shutting down equipment or work and by reporting hazards to management.

Mobile equipment examinations: In addition to examining working areas for safety and health hazards, miners are also required by law to examine their mobile equipment prior to operating it each shift. This includes trucks, forklifts, tractors—anything that moves about the mine. Most operators use checklists for the examination and these can be very detailed.

Safety and Health Observations: Many mining operations have implemented a formal program of safety and health observations where miners are encouraged to note and report a certain number of safety occurrences every shift. These may be examples of positive safety activity, such as wearing fall protection. This reinforces good safety behavior by recognizing someone for doing something right. Observations also may be safety issues requiring correction. These may include adverse conditions found in the work environment. They also may be unsafe acts performed by the observer himself or by fellow miners. Observations also may include notation of corrections made. When carried through in a positive way, this type of program reinforces good safety consciousness and rewards personal responsibility for safety.

Safety and Health Audits: Mine operators have found that safety audits provide for improved hazard recognition.

Many audit programs provide for the audit inspections to be performed by individuals who do not regularly work in that location.

Their “fresh eyes” increase the likelihood of finding hazards that have gone unrecognized.

These types of cross-audits also create opportunities for generating new ideas for safety and sharing best practices across the organization. Outside consultants are also sometimes used for mock inspections and to perform safety culture audits, which take a broader look at the safety program and safety consciousness of the organization.

Training Federal mine safety and health regulations mandate multiple forms of training for miners.

Specific requirements differ, depending on the type of mine, but in general, all miners

must have comprehensive new miner training, training on hazards specific to that particular mine site, training on the rights of miners to engage in protected safety-related activities and training on the safety and health aspects of tasks to be performed on the job. Certain topics must be repeated through annual refresher training.

Effective safety programs at mines typically go well beyond the minimum federal training requirements. Most mines have weekly or daily safety meetings. Topics may include a review of accidents and injuries at mines, new procedures and best practices or hazards that have been recently identified and addressed. Trainers and techniques for training may be changed from time to time to keep the training fresh and interesting. Often, there is also an opportunity for miners to share safety observations and discuss possible changing conditions at the mine that may affect safety. These meetings provide a regular opportunity for mine management to reinforce the safety culture and direct everyone’s focus for the day’s activities on working safely.

Technological advancements in training tools have provided new options for mining.

Equipment operation simulators are being used now to train miners. Simulation software

using virtual reality features is also being used for evacuation and rescue training for underground mines. Other types of simulation drills are also used to help miners learn how to don escape respirators and navigate evacuation in smoke conditions.

Operators also reinforce hazard recognition skills through physical mock-ups of hazards.

Computerized, virtual reality and classroom training are also being used to introduce varied forms of hazard recognition training.

To promote a robust safety culture, some mine operators have found great success through rolling out company-wide, comprehensive, safety program improvements, essentially rebranding their safety program with renewed emphasis on promoting safety awareness and leadership in carrying forward the safety objectives of the organization. Training is a key component of this and generally includes all levels within the organization. In addition to the more traditional safety topics, training may include leadership training to encourage safetyfocused supervision.

improvements and cultural foundations at mines that will provide for continued improvements in safety and health.

Initiatives aimed at enhancing recognition of hazards that are present, or have the potential to develop on the shift, training in finding adverse conditions, as well as remaining focused on safety and following safety procedures will be critical to meeting this goal.

Margo Lopez is the managing shareholder of the Washington, D.C. office of Ogletree, Deakins, where she specializes in mine safety and health law. She represents companies nationwide in all segments of the mining industry in cases contesting enforcement actions under the Mine Act and has argued precedential mine safety cases before U.S. Courts of Appeals. She also advises companies concerning regulatory compliance and provides training on safety and health law. She handles legal representation in complex accident investigations, special investigations and safety discrimination cases.

Conclusion

Margo Lopez is a frequent speaker and author

While 2016 produced another record low number of fatalities in the industry, mine operators are striving for safety

on mine safety topics and is a co-author of the Occupational Safety and Health Law Handbook published by Bernan Press.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

17

BY ROB BRAUCH

18

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

TECH 1

TOOLS for the

SAFETY PROFESSIONAL

How Apps, IoT and Big Data Analytics will Change your Game Rapid changes in technology are affecting every aspect of our lives— and workplace safety is no exception. An explosion of new safety products, processes and services are made possible by disruptive technology developments in consumer products, medical devices and through the adoption of innovative new business models.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

19

FIGURE 1

T

he impact in risk and exposure assessment is already being seen with the widespread adoption of safety apps, low cost embedded sensor networks (Internet of Things) and the use of big data analysis and crowdsourcing of information to make more informed conclusions and decisions about workplace safety.

With examples of 3D printing being used for aircraft components, buildings and even human tissue, plus new miniaturized sensors for detecting chemical and biological hazards, technologies that were developed for other applications and didn’t exist until recently are now changing the landscape of the safety and health discipline as manufacturers adapt and adopt these developments into useful new products.

Getting What You Need— Whenever and Wherever You Want It

FIGURE 2

The introduction of the smartphone fundamentally changed how we communicate in our daily lives, way beyond real-time voice communications—we now gather and quickly share information in many forms including text, email, image and video.

You’re already accessing safety related information from the internet—but where it once was difficult and time-consuming to research new ideas, processes or products for improving your VPP methods or get the message out about new safety policies, best practices, or regulatory guidelines and standards, the smartphone has made it blindingly fast—you get information delivered onsite, virtually anywhere.

Remember using the PC for that? They traditionally rely on a local area network (LAN) to access other PCs which is fine when you’re in the office. But as a ‘portable portal’ to all things safety and health related, the smartphone has singlehandedly revolutionized how we react in real-time to new or different hazards and risks, giving us instant Googled access to expert knowledge bases, technical references on internal processes, available services, product manuals, equipment specifications and more.

Getting More than Before from your HHD Apps have revolutionized the functionality of the powerful computer you carry in your pocket, which also happens to make phone calls—and the term hand-held device (HHD)

20

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

is now used interchangeably in place of smartphone for describing these incredibly powerful machines. Another form of HHD is the Tablet PC, which for the purposes of this article should be considered interchangeable.

According to CIO Magazine, business-related apps grew by more than 200 percent in 2014, for both Apple (IoS) and Android platforms, with business apps for IoS outpacing all other categories including social networking, lifestyle and catalog apps. Undoubtedly, some of these were related to the business of safety.

Features that found their way onto smartphones, and which customers now demand, include high-quality video and audio recording, as well as GPS location capability. There are many other attributes buried in your HHD including sensors that can be used to measure vibration, light level and pressure—which in turn can derive things like position and altitude (when combined with GPS could say you are located at 411 Elm Street—and you are on the 6th floor—facing west—and you’re leaning forward at a 30 degree angle). Many users have no idea these capabilities are at their fingertips, as the device makers do not make it obvious when you take delivery of that sleek new phone. But those popups for expensive coffee drinks target you right where you happen to be…how smart is that?

Many apps have been developed that ‘unlock’ those hidden capabilities in the device and you can put them to good use— amplifying your effectiveness on the plant floor, in the field or at training meetings.

Apps for safety and industrial hygiene tend to fall into some broad categories—one useful category is knowledge bases/reference tables— including regulations, standards, procedures and processes, MSDS’s, etc. Since the reference material is often contained within the app itself, you don’t need cell coverage or access to Wi-Fi to access this information onsite. It’s like having a safety library in your pocket.

Other types of apps include engineering calculation tools, remote data entry and retrieval, training and measurement apps which can turn your phone into a noise meter, light meter, angle indicator or other handy device.

Some examples of apps specifically developed for safety professionals include: • Lone Worker Safety • First Aid/Triage • Arc Flash Calculator • Lifting Equations • Office Ergonomics • Heat Stress

• • • • • • •

Ladder Safety PPE Selection Job Safety Analysis HazMat Guide Lightning Alerts Hearing and Vision Tests Sound/Noise Measurement

Measuring and Monitoring Using sensors already built into the phone, apps like NIOSH Ladder Safety can be used on the jobsite to directly measure angle of inclination by simply holding the edge of the device up against the ladder when it is in place—it gives an audible and visual alert to the user as to whether the angle is safe or not (see illustrations on page 20, Figures 1 and 2).

