News & Events

 From the Executive Director’s Office……….

Registration Now Open for the Annual Alabama Governor's Safety and Health Conference


The 26th Annual Alabama Governor's Safety and Health Conference, to be held August 26-28 at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, AL, is now open for registration. This year’s agenda promises an outstanding learning opportunity for safety and health professionals throughout Alabama and the surrounding region.

For starters, Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. will address the conference theme, “Safety and Health – A Journey … Not a Destination,” during the opening session. Mr. Foulke served as head of Federal OSHA from April 2006 to November 2008, after being named to this role by President George W. Bush. During his tenure at OSHA, workplace injuries, illnesses and fatality rates dropped to their lowest level in recorded history. He also served as Chair of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Mr. Foulke is the only person ever to serve as both head of OSHA and Chairman of the Review Commission.

More than 50 breakout sessions are also planned to offer a wide variety of topics to choose from, with session speakers all being leading experts in their fields. Breakout session topics can be found at http://alabamasafestate.ua.edu/education-training/_documents/2013_Session_Tracks.pdf .

Conference topics have been organized into eight “learning tracks” that include construction; industrial hygiene; risk management and workers’ compensation; manufacturing and general industry; transportation; safety leadership; best practices; and principles for new safety professionals. Attendees can focus on one track or “mix and match” sessions from various tracks to gain knowledge in a variety of areas. It’s up to you, and there’s no need to decide in advance. Just come to the conference and attend whichever sessions best suit your professional development needs
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Don’t miss this chance to attend the premier safety and health conference in the southeast. Register now to qualify for the “early bird” registration. To register or learn more about the conference, please go to: www.algovshc.ccs.ua.edu. Click on the video link to hear attendees from past conferences tell you in their own words how valuable the conference has been for them.

Continuing education credits are available for conference attendees by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, American Board of Industrial Hygiene, Alabama State Nursing Association and American Nursing Credential Commission.

In addition to an exceptional professional program, we have fun activities for all! A host of valuable prizes will also be given, and one lucky conference participant will win a luxurious 5-night cruise. Be sure to bring your spouse and family along for the fun. Discounted rooms are available at the resort, as are guest meal packages. The conference guest package includes three breakfasts, two lunches and attendance at both the exhibitor reception and the always popular casino night.

 Environmental Management System -- The Course!

Yes, by special request, UA SafeState has partnered with Alabama Productivity Center, Alabama Technology Network and Culverhouse School of Commerce to provide this three-day course on environmental management systems.

Who Should Attend?
If you are responsible for the environmental aspects of your company, whether it involves permits, waste disposal, or just daily operations, this three-day course will provide you with the tools to manage your company’s environmental issues more effectively.

Course Description:
The first two days include internal auditor training based on the utilization of the ISO14001-2004 Standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Although taught based on the standard, it is not a pre-requisite to have a functioning ISO14001 EMS in place to benefit from this training program.

The final half-day will include an update on environmental regulations that impact businesses in Alabama. Stormwater, waste disposal, permitting, records reporting issues, and other topics will be addressed and tied into the EMS process. A round table discussion and a field trip to the University of Alabama Recycling Process Plant will conclude the afternoon session.

Important Information:
Dates: May 28-30, 2013
Time: 8:00 – 5:00
Location: Bryant Conference Center, Tuscaloosa AL
Cost - $500

Registration Information:

Online Registration: http://training.ccs.ua.edu/jsp/course.jsp?categoryId=10038&courseId=ISO14001
Telephone Registration: toll free 866-432-2015

 

FREE- Injury and Illness Prevention Program -- Safety System (IIPP) Sponsored through an OSHA Susan Harwood Grant

UA SafeState recently completed development of an “Injury and Illness Prevention Programs – Safety Systems” training program to teach Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) principles and implementation strategies to managers and workers at small businesses, new businesses, businesses with non-literate or low literacy workers, businesses with young workers, high-hazard businesses and businesses with high fatality rates in an effort to reduce fatality and injury rates and help prepare businesses for IIPP under an OSHA Susan Harwood Grant.

This training will be helpful for all types of businesses, from those who are just starting to develop a safety program to those who are looking to fine tune a program that is already in place.

If you would like to attend this free one-day training program, or host it at no cost for a group of 10 people or more anywhere throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina or North Carolina, please contact Lauren Godsey at lgodsey@ccs.ua.edu or 205-348-8665.

 

 Benefits to Lead Inspections

UA SafeState provides lead inspection for real estate agents, apartment management companies, financial institutions, insurance companies and individual property owners. If you own or work with a property built before 1978, there are regulations regarding, renovation, repair and painting that can impact the cost of maintenance, and potentially even the property values. Through research and testing, UA SafeState has developed the background to show that a certified lead-based paint inspection is an effective way to manage the impact of these regulations.

There are six reasons why a lead-based paint inspection is a cost effective alternative.

