The Age Issue by VPPPA

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1, WINTER 2019

THE

Age Issue

Do your safety messages fall on deaf ears?

Our signage will help you get through. Marlin digital signage is an engaging, state-of-the-art approach to encouraging safety. You can use our industry-specific content, your own in-house messaging, or any combination. Any industry’s needs can be met, including yours. The bottom line: An effective safety program with our digital signage can cost less than you think, and may even pay for itself.

FREE DEMO AND VALUABLE GUIDE

Get your no-obligation demo and/or free workplace safety guide Making Safety Visual: 10 Proven Strategies. Call 800-344-5901 or visit themarlincompany.com/vpp.

Mo b il e l o t o

locKpoint Safety where you need it The mobile lockpoint Safety center saves time and helps prevent damage and injury by keeping the necessary Lockout Tagout solutions precisely where you need them – close by. This first-of-its-kind safety center stores LOTO equipment in close proximity to danger zones which eliminates excuses to cut corners on safety.

800.352.ABUS | abus.com

LEADER THE

VOL 6. ISSUE 1 WINTER 2019

features

CONTENTS

Coaching the Next Generation

While Millennials bring with them a new set of skills and perspectives, they understandably don’t have the work experience or technical proficiency that is only acquired through time. When one of our more experienced workers leaves the team, their talent, experience and knowledge also head out the door. How do we ensure that this knowledge is not lost forever? How do we pass the torch to this younger generation of workers?

The Career Arc of the Safety Professional

The aging workforce is a growing topic among professionals around the world. As older generations retire, and changes in technology become increasingly prevalent, the workforce does not resemble what it did years ago. What does this mean for the safety and health industry? Here at VPPPA we were interested in the career arc—past, present and future—of the safety professional, so we had conversations with both newer and more seasoned professionals from Oldcastle Infrastructure.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

It’s time to rethink exercise as a key component of modern safety management systems. By 2024, one quarter of U.S. workers will be over the age of 55. In order for employers to truly prepare for this shift, it’s critical to understand that work ability is dynamic in relation to the aging process. Weakened mobility and other functional limitations are far from inevitable, and the workplace setting carries great potential for proactively addressing these challenges.

This is the first time that we have five generations working together. With this diversity exists many challenges, one being interpersonal communication. Interactions have transformed over the years with new technologies, experiences and differing expectations. Thus, communicating clearly in today’s workplace is complicated. The potential for conflict and miscommunication poses barriers to conducting work safely.

Using Exercise to Facilitate Productive Aging in the Workplace

Conscious Communication— Understanding the Generations

vpppa.org

features continued

www.vpppa.org VPPPA National Board of Directors Chairperson J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE, Raytheon Company, LLC

Passing the Baton: Knowledge Transfer Through the Generations

Preparing the Workplace for Older American Workers

Knowledge gained over decades, critical to operational success, resides in the minds of seasoned employees. Extracting that important information, packaging it and passing it on to the next leg of the generational relay ensures a seamless and safe transition from one generation to the next.

Cutting Tool Safety for All Ages

This is an exciting time. Getting older isn’t as closely tied to slowing down as it used to be. We regularly hear that sixty is the new thirty, or the like. But there are some physical realities that are important to consider in order to keep older workers as safe as their younger counterparts. When it comes to cutting tools, finding safer tools that feature ergonomic handle design and safety blades will be increasingly important.

You’ve heard the phrase, “age is just a number.” Older generations have been embracing this mentality, and keeping themselves active, long after traditional retirement years. Age has started to matter less as more workers are delaying retirement and staying in the workforce. What challenges do employers face as their workers begin to age?

First Responder Considerations for the Aging Workforce After 26 years of riding in a fire truck and ambulance, I’ve learned that treating younger adults versus older adults (55+ years old) presents different challenges to patient care during trauma or medical emergencies. If certain key aspects are not taken into consideration and quickly addressed in the field, there is a higher risk of further damage, injury, or even death.

Vice Chairperson Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP Treasurer Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory Secretary Dan Lazorcak, CSP, Honeywell International Director from a Site With a Collective Bargaining Unit Jack Griffith, CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company Director from a Site Without a Collective Bargaining Agent Richard McConnell, Austin Industrial at LyondellBasell Director from a DOE-VPP Site Stacy Thursby, AECOM Director from a VPP Contractor/ Construction Site Jamie Robey, CSP, SGE, The Brock Group Director-at-Large Johnathan “JD” Dyer, Shermco Industries Director-at-Large Kristyn Grow, CSP, CHMM, SGE Cintas Corporation Director-at-Large Sean D. Horne, Valero Energy Director-at-Large Kimberly Watson, Oldcastle Infrastructure Director-at-Large Alice Tatro, Acushnet Company—Ball Plant II Director-at-Large Vacant Editor Kerri Carpenter, VPPPA, Inc. Associate Editor Jamie Mitchell, VPPPA, Inc.

G overnment

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.

M embership

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

H ealth

VPPPA REGIONAL ROUND-UPS 42

Business

sections A MESSAGE FROM THE VPPPA CHAIRPERSON

GLOBAL SAFETY AND HEALTH WATCH

MEMBERSHIP CORNER STATE-PLAN MONITOR INFOGRAPHIC CORNER

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

vpppa.org

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

Outreach

Postmaster >> Please send address changes to: VPPPA, Inc. • 7600 Leesburg Pike, East Building, Suite 100 • Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 VPPPA, Inc., the premier global safety and health organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

J.A. Rodriguez, Jr.

A Message From the VPPPA Chairperson

elcome to our Winter Issue of The Leader Magazine. 2018 is now behind us and we are very much looking toward an exciting 2019 as we celebrate our 35th year of service excellence together with our OSHA and industry partners, our exhibitors, and our entire VPPPA Community. What an exciting 2018! Before looking at what’s in store for 2019, let’s reflect on where we’ve been, so we can better define where we are headed.

The key 2018 milestones: • We finalized and initiated the

implementation of our 2022 VPPPA Strategic Plan, concentrated on delivering membership value, growing strategic partnerships, enhancing global presence and facilitating safety management system excellence • The Leader Magazine –– We won the Association Media & Publishing’s 2018 Excel Award in June for Best Feature Article –– The Summer 2018 issue became the first ever national, multi-language health and safety magazine in the industry –– This Winter issue has more feature articles than ever before (eight total), which offers more solutions to our biggest challenges • Membership –– We had more educational events in 2018 than ever before with nine webinars –– Our social media following is up significantly (Facebook up 63 percent, Twitter up 12 percent) –– We experienced the highest membership retention rate in the last five fiscal years with a total of 379 new members—welcome! –– We created the Member Center webpage showcasing membership news celebrating you, our valued members • 2018 Safety+ Symposium –– We exceeded revenue goals in advertising, exhibit hall and sponsorships –– Experienced a 32 percent increase in registrants (2,656 to 3,507) from 2017 to 2018

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

–– Experienced a 26 percent increase in exhibitors (231 to 291) from 2017 to 2018 –– We launched a highly successful marketing campaign garnering prominent and global Association recognition • Partnerships –– We partnered with Tennessee Safety and Health Conference on Safety+ –– We developed and finalized a partnership with Columbia Southern University to offer a 10 percent discount on education courses to VPPPA membership along with a waived application fee and free textbooks –– We partnered with OSHA on their Safe + Sound Campaign –– We organized two VPP outreaches on Capitol Hill with over 225 meetings –– We exhibited at the Kentucky Safety & Health Conference and the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Conference While 2018 was a highly successful year, just wait for 2019! We are planning a bigger, better year, and with your active participation and support, it will be one for the record books.

Here’s a teaser on what is headed your way: • Continued implementation of our 2022

Strategic Plan • We are working on a new and amazing

Safety+ Symposium in New Orleans, LA, with innovative exhibitors and informative workshops for the safety practitioner, labor force and leadership, from the top experts in the industry • We are working on a body of knowledge platform to transform the way you access best practices, educational information and business resources • We are working on additional partnerships and enhancing those already in place • We are celebrating our 35th birthday all year long with prizes, throwbacks and a

big New Orleans-style gala at the Safety+ Symposium, and more • Watch our website for the National Board of Directors election information—consider running for our board, and enhancing your career, while helping us forge our future • There will be many opportunities to join our team by volunteering for a committee, writing for The Leader and our blog, delivering powerful and industry-leading webinars, or by contributing to our new body of knowledge platform • We will continue to partner with OSHA on supporting the Safe + Sound Campaign In addition, VPPPA has set up an AmazonSmile account. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon. com. The difference is that when our members shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of the price of eligible purchases to VPPPA. There is no price difference if our members choose to use AmazonSmile. With hundreds of thousands of employees at VPPPA member sites, this program could significantly make a major and positive impact on our association. To sign up for the VPPPA AmazonSmile page, visit: bit. ly/AmSmVPPPA. Be sure to start at Smile. Amazon.com when you begin shopping. Our goal is to help you drive performance excellence by design, to facilitate your success by connecting you to actionable resources and to be the association of choice for business success and market share enhancement. In this regard, let us know how we can help, how we can improve, how we can deliver what you need to better protect our nation’s workforce, and how we can help your organization enhance its competitive advantage in the global marketplace. We are your association. You are VPPPA. We are truly transforming tomorrow together. vpppa.org

Confined Space Rescue Training, Equipment & Stand-by Services WE DO RESCUE

800-647-7626 RocoRescue.com

global safety and health watch

Building Safety Communities Through Social Media BY JAMIE MITCHELL, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC.

he magazine you are currently reading is a time-honored example of an educational resource available to the VPPPA safety and health community—we have been publishing The Leader since 1999. However, we cannot deliver these articles and other association updates to your door daily. That’s where social media conveniently comes into play. This issue of The Leader discusses the different ways generations communicate, learn and pass down safety knowledge. Our communications team is constantly trying to think of the best ways to communicate with, and reach, our members. One way we do this is by turning to the demographics of our VPPPA social media outlets.

E-blasts E-blasts, or email communications, are a very effective tool for reaching your audience. However, it is imperative to space out your emails. You do not want to overuse this medium and irritate your audience. Remember, as fast as someone can opt in to an e-blast, they can opt out. It is also important to be mindful of the date and time with which you send out communications. For example, sending an e-blast about association news the day before Thanksgiving is likely to yield a high number of out-of-office messages and bounce-backs. While we utilize email marketing messages to send thousands of our members safety and health-related news, we cannot send these emails every day. That’s why we also take advantage of other social media channels.

Facebook These statistics are constantly changing as more accounts are created each minute, but according to Facebook’s third quarter results for 2018, there are over 2.27 billion monthly active Facebook users worldwide (as of October 30, 2018). For example, Europe has over 307

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

million people using Facebook, roughly 210 million Americans use Facebook and about 270 people in India use Facebook. A January 2018 study conducted by Pew Research Center found that people (in the U.S.) ages 18–29 use Facebook the most at 81 percent. Also, people ages 65+ were using Facebook at 41 percent. This is still the smallest demographic group to be using Facebook in the U.S., but they have doubled in size since 2012. The VPPPA Facebook page has over 1,500 “likes” (when a user “likes” a page, they are part of the community of people who will see the daily posts of that page). We have found that our VPPPA Facebook page is a great way to share quick updates about the association, host contests, post safety and/or health articles and news items, or even send fun updates from the National Office Staff. While we know our whole member base is not on social media, or maybe have not found our page yet, it is important for organizations to have these outlets. But why? Every 60 seconds on Facebook 510,000 comments are posted, 293, 000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded. In

addition, according to Pew Research Center, “Around four-in-ten U.S. adults (43 percent) get news from Facebook, according to a survey conducted in July and August. The share of U.S. adults who get news through Facebook is much higher than the shares who get news through YouTube (21 percent), Twitter (12 percent), Instagram (8 percent), LinkedIn (6 percent) and other platforms.” Therefore, to successfully reach your membership, you need to be one of the voices in that crowd.

Twitter Based on their third quarter results from 2018, Twitter has around 326 million monthly active users. This number decreased from Twitter’s second quarter 2018 results, which found 335 million monthly active users. In the U.S., there are 67 million monthly active users on Twitter. The VPPPA Twitter page has over 1,700 followers. We have found many of these followers are companies that exhibit their products at VPPPA regional or national events. While many of these followers are also on Facebook, they prefer to utilize Twitter for communications. vpppa.org

global safety and health watch

Companies often turn to Twitter to tag VPPPA, and share their booth number and giveaway items, for any interested conference attendees. Our social media pages are the most active during our annual Safety+ Symposium but tuning into the pages year-round can give members the “inside scoop” before, during or after the show, as well as special updates that wouldn’t necessarily be in a mass email to the membership. There are numerous safety and health groups on the Facebook platform alone, and they house thousands of members. Overall, it’s important to cross-promote and use all of your different communication channels in sync.

