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Category Archives: Hot List
IESO Presenting at Clean Gulf Conference
Dr. Scott Harris is presenting in two sessions of the upcoming 2011 Clean Gulf conference in San Antonio. On November 30, Preparing the Florida Keys for Deepwater Horizon will detail the collaborative planning efforts that went into identifying and protecting the unique cultural and natural resources found in the Keys from the threat of one of the largest oil spills in history. On December 1, Oil on the Kalamazoo will review the response efforts following a July 2010 pipeline rupture that released nearly a million gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River near Marshall, MI. Over 2,500 responders worked to contain and recover oil from 35 miles of river and shoreline.
Scott was a member of the O’Brien’s Response Incident Management Team for both of these events, and had a unique view of the daily challenges and operations. Following the conference presentations, slides will be posted here for download by our web visitors.
The Free “OSHA in Healthcare” Webinar
Dr. Scott Harris will present “OSHA in Healthcare: Out of Sight and Out of Mind?” in a free webinar sponsored by PureSafety on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at noon central time. Registration is open to all interested parties.
What does OSHA think about safety efforts in the healthcare sector? Hint: “a weak culture of worker safety…” Who is getting inspected and what are they finding? How exactly does OSHA apply to Healthcare settings? Does The Joint Commission cover applicable OSHA standards? Healthcare incident rates are double the national average? Is there a new standard coming on infection control? Does a reported 99,000 patient deaths per year from healthcare-acquired infections have something to do with that?
IESO Presenting at AOHP 2011 Conference
On Friday September 30, 2011, Dr. Scott Harris will present ”OSHA in Healthcare: Out of Sight & Out of Mind?” at the 2011 AOHP national conference in Minneapolis, MN. Our web visitors can download sneak preview slides of Scott’s presentation here.
OSHA claims nosocomials to be “among the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths in 2002.” If accurate, healthcare-associated infections — these things you catch while there for something else — kill more people in the U.S. every year than AIDS, drug overdoses, food-borne illness, murder, highway, rail and plane crashes, lightning, tornadoes, West Nile Virus and workplace fatalities COMBINED. OSHA is using strong language with clear intent to take action and in their 2010 Request for Information (RFI) characterizes healthcare as having “a weak culture of safety.” Eleven million employees across thousands of sites, incident rates far higher than general industry norms, low inspection rates, complaints driving half of hospital inspections and millions of infections and 99,000 fatalities per year make healthcare an attractive target. An industry view of TJC accreditation as the program that matters combined with the relative lack of healthcare inspections by OSHA has marginalized occupational health and safety programs within healthcare and nurtured the myths discussed in this presentation.
Arc Flash Train-the-Trainer Course
Keith Spencer of IESO will be conducting a two-day arc flash train-the-trainer course in Lexington, KY beginning November 8, 2011. You can register or inquire about the course at the OSHA OutreachTrainers website (select “Arc Flash Train-the-Trainer” from the QuickSearch drop-down menu) or contact us directly from our website. The cost is $695 per person.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List
Tagged "arc flash", "Keith Spencer", "nfpa 70", arcflash
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IESO Presenting at 2011 PureSafety Conference
On Tuesday September 14, 2011, Dr. Scott Harris will present ”OSHA in Healthcare: Out of Sight & Out of Mind?” at the 2011 PureSafety Conference in Nashville, TN. He is one of a handful of industry speakers invited to participate in the event. Our web visitors can download sneak preview slides of Scott’s presentation here. A technical paper on this presentation is scheduled for publication in OSHATracker in September. Sorry, no release until then, but we will post it here as soon as it’s out.