  • Most houses built between 1960 and 1978 have little or no lead-based paint.
  • A lead inspection report showing no lead is a valuable asset to the buyer and seller.
  • An inspection report can eliminate or reduce the need for using the lead safe work practices now required for maintaining a pre-1978 home.
  • Knowing the exact location of lead-based paint in a home allows for cost effective solutions.
  • Certified lead inspections are efficient, accurate, and non-destructive.
  • UA SafeState’s team has completed thousands of lead inspections.

Call Freda Griffis at 800-421-7141 to schedule a pre-1978 home inspection or apartment complex.

 2nd Quarter OSHA Training Institute Education Center Classes

UA SafeState’s OSHA Training Institute Education Center will be hosting many popular classes during the upcoming quarter. In addition to the “core” standards and trainer courses, which are held on a revolving basis, several specialty courses will also be held this quarter including Machinery and Machine Guarding, Permit Required Confined Space Standard, Respiratory Protection, Recordkeeping, Excavation, Trenching and Soil Mechanics, Standards for Maritime Industry and Fall Arrest Systems.

To view the schedule, clickschedule.

If you’d like more information on these classes, or UA’s Safety and Health Certificate Programs, please go online to http://alabamasafestate.ua.edu/education-training/_document/Catalog.pdf or contact Joe Pilleteri, CSP at (205) 348-2765.

Global Harmonization System (GHS) and OSHA HazCom 2012 Training - Get Ready!

On December 1, 2013 the first wave of compliance requirements for OSHA’s revised chemical Hazard Communication (HazCom) will take effect. Also referred to as HazCom 2012, this long standing OSHA standard is now aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). By December 1st, employers should have trained their employees on the new label elements and the new safety data sheet (SDS) format. December seems a long way away, but you know it’ll be here soon. Now would be a good time to revise your current HazCom training to include those new requirements. Foreign exporters have been complying with GHS for years now, so most likely you currently have new-format SDSs in your HazCom binders alongside the older format material safety data sheets (MSDS). Chemical companies are rolling out revised data sheets every day. The good news is, there are some obvious improvements to the data sheets developed under GHS. Under the old system, employers were free to organize their MSDS in whatever format they chose to use. That’s not the case now with the standardized SDS format. But one thing I’ve also noticed about the new SDS is, my, how they’ve grown. For trainers, the process of sifting through all the added information on SDS can be a bit challenging. The one aspect of the new SDS that will likely be most confusing for end users is the GHS classification system for rating physical and health hazards of chemicals. Those new (to us) ratings are found in Section 2 of the SDS format. And they don’t follow the NFPA and HMIS/HMIG hazard rating systems, commonly used as auxiliary labeling for in-plant containers. If you’d like some help on how to develop a sensible, effective training plan to meet these new requirements, UA SafeState is ready to assist. And, best of all, the help is free and confidential. Just give us a call at 1-800-452-5928 to request an on-site consultation visit or email me at mhollub@ccs.ua.edu .

 

UA SafeState Issues 2nd Quarter Environmental Training Schedule

This quarter you can get trained and accredited to do renovation work, remove asbestos, and/or remove lead-based paint. UA SafeState’s Environmental Training Section offers these courses, required by EPA and the State of Alabama to engage in these types of work activities, this quarter. We also offer a full cycle of our asbestos update classes if you need to take your annual asbestos supervisor, inspector and/or management planner update classes to maintain your credentials.
All classes are taught by exceptional instructors who have a wealth of real-world experience in the field. Most classes include “hands-on” sections, where needed skill sets, as well as safe work practices, are taught.

To view schedule, click schedule.

These classes are all offered at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus in Tuscaloosa. To register, please call our registration office at 205-348-3000, or you can register on-line at training.ccs.ua.edu.

For more information, please contact Peter Hodgson at 205-348-4603 or email him at phodgson@ccs.ua.edu. Any of these classes can also be held at your location. Contact Peter for details.

  

 Environmental Aspect Review -- Why you should care

What if you could take a look at your company, top to bottom, and identify all the positive and potentially negative ways that your daily operations interact with the environment? This was the question we asked in the last newsletter. So now you may be asking, why do I care?

Positive environmental aspects can be used to promote your company in markets that are increasingly aware of environmental issues. From the perspective of promotions and marketing, anything from a company recycling plan to the implementation of an environmental management policy can be seen as beneficial in domestic markets and can be crucial to securing clients in foreign markets.

The potentially negative aspects are what most people think about when you bring up environmental issues. Environmental regulations, potential spills, even normal process waste can present significant problems for a company. However, if these “potentials” are tracked and accounted for, even the negatives can be effectively turned into positives.

A UA SafeState aspect review serves as a facility wide check-up that covers at least 15 different parameters, and several more specific areas depending upon the operations. The review goes beyond the basic air, water, and waste-based regulatory compliance to provide a clear picture of how environmental and energy issues impact the budget, and ultimately the profit margin in your product.

The aspect review is a great tool for confirming that the company is meeting the minimums, and providing a framework for seeking ways to make environmental issues work for you across all aspects of the company.

Visit our web site at alabamasafestate.ua.edu, or, contact Larry Overstreet or Jason Brasfield at 800-421-7141 to discuss a particular environmental issue or to arrange for an environmental aspect review.