Social Media Demographics According to the Pew Research Center, “A new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults finds that the social media landscape in early 2018 is defined by a mix of longstanding trends and newly emerging narratives. Facebook and YouTube dominate this landscape, as notable majorities of U.S. adults use each of these sites. At the same time, younger Americans (especially those ages 18 to 24) stand out for embracing a variety of platforms and using them frequently.” These additional platforms can include Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Whatsapp and more. In addition to these results, Pew also finds that different age groups embrace social media at different rates. It was not surprising to read that “there are substantial differences in social media use by age. Some 88 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds indicate that they use any form of social media. That share falls to 78 percent among those ages 30 to 49, to 64 percent among those ages 50 to 64 and to 37 percent among Americans 65 and older.” Pew also found that “the typical (median) American reports that they use three of the eight major platforms that the Center measured in this survey.” The eight major platforms include: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter and WhatsApp. Younger audiences admit a willingness to try a variety of new platforms, yet I predict that this could shift as generations age or adapt, new generations emerge, and technology continues to change. vpppa.org

Social Media for the Safety Industry Printed materials are still an important resource for the safety and health community, and many VPPPA members prefer this mode of receiving information. However, the instantaneous nature of social media does have benefits. We cannot be seated in front of a television 24/7 watching the news, so we often receive our updates through the internet, or even on social media sites. Facebook is where you might find out about someone getting engaged, having a baby, or moving to a new city—so why not join an EHS-based group, or “like” a page, and use that same platform to get updates about the safety and health industry? You won’t be alone—200 million people are members of meaningful Facebook Groups, according to Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO. Other ways social media can assist the safety professional include: networking opportunities, communicating with stakeholders and sharing information between colleagues. In the EHS Daily Advisor article, “Social Media for Safety Professionals,” Pam Walaski, CSP, and regional manager for EHS services at Compliance Management International, notes, “social media also offers a way to get and share relevant information about safety and health on a daily basis. While print publications remain essential, the immediacy of social media is a big part of its appeal. When social media is used as it is intended—as a two-way source of communication—‘it can make us all better at what we do.’” In addition, social media is a free and easy way to make connections with your peers in the safety and health industry. Perhaps you work alone, with a small group of people, or do not have the funds to attend a conference. Social media could be a way to make connections with others you might not get to meet face-to-face. Social media is a great way to create connections with members in other regions from you that you would have never met otherwise. For example, VPPPA hosted a Halloween Costume Contest on Facebook (see page 36), and we received entries from all over the country. Not only was it exciting

to connect with our members, but it was interesting to watch the interaction between different users. With everything technology-related there are always challenges that come with it. In the aforementioned EHS Daily Advisor article, it states, “Inexperience with social media is a problem for some safety professionals. Walaski encourages those who want to get involved with digital tools not to hide behind inexperience. Look for a knowledgeable (probably younger) colleague who can help you get started… And finally, while some employees fear being considered backward or tech-phobic, Walaski says, ‘There’s also a concern about appearing to be one of those people who’s always got a phone in their face.’ Not surprisingly, her advice is to strike a balance—use technology to your advantage without letting it overtake your job or your life.” If this article has piqued your interest in getting involved in the safety and health community online you can find a wealth of EHS, OHS and other safety-related groups on Facebook—simply search for what you are looking for in the search bar and click over to “groups.” You can find the VPPPA Facebook and Twitter pages by searching for @VPPPA.

References 1.

www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/socialmedia-use-in-2018/

www.facebook.com/search/ groups/?q=environmental%20health%20 and%20safety&epa=SERP_TAB

ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2014/04/socialmedia-for-safety-professionals/

blog.hootsuite.com/facebookdemographics/

www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/ demographics-of-key-social-networkingplatforms-2/

s21.q4cdn.com/399680738/files/doc_ financials/2018/Q2/Q218-earnings-calltranscript.pdf

blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/

www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/24/ facts-about-americans-and-facebook/

www.vendasta.com/blog/163-stunningsocial-media-stats-to-savor#generalstats

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

COACH The landscape of the United States labor force is changing fast. Millennials have been replacing Baby Boomers for years and have recently reached a milestone. In 2015, Millennials outnumbered Baby Boomers in the U.S. workforce for the first time. While Millennials bring with them a new set of skills and perspectives, they understandably don’t have the work experience or technical proficiency that is only acquired through time. When one of our more experienced workers leaves the team, their talent, experience and knowledge also head out the door. How do we ensure that this knowledge is not lost forever? How do we pass the torch to this younger generation of workers? Through effective coaching.

or our more seasoned workers, the lessons learned, and experience gained, were often paid for with cuts, bumps, bruises and heartache. We don’t want our new workers to learn the hard way, so our current leaders must effectively impart their years of experience to the next generation. Part of this transfer of knowledge can be accomplished with a robust training program, capturing best practices through accurate procedures, or the continued use of operating experience (OE), to see where the industry is getting it right or failing. These are good sources of information, but typically only describe the “what.” • What are the specifications of this equipment? • What is the process for operating it? • What are the policies put in place to protect the worker and the system?

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

It’s not the sharing of information, but the application of this information where most organizations struggle. Again, we are effective at telling our workers what we want but miss the mark when it comes to how these expectations are accomplished. Think of your organization like a football team. The organization has goals and can easily communicate the “what.” What the General Manager/Owner wants is to win Super Bowls. What the Head Coach needs to do is win lots of games. What the Offensive and Defensive Coordinators want is to score more points than their opponent to win those games. What the position coaches need from their players is flawless execution of the organization’s plan. What the players need to do is focus on the fundamentals of their job: blocking and tackling.

Here’s where we tend to get off the rails. We set the expectations for what we want from our people, “Your job is to block that person,” but fail in telling them how. If we don’t continually coach and reinforce on how to properly block, we have set the expectation, but we have not explained the execution. Then we become frustrated and ask “Why didn’t you block? I told you to block? You’re a lineman, you should know how to block!” Constant refinement of skills and continued reinforcement of expectations is what sustains high levels of performance. The Baby Boomers have been in the trenches and may take for granted that the fundamentals of our work, the blocking and tackling, is understood by everyone in the organization. The younger worker may have had some education or work experience which implies a certain level

vpppa.org

HING THE

NEXT GENERATION

BY DAVE SOWERS

KNOWLEDGE VINE

vpppa.org

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

of technical proficiency, but they still need coaching every day. Isn’t it interesting that the NFL still employs position coaches? You would think that after years dominating their position, being deemed the best of the best, and being handed millions of dollars, that teams would think these players would need very little oversight regarding the fundamentals. Yet, these experts in their field receive coaching day in and day out. It’s time for us to take our all-pro veterans and let them coach and groom our first-round picks. Coaching isn’t a natural ability. It’s a skill we can develop and hone, but it takes time, effort and a little direction. There are a great number of tips and traits to remember and employ before it all becomes habit. To make it a little easier at the onset, we use the acronym COACH: Communicate, Observe, Acknowledge, Change and Help.

Communicate

There are a great number of tips and traits to remember and employ before it all becomes habit. To make it a little easier at the onset, we use the acronym COACH: Communicate, Observe, Acknowledge, Change and Help.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

This one may seem obvious. After all, isn’t communication one of those buckets you can put anything into? Can’t we all do a better job of communicating all the time? Of course, but as it relates to coaching, communication carries with it some very specific attributes. We must communicate the intent to engage in coaching. Nothing is more unsettling or distracting than a supervisor who lurks at the fringes of the jobsite with a notepad in hand and no explanation regarding their intent or purpose. Coaching is not a game of “gotcha” looking for compliance issues to write up; that’s an audit. It’s important to engage in conversation and let the person know you’re there to help. Communicate any changes that the worker may not have heard. Communicate the standards and expectations set by the organization for safe work. Communicate any lessons learned from previous jobs or industry events. Communicate that you won’t just

passively observe but will be appropriately engaged and not distracting. Ask if they have any questions for you.

Observe As an observer, do you know what you are seeing? Are you prepared for the job? Do you understand the standards, expectations and requirements of the work? Do you know the roles and responsibilities? One particular challenge for a Baby Boomer who came up through the ranks is the propensity to lose perspective. You know the work because you have performed it many times yourself. There is a tendency to jump in and lend a hand. As a coach, you need to maintain the big picture view. Once you start turning wrenches you are no longer a coach; you are accomplice number two. During game action the football coach is literally restricted to the sideline; they have a great view but are not active participants. Stay in that role and keep your perspective to help you determine the broader behaviors which drive success.

Acknowledge The quickest and most effective way to shape behaviors is through positive reinforcement. Oddly enough, the concept of positive reinforcement also seems to be the greatest divide between Baby Boomers and Millennials. Baby Boomers will wax nostalgic about the old days of a get it done attitude that built America. The only positive reinforcement you needed was that paycheck every two weeks. Baby Boomers will point to participation trophies, trigger warnings, and safe spaces, and label this next generation as soft and needy. These broad generalities tend to skew our perceptions. First, Baby Boomers received positive reinforcement and (gasp) liked it. Sure, it was your old boss saying, “you messed up less today,

vpppa.org

good job” but it was positive reinforcement all the same. Second, we don’t appreciate the positive qualities that most Millennials bring. Broadly speaking, they are more collaborative, they embrace change better, they have a greater sense of ownership over their work and they thrive in jobs where they feel the work is important. Acknowledge the correct behaviors you see, help new employees understand the importance of their work, make them leaders in change and solicit their input. If you don’t, you’re missing opportunities to develop a younger worker who may otherwise become frustrated and leave; and then is immediately replaced with another Millennial. Look for legitimate positive reinforcement opportunities, (they are out there) and let your people know they are valued. It also makes it easier to engage in coaching when you need to address the wrong behaviors.

Change The reason you are going into the field is to ultimately have a positive impact on the organization. You are looking to move the needle; create some change. If your engagement is focused on compliance issues and not behaviors, again, you are performing an audit and not coaching. It’s easy to slip into audit mode and miss the opportunity to create change. For example, you see a worker is missing some PPE. Your coaching response is for that worker to wear their gloves. You are addressing the what, but not the how. You can fix the glove issue easily, but you haven’t really coached the behavior. How did this happen? Are the requirements unclear or poorly communicated? Is there an extent of condition concern; are there other PPE requirements the worker is missing and are there others with the same gap in knowledge? How did the worker come to the choice to not wear the gloves? Are gloves not available? Is the worker’s production bias encouraging shortcuts? Is the worker’s risk assessment not conservative enough? Ensure you are changing behaviors or processes rather than only chasing compliance issues.

Help Give your people what they need to raise their performance. You established communication early in the process; continue this dialogue to find out how you can help them increase their knowledge and skills. You are helping when you

vpppa.org

Your legacy is not how you used to do it; it’s the people you leave behind to carry the torch.

provide specific, actionable guidance. Vague platitudes like “be safe” or “stop when unsure” tell our people what, but don’t communicate how. Specifically, how should you be safe today? Are there particular hazards associated with today’s work that need to be addressed in greater detail? How are you going to recognize that you are out of scope, procedure or processes? What parameters will tell us exactly when to stop work? When the workers communicate their concerns to you, take action. Nothing shows your commitment to developing the next generation more than following through. Coaching is not a drive-by, one-time event. If they take the time to look back on their career, Baby Boomers will likely recognize what

influenced their evolution into the experienced veteran they are today. It took coaching and mentoring. It took constant process improvements. It took time and effort. It took a refusal to accept errors and injuries as just the cost of doing business. We are better than we have ever been, but we are not as good as we can be. It is imperative that we coach the next generation, so they can stand on our shoulders to reach even greater heights. Your legacy is not how you used to do it; it’s the people you leave behind to carry the torch. Dave Sowers is a founding member of Knowledge Vine; a Human Performance Training and Consulting organization which strives to reduce the frequency and severity of human errors in the workplace (www.knowledgevine.com). Dave has almost 30 years of experience in power generation and the utility industry. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Program and holds a bachelor’s degree in resources management and a master’s degree in both management and emergency management and homeland security.

VPP101

We have the information that your employees need to understand and be prepared for the VPP audit process.

Have you submitted your VPP application? Are you looking to educate your employees about VPP? Then look no further than our VPP 101 Education Tools.

VPP 101 is available on DVD or Flash Drive

VPP 101 Pocket Booklet

VPP Element Banner

VPP Element Card

PROMOTE THE VALUE OF SAFETY A I M FO R SA F E T Y.C O M // 1 -8 0 0 -2 2 0 -1 8 1 8 SA L ES @A I M FO R SA F E T Y.C O M

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

THE

CAREER ARC of the Safety Professional

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

The aging workforce is a growing topic among professionals around the world. As older generations retire, and changes in technology become increasingly prevalent, the workforce does not resemble what it did years ago. What does this mean for the safety and health industry? Here at VPPPA, we were interested in the career arc—past, present and future—of the safety professional, so we had conversations with both newer and more seasoned professionals from Oldcastle Infrastructure.

What is your job title and when did you start working in the safety/health field? VPPPA

Michael Cunningham, CSP: I am currently the EHS Compliance Manager for Oldcastle Infrastructure, and I started in the industry in the summer of 2003. Kimberly Watson, VPPPA National Board Member: My position is corporate Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability Director for Oldcastle Infrastructure. I began working indirectly in the safety/health field as an environmental coordinator in 1994. I became responsible for safety and health when I was promoted to an EHS manager in 1997. I have been in the EHS field for almost 25 years. Ashley Reese: I am the West Regional Environmental and Health Manager for Oldcastle Infrastructure. I have been in the safety field for 18 years.

vpppa.org

VPPPA

What enticed you to enter the safety and health field?

MC: I knew it was an up-and-coming field with good job demand that interested me. I liked the thought of protecting employees through prevention. KW: It was a bit accidental. When I graduated from college, I first worked as a microbiologist. Within a year, I took a position as a technical sales account manager for a bio enzyme program with universities. My father approached me about a job opportunity he learned of from one of his customers. His customer’s plants had a need for an environmental coordinator. My dad encouraged me to apply. I knew very little about EHS at the time, but I had the company’s prerequisite of having a technical degree in science. I guess they were willing to take a chance on me, and the rest is history. AR: I come from a long line of lumberjacks and construction workers in my family. Working in heavy timber and construction for many

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

years, it was very evident to me that the safety and health of me and my fellow employees was vital to us personally, as well as the financial ramifications for us and our employers.