Measurement apps now allow HHDs to displace ‘traditional’ stand-alone instrumentation in areas like noise measurement. The features offered on these apps include more than simple dB level readings, they can include features like max hold, peak (impulse) noise capture and even octave band and FFT (frequency specific) measurements. There are dozens of sound level

measurement apps available—but you must exercise a great deal of care when selecting an app of this type, as there are no standards governing their accuracy.

This becomes tricky when you consider that the sound level meters and noise dosimeters used for compliance purposes are required to meet ‘Type 2 Standards’ (loosely interpreted as having an accuracy of +/- 2dB (decibels), although the actual ANSI and IEC standards are much more detailed regarding acceptable levels of uncertainty in the measurement device) and that to ensure they are functioning properly these need to be calibrated using an acoustical calibrator which also has accuracy standards governing it performance.

Fortunately, some organizations, including NIOSH, have performed tests to determine if HHDs with measurement apps could be accurate enough to be used in place of ‘traditional’ meters which cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. NIOSH found that many apps are not very accurate, and they also proved that smartphones (which use a very low cost microphone designed for voice input rather than industrial noise measurement) have a limited measurement range compared to real meters. But there are ways to enhance

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

21

of thousands of dollars—and again, some of these IoT devices will be safety equipment of some kind. Already there are IoT alert modules which can clip to safety glasses that transmit visual data, such as simple color-coded alerts that can mean whatever the supervisor wants them to, such as four blue flashes means “radio to base” and three red flashes repeating means “evacuate now.” Other systems can shut down heavy equipment like excavators if a worker other than the operator comes within 10 feet of the machine. Still others allow multiple gas monitors to link up automatically in ad-hoc flocks to allow every worker on a project to know if one worker’s monitor detects a hazard.

And IoT connected devices will gather vast reservoirs of data on operating conditions, exposure levels and other important data safety professionals can use to improve their programs.

Making a New Reality

Now you can demonstrate apps and their functionality to large groups for safety training...

the performance of HHDs by using external microphones that are low cost (<$20) yet greatly enhance the accuracy and range of the dB measurements and could even be acoustically calibrated. NIOSH has even gone so far as to have developed its own SLM app which has met basic accuracy standards and recently posted this on their website for free download. Will noise dosimeters and sound level meters be displaced from common use much the way taxis are being disrupted by the existence of Uber? According to NIOSH, not likely at this time. An app that performs to the accuracy level of a Type 2 SLM still does not meet the entire specification of measurement range plus environmental and other performance parameters that an ANSI compliant meter does.

Monitoring by Multiples In addition to using plug-in sensors like the external microphones used with the NIOSH app; HHD’s can be used to connect

22

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

with Bluetooth or WiFi to the discrete stand-alone safety, industrial hygiene and environmental monitors that you may already be using including air sampling pumps, noise dosimeters, IAQ monitors and other sensors.

This allows you to take advantage of remotely viewing and controlling the ANSI Standardscompliant devices that do meet regulatory requirements while they are being worn by workers without interrupting the workers.

Some of these systems allow you to monitor groups of workers’ exposures throughout the work shift if you have deployed multiple pumps or dosimeters, for example.

One last word about smartphones, tablets and apps: Most HHDs have an app available from the manufacturer to connect your laptop and display your screens in real time on a PC—meaning you can easily project your apps interactively on a large flat panel or LCD projector. Now you can demonstrate apps and their functionality to large groups for safety training—if doing a ladder safety training session, you could use the NIOSH Ladder Safety app to walk through the actual steps of the process with the team.

Machines that Monitor Themselves Much has been made lately about the Internet of Things (IoT) with estimates of as many as 10 to 16 billion devices connecting to the internet by 2020. These estimates include everything from toasters and refrigerators to dedicated plant process equipment, power generation and instrumentation costing in the hundreds

Augmented reality and virtual reality are already finding applications in safety with instrumented helmets such as DAQRI which sense your position and orientation and project visual data into your view; these are already being used by utility workers to visualize where high voltage lines are buried, or tell them rotational speed, pressure and temperature of the smart machines described in this article.

With millions and billions of machines and people being instrumented and connected, the need for more powerful data analysis is growing, and the ability to distill actionable safety measures from massive amounts of raw data (big data) will be another tool in the safety professional’s box. Already, internal health and safety databases can be used to predict workers which might be at risk for acquiring noise induced hearing loss or respiratory illnesses from dust exposures—and crowdsourcing (using similar data from multiple sources) is being used to monitor radiation and noise levels in the environment from measurements taken directly from peoples’ smartphones.

When added together, smart technologies in just the past 10 years—the first iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007— have dramatically changed the way we live our lives both on and off the job. As safety leaders, we should learn as much as possible about the vast number of apps, devices and programs that are already changing the way we protect our workers and ourselves from today’s real hazards and reduce the risk of injury and illness in the days and years to come.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

In loving memory of

CYNTHIA (CINDY) MAHONEY JANUARY 12, 1966â&#x20AC;&#x201C;NOVEMBER 7, 2016

24

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

In November 2016, the VPPPA community lost a fierce advocate for the safety and health world. She was a consistent, unwavering fixture within the industry, at conferences and a hub of wisdom and advice to the many friends she gathered through the years. We all knew her as the strong, dauntless safety professional, motivational speaker, regional board member and national board member but she was also a beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Some of her friends have shared their stories and memories of Cindy through the years.

FOR MANY, MANY YEARS while Cindy and I were on the national board, we always hung out together at board meetings or the conferences. The joke between us was that I was her conference husband and she was my conference wife. That way, if her husband or my wife could not attend then we would take care of each other. If only one of our spouses could attend then the other automatically became the “third wheel.” We did this for years but the best times were when all four of us were together at a conference—what a great time it was! I have so many wonderful memories of the four of us.

My tribute to Cindy Mahoney would have to start with the word “spunk!” She had so much of it!! This word encompasses all of Cindy’s qualities: spirit, toughness, determination, courage, bravery and boldness. She had that spunk in every facet of her personality, her marriage, her career, and her personal relationships in addition to her love for safety and health and the VPP and the VPPPA. She loved the folks in the VPP family and it was such an important part of her life for many years.

The other word I would use to describe Cindy would be “passionate!” This word encompasses another side of Cindy’s qualities: fervent, obsessive, fanatical, adoring and loving. She was all of these, yet so much more.

Her smile would light a room and you knew from the minute you met her that she was one of a kind. When we lost Cindy, we lost a wonderful human being, the likes of which you might never again meet in your lifetime.

God bless you Cindy Mahoney, you will always have a very special place in my heart as a great friend and a wonderful confidant.

— Bill Harkins, Former VPPPA National Board Member

CINDY‘S DEVOTION TO WORKER SAFETY and the principles of VPP was enhanced by her kindness and generosity. I shall always remember her gleeful smile as she took off a necklace I had admired and put it around my neck. It is my Cindy talisman.

AS FORMER VPPPA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR and OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary, I had the good fortune to know and work with Cindy Mahoney for over 15 years. Like so many others, I was so saddened to learn of her sudden passing.

Cindy truly was a safety and health professional with a strong commitment to VPPPA. Her passion for the mission was only surpassed by her dedication to keeping people safe in the workplace. She never had an unspoken thought, but her enthusiasm and attention to detail could never be disputed.

With a youthful spirit and a smile on her face, Cindy was always ready with a quick retort. One of my favorite memories really captures Cindy’s spirit. For the 25th anniversary edition of VPPPA’s magazine, The Leader, we featured photos of the National Board of Directors as they were 25 years ago. Without her knowledge, we put a photo of a very young Cindy, as a high school cheerleader, on the front cover. True to her nature, she quickly mailed the office an autographed copy with an inscription “Payback is a b****!” written in big black bold letters. She put a smile on all of our faces—a smile that lasts to this day.

Cindy is missed and I know she is working on a retort for this.