So what is all the fuss about? Based on a number of generally accepted myths about OSHA, members of the healthcare community may think that management would be justified in taking little or no additional action to prevent the spread of occupationally acquired infectious diseases or deal with other OSHA issues. The facts say otherwise.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "healthcare industry", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "Joint Commission", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "public health", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "The Joint Commission", IESO, nosocomial, nosocomials, OSHA, oshatracker, puresafety, RFI, TJC
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IESO Presenting at the 2011 TN Safety Congress
On Monday August 1, 2011, Dr. Scott Harris will present at the 34th annual Tennessee Safety Congress in Nashville. ”Coordination with Federal Assets – The EPA Emergency Response Process” is a plain-English overview of activating and coordinating with U.S. EPA emergency response assets: notification, National Response Framework, Federal On-Scene Coordinator authorities, Unified Command, the National Contingency Plan and Responsible Party obligations. Our web visitors can download slides of Scott’s presentation here.
Upcoming Arc Flash Train-the-Trainer Course
Keith Spencer of IESO will be conducting a two-day arc flash train-the-trainer course in Lexington, KY beginning November 8, 2011. You can register or inquire about the course at the OSHA OutreachTrainers website (select “Arc Flash Train-the-Trainer” from the QuickSearch drop-down menu) or contact us directly from our website. The cost is $695 per person.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List
Tagged "arc flash", "electrical safety", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "Keith Spencer", "nfpa 70", "osha training", arcflash, IESO, NFPA, OSHA, training
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Asking for it: Have Healthcare OSHA Myths Created a Storm?
How can so many healthcare professionals think that healthcare is exempt from OSHA requirements or that compliance with The Joint Commission covers it? Does OSHA even inspect hospitals? How often and where? Will you get cited for violations, and what about penalties? How much and for what? Who’s doing more healthcare inspections – States or Feds? What are the top findings? What about complaints? The highest illness and injury rates IN THE NATION? 99,000 patient deaths per year from things they caught at the hospital?? You can’t be serious! Not at MY hospital!
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "healthcare myths", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "Joint Commission", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "public health", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "The Joint Commission", FOSC, healthcare, hospital, hospitals, IESO, ISO, OSHA, stats, storm, TJC
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IESO Supporting the 2011 KY Governor’s Safety Conference
IESO is working hard to support the upcoming 27th Annual Safety and Health Conference in Louisville, KY. On Tuesday, May 10, Drs. Keith Spencer and Scott Harris will conduct an 8-hour HAZWOPER refresher as a pre-conference workshop available at no cost to all registered conference attendees. Class size is limited, so register early. Successful attendees will receive a joint certificate from IESO, LLC and UNC-Chapel Hill.
On Wednesday, May 11, Dr. Harris will present “OSHA in Healthcare – Is a Storm Coming?” OSHA claims nosocomials to be among the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths in 2002. If accurate, hospital-acquired infections, these things you catch while you’re there for something else, kill more people in the U.S. every year than AIDS, drug overdoses, food-borne illness, murder, highway, rail and plane crashes, lightning, tornadoes, West Nile Virus and workplace fatalities COMBINED. This workshop explores OSHA coverage for Healthcare workers, the 2010 RFI, inspection rates and results and why OSHA may now be considering Healthcare a high-hazard general industry sector.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "general industry", "governors conference", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "Keith Spencer", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "Scott Harris", "west nile virus", aids, healthcare, ky, nosocomials, OSHA, PhD", training, UNC
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Healthcare NIMS: Do You Speak the Language?
By Presidential Directive the National Incident Management System (NIMS) is the “common language” for all Federal, state and local responders. Healthcare personnel within a response structure should have completed four specific FEMA courses (IS-700.a, IS-800.b, IS-100.HCb and IS-200.HCa) by 2009 if they received FY 2008 ASPR funding. Many, if not most, failed to meet this requirement, leaving a huge preparedness gap. The goal is to strengthen medical surge capacity, and it is not optional. HHS requires hospitals to implement 14 specific NIMS objectives ranging from formal adoption to updated EOPs to mutual aid agreements, training and exercises. The courses take only two days and complete two of the 14 steps for your NIMS implementation effort. An experienced instructor is critical. Download the informational brochure here.