Did anyone (or an experience) inspire you to enter the field/did you have any mentors when entering the safety/ health field? VPPPA

MC: My father started a consulting business back in 1985 revolving around Hazard Communication compliance. It evolved to safety/ health consulting. I worked with him for several years before moving on to another opportunity. KW: I did not. At the time, I was the only female in EHS for the company where I worked. What I did have was a supportive manager who allowed me to network with other professionals in safety and health, attend conferences and attain additional training to strengthen my knowledge and skill set. Today is very different. I know many more professionals in safety and health. I find that we inspire each other. EHS folks are open and willing to mentor, share and support where we can. AR: I did not really have a mentor, but I lost a grandfather to a workplace accident and my father was seriously injured while working for a lumber mill. These events, along with learning from my own experiences, injuries, close calls, and behaviors inspired me to enter the field. I think that looking out for others comes naturally to most people, and for me it was an easy career choice to feel passionate about my accomplishments and the fact that the fruits of my labor would positively affect my family, my work family and my company.

working, I pursued and attained multiple certifications. I earned certifications as a Registered Environmental Manager, Certified Environmental Safety Compliance Officer, OSHA VPP Special Government Employee (SGE). I also earned Industrial Safety and Health and Construction Safety and Health certifications from Georgia Technical Institute. AR: I originally started out wanting to be a Doctor of Pharmacy, and I have an associate degree in pre-pharmacy. I was working construction to pay my way through college and made the decisions I mentioned above about pursuing a career in safety and health. Once I got into Pharmacy School, I found that I was not as passionate about becoming a Doctor of Pharmacy as I was about being a safety professional. I shifted my focus and graduated with a BS degree in organizational management and leadership from Friends University in Witchita, KS. I have the following certifications: • OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Card Holder— Construction and General Industry • OSHA 500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Construction • OSHA 501 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry • MSHA Certified Trainer for Surface and Underground Mining • American Red Cross Certified Instructor for CPR, AED, First Aid, and Blood Bourne Pathogens In addition, I have plans to achieve my ASP and CSP Certifications.

How has the industry changed since you have started your career in safety and health? VPPPA

What was your educational background before starting your job? VPPPA

MC: I have a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and environmental health. I also currently hold CSP certification and I am studying for my CIH certification. KW: I graduated cum laude from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Life Science and a minor in Foreign Languages (French). While

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

MC: With the rising cost of medical and insurance costs, I feel the industry is more numbers driven (financially) than when I started off. The Human Performance theory and process has also dramatically changed the way EHS professionals view safety. KW: The industries with which I have been fortunate enough to be associated have moved from safety and health being a single

person responsibility to having an employeeengaged safety and health culture rich in management commitment. AR: This is a huge question, but to narrow my answer down I will say that the biggest change I have seen in my years in the industry has been the evolution of the employers and companies to a heightened sense of health and safety in their sphere of influence. This has been a gradual change that has been driven (in my opinion) by the Department of Labor and the insurance industry. I feel that we are finally moving towards compliance as a choice instead of compliance out of fear of reprisal. I would attribute this to the dedicated efforts of our EHS fraternity coupled with working with our compliance agencies, such as the partnership of the OSHA VPP program.

What are some ways you envision the field to evolve in the coming years? VPPPA

MC: Utilizing technology and data analytics to focus on lagging and leading indicators to focus efforts on incident prevention. KW: Safety technology will continue to advance, and as it does it will offer more solutions to make workplaces even safer for employers and employees. AR: I would expect the evolution to continue to move in the way of compliance because it’s the right thing to do for the employees of their respective companies. I have seen, and continue to marvel, at the leaps that we are taking with engineering and technology and how it effects the safety and health field. We are getting smarter about how we work instead of just applying more elbow grease. I also expect to see more positive movement in the human performance and human error side in our field in the near future.

How do you inspire your colleagues to adopt safety practices on the job? VPPPA

MC: By including safety as they would include any other operational priority.

vpppa.org

Identifying and mitigating becomes an inherent part of the job. KW: I focus on engagement and building sustainable safety and health cultures. I discuss the importance of why we would want to work safe. I involve them in the development of those practices, implementing their thoughts and ideas to achieve best practices. AR: There are so many things but here are a few: first, I feel it is important for me to believe or be passionate in what I am trying to accomplish with my work family. Next, it is key to have good knowledge about the practices that I am trying to share or roll out to our colleagues. I try to relate to them and their individual circumstances and have empathy for how the safety practices will affect what they are working on. I let them know that they are accountable, and we follow up on that accountability. Finally, I try to be as consistent as possible in all the safe practices that we employ.

What leadership experience or skills make you an effective leader? VPPPA

MC: Passion—caring about our employees and knowing what we do makes a difference. Getting them home to their families safely. Integrity—doing the right thing when it’s not easy; and work ethic. KW: Building talent, surrounding self with strong talent, building trusted relationships, demonstrating value, being a servant leader, being action-oriented, celebrating wins, learning from failures and valuing stakeholders. AR: This is an awkward question to answer about yourself, but here we go. Having been “on the floor,” so to speak, I try to draw on my experiences in the construction industry in my early career and remember what it was like to be in their shoes to instruct and work with them keeping that in mind. It helps me to relate and listen to them and how we can truly make a difference in their safety. I do what I say I am going to do, and this helps build positive relationships that lead to great opportunities to be an effective leader.

vpppa.org

Companies need the expertise of the safety and health professional to lead and navigate them, and their employees, through compliance with complex regulatory standards, and to be solution-oriented, smart business partners in the ever-becoming competitive market landscapes.

Do you have an example of a safety initiative that you led from start to finish? VPPPA

MC: I coordinated a safety climate perception survey for facilities and identified gaps in EHS communication with production employees. I also launched a leadership training program for supervisors/managers focusing on positive two-way communication. Finally, I developed and deployed a digital communications system, now installed in each facility. KW: I implemented a Contractor Safety qualification process to safeguard that those contractors used within the company’s operations had robust safety and health programs, required training for work tasks to be performed and met requirements for leading and lagging safety key performance indicators. AR: The second company I worked for after college was a commercial and industrial electrical, voice and data company. When I was hired, they did not have an environmental health and safety program at the company. As the Corporate Safety Director, I was able to be a large contributor to creating their program and ensuring compliance. It was incredibly rewarding watching their injuries decline in the years after the program was in place.

How would you potentially introduce a necessary, but unpopular, safety procedure at work? VPPPA

MC: Engage the employees from the beginning. Include their thoughts and suggestions into the process. Ensure top management is included in the process and holds everyone accountable.

KW: I would put on my sales/coach’s hat and help those to understand the necessity of the safety procedure and why it is of value to them. AR: Be direct and honest upfront with the new procedures. Address how this will positively affect their work and their health and safety. An important part of this is to include the employees and listen to their concerns and resolve their concerns as they are brought up. Again, being consistent in this delivery.

What do you think the future is like for the safety and health profession (generally)? VPPPA

MC: With medical and insurance costs continuing to increase, safety will continue to become more of an important business pillar. Finding more ways to remove risk from our operations will be paramount. With this, the need for innovative and focused safety professionals will be needed in every business model. KW: In my opinion, safety and health professionals will continue to be needed, and will grow even greater in demand as a valuable part of organizations. Industry as a whole recognizes the importance of workplace safety and health, and understands the importance of keeping their employees safe. Companies need the expertise of the safety and health professional to lead and navigate them, and their employees, through compliance with complex regulatory standards, and to be solution-oriented, smart business partners in the ever-becoming competitive market landscapes. AR: I think that it is bright and growing. I envision our field to be something akin to doctors or pharmacists—we will always need them. The progress in the last 20 years has been staggering and with the engineering and technological advancements in our field, I feel that the sky is the limit.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

EXERCISE USING

to Facilitate Productive Aging in the Workplace

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

BY JON KABANCE, RKT PRESIDENT, BIOKINETIX

For many years, I worked in a rehabilitative capacity helping athletes both prevent and recover from injuries as a kinesiotherapist. Not only did this include professional and collegiate athletes, but also industrial athletes in the occupational setting. What always struck me, however, was the reactive culture of medicine I’d observed outside of athletics. The level of engagement medical professionals had with patients were often limited until after injuries occurred, narrowing the opportunities for preventive care to rehabilitation alone. This reactivity could have resulted from organizational resource silos in which safety, HR and injury management operate in isolation from each other, as well as low consumer accessibility to affordable healthcare.

f growing concern was the effect that this lack of engagement would have on the aging population. Statistically, workers ages 55 and older are the least frequently injured demographic. But when injuries do occur, they experience significant increases in severity and fatality, with particular vulnerability toward slips, trips and falls. The resulting impact on return-towork outcomes is well-documented; after being injured on the job, older adults are also more likely to require hospitalization, experience subsequent fractures and incur more days away from work than other age groups. The impact this has on quality of life cannot be emphasized enough. Even without sustaining an acute injury, years of performing repetitive or strenuous movements culminate into losses of both mobility and independence throughout one’s later years.

vpppa.org

Disproving the Myth of Inevitable Decline The first step toward accommodating the needs of older workers requires us to examine established insights from occupational medicine. There is no magic-bullet solution to reverse the effects of aging, but both the onset and severity of age-related declines can be mitigated through modifiable health behaviors. There’s a common misconception that after a certain point, it’s “too late” to be able to benefit from exercise or other positive changes in health behavior, such as smoking cessation. This self-defeating mentality is often challenging to overcome, both for employees and for organizational leaders. Fortunately, the human body possesses extraordinary capacity to rebuild and repair itself. That’s part of what makes exercise so effective as a preventive measure—it helps preserve physical capacity, THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

In an occupational setting, exercise interventions can be used as a powerful tool to mitigate and accommodate the physiological and cognitive limitations experienced by older workers.

and by extension, the ability to perform job tasks. In fact, increasing physical activity is one of the most impactful modifiable variables in improving work capacity of older adults [9]. The benefits of bringing exercise into the workplace setting are far too critical for today’s safety and health professionals to overlook, especially given the growing prevalence of physical inactivity across all age groups.

Why Warm Up? Modern medical literature indicates that both age-related declines in function and musculoskeletal injury risk are most effectively mitigated through exercise that is (1) resistancebased, and (2) low-to-moderate intensity. At BIOKINETIX, we deliver this in a timeefficient program called the 3-Minute WarmUp. Warming up is a form of resistance exercise that engages the muscles in movement and prepares the body for the physical demands of work. There is an important distinction between warming up and stretching—while warming up actively lengthens and shortens the muscles while generating force, stretching merely lengthens muscles in a passive state. Although this practice has traditionally been applied in the context of professional and collegiate athletics, the physical demands required to perform a broad range of both industrial and sedentary job tasks is significant enough to merit the use of similar interventions. The most important components to consider when implementing a warm-up program are: • Uses task-specific movements to prepare workers for the physical demands of their jobs

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

• Incorporates low-intensity exercises that are

practical and effective for all ages and levels of physical ability • Can be performed in any work environment with minimal equipment Another important variable here is consistency: employees gain the most benefit from warming up before their job tasks when warming up occurs on a daily basis.

Key Areas of Impact ARTHRITIS: Perhaps the most urgent justification for workplace exercise interventions is the high absenteeism and severe functional limitation caused by arthritis, which creates joint stiffness and soreness while limiting range of motion. Warming up helps prevent joint stiffness by decreasing the viscosity of synovial fluid, a lubricant secreted at the surface of the joints that reduces friction between bone and joint—quite similar in function to WD-40 [5]. This directly improves the ease of moving joints through a proper range of motion, helping older workers minimize discomfort as they start their day [6,7]. FALL PREVENTION: Warming up also serves as a direct means to address balance and postural instability. While slips, trips and falls remain the primary cause of injury among older adults, this risk has a higher correlation with poor balance than with poor muscle strength. A meta-analysis of 44 studies on fall prevention revealed that exercise interventions reduced fall rates in older people by an average of 17 percent; programs that specifically challenged balance had the greatest relative effects [8]. vpppa.org

MUSCLE STRENGTH & ENDURANCE: Another critical work-related outcome associated with aging is the gradual loss of mobility. The loss of muscle mass and strength generally begins at age 45 and accelerates between the ages of 50 and 80. The rate of progressive muscle weakening, however, can be slowed most effectively through resistance training—which helps preserve mobility, mitigate lifestyle inactivity and reduce the risk of related disabilities, such as osteoporosis [4].

the challenges faced by older workers, but actively supports employees in functioning effectively and safely as they age.

COGNITIVE FUNCTION: The benefits of warming up also extend to older workers’ ability to perform the cognitive demands associated with work. Participating in physical activity is shown to reduce signs of aging in the brains of older adults by increasing plasticity and adaptiveness [2]. In terms of workrelated outcomes, these changes in cognitive performance translate to improvements in memory retention, information processing, problem solving, attention and even mood [3].

over $100 million through strategic prevention

Conclusions It’s time to rethink exercise as a key component of modern safety management systems. By 2024, one quarter of U.S. workers will be over the age of 55. In order for employers to truly prepare for this shift, it’s critical to understand that work ability is dynamic in relation to the aging process. Weakened mobility and other functional limitations are far from inevitable, and the workplace setting carries great potential for proactively addressing these challenges. Throughout over a decade of implementing preventive exercise programs, we have seen direct and quantifiable reductions in lost time—a key measure of injury severity—particularly in organizations with larger aging populations. A recent example is our partnership with Nautique Boat Company, where engaging the workgroups in warming up on a daily basis, combined with individualized support from athletic trainers, ended up bringing a 74 percent reduction in DART (days away, restricted or transferred) injury frequency. We’ve also found the benefits of on-site exercise are further sustainable when delivered as part of a multifaceted intervention, alongside personal programs and evidence-based health and well-being education. Not only is this proven to ameliorate lagging indicators, the potential for enhancing quality of life is strongly supported and advocated for within the medical community. Ultimately, the goal is to create a work environment that not only accommodates vpppa.org

Hogan, C., Mata, J., & Carstensen, L. (2013). Exercise holds immediate benefits for affect and cognition in younger and older adults. Psychology And Aging, 28(2), 587–594.