— Davis Layne, Former Executive Director, Honorary Lifetime Member

CINDY WAS A GO GETTER and would not let anything nor anyone stand in her way of voicing her opinions, ideas or concerns on a topic at hand. Cindy was a great person to work with and had an overwhelming love for us as a staff. She had a passion for people and made sure they had the means and ideas to work safely. It was a pleasure and honor to have known and worked with her. Cindy empowered us and gave us direction to make our ideas come alive.

— Bryant Walker, VPPPA Information & Data Analyst Manager

— June Brothers, Former VPPPA National Board Member and Honorary Lifetime Member

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

25

IN NOVEMBER, THE LORD CAME DOWN AND TOOK TO BE WITH HIM IN HEAVEN one of the most spirited and loving persons I have even known. I don’t know why he chose to do this when Cindy had so much more to give. All I can think is that maybe he needed one of the best and brightest safety professionals’ help as he was expanding heaven and was not happy because it was not being done safely. He needed a point person that had a background in construction, fixed site EHS systems and most of all, the ability to motivate people to excellence. He picked the best.

I met Cindy in the mid-80s when we were both young safety professionals trying to find our way, trying to turn our visions into reality and trying to use the ideals we had to make our sites and our communities a safer place.

When we first met, she was the captain of the Summit Rescue Squad. I was running my site’s first ever CMA Community Response Drill and she came with her town’s First Aid Response Team to conduct the drill with us.

From the moment we shook hands I knew then and there that she was driven, focused, knowledgeable, special and different . . . in a very good way.

Over the next few years we forged a great work relationship that was more of a friendship and a partnership. I found out that she was active in the NJ Safety Council, the local chapter of the ASSE and worked for Torcon Construction Company as a Safety Director.

We knew a lot of the same people in our surrounding communities and we ended up at many of the same meetings, conferences, training seminars and partnering on a lot of presentations about safety.

The nice thing, as most of you know, Cindy was always developing new friendships. Of course, our friendship grew and extended

beyond work. We crossed paths with our mutual friends at after work gatherings, BBQ’s and I even found out, through no fault of her own, she was a Buffalo Bills fan . . . yes, our rivalry began as I am a Jets fan. One Sunday we went to a Jets game and she brought her new boyfriend, Michael Mahoney. She introduced him to the gang and you could tell by the look in her eyes, he was the one.

As time went on, her company ventured into VPP and became a member of the VPPPA, one of the first construction companies in the program in our region. Her company supported the program but the only thing I could see that was missing was her participation in the VPPPA. At the time, I was the Region II chairperson and we were going through an election period for the board. She was sitting next to me during the chapter business meeting at the opening of the annual regional conference and I leaned over and told her, no matter what I say, just shake your head and say yes. We had an opening for a director-atlarge, and yes, I nominated her and of course she won the election. So for those of you that interacted with her in VPPPA, blame me for getting her into this!

My company was having some issues with construction safety. So of course, I called Cindy to have her come up to make a presentation to our safety leaders. She did a fantastic job as you would expect. When she was all done, that night over dinner, I told her that we were looking for a senior leader in safety to oversee our construction programs. She asked if she could apply and get an interview. I told her, that she passed the interview with flying colors when she gave her presentation and answered everyone’s questions. So for those of you that worked with her in our company, blame me for this also!

I sit here thinking back and could go on and on with stories that would make you understand who Cindy was and why she was loved and respected by so many.

So I say with tears in my eyes; we all miss the loss of a colleague, a true safety professional, an inspiration and most of all, a good friend.

May you continue to do God’s work to protect and keep others safe and from harm.

In loving memory, — Michael J Vigezzi, EHS Integration Leader—Senior Program Manager— GE Power, Former VPPPA National Board Member

26

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

WHEN I JOINED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS NINE YEARS AGO, Cindy and I struck up an instant friendship that continued all these years. She became my mentor, but most of all, a very good friend.

Cindy taught me not to be afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone and to step up and speak out. Cindy’s passion was volunteering and helping anyone and everyone that needed it. She was never afraid of a challenge. She was a true inspiration to me and others who knew and loved her. Cindy’s knowledge and expertise will certainly be missed in the safety community and all future national conferences and she will be missed greatly by all who loved her for being our Cindy.

— Chris Adolfson, VPPPA National Board of Directors Treasurer

CINDY AND I WERE NEVER ON THE BOARD TOGETHER; she came onto the board in 2001 as secretary in as I was retiring as vice chair. I later became the executive director in 2002 and had to depend on Cindy for the meeting minutes; they were always complete and she would always say “Paulie, I got your minutes ready just in time.”

There is so much one can say about Cindy; but the one thing that will always be first and foremost in my mind was her love of the VPP effort and love for the VPPPA. She always placed the good of the employee above anything else and was passionate about safety and health in the workplace. General Electric benefited from her involvement, but every other company benefited just as much. She was a true leader in Region II as well as on the national board. Cindy was a fixture at the national conferences and she will be missed.

— Paul M. Villane, CSP, OHST, Former VPPPA National Board Member, Former Executive Director, Honorary Lifetime Member

IN 2006, I WAS AT THE REGISTRATION DESK WORKING AT A REGIONAL CONFERENCE, ALONE, for the very first time. The halls were crowded with lots of noise as I stood nervous, but smiling and waiting to help anyone who was in need. Then a little lady who was full of energy came to me and asked with a smile “Hi (as she firmly shook my hand), how do you like working for VPPPA?” I replied with a smile “I absolutely love it; we are one little family. When one has, we all have.”

Cindy just stood there and smiled and said “Awesome.” As I returned to work to following week, Davis Layne, former executive director for VPPPA national office shared during a staff meeting how happy the board was to hear a response as such coming from a new staff member who had no clue that Cindy was on the board. The moral of the story is, always watch what you say because you never who you are talking to. Cindy, you were a little lady, yet so powerful in many ways. You are deeply missed. Until we meet again, rest in paradise.

— Carlena Meredith, Former VPPPA Employee

VPPPA WAS MY FIRST JOB OUT OF COLLEGE and I was still learning about how to find my footing in both the world and my career. I started just a few months before the national conference where I first met Cindy Mahoney, a true force to be reckoned with.

For such a tiny lady, she packed an enormous punch. She was vivacious, absolutely hysterical, kind and a true leader. To me, Cindy was the perfect representation of how to be a powerful career woman. As a woman, I always try to channel my inner Cindy!

— Laurie Montanus, Former VPPPA Media Relations and Communications Director

CINDY MAHONEY WAS ABSOLUTELY FEARLESS. Her small stature was a front for a giant of a woman. Though her successful career required her to be assertive, she had a sweet and tender side. During my time at VPPPA, she was a coach to the staff and always put us in a position to succeed.

— Joseph G. Cephas, Vice President, Communication at the American Society of Interior Designers, Former Communications & Outreach Coordinator at VPPPA

CINDY HAD A HEART OF GOLD and she and I connected as friends. One of my first interactions with her was when we ran against each other for a national board position. She came up to me and was being friendly and being new to the association myself, I didn’t realize who she was at first. And then I said, “Wait a minute, we are running against each other.” She laughed and said, “I know, it doesn’t mean we can’t talk and interact and be friends with each other!” From that point on, we were friends.

She was there for me through my divorce, my deployments and my mom passing and she was someone that I knew I could pick up the phone anytime and she would be there for me. It went both ways through the years. She and I used to talk a lot while on the board together and we kept in touch through the years after we were off the board outside of conferences.

Her mentality was that nothing was ever about her. It was always about the people around her, about the association and about everyone but her. You would see that from her at board meetings because the things that she would bring up and talk about showed that she had no hidden agenda. She was doing what was best for the association, the membership and safety and health. She was a solid person who put everyone’s interests ahead of her own.

CINDY AND I HIT IT OFF the minute I got elected to serve as the Region VIII chairperson.

The year after that, she came up to me at a board meeting and told me “I’ve got big plans for you.” Those plans were that I would run for secretary of the national board in 2006 so she could move into the vice chair position.