The New OSHA 30-Hour Class for Healthcare – Should We Care?
OSHA claims nosocomials to be “among the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths in 2002.” If accurate, hospital-acquired infections, these things you catch while you’re there for something else, kill more people in the U.S. every year than AIDS, drug overdoses, food-borne illness, murder, highway, rail and plane crashes, lightning, tornadoes, West Nile Virus and workplace fatalities COMBINED.
OSHA has publicly stated, “The healthcare sector as a whole experiences 1.3 times the injury and illness rate for private industry, with hospitals even higher, at 1.8, and nursing homes fully double.” They describe healthcare as having “a weak culture of worker safety” related to a lack of data on the prevalence of infections among healthcare workers (HCWs) and “a lack of effort by healthcare employers” in tracking or documenting them. OSHA thinks too many of an estimated 16.5 million HCWs are getting sick at work and that voluntary standards are not working, largely due to poor safety programs and lack of regulatory oversight.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "healthcare industry", "healthcare practice specialty", "healthcare workers", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "nosocomial infection", "osha 30-hour", "outreach trainer", "outreach trainers", "public health", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", ASSE, HCW, healthbeat, healthcare, hospital, HPS, IESO, nosocomial, nosocomials, OSHA
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Join Us in Fort Lauderdale in January!
The 31st annual UNC Winter Institute is scheduled for January 31 to February 4, 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The Institute is designed for industrial hygienists, safety and environmental managers, occupational physicians and nurses and anyone else involved in EHS management. 25+ courses will cover everything from regulations to industrial hygiene to environmental health, all eligible for recertification points toward your CHMM, CIH, CSP and other professional certs.
IESO will be there instructing Fundamentals of Environmental Health and the all-new OSHA 30-Hour General Industry for Healthcare course. Many healthcare personnel have noted that the standard 30-hour OSHA course has little in common with their needs, and so this course was designed from the ground up by IESO to meet the specific needs of the healthcare industry. Our first-of-its-kind course will familiarize you with applicable OSHA standards while focusing on hazard recognition and prevention. Special emphasis is placed on those areas that are the most hazardous, using OSHA standards as a guide. It meets all OSHA requirements for time and content, and attendees who successfully pass the course will receive their 30-hour completion card.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "environmental health", "general industry", "healthcare industry", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "Joint Commission", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "osha 30-hour", "osha 511", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "winter institute", chmm, cih, healthcare, hospital, IESO, OSHA, TJC, UNC
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Healthcare Presenters Needed for ASSE 2012 PDC
Dr. Scott Harris of IESO, L.L.C. is chairing the search committee for healthcare speakers at the 2012 ASSE Professional Development Conference (PDC) scheduled for June 3-6 in Denver, CO. The Healthcare Practice Specialty (HPS) serves safety, health and environmental (SH&E) professionals who work in healthcare institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes and other segments of the healthcare industry. Potential topics might include hazmat for healthcare, mass casualty planning, National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHO), ISO management systems, patient handling ergonomics, nosocomials and infection control, electrical safety and arc flash studies or any other relevant topics of interest to healthcare SH&E representatives. You do not have to be an ASSE member or healthcare employee to present.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "ASSE 2012", "ASSE PDC", "Dr. Scott Harris", "healthcare accreditation", "healthcare industry", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "Scott Harris PHD", arcflash, ASSE, DNV, HPS, IESO, NIAHO, OSHA, PDC
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IESO Responds to the Deepwater Horizon Spill
In support of BP’s response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil release, Dr. Scott Harris served as the Planning Specialist embedded with the U.S. Coast Guard in Sector Key West. As part of the O’Brien’s Response Incident Management Team (IMT), he successfully integrated resource Trustees, including the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, into the planning process to develop site-specific tactical response plans for protection of the Dry Tortugas National Park, the Marquesas Islands, the Lower, Middle and Upper Keys and the southern Everglades. 