Holloszy, J., Tseng, B., Marsh, D., Hamilton, M., & Booth, F. (1995). Strength and Aerobic Training Attenuate Muscle Wasting and Improve Resistance to the Development of Disability With Aging. The Journals Of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences And Medical Sciences, 50A(Special), 113–119. doi: 10.1093/ gerona/50a.special_issue.113

Safran, M., Garrett, W., Seaber, A., Glisson, R., & Ribbeck, B. (1988). The role of warmup in muscular injury prevention. The American Journal Of Sports Medicine, 16(2), 123-129.

Sapega, A. A., Quedenfeld, T. C., Moyer, R. A., & Butler, R. A. (1981). Biophysical Factors in Range-of-Motion Exercise. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 9(12), 57–65.

Shellock, F. (1983). Physiological Benefits of Warm-Up. The Physician And Sportsmedicine, 11(10), 134–139.

Sherrington, C., Whitney, J., Lord, S., Herbert, R., Cumming, R., & Close, J. (2008). Effective Exercise for the Prevention of Falls: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society, 56(12), 2234-2243.

Silverstein, M. (2008). Meeting the challenges of an aging workforce. American Journal Of Industrial Medicine, 51(4), 269–280.

As President of BIOKINETIX, Jon Kabance has been masterful in combining his expertise in exercise science, kinesiology and education with the real-world demands companies face every day as they look to reduce employee injury rates. His thought leadership has helped clients save and wellness programs. In addition to speaking at the 2018 VPPPA Safety+ Symposium, Jon has also shared best practices at numerous safety and health conferences nationwide, including the NSC Congress and ASSP Safety 2018.

References 1.

Czaja, J. (2009). Aging and work: issues and implications in a changing landscape. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Gow, A., Bastin, M., Munoz Maniega, S., Valdes Hernandez, M., Morris, Z., & Murray, C. et al. (2012). Neuroprotective lifestyles and the aging brain: Activity, atrophy, and white matter integrity. Neurology, 79(17), 1802–1808.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

conscious

Communication Understanding the Generations

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

BY LAUREL FLYNN AND JARED DAVIS BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE— IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY (INL)

This is an exciting time. It is the first time that we have five generations working together. With this diversity exists many challenges, one being interpersonal communication. Interactions have transformed over the years with new technologies, experiences and differing expectations. Thus, communicating clearly in today’s workplace is complicated. The potential for conflict and miscommunication poses barriers to conducting work safely.

et’s take a journey through the past and present to help recognize the differences in generations. With this insight, we can practice better interactions through conscious communication. “As a VPP Star site, INL is working toward continuous improvements in all facets of safety. Effective communication among co-workers is the most important defense in the prevention of human error leading to a safer work environment for employees,” says Curtis Reece, INL VPP Manager.

vpppa.org

It is important to realize that through this article we are generalizing—believing that many people in a group share things in common—we are not stereotyping. Humans are unique; therefore, we can never predict exact behavior.

What is the Definition of Generation? Merriam-Webster defines generation as a group of people born and living during the same time.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

1945 or earlier

TRADITIONALISTS (Silent Generation)

1946 to 1964

BABY BOOMERS (18 years)

If you research generation dates, you will find discrepancies. For the purposes of this article, we define the generations per the 2017 Pew Research Center. 1. Traditionalists (Silent Generation): 1945 or earlier 2. Baby Boomers: 1946 to 1964 (18 years) 3. Generation X: 1965 to 1980 (15 years) 4. Millennials: 1981 to 1996 (15 years) 5. Post-Millennial (Gen Z): 1997 and later. Understanding what shapes the generations will help to understand why they behave the way they do and have specific communication preferences.

Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964)

Traditionalists (1945 or earlier)

• Competitive—surpass co-workers in

As of 2017, traditionalists made up two percent of the workforce. They are at least 72 years old. “A penny saved is a penny earned” is one adage that defines this generation, meaning by saving a penny, you have one more penny. Traditionalists are labeled the silent generation because children of this era were expected to be seen and not heard.

• Goal setters with follow-through

Common characteristics:

1965 to 1980

GENERATION X (15 years)

• Hardworking

climbing the corporate ladder • Focused/disciplined—great attention spans

to stay on task and remember details Shaping events: • Surge of births after WWII • Television • Civil Rights Movement • Woodstock • Watergate

• The Andy Griffith Show • Marcus Welby, M.D. • All in the Family

• The Great Depression

• Game shows: Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune

• World War II (WWII)

Boomers went to work in the era of typed, formal memos. They were trained in formal writing skills and watched the world on television. Phones were always in existence and communication was predominantly from one source, story-based, depicted visually and in short, concrete pieces.

• Social gatherings • Baseball • Radio

Phones became commonplace after WWII, but traditionalists relied heavily on print media and trusted experts to tell the facts. They were taught proper penmanship and formal writing skills. Communication preferences include: • Communicating face-to-face • Writing memos • Mailing a letter • Listening to a speech • Holding meetings

POST-MILLENNIAL

to question authority

• Gunsmoke

• Technologically challenged

Entertainment examples:

1997 and later

from professional achievements • Self-assured—responsible and are not afraid

Entertainment examples:

• Atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima

(15 years)

• Strong work ethic—self-worth may come

• Respect authority

• Prohibition

MILLENNIALS

Common characteristics:

• Loyal—less likely to change employers

Shaping events:

1981 to 1996

As of 2017, baby boomers made up 25 percent of the workforce. They range in age from 53 to 71. A common idiom describing baby boomers is “do your own thing,” meaning to live in the way you want, and not pay attention to others’ opinions.

If you identify with this generation, you may work best carrying on a conversation with eye contact.

Communication preferences include: • Face-to-face • Phone calls • Memos with distribution lists • Meetings

If you identify with this generation, you may work best holding conversations over the phone.

Generation X (1965 to 1980) As of 2017, Gen X made up 33 percent of the workforce. They range in age from 37 to 52.

(Gen Z)

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

A common phrase familiar to Gen X is “get real” meaning understand the true facts and not hope for the impossible. These were the latchkey children, many a product of divorce. Their friends were their family. They learned to reinvent their lives and grew up with the worldwide web.

and text messaging. They negotiated rules with their parents. They learned from their parents, but they also taught their parents and grandparents new technologies. Common characteristics:

like hands-on training and experience, and are less likely to value formal education. Postmillennials want to make a difference and are interested in working for companies they are passionate about, even if the pay is less.

• Juggle responsibilities—have lots going on

Shaping events:

off management • Technologically adept—comfortable with current/new technology • Flexible—eager to learn and willing to change jobs • Value work-life balance—work to live and appreciate humor in the workplace

and can switch from one task to another • Connected—the world is at their fingertips through smart devices • Technologically savvy • Instant gratification/recognition • Work-life balance—expect a flexible work environment • Collaborative/transparent—team-oriented building open and honest friendships with managers/co-workers

Shaping events:

• Iranian hostage crisis

• Columbine High School shooting

• The Sony Walkman

• 9/11 terrorist attacks

• HIV/AIDS

• Creation of the Department of

Common characteristics: • Individualistic—embrace hands-

• Explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger

Homeland Security

• The fall of the Berlin Wall

• President Barack Obama

Entertainment examples:

• Dallas

• Nickelodeon/Disney Channel

• MTV

• Reality TV (e.g., American Idol and

• Nintendo

Survivor) • Console games (e.g., Xbox) • Harry Potter

• Seinfeld

This generation grew up in a global world using computers, email and cellphones. They were the first generation to question sources and research/skim for relevant information. Generation X is comfortable with webbased communication and the social-media movement.

• Instant message • Online streaming

• Search the internet

• Connect on social networking site

vpppa.org

Amazon purchases) • Airbnb and Uber Entertainment examples: • Virtual reality • Gaming • Livestreaming • Spotify and Apple Music

Post-millennials are new to the workforce. Gen Z grew up typing slang. They appreciate freedom in their work, but like to touch base often with management (whom they see as equals) and appreciate praise, thoughtful critique, and validation as a team member. Communication preferences include: • Peer information in lieu of experts • Be concise—according to Forbes, an

attention span of around eight seconds

If you identify with this generation, you prefer to communicate in a variety of ways, but like face-to-face interactions over written communication.

• Instant message

As of 2017, millennials made up 35 percent (the largest) of the workforce. They range in age from 21 to 36. A common phrase for millennials is “the struggle is real” meaning there is a tough problem to overcome. Millennials grew up with smartphones, wireless video games

• Instant gratification (1-click

Communication preferences include:

• Email

Millennials (1981 to 1996)

• Sandy Hook school shooting

• Hybrid—unified communication system

• Text message (vowels optional)

If you identify with this generation, you may work best communicating via email.

• Death of Osama bin Laden

This generation is more informal with communication and dress. Their interactions have friendlier, more casual tones and they like to use emojis. Interactions with millennials should be simple and to the point.

Communication preferences include:

• Virtual meetings

• The Great Recession

If you identify with this generation, you prefer web-based meetings over face-toface, but have the ability to adapt your communication style with older generations; however, you dislike voice messages.

Post-Millennial—Gen Z (1997 and later) As of 2017, Gen Z made up 5 percent of the workforce. They range in age from 16 to 20 A common phrase for Gen Z is “it’s lit” meaning something is very exciting. This generation grew up with mass disruption. They

(i.e., cloud-based storing/sharing) • Videoconferencing • Beyond email—services not prone for

network malfunctioning

Summary: Now that we know more about the attributes of the current workforce generations, we can better identify communication styles by striving to listen, understand, and adjust our interactions so we all work safely together. Resource information obtained from Shaw, Haydn, “Sticking Points,” Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2013, Fry, Richard “Millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. labor force,” Pew Research Center, 2018, and BCM Group, “How to Communicate with Gen Z,” 2015.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

PASSING

the Baton Knowledge Transfer Through the Generations

As any skilled relay runner will attest, the baton pass must happen with precision. If timing and accuracy are off, the fumbling of the baton can add precious seconds to the team’s performance and ultimately, risk their success.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

BY ANGIE BENFIELD, RICHARD HUDSON, JENNIFER SCOTT AND PETE BOLIG SAVANNAH RIVER NUCLEAR SOLUTIONS

he baton pass is equally as vital in the workplace—albeit much more complex. And, there is no baton. Knowledge gained over decades, critical to operational success, resides in the minds of seasoned employees. Extracting that important information, packaging it and passing it on to the next leg of the generational-relay ensures a seamless and safe transition from one generation to the next. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the management and operations contractor at the Department of Energy’s, Savannah River Site (SRS) has developed a process for capturing the valuable knowledge of its employees for future generations. Located at SRS, along the South Carolina and Georgia border, SRNS employs more than 5,700 people who are spread across 310-square miles of federal land. SRS specializes in environmental stewardship, nuclear materials management and production for national defense. Established by a directive from President Truman, the sprawling remote site has served the nation since the Cold War, and many of its employees experienced SRS’ original mission firsthand—until recently. “As new missions emerged at the Savannah River Site, knowledge transfer became imperative,” said Stuart MacVean, SRNS President and CEO. “We, like so many companies, were approaching a generational cliff. At one point, the average age of our workforce was 52 years old and many employees filling critical roles were working by choice, not as much for necessity. We knew we needed to act fast to collect their vital knowledge for future generations and to minimize risk associated with employee safety and mission success.” SRNS stood-up a diverse task team to identify methods of mining the knowledge from their workforce that could only come from experience. What resulted was a multi-faceted approach to knowledge retention and transfer through a partnership with various support organizations. But, one common challenge remained consistent—communicating across generations has complexities.

vpppa.org

In a fast-paced digital age, younger employees are accustomed to information at their fingertips through visual and user-friendly mediums. Luckily for them, research supports this learning style as being the most effective means to achieve knowledge retention. With minimal investment in software and the creative talents of existing company team members, SRNS implemented an electronic video library of key skills, taught by those who know the ropes the best—the employees who have done the work for years. The tutorials give new employees an exact visual representation of the seasoned employee’s experience during the task evolution. Going further, the tutorials include tacit knowledge interviews that are designed to capture the various nuances of the work that have been gained over time and through experience. If video delivery is not a new employee’s best method of learning, the tutorials allow for additional resources to be attached, including: hyperlinks, Microsoft Word or Excel documents, as well as comment boxes for notes or special emphasis from the more experienced team members. Additional benefits of creating an online video library of key job skills includes the ability to deliver much needed repetition of key information long after seasoned employees have moved on to the next chapter of their lives. Cross training is also simplified, minimizing the risk associated with one-deep positions. These results also make the knowledge transfer library a helpful solution to training challenges associated with a mobile workforce, considering the average time a millennial remains in one job is approximately three years, according to Forbes. Post implementation, SRNS realized additional process improvements stemming from the formal capture of employee knowledge. According to MacVean, “through our efforts we have not only succeeded at collecting critical knowledge, but we have been able to streamline and improve many processes by harnessing the experience of veteran employees and leveraging it with the fresh perspective of our newer employees.” Solutions are only effective when they are affordable. As SRNS has proven, building a

video tutorial library does not require a fancy studio and expensive video equipment. Our training department uses a video camera, but cell phone videos could even be used. All you need is the ability to capture video and upload it into your chosen software. Moreover, one of the first organizations within SRNS to beta-test the company’s video tutorial system was able to realize $15,950 in soft cost avoidances during their first year of use, in comparison to traditional training practices like classroom instruction and the time invested in reviewing lengthy training manuals. All told, establishing a knowledge management program has improved SRNS’ productivity, quality, employee empowerment and has fostered an environment rich in teamwork. “Implementing this system has afforded our employees a sense of autonomy, giving them greater confidence in the educational process,” said MacVean. “By providing them a system to learn from subject matter experts coupled with the ability to repeat the lessons as needed, we have addressed many significant challenges associated with training and sustaining the safety performance of a multigenerational workforce.” Angie Benfield is the senior public relations/public information specialist for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), Environmental, Safety, Security, Health and Quality Assurance Division. Richard Hudson, Jennifer Scott, and Pete Bolig also collaborated on this article. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is a Fluorled company whose members are Fluor Federal Services, Newport News Nuclear and Honeywell, responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, including the Savannah River National Laboratory, located near Aiken, South Carolina.