We worked closely when she was the national board liaison for the Chapter Chair Committee and she was instrumental in getting me to eventually serve as the chair of that committee too. I remember one year when we both were running unopposed and we were sitting in the general session trying to come up with a speech at the last minute in case there were any nominations from the floor and the best we could come up with was “I do everything, so don’t even think about it!” Cindy was a source of knowledge and reason that I will never be able to replace. I miss her a lot.

A SPECIAL KIND OF PAIN IS FELT when your friend and colleague’s time on Earth has come to an end. The loss can throw you into a tailspin of sadness. Often, when we are grieving a great leader, like Cindy, we are not only grieving the memories or moments that we’ve had, but also the lessons that she hasn’t yet taught. I feel as though we keep showing up in class and there isn’t any teacher and there is no substitute for Cindy.

What we can’t see, in the blurriness of our pain, is that our great friend has left us with a detailed map, fostered relationships with internal and external stakeholders, unions, suppliers, customers and government agencies which have impacted us. Remember that a true leader never really dies, their work lives on within us.

If you were blessed with the opportunity to know Cindy, you have these memories that she left behind along with her lessons of wisdom and grace. These things will never die. You made a difference in people’s lives and we will miss you Cindy.

— Kelli Heflin, Southwest Gen, Former VPPPA National Board Member

— Steve Gauthier, Colleague, Region I VPPPA Chairperson

— Bob Hamilton, Former VPPPA Board Member

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

27

member spotlight

Frank Ragone

BY JAMIE MITCHELL, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA INC.

Walk MS 2017 In 2016, teaM cintaS raised over $13,000 at Walk MS Baltimore, with more than 130 walkers on the team. The team is getting Ready™ for Walk MS Baltimore 2017 on April 29, 2017.

28

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

F

rank Ragone started his long career with Cintas in 1999 as a maintenance supervisor at the Washington, D.C. location. Then, at its inception in 2004, he joined the Corporate Safety Team where he currently supports the Mid-Atlantic region.

When his company began to pursue VPP in 2008, Frank took the opportunity to get involved with VPPPA and has been an influential member ever since.

When asked about his proudest accomplishments within his career and experience in VPPPA, Frank noted, “Cintas currently has 44 Star VPP sites. That wouldn’t have been possible without support from the VPPPA”…he continued with, “During one of the congressional outreach events with the VPPPA, I was surprised to hear that Charles Rangel (D-NY) co-sponsored the (VPP) bill shortly after my meeting with his staffer.”

VPPPA members often have a strong safety culture at both work and home—including Frank, “My safety mindset at work and home are the same, there is no difference. However, there are less hazards at home than at the workplace. Mostly, I keep housekeeping and organization at its best along with basic maintenance of everything such as the heater and appliances. I find that when you keep it simple and to the fundamentals such as keeping everything clean, organized and up to maintenance standards, the environment influences safe behaviors.”

While VPPPA has allowed Frank to expand his education through conferences and webinars, the largest impact VPPPA has had on Frank’s life is the congressional outreach.

While serving as a volunteer on The Hill to advocate for the VPP Act, Frank learned more about outreach and how he could use his skills from serving the association in his own life. He said, “Participating in several VPPPA congressional outreach events has provided me with exposure to the legislative process and the influential capabilities of outreach and advocacy. It’s also inspired me to become a District Activist Leader with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) with significantly more advocacy responsibilities

for a cause I’m personally involved in; finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.”

Our VPPPA members are always an inspiration through their hard work, drive and commitment to safety. But who inspires them? Frank answered, “Many people have inspired me throughout the years, most of them are gone and many of them I’ve never met. Some inspiration comes from people in history who overcame challenges to accomplish goals that others said couldn’t be done. A few of them include Lincoln, FDR, Beethoven and Raphael.” He added, “My late father and his family that emigrated from Italy inspired me to work hard and to appreciate everything…All the great people I work with at Cintas inspire me every day, I continue to look towards many of them for guidance both professionally and personally.

Specifically our General Manager from Richmond, VA, Howard Baron, who was the VPPPA Region III mentor of the year.” And finally Frank mentioned, “The thousands of people living with Multiple Sclerosis I’ve met since my diagnosis continue to be an inspiration as we hope, advocate and fundraise to find a cure.”

When it comes to employee relations, Frank stressed that putting in the extra effort was crucial for achieving the best safety results. He advised, “Listen carefully to the employees that perform the work, and involve them before implementing changes that affect them. As safety professionals, we’re here to help create a safe work environment with the employees. It’s easy and efficient to write a new procedure that may forget the employee’s needs, or is hard to understand and implement. Sometimes it’s harder and more time consuming to create a sustainable simple solution with all the involved people, but it’s worth the effort and time.”

Finally, when asked what kind of legacy he hopes to leave behind, Frank stated, “The legacy I’d like to leave at Cintas, the VPPPA and the NMSS is simply that of being supportive and helpful to the people I have exposure to.”

member info corner

Renew Your VPPPA Membership

I

t’s that time of the year—your membership with VPPPA is up for renewal. An email containing your invoice was sent out in December as well as a hard copy in January. You can easily renew your dues by clicking on the “renew” tab located on the left side of VPPPA’s home page at www.vpppa.org. If you have forgotten your password, simply click on the option that allows you to reset your password and follow the directions. Once logged in, you will be able to seamlessly renew your membership with VPPPA. We would like to thank our members for their support over the past year. Your membership and participation enabled us to accomplish a wide variety of achievements including our new website and much more!

We encourage you to re-dedicate your support to VPPPA and renew your membership today.

With numerous benefits, VPPPA is a great resource for today’s safety professional.

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

for safety! This contest is an excellent way for members to share their personal experiences and spread awareness of safety practices.

• Submit a photo of yourself to VPPPA’s Facebook page or Twitter page representing how you are promoting/practicing safety in the workplace, community or at home.

Examples: Wearing your PPE, teaching a safety class, attending training, following safety procedures, etc.

• Write a short description or caption explaining the photo • Include the #howisafety hashtag in your photo description • If you don’t have a facebook or twitter account, you may email your photo entry to membership@vpppa.org

• The photo will be posted to VPPPA’s Facebook page in the “How I Safety” photo album • The photo with the most likes will win a complimentary Safety+ registration, free airfare and lodging at New Orleans Marriott or New Orleans Sheraton on Monday, August 28–Friday, September 1 The rules and requirements to enter this contest are as follows: • Must be a member of VPPPA • VPPPA has all rights to use the pictures submitted • No nudity, graphic language or content, firearms or alcohol may be shown in any artwork or pictures submitted Submit your entry online or by email before June 1, 2017. You can email entries to membership@vpppa.org.

Newly Launched Job Board Calling all employers and employees! We have launched a job board on the VPPPA website.

VPPPA’s job board provides a database of professional opportunities available throughout the EHS industry. Constantly updated with new job openings, the job board is a great resource for those looking to make a professional move.

Employers—do you have any jobs you would like to post? Please email communications@ vpppa.org with the following: • Job title • Company name • Location • Description/requirements of the position • Expiration date for the posting • How to apply

#HowISafety Contest We are thrilled to announce our newest contest, #HowISafety. One of the greatest things about our members is their passion THE LEADER

vpppa.org

29

state-plan monitor

COMPILED BY KATLYN PAGLIUCA, MEMBERSHIP AND OUTREACH MANAGER, VPPPA, INC.

Federal OSHA States State-Plan States Public Sector Only

California From November 29–December 1, 2016, the Cal/VPP team consisting of Iraj Pourmehraban, Ruben Garza and Manou Sarfehnia conducted the special team member training at the San Francisco State building.

The training was moderated by Todd Habets from NuStar Energy. Terry Schulte, the VPPPA representative from a site without a collective bargaining agent, arranged the sponsors and logistics. Special thanks goes to the Cal/VPP sites Covanta, Ethos Energy, NRG, NuStar, Phillips 66 and Valero for their sponsorship.

Wendi Walker and the Cal/VPP office support staff coordinated the sign up and emailed handouts to make the training paperless.

Michigan There are currently 27 sites in the Michigan Voluntary Protection Programs (MVPP), with 25 Star and two MVPP/C (construction) sites.