The plans, which became addendums to the Area Contingency Plan (ACP), addressed a multitude of threatened and endangered species, refuges, marine sanctuaries, cultural artifacts and sensitive ecosystems unique to the Keys.
Posted in Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "Area Contingency Plan", "BP oil spill", "coast guard", "Deepwater Horizon", "Dr. Scott Harris", "Dry Tortugas", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "key west", "Marquesas Islands", "oil spill", "Scott Harris PHD", ACP, DRTO, DWH, everglades, florida, gulf, IESO, keys, oil, USCG
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OSHA Looking Hard at Healthcare Worker Infectious Diseases
In the May 6, 2010 Federal Register, OSHA published a Request for Information (RFI) to collect information from the healthcare industry on “occupational exposure to infectious agents in settings where healthcare is provided.” This includes hospitals, outpatient clinics, clinics in schools and correctional facilities and “healthcare-related” settings ranging from laboratories that handle potentially infectious materials to medical examiner offices to mortuaries. OSHA is specifically interested in current infection control strategies and practices and will use the information to “determine what action, if any, the Agency may take to further limit the spread of occupationally-acquired infectious diseases in these settings.” The deadline for comments is August 4, 2010. Download our Healthcare Alert for a brief summary.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "Cal-OSHA", "culture of safety", "Dr. Scott Harris", "exposure control", "healthcare accreditation", "healthcare industry", "healthcare worker", "healthcare workers", "hospital acquired infection", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "infection control", "infectious agent", "iso 14001", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "management systems", "nosocomial infection", "occupational exposure", "proposed rule", "public health", "safety culture", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "The Joint Commission", "winter institute", "worker training", ADT, HAI, HCW, IESO, infection, nosocomial, OSHA, RFI, TJC, training
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New OSHA 30-Hour Course for Healthcare
IESO, LLC announces a new OSHA 30-Hour General Industry course customized for healthcare. Many healthcare personnel have noted that the standard 30-hour OSHA course seems to have little in common with their needs. This healthcare-customized course will familiarize you with applicable OSHA standards while focusing on hazard recognition and prevention. Special emphasis is placed on those areas that are the most hazardous, using OSHA standards as a guide. What is unique about this course is that it was designed from the ground up to meet the specific needs of the healthcare industry, and we firmly believe it is currently the first and only one of its kind. It meets all OSHA requirements for time and content, and attendees who successfully pass the course will receive their 30-hour completion card.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List
Tagged "Dr. Keith Spencer", "Dr. Scott Harris", "environment of care", "environmental services staff", "general industry", "healthcare accreditation", "healthcare industry", "hospital training", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "iso 14001", "Keith Spencer", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "OHSAS 18001", "osha 30-hour", "osha 511", "osha training", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "The Joint Commission", DNV, ehs, healthcare, IESO, ISO, iso14001, jcaho, ohsas, OSHA, outreachtrainers.org, TJC, training
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IESO Presenting at 2010 KY Governor’s Safety Conference
Dr. Scott Harris has been accepted to present at the 2010 Governor’s Safety and Health Conference in Louisville, KY. On May 5 Scott will present “Macdona, TX Derailment and Chlorine Release.” Our web visitors can download an exclusive copy of Scott’s presentation, including audio from 911 and emergency dispatch calls.
So, what happened in Macdona? On June 28, 2004 a predawn train collision and derailment just outside of San Antonio released 60 tons of chlorine in less than three minutes. Misunderstood initial 911 calls sent responders on a “smoke run,” nearly killing the first arriving units. Misinformation, fatalities,
Posted in Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "chlorine cloud", "chlorine release", "cost recovery", "Dr. Scott Harris", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "macdona crossing", "macdona tx", "public health", "san antonio", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "train derailment", "train wreck", "Union Pacific", "UP railroad", bnsf, chlorine, derail, derailment, EPA, FOSC, IESO, koerber, macdona, osc, PRP, PRPs, RP, texas, train, tx, UP
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Florida Worker Grant Funding Alert
The state of Florida has just received nearly $62 million in new stimulus money for worker training programs. Since this is the time of year that states are usually out of funds and not accepting applications, they are in the very unusual position of having funding, but few applications. The Incumbent Worker Training grant coordinator has told IESO, LLC that with such low application volume, at least for the short term she can achieve an unheard-of two-day turnaround time for approval.