Reference 1.

www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/ 2012/08/14/the-future-of-work-job-hoppingis-the-new-normal-for-millennials/ #38808e0c13b8

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

for all ages

BY T.J. SCIMONE SLICE, INC.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

Cutting tools like utility knives, folding knives, pen cutters and box cutters are common in the workplace. Unfortunately, so are lacerations: they’re consistently one of the most common workplace injuries. When figuring out how to mitigate the risks posed by cutting tools, safety managers need to consider people’s changing abilities and needs. What may work well for a younger employee may not work well for an older one.

The Importance of Reducing Lacerations Lacerations from hand tools may be common, but they’re also preventable with the right training, tools and attention—so it makes sense to focus on eliminating them. Cuts hurt, and they’re costly: OSHA estimates that a single laceration costs a company on average $41,000 in direct and indirect costs. It also doesn’t take much for a laceration to qualify as an OSHA Recordable Incident, which increases your Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and has lasting consequences of its own.

Traditional Approaches to Reducing Lacerations There are three primary areas of focus for cutting safety: technique, environment and the cutting tool. All aspects are important to cover when developing and teaching safety protocols. Everyone should know how to handle a tool and perform a cut safely. The area where someone is cutting should be free of clutter, not put others in danger, allow for a stable stance and provide a stable cutting surface. But, in the end, what cuts you is the tool. A safer tool will go a long way to reducing laceration injuries.

What Makes a Safer Cutting Tool? Traditionally, cutting tool manufacturers focus safety efforts on redesigning the handle to reduce blade exposure. The retractable handle has become the go-to design for safety, and there are generally two types: manual and auto.

vpppa.org

The manual model allows the user to fix the blade in place. With auto-retraction, the user must keep the slider engaged to keep the blade exposed. The added level of safety offered with autoretraction has made it popular with health and safety managers. So much so that it’s required at many companies. This is an excellent approach for many employees, but it doesn’t work for everyone.

Traditional Cutting Tool Safety Design: Not for All Ages Some safety mechanisms, like auto-retraction on cutting tools, turn out to be problematic for older workers, who can find them difficult to use and tiring. Keeping the slider engaged on an auto-retractable tool can cause hand, wrist and forearm fatigue. For anyone with reduced hand and finger dexterity, repeatedly engaging the slider may prove difficult, and for these workers, the manual retraction model is a better fit. But then how do we keep these workers safe?

A Safer Blade While limiting blade exposure helps keep workers safe, it’s the blade that ultimately causes the injury. A safer blade helps solve this problem. There are two aspects of traditional blades that cause injury: the blade edge and the tip. Metal, the traditional blade material, is relatively soft; metal blades dull quickly. To make metal blades last longer, manufacturers make them overly sharp, which also makes them very dangerous. Ceramic blades usually mimic this razor-sharp blade design. Additionally, most

blade tips form a dangerously sharp point, so they become a puncture hazard. A safer blade and a blunted tip can greatly reduce the chance of lacerations and punctures. This is safer for all employees and is especially important for workers who have difficulties with auto-retraction and prefer to use manual retraction tools. Slice, Inc. makes safety blades featuring a patent-pending blade edge that’s safe enough to touch. These blades are available with a pointed or a rounded tip. The rounded-tip models are safe enough that they don’t require a sharps box for disposal.

Ergonomic Design Reduces Fatigue and Strain Fatigue is a major contributor to workplace injuries. Muscle strains are another common category of injuries. This is true with workers of any age and can become more of a concern as we age. Look for manufacturers that develop new technologies and utilize innovative ergonomic design. Choose tools that feature quality materials that increase comfort and are easier to use. Another important consideration for workers who tire more quickly, as can be the case with aging workers, is ergonomic design. Tools that are ergonomic are designed to be easy to handle and to allow for natural, efficient movement. A tool’s grip should be firm and comfortable. When you use the tool, it should feel like an extension of your body. Ergonomic tools reduce fatigue and the risk of strain.

Safety: Changing with the Times This is an exciting time. Getting older isn’t as closely tied to slowing down as it used to be. We regularly hear that sixty is the new thirty, or the like. But there are some physical realities that are important to consider in order to keep older workers as safe as their younger counterparts. When it comes to cutting tools, finding safer tools that feature ergonomic handle design and safety blades will be increasingly important. T.J. Scimone founded Slice, Inc. in 2008. Since then he’s made safety his top priority, creating a unique line of safer tools, from box cutters to utility knives, all of which feature patent-pending finger-friendly ® blades. The Slice website features a Workplace Safety blog. Visit Slice at www.sliceproducts.com.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

BY ANITA HAWKINS SAFETY PROS

PREPARING THE WORKPLACE

for Older American Workers You’ve heard the phrase, “age is just a number.” Older generations have been embracing this mentality, and keeping themselves active, long after traditional retirement years. Age has started to matter less as more workers are delaying retirement and staying in the workforce. But what does this mean for business owners? It’s great that older employees are maintaining their employment and staying active, but does having an aging workforce create new demands for businesses? What challenges do employers face as their workers begin to age? For many companies, the age of their employees is more than just a number. It’s a call to action that requires employers to comply with the Older Americans Act.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

Organizations would be making a mistake if they were to ignore older workers, not properly adapt their work sites, and not utilize the years of knowledge and intellectual capital they bring to the table.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

he Older Americans Act (OAA), passed in 1965, established the Administration on Aging (AoA). This legislation has worked toward providing seniors and caregivers with health and nutrition programs, community service programs, employment and elder rights protection. It also trains personnel in the field of aging so that they can better serve seniors. (Older Americans Act, 2018). The AoA is now part of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and receives funding from the OAA. Funding is distributed to 56 state agencies, 200 tribal organizations, 600 area agencies and 20,000 local services providers. These organizations are designed to manage public health, public access to information, and public assistance in finding employment, food security, and other economic needs. (Older Americans Act, 2018). Many of the these organizations are housed and operated through local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The AoA believes employment is a crucial part of community inclusion for aging workers. Gainful employment enables older workers to remain independent. The benefits of continuing to work after a certain age can sometimes exceed the basic need for income. Senior workers can benefit from the social aspects of the workplace. Often, retirees fall into a state of depression, loneliness, and poor health when they are not social or productive. Having a workplace that supports and welcomes older workers can have a direct impact on the senior’s mental and emotional health. Employees who are properly trained to watch for signs of stroke or other illness can watch each other for signs and may be the first line of help for an older worker who is at risk. Should an accident happen off the jobsite, coworkers may be the first to notice if a senior worker has not made it into the workplace or is not answering phone calls, thus

prompting someone to check in on the senior at their home or contacting family to check on them. Having this network of caring people in their lives may help them to avoid accidents and illness in and out of the workplace. Now that more and more seniors are choosing to remain employed into traditional retirement years, employers must comply with the OAA. It is their job to ensure the safety of their employees no matter what age. Several organizations throughout the United States have been formed in order to educate employers on the OAA and what it means for them. Organizations like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have become part of the CDC in order to continue the mission of creating safe, healthy workers and develop new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health. (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2018). While NIOSH focuses on many diverse groups of workers, some of its goals are focused on providing training and workforce development so that employers and workers can adopt the practices required to meet the needs of the OAA. Businesses, especially those that are community service organizations, can partner with programs such as the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in order to hire qualified senior workers. The program is the oldest employment program in the U.S. designed to help low-income, unemployed seniors find gainful employment. (Senior Community Service Employment Program, 2018). By working with the National Council on Aging, employers can learn more about the SCSEP and how they can participate. These programs have created a big change in the length of time employees choose to stay active in the workforce. Twenty five percent of American workers will be over age 55 by 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these workers and those who may be older than 55 will not be retiring from their current positions. As employees age, they may be faced with challenges unique to older generations of worker. According to NIOSH, older workers tend to experience fewer workplace injuries than their younger colleagues. However, when accidents do happen, older workers typically require more time to heal. Accidents involving older workers are more likely to be fatal.

vpppa.org

What does this mean for businesses? Although there is no consensus on the age at which workers are considered “older workers,” the aging workforce phenomenon is real. These demographic shifts have made the issue of healthier workers, especially those of advanced age, much more pressing. Chronic disorders such as hypertension and arthritis can affect an employee’s health and safety. Slip, trip, and fall incidents also become more common among older workers. For businesses, this could be damaging to production and employee morale. It can also mean higher payouts in worker’s compensation. However, businesses should not be deterred from hiring older workers. Instead, businesses are encouraged to make adaptions in the workplace to accommodate older workers. Making the changes necessary to keep them safe can be beneficial to the company in many ways.

Why Should Business Adapt to Accommodate Older Workers? Older workers have developed years of experience and can help guide new and younger hires. Older workers are also able to explain and train younger predecessors more efficiently than training videos or teaching methods that are not as hands on. Younger workers can work alongside the older employees and learn all the “tricks of the trade” from someone who has been doing the job for decades. Mature workers offer several economic benefits to the business as well. They are dedicated and produce a higher quality of work. Because of their years of experience, they are less likely to make mistakes or rush a project. They are punctual and look forward to going to work each day. For them, it is an opportunity to give back, socialize and be part of a bigger picture. They are eager to learn and possess a desire to be involved. Older workers could also mean reduced labor costs. Many older workers find part-time jobs so they can remain active and social, or simply because they enjoy contributing. They likely already have health insurance benefits through other programs and benefits. They may also have an additional source of income and are willing to be paid a little less for the job they want. These workers are the type who understand that being a dedicated employee is sometimes about more than just the paycheck. Organizations would be making a mistake if they were to ignore older workers, not properly adapt their work sites, and not utilize the years of knowledge and intellectual capital they bring to the table.

vpppa.org

Some things businesses can do to adapt for aging employees include: 1. Allow for flexible hours. Allow

workers to have an input on their work schedule. Allow them to choose the hours, work conditions, work organization, work location and work tasks whenever possible. 2. Match tasks to abilities. Use selfpaced work, self-directed rest breaks and less-repetitive tasks. 3. Avoid prolonged sedentary work. Prolonged sedentary work is bad for workers at every age. Consider implementing workstations that allow workers to sit or stand to do computer and other desktop tasks. 4. Manage noise, slip/trip and other physical hazards. 5. Provide and design ergo-friendly work environments, including adapted tools, nonslip floor coverings, better illumination where needed, and computer screens that can be adjusted for less glare. 6. Use teamwork strategies or the buddy system for tasks when workers are offsite or working in an environment that is especially hazardous. 7. Provide health promotion and lifestyle interventions including physical activity, healthy meal options, tobacco cessation assistance, risk-factor reduction and screenings, coaching and onsite medical care. Creating health and safety programs encourages workers of all ages to take better care of themselves and thus, prevent many common illnesses that could lead to workplace accidents. 8. Invest in training and building worker skills and competencies at all age levels. 9. Proactively manage reasonable accommodations and the returnto-work process after illness or injury absences. 10. Require aging workforce management skills training for supervisors. Include a focus on the most effective ways to manage a multigenerational workplace.

Employers should make efforts to understand the normal physiological and biological changes that occur with aging and not prejudge an older worker’s abilities and willingness to work. With a few simple adaptations to the workplace, older workers should be able to continue performing their work tasks. The older workers themselves should initiate the use of the accommodations and take action to protect themselves from workplace incidents. Employers will find that when given the tools and equipment needed, workers of any age make strides to be safe. Some even produce at higher levels when they are more confident that they are safe in the workplace. In the end, a safe and healthy workplace is for the benefit of all workers at any age. When employers foster the continued employment of aging workers, they will find that their dedication to the job and their years of experience bring a wealth of knowledge and encouragement to the workplace. Younger workers can learn new skills and get much needed advice from employees who feel their age is just a number and not an indication that their years in the workplace have come to an end. Anita is the Digital Marketing Specialist and Blogger for Safety Pros located in Tampa, FL. Under the direction of company owner, Michele Adams, Safety Pros develops comprehensive online safety incentive programs for companies of all sizes. As part of the Safety Pros team, Anita educates clients on the importance of safety while also helping them discover effective safety recognition solutions for their workplace. As members of VPPPA for 30 years, Safety Pros has established a strong reputation as experts in the safety incentive industry.