There are currently no Rising Star (Merit) sites in the MVPP.

Promotion

November 29, 2016 Cal/VPP Special Team Member training at the San Francisco State building

The fall MVPP mentors’ meeting was held in October. The meeting was well attended with representatives from many of the MVPP sites attending in person and others attending remotely via interactive media.

The MVPP Advisory Group also met in the fall. In addition to continuing its work on identifying additional ways to promote the MVPP, the group looked into streamlining reports and the best way to integrate SGEs into the program.

Applications currently pending for MVPP include: • Marathon Pipe Line LLC, Woodhaven • Eaton Corporation, Grand Rapids • Walbridge, Dearborn Campus Transformation, Detroit • Cintas, Westland • Cintas First Aid & Safety, Kentwood • G.E. Aviation, Grand Rapids • Robert Bosch, Farmington Hills

Onsite Reviews Onsite reviews have been performed at: • Cintas, Westland • Barton Malow, East Lansing (FRIB Project) • Marathon Pipe Line, LLC, Woodhaven/Samaria Reevaluation onsite reviews have been performed at: • Holly Construction, Detroit

Reapprovals Sites that have been reapproved for participation in the MVPP include: • Potlatch Land & Lumber, Gwinn • Herman Miller Hickory, Spring Lake

Upcoming Events The spring 2017 MVPP/MVPPC mentors’ meeting will be held April 10 in Novi in conjunction with the Michigan Safety Conference.

“Like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/MIOSHA_MI For further details on the MVPP, contact Doug Kimmel, MVPP Specialist at (231) 546-2366, or visit the MIOSHA website at www.michigan.gov/miosha.

Minnesota The Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Workplace Safety Consultation Unit saw a reduction in the number sites participating in the Minnesota VPP (MNSTAR) program in 2016. Two employers voluntarily withdrew from the program and one employer was terminated. Minnesota currently has 37 Star sites and one Merit site participating in the MNSTAR Program. Of the 37 Star sites, 35 are general industry locations and two are resident contractors.

One new participant successfully achieved Star status in FY2016. In addition, nine employers

30

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

had approval audits completed. Statistically, using 2013–2015 data, the three-year average for all MNSTAR participants (the Total Case Rate) is 56 percent below the national average and the Days Away Restricted Transfer Rate is 64 percent below then national average.

The following site achieved MNSTAR status in FY2016: • Sysco Asian Foods—St. Paul, MN was recommended and approved as a full MNSTAR site.

The following sites were visited in FY 2016: • New Ulm Medical Center Reapproved— New Ulm, MN; • Honeywell Defense and Space Reapproved—Plymouth, MN; • Liberty Paper two-year rate reduction— Becker, MN; • Monsanto Soybean Production Reapproved—Redwood Falls, MN; • HB Fuller one-year conditional— Farmington, MN; • The Valspar Cooperation Reapproved— Minneapolis, MN; • Monsanto Glyndon Reapproved— Glyndon, MN; • GE Water and Process Technologies two-year rate reduction—Minnetonka, MN; and • Norbord Minnesota, LLC Reapproved— Solway, MN. The MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation Division continues to receive inquires and has begun visiting employers that have indicated they will be submitting an application in FY2017. The small team approach has allowed MNOSHA to remain consistent from site to site and help develop relationships with the participating employers.

FY2017 will see 12 reapproval visits at existing MNSTAR employers’ sites. If you would like

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

Oregon We have five audits scheduled so far for early 2017, and four more audits will be scheduled.

We have nine SGEs scheduled to work in the first five audits, and are hoping to get six or seven more for the next four audits.

We hope to see lots of new attendees at the Region X conference, taking place May 16–18, 2017. We also hope to see a lot of potential new SGEs at the SGE class on May 13–15 in Spokane.

We hope to see lots of new attendees at the Region X conference, taking place May 16–18, 2017. We also hope to see a lot of potential new SGEs at the SGE class on May 13–15 in Spokane.

Washington Washington State VPP currently has 31 Star sites.

Recent Reapprovals • Nucor Steel, Seattle

Recent Reapproval Ceremonies • • • •

CMC Biologics, Bothell Honeywell Electronic Materials, Spokane Solvay Chemicals, Longview Honeywell Aerospace, Redmond

Recent Onsite Evaluations Conducted with Reports in Progress • Cintas in both Spokane Valley and Pasco had onsite evaluations for approval.

Upcoming Onsite Evaluations • Reapproval onsite at Columbia Vista Sawmill in Vancouver • Approval onsite at Trident Seafoods in Everett, WA. THE LEADER

vpppa.org

31

state-plan monitor

contacting each state >> Alaska Michael Bowles VPP Manager michael.bowles@alaska.gov Phone: (907) 269-4948

Michigan Sherry Scott MVPP Manager scotts1@michigan.gov Phone: (517) 322-5817

South Carolina Sharon Dumit VPP Coordinator sharon.dumit@llr.sc.gov Phone: (803) 896-7788

Arizona Jessie Atencio Assistant Director jessie.atencio@azdosh.gov Phone: (520) 220-4222

Minnesota Ryan Nosan MNSTAR VPP Coordinator ryan.nosan@state.mn.us Phone: (651) 284-5120

Tennessee David Blessman VPP Manager david.blessman@tn.gov Phone: (615) 253-6890

California Iraj Pourmehraban Cal/VPP & PSM Manager ipourmehraban@ hq.dir.ca.gov Phone: (510) 622-1080

Nevada Jimmy Andrews VPP Manager jimmy.andrews@ business.nv.gov Phone: (702) 486-9046

Utah Jerry Parkstone VPP Coordinator jparkstone@utah.gov Phone: (801) 530-6901

Hawaii Clayton Chun Supervisor/VPP Coordinator clayton.g.chun@hawaii.gov Phone: (808) 586-9110

New Mexico Melissa Barker VPP Coordinator melissa.barker@state.nm.us Phone: (505) 222-9595

Indiana Beth A. Gonzalez VPP Team Leader bgonzalez@dol.in.gov Phone: (317) 607-6118 Iowa Shashi Patel VPP Coordinator patel.shashi@iwd.iowa.gov Phone: (515) 281-6369 Kentucky Brian Black VPP Program Administrator brian.black@ky.gov Phone: (502) 564-3320 Maryland Allen Stump VPP Manager stump.allen@dol.gov Phone: (410) 527-4473

North Carolina LaMont Smith Recognition Program Manager lamont.smith@labor.nc.gov Phone: (919) 807-2909 Oregon Mark E. Hurliman, CSHM VPP/SHARP Program Coordinator mark.e.hurliman@ oregon.gov Phone: (541) 776-6016 Puerto Rico Ilza Roman Director roman.ilza@dol.gov Phone: (787) 754-2171

A Washington VPP networking event was hosted by Belinda McDowell and her team at the Starbucks Coffee Company Kent Flexible Plant on November 16, 2016.

Vermont Daniel Whipple VPP Coordinator dan.whipple@vermont.gov Phone: (802) 828-5084 Virginia Milford Stern VPP Manager stern.milford@dol.gov Phone: (540) 562-3580 x 123 Washington John Geppert VPP Manager gepp.235@lni.wa.gov Phone: (360) 902-5496 Wyoming Clayton Gaunt VPP Manager clayrton.gaunt1@wyo.gov Phone: (307) 777-7710

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

Special Events A Washington VPP networking event was hosted by Belinda McDowell and her team at the Starbucks Coffee Company Kent Flexible Plant on November 16, 2016.

Starbucks gave a tour of their site and provided lunch. Oliver Lyles of Nucor Steel in Seattle led a discussion on getting safety committees engaged and Belinda McDowell of Starbucks led a discussion on promoting safety culture.

Upcoming Event There will be a 2017 Voluntary Protection Programs seminar: Melvin E. James Honorary Lectures on Safety. The seminar will be held on March 30, 2017 in Tumwater, WA. Topics will cover: • 100 Years of Workers’ Compensation • Building a Culture of Safety Whether an “All About the Money” or “Bleeding Heart” Safety Program Makes Sense!