Posted in Hot List, Resources
Tagged "cost recovery", "Dr. Scott Harris", "grant program", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "incumbent worker training", "incumbent worker", "iso 14001", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "stimulus money", "training provider", "worker training", florida, grant, IESO, ISO, iso14001, reimbursement
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OSHA Regulation Alert: Combustible Dust Rule is coming
On October 21, 2009 OSHA announced a proposed rule to address combustible dust explosions. The rule would cover an estimated 16 million employees at approximately 426,000 facilities. OSHA first addressed this issue in 1987 by promulgating 29 CFR 1910.272 for grain handling facilities. In the 10 years prior to adopting that rule, there were 20.5 grain handling-related dust explosions per year in the U.S. For the next 10 years there were 10.3, and from 1998-2007 there were 6.3 per year.
Following the 2008 Imperial Sugar explosion in Georgia, which killed, hospitalized or severely burned numerous employees, OSHA has been aggressively working toward drafting a comprehensive rule to address the larger issue of dust explosions in general industry, not just grain handlers. Between 2007-2009, OSHA conducted 813 targeted inspections on affected facilities, issuing 3,662 citations primarily via the General Duty Clause. In summarizing their findings, OSHA noted that 32 industry or consensus standards (i.e., NFPA, ASME, ANSI) address combustible dust, but that no single, comprehensive rule or standard exists.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "combustible dust explosion", "combustible dust explosions", "combustible dust", "Dr. Scott Harris", "dust assessment", "dust explosion", "general duty clause", "grain dust", "hazard assessment", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "nfpa 484", "nfpa 654", "osha inspection", "proposed rule", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", assessment, audit, auditing, audits, dust, explosion, IESO, inspection, inspections, ISO, OSHA
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IESO Presenting at 2010 ASSE Conference
Dr. Scott Harris, PhD, Global Risk Manager for IESO, has been accepted to present at the 2010 ASSE Professional Development Conference in Baltimore, MD. On June 14 Scott will present “Chalmette, LA: First Katrina, Then the Oil…” Our web visitors can download an exclusive copy of both Scott’s presentation slides and proceedings paper with the first-hand story right from the front line. UPDATE: Download the audio of Scott’s presentation.
So, what happened in Chalmette? Following Hurricane Katrina, over one million gallons of crude oil from the Murphy Oil USA (MOUSA) Refinery in Meraux, LA released into a populated area. Search and
Posted in Download Center, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "hurricane katrina", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "murphy oil", "new orleans", "oil spill", "oil spills", "pdc 2010", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "search and rescue", "st. Bernard Parish", "winter institute", ASSE, chalmette, EPA, FOSC, IESO, katrina, mereaux, mousa, nola, oil, oiled, PRP, refinery, spill
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Meet Us at St. Pete Beach in February!
The 30th annual UNC Winter Institute in St. Petersburg, FL is scheduled for February 14-19, 2010. The Institute is designed for industrial hygienists, safety and environmental managers, occupational physicians and nurses and anyone else involved in EHS management. There are about 30 courses covering everything from regulations to healthcare hazmat to environmental health, all eligible for recertification points toward your CHMM, CIH, CSP or other professional certs.
IESO will be there instructing Fundamentals of Environmental Health, and co-teaching two new courses, Managing Hazmat Responses in Healthcare and Environmental Health and Safety Management Systems in Healthcare.