References 1.

Older Americans Act. (2018, October 3). Retrieved from National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare: https://www. ncpssm.org/documents/older-americanspolicy-papers/older-americans-act/

Older Americans Act. (2018, December 03). Retrieved from National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/ older-americans-act/

Senior Community Service Employment Program. (2018, December 03). Retrieved from National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa. org/economic-security/matureworkers/scsep/

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2018, December 03). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ about/default.html

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

BY LEE VERNON CODE 3 MEDICAL SERVICES, LLC

First Responder Considerations

+ for the Aging Workforce

After 26 years of riding in a fire truck and ambulance, I’ve learned that treating younger adults versus older adults (55+ years old) presents different challenges to patient care during trauma or medical emergencies. If certain key aspects are not taken into consideration, and quickly addressed in the field, there is a higher risk of further damage, injury, or even death. During traumatic physical events, younger and healthier bodies

Is the situation due to an accident only?

+ Or did a medical emergency occur first which then led to an accident?

can compensate effectively, which in most cases allows for an increased chance of survival. Granted, there are several factors that can influence an outcome, including the proficiency and competency of the first responder, but overall, the body is an amazing system when it is operating normally. Younger, healthier patients with severe trauma and significant blood loss who should have died, can often beat the odds and walk out of the hospital with minimal negative deficits.

With any kind of major bleeding, the overall health and age of the patient can greatly affect patient outcome.

However, the odds of surviving the same scenario with the same statistics for a patient over the age of 55 decrease significantly. Why is that? Simply put, our bodies are not able to handle the stresses put on it due to the aging process of the body. More significantly, medical problems could arise that require supplementation of pharmaceutical drugs to operate at a normal level. Let’s look at each of those and dive into why each one presents its own unique challenge and how these issues can be prevented, not only for the patients, but for the first responder.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

A thorough and complete patient assessment is crucial to guiding first responders down the correct path of patient care.

vpppa.org

The Aging Body As we age, our bodies undergo natural changes that result in a cumulative effect. For example, hormone levels can affect sleep and chemical compositions within our cellular, vascular and muscular characteristics. How we treat our bodies over more expansive periods of time can also result in long-term internal damage. Things like diet, exercise, alcohol, drugs, smoking and our work environment all play a role in this damage. These elements, with time, can cause a multitude of issues such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory issues, cancer and more.

High Blood Pressure If high blood pressure goes untreated, it can cause various systemic problems like kidney disease, vascular weakening and cardiac enlargement of the heart, to name a few. Putting a problem like this into a severe traumatic injury situation results in the body not having the ability to compensate as well because it has already been working at a high level, due to the high blood pressure. The body simply can’t handle it compared to a normal healthy body. This doesn’t mean that the injury is a guaranteed fatality, but it could possibly mean that the patient has complications, or long-term negative consequences, due to the injury that are not normally encountered.

Severe Bleeds If you have an elderly patient that has uncontrolled hemorrhaging from a large laceration, the body is going to compensate for hypoperfusion by speeding up the heart rate. This will speed up respirations, which will in turn cause them to lose blood faster. In the older patient, this stress could be too much for their body to handle and could result in potential myocardial infarction (due to their heart already being taxed as a result of poor cardiac health). So instead of the patient having only one issue, they could end up with two possibly fatal issues if not prepared and dealt with accordingly.

vpppa.org

Pharmaceuticals Medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, cardiac issues, erectile dysfunction and blood thinners are more often taken by older adults. This signals two things to the first responder when they encounter a patient currently on any of those medications. One, they currently have some kind of underlying medical problem where something is not operating as it should. Two, those medications can either accelerate or artificially mask a medical emergency in a patient. A perfect example would be a patient exhibiting dizziness/syncopal episode. Their pulse is at 88 bpm (regular) and their blood pressure is 90/58. During your assessment, the patient informs you that they took Viagra last night but are on no other medications. This would be a prime example of a potential medically-induced medical emergency which could be directly related to the sexual medication and nothing else. Or it could be that the patient is dehydrated or possibly having a true cardiac event. Either way, that little bit of important information can help us get a more accurate assessment of the patient, and in turn, help the first responder initiate the best care possible.

How to Prepare for Treating Older Patients As an emergency response team member, what can one do to better prepare themselves for treating older patients? First, getting base line and follow up vitals is important. Those vitals build the foundational storybook of your patient’s state on initial arrival, and if they are getting better or worse as time continues. Our goal on initial care is to mitigate all life-threatening injuries and stabilize until advanced care arrives. Second, it is imperative to get an accurate and thorough patient assessment/history. Getting that headto-toe exam and an in-depth medical history can help as it pertains to diagnosing and treating your patient. If you have a patient with a significant bleed and you know that they take a blood thinner, then it should be taken into consideration that their clotting ability is reduced due to the medication. Therefore, simple direct pressure may not be enough to stop their bleeding. You may have to resort to a pressure bandage, hemostatic agent, or a tourniquet depending on location and the severity of the bleed.

A Quick Review When dealing with cases, be aware that age and/or medications can pose difficulties when treating older patients. The first responder should always prioritize patient care by dealing with life-threatening emergencies first (hemorrhage, airway, breathing, circulation), then give a thorough and continuous patient assessment. For the patient, it is imperative to be honest and provide any known medical history, including allergies and all medications. All of this information acquired through a proper assessment can truly aid the responder in some cases and prevent the situation from going from bad to worse. After all, first responders want to make a positive difference in people’s lives when they need it most.

Lee Vernon, owner of Code 3 Medical Services LLC, has over 26 years as a Retired/Active First Responder/Firefighter/EMT. Having spent the majority of his career in a large metropolitan city where his immediate response area to industrial, manufacturing, warehouse, corporate and violence prone environments were routine, he has a perspective and knowledge base experienced by few in the industry. Code 3 Medical & Safety Services team of active first responders focuses on medical and safety training in the petrochemical, industrial and manufacturing arena.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

MEMBERSHIP CORNER Like us on Facebook & Follow us on Twitter: @VPPPA

Meet the VPPPA Team

Halloween Costume Contest

As VPPPA members, you talk to National Office Staff on the phone, chat with us via email and sometimes see us at regional and national events. But we want our members to be able to more easily put names with faces. Check back here in future issues to see more VPPPA National Office staff member profiles.

We had an amazing response to our Halloween Costume Contest back in October. Congratulations to our winner, Khatri, pictured to the right. We would like to say a special thank you to Hunter Douglas for their dazzling participation in the contest. We will be hosting several more contests this year, so be sure to “like” VPPPA on Facebook.

Check out a few more of the VPPPA staff’s favorite costumes.

Name: Sierra Johnson Job Title: Special Projects Coordinator Length of Time with VPPPA: 1.5 years Favorite Part of Working for VPPPA: I love my crazy co-workers and doing something different every day.

Hometown: Galion, Ohio Alma Mater: George Mason University Fun Facts About Me: I have a BFA in Creative Writing, even though I’m dyslexic. I can play flute, piccolo and oboe. In college I played piccolo for the Green Machine Pep Band, which is ranked the number one pep band in college basketball.

Nicknames at Work: The Little Elf and The Office Seamstress

Favorite Movie: The NeverEnding Story

We are turning 35! This year is the 35th anniversary of the VPPPA. We are celebrating this milestone with tons of prizes, giveaways and contests on social media throughout the year, as well as during the 2019 Safety+ Symposium in New Orleans, LA. You also won’t want to miss our 35th birthday party at Safety+ this year!

Favorite Book Character: Basil Hallward from The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde.

Favorite Food: Buffalo chicken wings Least Favorite Food: Cheese and red meat Dream Vacation Spot: Melbourne, Australia Favorite Podcast: “Off Topic”

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCEMENTS Renew Your VPPPA Membership It’s membership renewal season! 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. We are making strides toward progress for the association by providing more safety and health resources for our members and building new partnerships with other organizations. In 2018 we had a record-breaking annual event, the Safety+ Symposium, with over 3,500 attendees, and provided a wide variety of networking and educational opportunities. 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. Be sure you are taking advantage of everything VPPPA has to offer. Since it is a new year, we wanted to remind you of our membership benefits, including:

Free Publications • Access to the award-winning quarterly magazine, The Leader. • “On the Level”—VPPPA’s monthly e-newsletter that balances industry and association news. • Best Practices Directory—VPPPA membersubmitted annual directory that highlights the new technologies and research that are changing the way safety professionals protect their workforce.

presentations concerning safety, health and other issues in the industry.

Discounted Rates • Conferences—Receive discounted rates on VPPPA’s Safety+ Symposium, as well as on VPPPA regional conferences. • Webinars—Receive discounted rates on VPPPA webinars, which are one-hour sessions that provide a convenient way for the workforce to continue learning while on the job. • Columbia Southern University—VPPPA Members, as well as their spouses and children, receive a 10 percent discount on tuition for Columbia Southern University. In addition, members do not have to pay the application fee and also receive free textbooks.

Awards & Scholarships • Scholarships—The VPPPA Scholarship Program supports students who have demonstrated leadership and commitment to safety and health in their schools and communities. • Industry Awards—VPPPA offers several awards to recognize those VPPPA member

sites and individuals that have made exceptional contributions to the mission of the VPPPA during the previous year.

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

AMAZONSMILE VPPPA has set up an AmazonSmile account. AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when our members shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of the price of eligible purchases to VPPPA. There is no price difference if our members choose to use AmazonSmile. To sign up for the VPPPA AmazonSmile page, visit: bit.ly/AmSmVPPPA. Be sure to start at Smile.Amazon.com when you begin shopping.

A COMPREHENSIVE FALL PROTECTON PLAN ELIMINATES ACCIDENTS WE’LL HELP YOU TACKLE IT WITH EASE

Free Tools • Mentoring Program—A free member benefit that encourages, assists and develops companies that are striving to achieve safety and health excellence by pairing sites that have achieved Star status with sites just starting their VPP journey. • Job Board—A database of professional opportunities available throughout the EHS industry, regularly updated with new job openings. • Presentation Sharing—This page allows members to share information and vpppa.org

ANALYZE • SPECIFY • MANUFACTURE • INSTALL SAFETYRAILCOMPANY.COM I 888-434-2720

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

state-plan monitor

COMPILED BY KATLYN PAGLIUCA, MEMBERSHIP MANAGER, VPPPA, INC

California

Federal OSHA States

Indiana

State-Plan States

Indiana presently has 90 sites certified in the Voluntary Protection Program. In 2018, four new sites were certified at the Star level. Indiana’s three VPP leaders are already working with several sites who will be ready for evaluations in 2019. The goal for Indiana VPP is to have 100 sites by the end of 2019.

Public Sector Only

Congratulations to the employees at these ten sites who worked to achieve Cal/VPP status in 2018: • United Airlines, San Francisco • Sierra Pacific Industries, Oroville • Nova Group, Napa • Broadspectrum/Timec, Benicia • Southwire, Rancho Cucamonga • SDG&E, Escondido • Monsanto, San Juan Baptiste • Sherwin Williams, Moreno Valley • Phillips 66 Sacramento Terminal, Sacramento • Cintas #630, Gilroy

In November 2018, three Regional Best Practices Meetings were conducted in Santa Claus at Holiday World, in Lafayette at Oscar Winski Company Inc. and in St. Joe at Nucor Fastener. At these meetings, sites presented best practices and had networking group discussions on various topics. The next round of Regional Best Practices Meetings will be in November 2019. For more information about Regional Best Practices Meetings email Beth Gonzalez at bgonzalez@dol.in.gov. Indiana’s largest safety conference, the Indiana Safety and Health Conference and Expo, will be held February 26–28. The conference is presented by the Central Indiana Chapter ASSP, Coalition for Construction Safety, and Indiana Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Indiana Department of Labor. You can find more information at www.INSafetyConf.com. On the morning of February 26, at the Indiana Safety and Health Conference, an INSHARP and VPP Workshop will be conducted to promote partnership programs available at the Indiana

Cal/Star flag raising ceremony at Monsanto San Juan Baptiste.

The North Best Practices meeting took place in Indiana and featured presentations and small group discussions.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

Department of Labor. Sites will be presenting best practices to help other sites improve their safety and health programs and learn more about INSHARP and VPP. There is no cost to attend the workshop. For more information about about this workshop, email Beth Gonzalez. In 2019, there will be a Special Government Employee (SGE) Class on July 30–31 at Cintas #68F in Indianapolis. To attend this class, the deadline for SGE Application is April 15, 2019. On August 1–2, there will be a free Basis Industrial Hygiene (IH) Class at Cintas #68F in Indianapolis. For more information about SGE Class or IH Class contact Beth Gonzalez. We are always looking for more SGEs to assist us with evaluations and mentoring sites.

Ferndale Generating Station (Ferndale)

Michigan There are currently 29 sites in the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP), with 25 Star, one Rising Star (Merit), two MVPP/C (construction), and one MVPP/C Rising Star site.

Champion & Associates (Auburn)

Promotion A MVPP Mentors meeting was held in October of 2018. The meeting was well attended by members from MVPP sites. • MVPP Specialist, Doug Kimmel, met with representatives from the Lansing Board of Water & Light and Granger Construction to discuss the MVPP. • MVPP onsite reviews have been conducted at Cintas First Aid & Safety (Kentwood), Marathon TT&R (Lansing) and Cintas D26 (Troy). • An MVPP Star onsite reevaluation has been conducted at Walbridge (U of M Projects Ann Arbor). • MVPP site visit to Walbridge (Ford DCT Project Dearborn) was also conducted.