• Journey to VPP • Best Practices in Employee Involvement • Success Stories

Some Updates for WA Star Sites Cascades Sonoco Tacoma closed out another calendar year without any accidents. It brings their grand total to over four and a half years without an accident (five years in April) and over six and a half years without a lost-time accident (seven years in June).

32

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

regional round-ups

COMPILED BY JAMIE MITCHELL, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC.

Region I Region I held its fourth quarterly regional meeting at Raytheon in Tewksbury, MA. The meeting agenda contained regional updates as well as OSHA updates regarding the new recordkeeping rule, which was presented

by Andy Palhof. In addition, Brian Sullivan provided information regarding the hearing conservation program. Another highlight was the recognition of Lynnda Ignacio’s retirement and presentation of a plaque.

Region I is currently drafting the agenda for our first quarterly regional meeting, which is being hosted by Hypertherm in Lebanon, NH, a VPP Star site. The highlight of the meeting will be “Industrial Robots, the Collaborative Robot Systems—Safety Requirements.” Hypertherm, and other experts, will share their experience with the team working on the project.

Our member companies are continuing to mentor companies across the region with Darwin Irish as our mentoring chair. Jack Popp, from Cartamundi, has hosted meetings for interested companies by providing informational and networking opportunities.

The Region I conference will be held May 15–17, 2017, at Killington Resort Center in Killington, VT. The 2017 conference will open with Olympian Josh Davis as the keynote speaker.

Following the opening there will be workshops, eight-hour courses and Raytheon’s “Magical Moment of Employee Engagement” two-hour course. There will be a special government employee roundtable session, serving as a place where attendees can discuss their experiences.

Region I will also hold elections for the Board of Directors as the current terms expire for some. Nominations are open—if you are interested please see the two required forms, which can be found on the Region I website.

The submission deadline is April 1, 2017.

The conferences’ closing speaker will be Randy Royall, who has over 25 years of experience with safety issues.

The Region I OSHA Cooperative and State Program (CSP) Team is excited to announce that Brian Sullivan has accepted

the lead Region I VPP coordinator position.

Another bittersweet announcement is that I will be retiring as chairperson on April 1, 2017. It has been an incredible journey, one that has inspired me every day. I have had the pleasure to work with fantastic people who have provided inspiration. The work that is constantly being done by all of you, allowing our folks to go home unharmed each day, is the most important task anyone can ever do.

The work that is constantly being done by all of you, allowing our folks to go home unharmed each day, is the most important task anyone can ever do.

Contributed by Steve Gauthier, Region I Chairperson

Region II Congratulations to the employees at the PGD Fossil and Solar fleet’s Jamaica Bay and Bayswater plant for being recognized for excellence in safety by OSHA as a Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Star site.

Contributed by Brenda Wiederkehr, Region II Chairperson

Region III Our 20th annual conference is taking place May 9–12, 2017, at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Mount Pocono, PA. Guest speakers include Vince Papale, Philadelphia Eagles walk-on legend and inspiration for the movie, “Invincible,” Dave Madaris, President of Chesapeake Region THE LEADER

vpppa.org

33

Safety Council and Allan Karl, a world traveler, adventurer, photographer and entrepreneur.

Region III will also sponsor an SGE workshop, VPP Application Workshop and several pre-conference workshops, including confined space entry, first aid/CPR/AED and rigging, prior to the conference. There will also be panel discussions and numerous breakout sessions that will assist attendees with improving their safety programs, and allow for beneficial networking among peers.

Additionally, an expo including a stellar group of vendors will be promoting their products and assisting attendees with solving some of their greatest challenges in the realm of safety.

We will be offering a variety of safety and health conferences and trainings throughout the year: • New Castle, PA: May 23–24, 2017— SGE class at Ellwood Industrial Facilities • Jessup, MD: September 13–14, 2017— SGE class at Cintas • Virginia: April 5, 2017—VPP best practice day at Raytheon, Dulles • Virginia: May 2017—VPP electrical workshop at GE Energy Management • Virginia: October 2017— VOSH Conference

Atlanta, Georgia

There were 335 attendees at our 2016 conference, which included 55 vendor companies. Please visit www.vppparegion3.org for more information.

Contributed by Rich Foreman, Region III Chairperson

Region IV The Region IV VPPPA Board of Directors would like to recognize the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, SC, for receiving approval as a VPP Star worksite. Congratulations on your achievement and thank you for your service to our country! We would also like to congratulate Tim Irving (OSHA) who was the winner of the 2017 Region IV VPPPA Safety and Health Excellence Conference logo contest.

Registration is now open for the 2017 Region IV VPPPA Safety and Health Excellence Conference that will be held June 20–22, 2017 at the Atlanta Sheraton Hotel in historic downtown Atlanta, GA. In addition to the conference, which will offer 54 educational breakout sessions on various topics, we will also provide pre-conference workshops, an OSHA ten-hour class and an OSHA special government employee class. Please visit our website at www.regonivvpp.org for more

information, to register for the conference and for other learning opportunities.

Region IV has also been very pleased to offer webinar learning opportunities for our members as well as others who are interested in improving the health and safety at their respective worksites.

Subjects of these webinars have included: The Complexity of Failure and Incident Investigation Using Trisection/Lean—Six Sigma Tools. Visit our webpage to learn more about upcoming educational opportunities offer by the Region IV VPPPA. Contributed by Christopher Colburn, Region IV Treasurer

Region V 2017 Conference Our 2017 VPPPA conference will take place May 16–18, 2017 at the Grand Geneva Resort located in Lake Geneva, WI. Highlights for this year’s conference will be an SGE workshop, VPP site tour of GE Healthcare—Waukesha South Operations, VPP Application Workshop and many informational workshop presentations.

New this year will be an 18-hole golf scramble at one of the golf courses located at the resort.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities please visit the Revion V website at www.vppregionv.org.

This year’s conference opening keynote speaker will be Scott Waddle, a former commander in the U.S. Navy and assigned to the USS Greenville, a submarine stationed in Pearl Harbor. He is the author of the book, The Right Thing—a fascinating tale of success and lessons for anyone trying to navigate today’s uncertain business seas. The closing keynote speaker will be Hap Pigsley, a safety consulting specialist whose seminars focus on getting employees to “buy-into” workplace safety through accountability and responsibility.

Conference at A Glance: • SGE Workshop—Grand Geneva Resort— Sunday and Monday May 14–15 • VPP Site Tour—GE Healthcare Waukesha South Operations Tuesday May 16 • VPP Application Workshop—Grand Geneva Resort—Tuesday May 16 • Welcome Reception—Grand Geneva Resort—Tuesday May 16 • Conference Opening Session—Grand Geneva Resort—Wednesday May 17

34

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

• Opening Keynote Speaker—Scott Waddle— U.S. Navy Commander • Closing Keynote Speaker—Hap Pigsley— Safety Consulting Specialist • Workshops and Exhibitors—Wednesday and Thursday May 17–18 • 18-Hole Scramble—Grand Geneva Resort Golf Course Thursday afternoon May 18 We would like to welcome three new board members to Region V: • Randy Schwartzkopf, Afron Chemical, Sauget, IL • Craig Sievert, NuStar Energy, San Antonio, TX • Deborah Krajicek, Marathon Petroleum, Findlay, OH Contributed by Steve Washburn, Region V Director-at-Large

Region VII As we prepare for our 2017 Midwest Safety & Health Expo and Conference taking place May 8–10, 2017, the Region VII Board of Directors are in the process of rebranding our conference. We are looking to include attendees that are new to VPP. With this rebranding effort, we are reaching out to new vendors, workshop presenters and speakers with the thought of being a safety and health excellence conference instead of focusing only on VPP. Our conference keynote speaker this year will be Olympian medalist Josh Davis.

Josh earned five Olympic medals while modeling a life of integrity and balance.

He was able to achieve family and business goals while pursuing an Olympic dream.

Josh learned to maintain this balance by developing seven habits for achieving goals.

Inevitably, applying these habits has thrust Josh into leadership opportunities and he has developed the skills to perform under intense pressure and bring out the best in his team.