The TradeWinds Island Resort in St. Pete Beach is a long-time favorite of attendees. Please take a few minutes and review the agenda. We believe you’ll find something really useful there and have a great time in a great place while improving your work skills and your network.
EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule is Final
In May we published an article on EPA’s proposed Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Rule. The final Rule was signed on September 22, 2009, and will go into effect 60 days after Federal Register publication. It applies to an estimated 10,000 facilities in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. possessions and territories (i.e., Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa).
The final Rule requires facilities and suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial GHGs that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHGs and manufacturers of vehicles and engines to submit annual reports to EPA. The Agency equates 25,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent to the emissions from 131 rail cars of coal, 58,000 barrels of oil or 4,600 passenger vehicles or the annual energy use of 2,200 homes.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Hot List
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "epa final rule", "GHG emissions", "ghg rule", "greenhouse gas emissions", "greenhouse gases", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "stationary combustion sources", co2, EPA, GHG, GHGs, IESO, methane
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Is Your Lightning Protection Really Protecting You?
Do you have structures with lightning protection? Is it properly installed? How can you tell? While conducting a recent mock VPP audit, IESO discovered that a lightning protection system being installed did not comply with NFPA 780, the Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems.
Down-conductors were exposed inside the structure and improperly bonded to surrounding ground systems, which could have caused a sideflash during a strike. Anchor points were set in mortar joints,
rather than brick and concrete, and numerous down-conductors had bends of 90 degrees in less than the required 8-inch span. These “tight” bends greatly reduce carrying efficiency and increase the risk of sideflash as the bolt attempts to “find the path of least resistance.” Imagine the system doing exactly what it should do by capturing a strike, then routing several hundred million volts and 20,000 amps INSIDE your facility fully exposed to employees, equipment and raw and finished materials, in this case flammable liquids!
IESO Client Receives First-of-its-Kind State Grant for OHSAS 18001
Philips Lighting in Danville, KY will develop and implement their OHSAS 18001 program using in-part the first-ever Bluegrass State Skills (BSSC) grant awarded for a health and safety management system. The $25,000 grant from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development was the product of a cooperative effort between IESO and BSSC and their legal department. Historically the grant program excluded health and safety from eligibility, but IESO successfully negotiated a great outcome for our client.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "bluegrass skills", "bluegrass state skills", "Dr. Scott Harris", "health and safety", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "OHSAS 18001", "philips lighting", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "tax credit", "tax credits", bssc, grant, health, IESO, inspection, inspections, ohsas, OSHA, safety
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IESO Faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill
An article on Oil Spill Chemical Countermeasures recently published by Dr. Scott Harris, the Senior Risk Manager at IESO, LLC, appears in the July-August newsletter from the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC OSHERC). The NC OSHERC is one of 17 regional education centers established by NIOSH to develop and support safety and health professionals, and is part of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "hazardous substance training", "iesollc", "Keith Spencer", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "NC OSHERC", "public health", "summer institute", "UNC Chapel Hill", "winter institute", faculty, Gillings, HST, IESO, NCOSHERC, niosh, training, UNC
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Arc Flash Safety Alert!!!
IESO, LLC recently published an arc flash article (http://iesollc.com/wordpress/2009/06/22/arc-flash-safety-history-and-requirements/) on our website. We continue to recommend the rigorous analysis proscribed by IEEE 1584, and warn against “quickie” or generic solutions. This safety alert illustrates a real-world example of why that is.
An industrial facility recently asked IESO, LLC to evaluate arc flash results from another consultant who reportedly used a customized program developed in-house. The facility management team was concerned about the lack of time that the consultant spent on-site (less than five hours), the minimal review of electrical components and the generic results. Labels for all electrical components were identical whether for buss plugs, MCC panels or substation switchgears, and the facility staff had serious doubts that they got what they paid for.