Applications Currently Pending for the MVPP • Cintas First Aid & Safety (Kentwood) • Cintas Fire Protection—D26 (Troy) • Marathon TT&R, Lansing Terminal &

Fleet (Lansing) • Honeywell (Muskegon)

Upcoming Events • MVPP/C Mentors meeting—April 15 • MVPP/C Advisory group meeting—date TBD • MVPP SGE training—date and location TBD

vpppa.org

NuStar Energy (Tacoma)

• MVPP/C Informational Workshop—date

and location TBD “Like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel at www. youtube.com/c/MIOSHA_MI. For further details on the MVPP, contact Doug Kimmel, MVPP specialist at 517-719-7296, or visit the MIOSHA website at www.michigan. gov/miosha.

Minnesota Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Workplace Safety Consultation currently has 35 MNSTAR sites participating in the Minnesota VPP (MNSTAR) program. Of the 35 STAR sites, 33

are general industry locations and two are resident contractors at our MNSTAR certified refinery. Having a dedicated MNSTAR team has allowed us to build strong working relationships with our partners and has helped open lines of communication from site to site. Our MNSTAR sites share best practices between sites, which allows all employers to strive to be better. The following sites achieved MNSTAR recertification status in 2018: • Cintas Location 470 (Maple Grove) • LP (Two Harbors) • CF Industries (Glenwood) • Flint Hills Refinery (Rosemount) THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

state-plan monitor

contacting each state >> Alaska Christian Hendrickson VPP Manager Christian.hendrickson@ alaska.gov Phone: (907) 269-4946 Arizona Jessie Atencio Assistant Director jessie.atencio@azdosh.gov Phone: (520) 220-4222 California Iraj Pourmehraban Cal/VPP & PSM Manager ipourmehraban@ hq.dir.ca.gov Phone: (510) 622-1080 Hawaii Kristin Takaba OSH Program Specialist— Compliance Assistance kristin.a.takaba@hawaii.gov Phone: (808) 586-9090 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) 725-5664 Kentucky Brian Black VPP Program Administrator brian.black@ky.gov Phone: (502) 564-3320 Maryland Allen Stump VPP Manager allen.stump@maryland.gov Phone: (410) 527-4473

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

Minnesota Tyrone Taylor, MBA Director of Workplace Safety Consultation MN Dept. of Labor & Industry Occupational Safety & Health Division tyrone.taylor@state.mn.us Phone: (651) 284-5203

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

Nevada Jimmy Andrews VPP Manager jimmy.andrews@ business.nv.gov Phone: (702) 486-9046 New Mexico Melissa Barker VPP Coordinator melissa.barker@state.nm.us Phone: (505) 222-9595 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

Utah Jerry Parkstone VPP Coordinator jparkstone@utah.gov Phone: (801) 530-6901 Vermont Daniel Whipple VPP Coordinator dan.whipple@vermont.gov Phone: (802) 828-5084

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

Washington Washington State VPP currently has 32 Star sites.

Recent Onsite Evaluations • A recertification onsite was conducted with

Jacobs at the Walla Walla site. • An onsite certification was conducted with

the Cintas laundry facility in Everett in October, 2018.

Recent VPP Ceremonies

Virginia Milford Stern VPP Manager milford.stern@doli.virginia.gov Phone: (540) 562-3580 x 123

• Trident Seafoods (Everett)

Washington John Geppert VPP Manager gepp.235@lni.wa.gov Phone: (360) 902-5496

Applications have been received from Veolia Environmental Services in Kent and Cintas Puyallup. These are in review. Keri Davidson and her team at Honeywell Aerospace in Redmond hosted a networking meeting in November of 2018. More than 30 people from VPP sites and others interested in pursuing VPP attended. The meeting included a tour of the facility, lectures and discussions. Matt Loesch, Acting Site Leader, provided an overview of the site and its products. Mary Anderson, Senior HSE Engineer, presented on the Honeywell WellBeing Initiative and NuStar Energy’s, Mike VanWyhe, presented on the creative ways that NuStar Energy encourages employee participation.

Wyoming Clayton Gaunt VPP Manager clayrton.gaunt1@wyo.gov Phone: (307) 777-7710

Puerto Rico Judith M. Cruz Concepción Puerto Rico VPP Manager PR OSHA Voluntary Programs Division Cruz.Judith@dol.gov Phone: (787) 754-2172 ext 3343

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

In early 2019, we have four recertification visits planned. We recently completed two pre-screening site visits for potential MNSTAR sites. We anticipate receiving two applications in mid-2019. If you would like further information about the MNSTAR Program, please visit www.doli. state.mn.us/WSC/Mnstar.asp or contact Marnie Prochniak, MNSTAR VPP Coordinator, at marnie.prochniak@state.mn.us.

• Ferndale Generating Station (Ferndale) • Champion & Associates (Auburn) • NuStar Energy (Tacoma)

(See photos on page 39.)

Upcoming Event The 2019 Voluntary Protection Program Seminar: Melvin E. James Honorary Lectures on Safety will be held on March 19 in Tumwater. Sessions will include: Speaking Up for Safety, Why Do Accidents Happen, Fall Protection, Developing an Industrial Hygiene Program, Improving Your Safety Culture through a Self-Evaluation and Using Safety Shares to Empower Your Workforce. vpppa.org

regional round-ups

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

Region I Region II Region III Region IV Region V Region VI Region VII Region VIII Region IX Region X

Region I www.vppregion1.com The most important news about Region I is that we’ve gained more SGEs through an SGE training that happened back in September and that we are gearing up for the Region I Safety & Health Excellence Conference & Expo happening in May 2019. Region I is holding its annual Safety & Health Excellence Conference & Expo at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, ME, on May 20–22, 2019. The Region I Board of Directors is always looking for sponsors of the event as well as for people interested in speaking or businesses interested in exhibiting at the conference. For more information about the conference and how to get more involved please check out the Region I website. Region I held an SGE training Sept. 18–20, 2018, at Hypertherm in Lebanon, NH. There were 12–15 students in the class. Now there are close to 100 SGEs within Region I with the biggest pool of SGEs coming from the Raytheon Company. Region I again exhibited at the Annual Maine State Safety & Health Conference held September 18–20 in Augusta, ME. At the conference two Region I VPP sites presented workshops: Cartamundi of East Longmeadow, MA, and Raytheon.

Recent Mentor Match-Ups • Highliner Foods—Peabody, Ma and

Portsmouth, NH is being mentored by Darwin Irish from FLEXcon in Spencer, MA. • Honeywell—Northford, CT is being mentored by Paul Ludington from Dominion Nuclear in Waterford, CT. • New England Sheets—Devon, MA is being mentored by Jim Caulfield of Raytheon • Harris Rebar, South Deerfield, Ma—is being mentored by Deb Bowie of Coca-Cola in Northampton, MA.

There are three scholarships the Region I Board of Directors will be awarding just prior to the Region I Safety & Health Excellence Conference & Expo this May. The three scholarships are the Eric Bartsch Memorial Safety & Health Scholarship, awarded to a fulltime student majoring in Occupational Safety or Occupational Health field; the Caswell Plante Academic Excellence Scholarship, awarded to a full-time student in a major not related to Occupational Safety or Occupational Health field; and the Joe Gervais Memorial Community Service Scholarship, awarded to a full-time student with an outstanding record of community service. All interested applicants can find more information and the detailed requirements for submission on the Region I website.

Region II www.vppregion2.com The Region II VPPPA Safety Forum will take place June 24–25. Visit our website for more information as it is posted. There will be a SGE class held April 2–4 at Paulsboro Refining Company in Paulsboro, NJ.

Region II AED Fund In 2007, Norman Deitch retired from OSHA after 27 years of service. One of Norman’s passions is to foster the use of AEDs to help save lives. In his honor, the Region II VPPPA Board of Directors established the Norman Deitch AED

匀琀椀挀欀漀甀琀礀漀甀爀眀爀椀猀琀 ℀ 䄀渀搀猀愀瘀攀愀氀椀昀攀

刀攀最椀漀渀㈀Ⰰ 漀昀琀栀攀嘀倀倀倀䄀Ⰰ 栀愀猀猀瀀漀渀猀漀爀攀搀愀渀䄀䔀䐀䘀唀一䐀昀漀爀猀攀瘀攀爀愀氀礀攀愀爀猀⸀ 䈀礀瀀甀爀挀栀愀猀椀渀最漀甀爀愀戀爀愀挀攀氀攀琀Ⰰ 礀漀甀栀攀氀瀀瀀甀爀挀栀愀猀攀愀渀䄀䔀䐀匀攀攀洀猀氀椀欀攀愀猀洀愀氀氀琀栀椀渀最Ⰰ 戀甀琀猀漀洀攀搀愀礀椀琀洀愀礀洀攀愀渀愀氀氀琀栀攀眀漀爀氀搀琀漀猀漀洀攀漀渀攀

The last flag raising ceremony in Region I took place on September 14, 2018, for a new VPP worksite—GE Healthcare in Westborough, MA. There will be elections at the upcoming Region I Safety & Health Excellence Conference & Expo. The following positions are up for re-election: Chair, Treasurer, three Director-atLarge positions. If anyone is interested in any of these positions more information can be found on the Region I website or by contacting one of the Region I Board of Directors.

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

Fund. The board is again soliciting donations from members to purchase AEDs for worthwhile community groups in honor of Norman Deitch’s many years of service. Donations of any amount will be accepted and appreciated. Checks should be made payable to Region II VPPPA and sent to: Kevin O’Brien, Treasurer, VPPPA Region II, 776a Watervliet-Shaker Rd, Latham, NY 12110

Region III www.vppparegion3.org 2018 ended strong for Region III. The region hosted the 23rd Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Conference in Williamsburg, VA, and attended the Pennsylvania Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference. The board visited Dover Downs to finalize the event plans with the Dover Downs conference team. The Region III website has been updated. Some of enhancements include: • New updated board members page • VPPPA membership online application page • Updated pages on: What is VPP, SGE program, VPP Resources • A fillable form for volunteering • A sponsorship thank you page • A fillable vendor form • Scholarship online application (supplemental materials still need to be mailed) • Region III awards page • Upcoming events page The Region III Board of Directors is hard at work planning for the 2019 Region III conference which will be held April 30–May 2, at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. There will be a Region III conference mobile app that is being developed and enhanced for 2019 by board member, Rob Deery. Plans are in full swing for another awesome jam-packed event. We are excited to be planning for the 22nd annual event and can’t wait to see everyone there. If you or your company are interested in volunteering, sponsoring or just helping out with VPP-related events within the region please check out the website and let us know. Thanks to the members of Region III for helping to make our region successful.

Region IV www.regionivvpp.org The Region IV Board of Directors are busy planning the 2019 Safety and Health Excellence Conference. The 2019 conference will be held June 18–20 in Chattanooga, TN, at the Chattanooga Marriot and Convention Center. The opening Keynote speaker for the 2019 conference will be Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administrator, Steve Hawkins. Steve has been a longtime supporter of VPP and we are excited for the message he has to share with us. The closing keynote speaker will be The Safety Coach, David Sarkus. David is an internationally recognized safety and health leader, speaker and author. David will be presenting on the subject of “Leading from the Heart.” In this presentation David will discuss the difficulties leaders face in understanding how to truly help individuals and teams work safer on a regular basis. David will discuss the 7C’s that will allow anyone, in any organization, to achieve their very best. These 7 principles have been proven to help organizations move together in the same direction, through a common vision for world-class safety performance! The Board of Directors would also like to welcome John Pfeifer, from Valero Energy, to the position of Director-At-Large.

Afton Chemical, a VPP Star site in Sauget, IL, hosted Prairie State Generating Company for a presentation.

Contributed by Christopher Colburn, Region IV Vice Chairperson

Region V www.vppregionv.org In 2018, the Region V VPPPA Board of Directors, and a few extremely helpful Special Government Employees (SGEs), have completed over 20 VPP Pre-Onsite Evaluations to assist with the overall readiness of sites looking to join VPP. This initiative has been led and organized by our Chairman, Bill Linneweh. To learn more about VPP PreOnsite Evaluations please reach out to Nancy Mugavero, Region V VPP Manager, at U.S. DOL-OSHA. Nancy can be reached by email at: mugavero.nancy@dol.gov.

Upcoming Events • May 13–14, SGE Training

Contributed by John Dyer,

• May 14, VPP Application Workshop

Region III Secretary

• May 15–16, Region V Conference:

“Crafting Your Safety Culture”

vpppa.org

Congratulations to Cintas (Evansville, IN) on their VPP Star.

Congratulations to the CF Industries Mount Vernon, IN, Distribution Facility, which was recently re-certified with Star status.

Conference planning is underway for the 2019 VPPPA Region V Conference “Crafting Your Safety Culture.” The 2019 conference will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are looking forward to a terrific conference in the city of Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids is known for its trend-setting beer, food, art, music scenes and family fun. Please join us for our VPP Application Workshop, Conference and SGE Course the third week in May. Check our website for conference information. All 16 Cintas sites in Indiana have achieved VPP Star status. The company’s Evansville, IN, location is the most recent and final company

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

regional round-ups

site to achieve this. Congratulations to the Evansville location and Cintas! Notre Dame University is in the early stages of their VPP journey. Tim Malley (INOSHA) has paired Bill Linnewheh, Hendrickson, and Shawn French (Region V Treasurer), Eli Lilly and Company, to mentor them in the process. We are extremely excited that Notre Dame University has chosen VPP as their management system to improve overall safety of their faculty, employees, students, contractors and visitors.

Outreach We would like to give a shout out to Afton Chemical, a VPP Star site in Sauget, IL, for hosting Prairie State Generating Company (PSGC). On several different occasions Afton Chemical has opened their doors to PSGC for presentations and site tours. This is the true spirit of VPP in giving back through outreach, and this will be instrumental in helping PSGC on their path to VPP Star certification. In total PSCG has been able to send 41 employees to Afton Chemical. A huge thanks to both companies for making this happen! Congratulations to the CF Industries Mount Vernon, IN, Distribution Facility, which was recently re-certified at Star status in the Indiana Voluntary Protection Program for its safety programs and outstanding workplace safety and health culture. Region V VPPPA has an open Directorat-Large Position. If interested you can reach out to Chairman, Bill Linneweh, at wlinneweh@hendrickson-intl.com, or any of the current board members. Additional contact information can be found on our website. If this too much of a commitment, then please consider volunteering for Region V VPPPA conference activities. Contributed by Jimmy Jacquez, Region V Director Ex-Officio

Region VIII www.vppparegion8.clubexpress.com The Region VIII Board of Directors spent a couple of days together in October to plan for the 2019 conference. We are very excited to host the Region VIII conference (for the first time) in Salt Lake City, UT, at the Salt Lake Sheraton, on April 23–26! This year, Bill Sims and NBA Legend Mark Eaton will be

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

our keynote speakers. Like last year, we will be offering five conference speaker tracks: VPP Best Practices, Safety Leadership, High Impact, VPP Elements, and Highly Requested (like active shooter). This year we will be offering a leadership certificate, in an effort to add additional value for attendees. New this year will be a pre-conference workshop focusing on SGE leadership and how to add value to the audit as well as enhance your own SGE experience. We are looking forward to a great year, and invite all of you (regardless of region) to attend, and enjoy beautiful Salt Lake City. There will be a VPP application workshop on the first day of the Region VIII VPPPA conference in Salt Lake City. We will hold a SGE training class at the Phillips 66 Refinery VPP Star site located in Billings, MT, from June 18–20. Our most recent SGE training class in Region VIII was held at TIC training center in Henderson, CO, June 5–7, 2018. Twelve new SGEs were sworn in during the event. Region VIII attended the University of Utah Safety and Industrial Hygiene conference in Salt Lake City on October 10–12, 2018. We will be representing the region at the North Dakota Safety Council Conference in February, as well as the Utah Safety Council Conference in February. Hunter Douglas Window Fashions hosted an OSHA Regional Manager’s meeting and tour of their VPP Star facility in Broomfield, CO. The Regional Administrator, her Regional executive staff members, and the area directors and managers from the OSHA enforcement offices throughout Region VIII participated. LPR Construction Company in Loveland, CO, (VPP Mobile Workforce Star participant) is currently the longest-tenured VPP participant in OSHA Region VIII and will celebrate 20 continuous years in VPP in December of 2019. Hunter Douglas had a flag raising ceremony on July 20, 2018. Sturgeon Electric held a VPP flag ceremony in June of 2018 for two divisions that participated in the VPP Mobile Workforce program. MillerCoors in Monte Vista, CO, held a VPP Star ceremony on July 26, 2018. LPR Construction held a VPP Mobile Workforce Star celebration on July 25, 2018.

We have a new website: www.vppparegion8. clubexpress.com. It is still a work in progress, but it should increase our ability to serve our membership and spread the VPP message. Contributed by Christina Ross, Region VIII Chairperson

Region IX www.regionixvpppa.org Wow...can you believe winter is almost gone! As our lives get busier, the years go faster, and we all continue to move forward (notice, I didn’t say continue to age!). The collective body known as the Region IX Board of Directors, and their Regional partners/members, continue working to educate and inform stakeholders and others on the benefits of safety excellence, through the Voluntary Protection Program. As winter wraps up, we prepare for spring, which brings with it, the annual VPPPA conference. A gathering where ideas are born anew, actions and behaviors are refreshed, and stakeholders remind themselves of their continued commitment to improvement, working in a safer, healthier manner while sharing the lessons learned along the way. Various teams and groups within Region IX have remained active in the past year. In California, Iraj and his dedicated team recognized 10 new sites; putting them to the test, if you will, all done in order to determine if these sites could proudly fly, the VPP star flag. (The list of sites can be found in the State Plan Monitor update for CA on page 38). California VPP Program Manager, Iraj Pourmehraban, PE, CSP, continues to spread the word and encourage participants to share their best practices with new sites at the regional conference. In Nevada, four participating sites, found themselves undergoing renewal audits, to determine if the commitment and quality, initially demonstrated was still present, and reflected the VPP philosophy of “continuous improvement.” Some of the sites included: • Sherwin Williams Distribution (Reno) • Copper Mountain Solar (Las Vegas) • Chevron Performance Pipe (Reno) • Cintas Corporation 67 (Reno) The Nevada state program also added a new VPP Star participant to the family, and at the time of this writing had four additional

vpppa.org

sites with applications pending. In speaking to representatives from Nevada they plan to continue expanding VPP participation throughout the state. Meanwhile in Arizona, Jessie Atencio is transitioning into his new role as the Director of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety & Health. As someone who saw first-hand the benefits of the VPP process, Jessie, in his new role as the Director of the Division, fully supports the mission and vision of the Voluntary Protection Program and looks to grow the number of workplaces currently in the program by 10 percent every year. Currently there is no Assistant Director fulfilling the role of VPP Coordinator for the program, however there is a new Compliance Assistance Specialist Supervisor to help oversee the VPP program; continuing to serve the stakeholders needs without interruption. That individual is Mr. Brandon Stowell who can be reached at 602-542-1636, or via email at brandon.stowell@azdosh.gov. Jessie hopes to have an Assistant Director hired by the coming New Year. ADOSH is currently examining the submission of the annual reports, with the potential for employers to submit these documents via an upload function to an ADOSH landing page. Although not fully deployed, ADOSH is hoping for the service to be functional in time for the next annual submissions. Currently there are 47 VPP and C-VPP Star sites in Arizona. The most recent additions include: • Brasfield and Gorrie • Nucor Steel Kingman, LLC • Salt River Project Agua Fria Generating Station All three companies took advantage of the expansive networking opportunities within Region IX and through the VPPPA, as well as classes offered at the annual conferences. In addition, they participated in mentorship programs, worked through the VPPPA Region IX Board members for additional benchmarking opportunities. In Arizona, the footprint of VPP affords enhanced safety and health practices through safety excellence to over 35,000 employees working on Star sites within the state. At the time of this article’s publication the Region IX VPPPA BOD and their Summit assistance teams will be finalizing the last details

vpppa.org

for the upcoming Safety Summit, in Tucson Arizona. So, if you and your team want to try “Shooting for a Starr” you better get busy; there isn’t much time left! Remember, April 16–18 in Tucson, AZ, at the beautiful JW Marriot Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, AZ. Contributed by Mark Norton, Ambassador to the Region IX Board of Directors

Region X www.regionxvpppa.org Region X Board of Directors is hard at work preparing for the 2019 Northwest Health & Safety Summit that will be held at the Red Lion on the River, Jantzen Beach, Portland, OR, from May 14–16. The conference planning team has selected Brad Livingston as the keynote speaker. In addition, the team is in the process of identifying speakers for workshop sessions. Currently Region X VPPPA is planning to host a Special Government Employee (SGE) class prior to the start of the Safety Summit. October was a busy month in the state of Washington with certifications, recertifications, onsite reviews and celebrations to include a recertification conducted at the Jacobs Walla Walla, Washington site. The approval report is in progress. A VPP celebration recognizing Champion & Associates in Auburn, WA, as a new Star facility. A certification at the Cintas laundry facility in Everett WA. The approval report is in progress. A recertification celebration at NuStar Energy in Tacoma, WA. Honeywell Aerospace in Redmond, WA, hosted a networking meeting in November with more than 30 attendees. The meeting included a tour of the facility. Presentations about the Honeywell WellBeing Initiative and NuStar Energy’s Employee Participation were given. Applications have been received from Veolia Environmental Services in Kent, WA, and Cintas Puyallup, WA, these are in review. Oregon: Oregon held a VPP recognition ceremony at Cintas Location #172 in Eugene OR, where they were presented with the Oregon VPP Star plaque and flag, as well as Cintas’ internal Brass Ring award, the highest safety award Cintas has. Oregon completed another audit in October 2018, and approved Owens Corning’s Foam Insulation plant in SE Portland as a Merit site, the newest VPP site in Oregon.

Federal OSHA VPP recertification celebration. Jack Rector (left), Occupational Safety and Health Administration deputy regional administrator for Region X, presents Lt. Col. Gregory Durham (middle), 627th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, and Darrell McKinney (right), 404th Army Field Support Brigade material readiness division chief, the VPP Star site flag on November 1, 2018, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA.

Mark Hurliman would like to recognize the Oregon VPP companies for their leadership and assistance helping the Oregon SHARP Alliance to provide multiple mentoring and networking opportunities for Oregon employers. The Oregon SHARP Alliance now provides Oregon employers with eight training and networking opportunities each year. The VPP companies are using the SHARP Alliance meetings as an opportunity to train and network with other Oregon companies as well as providing multiple mentoring opportunities for those companies who are interested. The SHARP Alliance model has been so successful that the VPPPA is starting to work with the Alliance to benefit both groups, now Washington companies and consultants are joining and looking at that model as well. The Oregon SHARP Alliance has recent training topics on their web site, and future training topics are posted on the SHARP Alliance calendar at www. sharpalliance.org. The 2019 SHARP Alliance Board has 55 percent of the board who work at VPP sites. Since the Oregon VPP companies joined the Oregon SHARP Alliance, the group has made continuous improvements in providing mentoring, networking and training opportunities to interested employers. Contributed by Jack Griffith, Region X Communications Chair

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

infographic corner

From 1970 until the end of the 20th century, older workers made up the

smallest segment of the labor force.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, older worker’s share of the labor force is anticipated to increase from 21.7 percent in 2014 to nearly

25 percent By 2003, the older age group

in 2024.

no longer had the

smallest share in the labor force.

In 2015, Millennials

While accident frequency

decreases with age,

injury severity and fatality

outnumbered increase. Baby Boomers in the U.S. workforce for the first time.

Slip, trip, and fall incidents also become

The Older Americans Act, passed in 1965, established the

Administration more common among older workers. on Aging. 46

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

vpppa.org

VPPPA Contacts

calendar of events

To reach the VPPPA National Office, call (703) 761-1146 or visit www. vpppa.org. To reach a particular staff member, please refer to the contact information below.

February

June

February 26

June 18–20

Registration for the 2019 Safety+ Symposium opens

Region IV Chattanooga, TN

April

June 24–25

April 12 Deadline to receive early bird rate for Safety+ Symposium

July

April 15–18

July 12

Region IX Tucson, AZ

Last day to register at the regular rate for Safety+ Symposium

April 23–25 Region VIII Salt Lake City, UT

August

April 30–May 2

August 9

Region III Dover, DE

Cut off date for Safety+ Symposium registration (onsite registration available at the event)

May

Sara A. Taylor, CMP staylor@vpppa.org Director of Operations Brielle Mroczko bmroczko@vpppa.org Conference Coordinator

Region II Atlantic City, NJ

Kerri Carpenter kcarpenter@vpppa.org Communications & Outreach Manager Jamie Mitchell jmitchell@vpppa.org Communications Coordinator

Katlyn Pagliuca kpagliuca@vpppa.org Membership Manager

August 12–18 OSHA Safe + Sound Week

May 6–9

August 27–30

Region VI Oklahoma City, OK

Safety+ Symposium New Orleans, LA

May 14–15 Region X

Portland, OR

More events to come! Check VPPPA regional websites for up-to-date information.

May 20–22 Region I Portland, ME

Natasha Cole ncole@vpppa.org Member Services Coordinator Sierra Johnson sjohnson@vpppa.org Special Projects Coordinator Bryant Walker, CIOS, CSIS bwalker@vpppa.org Information & Data Analyst Manager

May 14–15 Region V Grand Rapids, MI

Heidi Hill hhill@vpppa.org Senior Event Sales & Advertising Coordinator

Michael Khosrofian mkhosrofian@vpppa.org Accountant Courtney Malveaux, Esq cmalveaux@vpppa.org Government Relations Counsel

AN INTEGRATED SAFETY & HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM

May 20–22 Region VII Wichita, KS vpppa.org

PRESENTED BY VPPPA

THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

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

SCAN QR CODE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VPPPA, INC.

http://bit.ly/jVQcBo

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

• Keeps extension ladders from slipping on slick surfaces such as composite decking • Unique design of foam creates tiny suction cups that grip the surface, even when wet • Light weight for easy use, weighs ~8 pounds • Works on smooth surfaces, plastic, wood, concrete, etc., even when wet • Prevents marring and scratches to deck caused by ladder feet • Attaches to the bottom ladder rung, with adjustable strap, for easy movement of ladder along wall • Fits most extension ladders, up to 21” wide • Replaceable self-adhesive foam pad

Ladder falls – 2nd leading cause of work-related injuries!* * https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ nioshtic-2/20034690.html

Working Concepts, Inc.

888-456-3372 • www.softknees.com • info@softknees.com Patent Pending