A few of the Region VII board members will be attending the Congressional Outreach in Washington D.C. In addition, we have recently had an uptick in interest in VPP. We have had three new mentor/ mentee matches made in the last month and a few other companies are in conversation about VPP. There will also be numerous positions up for re-election during the May

conference. We will also be conducting the VPP Application and SSQ workshops.

Contributed by Bill Turner, Region VII Chairperson

Region VIII Region VIII is proud to bring together safety and health experts from different industries that are all united in their mission to create safer environments for their peers and colleagues. We are looking forward to seeing you at our Annual VPPPA Safety & Health Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel— Colorado Springs, CO, on April 25–27, 2017! VPP Application, Strengthening Star Quality, and VPP101 pre-conference workshops will take place April 25, 2017.

SGE training will take place in June 2017 at Hellman & Associates, LLC in Wheat Ridge, CO. Region VIII presented three VPPPA sessions at NDSC’s annual conference in Bismarck, ND, in February. We would like to thank the NDSC for the opportunity to collaborate at their annual conference.

Sturgeon Electric earned industry recognition with awards for two unprecedented projects in Colorado. Sturgeon Electric Company, Inc. was also awarded and recognized by Associated General Contractors (AGC) with the Award for Construction Excellence (ACE) and Engineering News Record (ENR) Mountain States—Best Regional Projects 2016 for performance on two unprecedented projects: Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnels—Fixed Fire Suppression System (EJMT) and US-HWY 36 Managed Lanes Project (US-HWY 36).

We hope to match Energy Keepers (Kerr Dam) in Polson, MT, with CDM Smith in Libby, MT, Johns-Manville in Belgrade, MT, MillerCoors in Huntley, MT or U.S. Air Force—309th Electronics Maintenance Group at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, UT. Energy Keepers is owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and is the first VPP site operated by a tribal entity.

There will be four Board of Directors positions open for election in 2017. Nominations were accepted February 6–March 3, 2017 and will be announced during our annual regional conference in April. Region VIII will be presenting our Inaugural “Spirit of Region VIII”

Region VIII is proud to bring together safety and health experts from different industries that are all united in their mission to create safer environments for their peers and colleagues.

VPPPA scholarship this year, Bervin Hall Memorial Award, Mentor of the Year as well as a Chairman’s Award during our regional conference. For all region VIII information and 2017 conference information please visit www.regionviiivpppa.org/ or www.regionviiivpppa.org/category/2017-summit/.

Contributed by Mark Moya, Region VIII Chairperson

Region X There are a few updates to the Region X Board of Directors: • Rocky Simmons, Chairperson • Max Van Valey, Vice Chairperson • Cliff Butler, Director-at-Large On January 10–19, 2017 the Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ) conducted the Star reapproval of CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company of Richland, WA. Region X VPPPA will be hosting a VPP Application Workshop at the 23rd Annual Northwest Safety & Health Summit on May 16.

The cost is $250. It is open to all interested sites. Regional elections will take place at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Membership on May 17–18, 2017.

Contributed by Jack Griffith, Region X Chairperson and National Board Director-at-Large

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

35

washington update

OSHA in a Trump Administration

BY COURTNEY M. MALVEAUX, ESQ., GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COUNSEL, VPPPA, INC.

I

n the wake of one of the most interesting campaign seasons, many wonder how the Trump Administration will operate.

Few know, but most agree, that there will be significant changes in Washington, which is sure to reach the Department of Labor and ultimately, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The best tool to use in predicting the future is a crystal ball. Considering that crystal balls are in short supply these days, I find it useful to use another approach. Consider three factors: personnel, policy and approach.

Personnel Personnel is policy. The common refrain holds especially true in agencies. The policy direction and just as importantly, its implementation, are largely determined by the people who run an operation.

We hire employees, and people show up.

Employees bring their life experiences, biases and proclivities with them. It is true for an electrician, a teacher or an assistant secretary for OSHA. Let’s consider likely profiles for appointees to run the agency.

36

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

Far more than most, President Trump has tended to select corporate executives or individuals with a significant business background. That is a significant departure from President Obama’s appointees who more often came from academia, political activism and in the case of the Department of Labor, a labor background.

Our new president tends to appoint people who will not tinker with the edges.

His appointees often have been outspoken on policy matters. Certainly, Trump’s labor secretary designee has publicly supported change on a variety of labor issues, such as the minimum wage, the Affordable Care Act, overtime rules and paid sick or family leave.

“Drain the swamp” was the mantra of the Trump Campaign. Tinkerers need not apply; Trump wants game-changers.

Policy By default, a change in party often brings a certain set of changes. When it comes to OSHA, democratic administrations have tended to push more protective regulations and push enforcement in their policies, budgets and approaches.

The Obama Administration has been no exception. The last year of it resembled the finale of a fireworks show with a barrage of changes in electronic reporting, respirable silica, walking/working surfaces and increased penalties.

How will a Trump Administration follow that up? First, it may not initiate rulemaking on any significant new regulations. As a candidate, Trump pledged to purge up to 70 percent of regulations. While such a figure may be—gasp—an exaggeration, it would be hard to find a regulation the new administration would like.

Will the new administration eliminate any recently finalized rules? That would be difficult, because an agency cannot simply “walk back” a final rule; it must do so by opening a new (and onerous) rulemaking. The Trump Administration might open a rulemaking on the silica rule, which is under litigation and decried roundly by industry.

But as a candidate, Mr. Trump has expressed urgency to accomplish goals quickly. Given that a second term is anything but certain and that the 2018 midterms could usher in a newly obstructionist Congress, the Trump Administration may be looking at a two-year window to make changes. That may lead to alternative avenues, such as delaying or defunding its implementation, withdrawing the defense of the litigation, defunding its implementation or settling to the satisfaction of industry interests.

The same may happen with the electronic reporting rule, which has perhaps seen more opposition than any in recent history.

Alternatively, OSHA may rewrite the accompanying guidelines to assure employers that they may continue to drug test injured employees without fearing a retaliation charge.

The increased penalties are a different story because they were enacted by Congress in its last budget. Ninety-five percent of the members who passed it were re-elected, so don’t bet on Congress walking it back in its next budget. A more likely scenario may be a subsequent budget that does not include automatic penalty level increases.

twenty-six state plan states that run their own OSHA programs with respect to their penalty levels, adoption of national emphasis programs, annual audits and benchmark requirements for enforcement positions. Many of these changes can be accomplished administratively, for example, by changing the terms of grants under which state plan states operate, and a more forgiving approach when considering whether to withdraw state plan status when a state takes a novel approach.

Resources may shift as well. Labor issues in general, and OSHA in particular, barely got a peep from the Trump campaign. Shifts in spending on defense, immigration and infrastructure priorities may affect other agencies. OSHA may reconsider the balance of funding between enforcement and compliance assistance, including Voluntary Protection Programs, Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Programs, consultation and other initiatives that encourage workplace safety through cooperative partnerships between the agency, the workforce and management.

With new leadership comes fresh perspective. A leader with a business background may look at the agency anew with return on investment in mind. Could that mean working with Congress to streamline citation contests? Will the organizational structure change? Will it find new ways to leverage private resources such as special government employees?

I conclude my thoughts in the early days of the Trump Administration’s commencement.

My efforts to find that crystal ball failed me.

If you come across one, would you please let me know?

With new leadership comes fresh perspective. A leader with a business background may look at the agency anew with return on investment in mind.

Courtney Malveaux is a regulatory, government affairs and corporate attorney who defends companies cited by OSHA at Jackson Lewis, P.C. in Richmond, VA. An experienced litigator, he served as Virginia’s Labor Commissioner through October 2013, and as president of the National Association of Government Labor Officials.