EPA Reimbursement for Hazmat Response
The U.S. EPA has been reimbursing local governments for hazmat responses since 1986, but it seems that many LEPCs and other eligible groups are still unfamiliar with the program. From the LGR website: “In the event of a release (or threatened release) of hazardous substances, EPA may reimburse local governments for expenses related to the release and associated emergency response measures. The Local Governments Reimbursement (LGR) Program provides a ‘safety net’ of up to $25,000 per incident to local governments that do not have funds available to pay for response actions.” So with over $3 million in reimbursements awarded to date, how do you get your money back? It really is not all that complicated, but first we need a basic understanding of the relevant terms and requirements.
Who is eligible?
Posted in Hot List, Resources
Tagged "40 cfr 300.700", "cercla 107 a", "cercla 107a", "cercla response", "cost recovery", "Dr. Scott Harris", "hazardous substance", "hazmat reimburse", "hazmat reimbursement", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "lgr program", "local government reimbursement", "local governments reimbursement", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", cercla, hazmat, lepc, lgr, lgrp, PRP, PRPs, reimbursement, RP, rps
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Outbreaks and Getting Back Online
It seems the news these days often 
carries stories about viral, bacterial and related disease outbreaks. We all hear and worry about the “usual suspects” such as Norwalk Virus on cruise ships (“cruise ship virus”) or whether we can catch TB, flu or other diseases on an airplane (yes). Even hospitals are not safe from these threats. Johns Hopkins Hospital had a Norwalk outbreak in 2004, described as “one of at least 24” in Maryland in just the first half of that year. That incident lasted three months, sent 13 employees to the emergency room or the hospital, and cost JHH over $650,000. Across the country hospitalized patients are contracting clostridium difficile (c. diff), with up to 438 patients dying every day.
Posted in Download Center, Hot List, Risk Management
Tagged "antibiotic resistant", "clean up", "cleanup office", "cleanup school", "cruise ship virus", "Dr. Scott Harris", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "national decon team", "norwalk virus", "outbreak coverage", "return to service", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "staph infection", "super bugs", anthrax, biohazard, cleanup, decon, decontamination, disease, disinfect, disinfection, flu, FOSC, FOSCs, germs, hospital, IESO, mdr-tb, mrsa, ndt, norwalk, office, osc, OSCs, outbreak, outbreaks, school, staph, tb, who, xdr-tb
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Another IESO Client Receives State Grant to Pay for ISO 14001
An IESO client in southcentral KY will develop and implement their ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS), joining world-class operations around the globe in embracing progressive, reliable environmental management. Luvata – Franklin will be the first facility in their corporation to implement the EMS, and expects real benefits from their new program.
Luvata is a world-leader in metal fabrication, component manufacturing and related engineering and design services, with around 8,000 employees in 18 countries. The Franklin facility is a leading producer of copper and specialty tubing products for the residential and commercial HVAC industry.
Posted in Environmental Compliance, Hot List, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "bluegrass skills", "bluegrass state skills", "Dr. Scott Harris", "environmental management system", "environmental management systems", "environmental management", "iesollc", "iso 14001", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "luvata franklin", "Scott Harris", bssc, EMS, IESO, ISO, iso14001, luvata
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Pending “Drinking Water System Security Act of 2009″
A new bill covering drinking water facility security is being considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and will shortly be introduced. Until now, water facilities have been exempt from the requirements of Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), which expires in late 2009. The Drinking Water System Security Act of 2009 will apparently replace or update those requirements and remove the water facility exemption.
At most water facilities the “substance of concern” is gaseous chlorine, frequently held in one-ton cylinders. Like many hazardous substances, chlorine is a very useful material that also poses significant risk. In this case it is a long-established component of clean drinking water, providing disinfection. It creates the “bleach” smell we might note in our tap water. On the other hand, both sides also used it as a weapon in WWI, though not a particularly effective one.
Posted in Hot List, Management Systems, Risk Management
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