Malveaux represents industrial employers on

Implementation

the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board, and

Perhaps the most overlooked factor is the many hidden ways agencies implement their policies. It’s often a question of touch. For example, OSHA may give more latitude to the

serves as Government Affairs Counsel for the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association. He can be reached at (804) 212-2862 or at Courtney.Malveaux@jacksonlewis.com.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

37

THE FUTURE F SAFETY

38

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

BY LAUREN KRUMPACK

TRAINING in a Mobile World Technology and compliance together are ushering in an evolution in safety training. However, digital formats often collide with new realities in daily job tasks, working behaviors, habits, responsibilities and employee preferences. With these new realities come challenges in the implementation of employee training software and development programs for safety training. The future of safety training in a mobile world is one where businesses acknowledge these challenges and adapt so that employees can continue to learn, grow and have adequate instruction to work safely.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

39

Oftentimes, these types of programs guide employees more easily into the handson experience—as mobile training has become more interactive with audio, video, stimulating graphics and virtual realities.

T

oday, life is extremely mobile and fastpaced creating a legion of employees who are often overwhelmed, distracted and eager to receive digestible information— fast! In examining the way that learners are influenced by this increasingly mobile world, we can gather insight about the state of mobile learning today, why mobile learning works and some of the best mobile safety training solutions. At Gensuite, we’ve been keeping a close eye on these trends and setting our sites to increase options for on-the-go trainers and learners alike.

State of Mobile Learning Today Only one percent of a typical workweek is dedicated to employee training development.

It is not unrealistic to state that this statistic is partially attributed to the mode of training delivery options currently used. Classroom or instructor-led training remains one of the most popular employee training techniques, despite numerous technological advances. Classroom learning is often time-consuming and noninteractive. That is why many employers still widely use the hands-on learning approach.

Hands-on training allows employees to practice skills in real-time, but oftentimes, this comes with the need for time invested in consistent coaching and trial-and-error.

40

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

Both classroom and hands-on safety training have positive and negative aspects. Combining them, however, with emerging mobile training and learning trends can have dramatic overall positive benefits to your workplace training development programs. In doing so, many employees can access a training program led by a tablet, computer or smartphone, but have an instructor nearby who is receptive to questions. Oftentimes, these types of programs guide employees more easily into the hands-on experience—as mobile training has become more interactive with audio, video, stimulating graphics and virtual realities.

Despite the realm of possibilities, there are perceived deterrents to employing mobile learning solutions. Costs, security limitations or a fear of change are just a few. It may seem like overcoming high costs and security-related issues are impossible, but as mobile learning becomes more wide-spread, these issues will be less problematic.

Why Mobile Learning Works Beyond the benefits of combining your training methods, mobile learning works for several reasons. Even employee compliance training reaps key benefits to mobile learning. If you train your employees for compliance, you understand that regulations are always on the rise. It can be time

consuming to constantly train employees on new regulations to stay intact under the scrutiny of law enforcement and your customers. Here’s how mobile learning helps: Custom eLearning can be designed with specific regulatory training needs and organizational objectives in mind. It can also be updated and upgraded easily with changing business needs, and is more cost effective as courses can be re-run or re-purposed over time.

Gamification of compliance training has proven highly effective and is being adopted by many organizations as an alternative to more traditional methods of training. In addition to providing an enjoyable and interactive learning experience, it motivates and gives confidence to employees during their training.

BYOD (Bring your own device) training is a less expensive mobile training method.

With this method, employees and employers can use personal devices to access training materials. Employees can complete training at a steady pace, as they feel comfortable and as time permits.

The benefits of mobile learning extend far and wide. Whether you choose to combine your training methods, or opt for mobile-only methods, you’ll experience benefits from both.

As technology in this area continues to evolve, so does the list of benefits and types of mobile training options. The only question that remains is—what options of training software and programs will work best for you?

Seek mobile solutions for trainers and administrators to ensure your program is effective and sustainable. Gensuite Employee Training Software provides a framework for training leads to structure and deliver regulatory and program-specific training with training assignments made based on role and job activities. Administrators can access all learning configurations on a mobile device and trainers can take quick actions such as log completions for classroom/inperson training sessions.

Proven training applications such as the Employee Training Software suite comes equipped with the Gensuite Training Tracker application. This has been used by compliance leaders since 1999 with users from 39 subscribing companies, spanning 2,000 locations in 65 countries. Over 75,000 courses and 2.3 million requirements are managed in Training Tracker each year.

Enhanced with subscriber recommendations, Training Tracker’s incredible footprint, provides the ability for us to hear from our subscriber community about how we can constantly improve the application. Current subscribers say they could benefit from training modules designed for the mobile device, and for an easier way to log completions on-the-go.

Soon the application will be enhanced so users can digitally enter training attendance from a sign-in sheet through a QR code scanner.

We are all learners. Many of us have responsibilities for making sure that the people we work with are well-informed and adequately prepared. We can all learn collectively from advances in technology and the correlating societal impacts. Technology is changing the face of compliance training, and we are already seeing mobile solutions advancing past major obstacles, meaning training benefits for all.

Mobile Learning Recommendations There are several methods and options that can help you transition to mobile training. No matter your mission, there is an alternative that will work for you. Here are some recommendations of the most beneficial solutions.

Adaptive learning is an educational method which uses computers as interactive teaching devices and to orchestrate the allocation of human and mediated resources according to the unique needs of each learner.

Microlearning is a way of teaching and delivering content to learners in small, very specific bursts. The learners are in control of what and when they’re learning.

Select the right content provider to best suit your needs. Not all workplaces are the same; and not all content is created equal. Do the research, ask for preview access to training content material and involve multiple user types in the content provider selection process.

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

41

infographic corner

It is estimated that the doubling time of

Experts have developed

medical knowledge

3D-printed skin for burn victims, airway splints

in 1950 was 50 years; in 1980, 7 years; and in 2010, 3.5 years. In 2020 it is projected to be 0.2 years â&#x20AC;&#x201D;just 73 days.

Experts predict that

driverless cars

will be in use all over the world within the next ten years.

for babies, biodegradable implants, ankle replacements, casts, pills and more.

More inspections predict a safer worksiteâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; worksites that do

more inspections generally have

fewer incidents.

The top ten

Computer power is

doubling 18 months. every

42

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

in-demand jobs in 2010 did not even exist in 2004.

calendar of events

VPPPA Contacts

April

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.

April 4–6, 2017 Region IX VPPPA Safety Summit Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, CA

leans, L

New Or

A

April 25, 2017 Early Bird Registration Deadline for Safety+

May 16–18, 2017 Region V VPPPA Conference Grand Geneva Resort & Spa Lake Geneva, WI

Mike Maddox mmaddox@vpppa.org Executive Director Ext. 103 Sara A. Taylor, CMP staylor@vpppa.org Director of Operations Ext. 107

May 16–18, 2017

Amanda McVicker, CMP amcvicker@vpppa.org Conference & Education Manager Ext. 112

Region X Northwest Safety & Health Summit The Davenport Grand Hotel Spokane, WA

Jamie Mitchell jmitchell@vpppa.org Communications Coordinator Ext. 117

May

June

Katlyn Pagliuca kpagliuca@vpppa.org Membership & Outreach Manager Ext. 115

May 1–4, 2017

June 20–22, 2017

April 25–27, 2017 Region VIII VPPPA Safety Summit DoubleTree by Hilton Colorado Springs, CO

April 3–June 1, 2017 #HowISafety Contest

Region VI Annual Safety & Health Conference Statehouse Convention Center Little Rock, AR

May 8–10, 2017 Region VII VPPPA Conference The Westin Crown Center Kansas City, MO

May 10–12, 2017 Region III 20th Annual Conference Kalahari Hotel and Convention Center Poconos, PA

May 15–17, 2017 Region I VPPPA Conference Killington Resort Killington, VT

Region IV Safety & Health Excellence Conference Sheraton Atlanta, GA

June 23–26, 2017 Region II VPPPA Conference Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City, NJ

July July 11, 2017 Regular Registration Rate Deadline for Safety+

August

Natasha Cole ncole@vpppa.org Member Services Coordinator Ext. 113 Heidi Hill hhill@vpppa.org Event Sales & Advertising Coordinator Ext. 111 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

August 29–September 1, 2017 Safety+

THE LEADER

vpppa.org

43

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)â&#x20AC;&#x2030;(3) charitable organization, promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities.

SCAN QR CODE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VPPPA, INC.

http://bit.ly/jVQcBo

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER