Welcome to the August issue of the Safety Suzy Newsletter!
| | | | This month we have exciting news to share - Future Environment Designs has a new look! We recently launched our new website to make it easier for our customers to find our courses, learn more about us and access our thoughts and advice on all things health and safety. Feel free to check it out and let us know your thoughts! We also bring you some more industry news. EPA has issued a new cleanup order to address the midsecton of the Gowanus Canal. Private equity firms are buying asbestos liabilities and turning a profit and EEOC has released a new guide to avoid workplace harassment. Read on for more industry news and updates on our safety courses. | | | | | | New Milestone in the Cleanup of the Gowanus Canal | | EPA recently updated the administrative cleanup order to address the middle of the Gowanus Canal known as Remediation Target Area (RTA) 2 which will cost $369 million. More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals, including mercury, lead, and copper, are present at high levels in the Gowanus Canal sediments.
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The order amendment has been issued to six parties that EPA determined have the largest shares of responsibility for the contamination at the Gowanus Canal site: Brooklyn Union Gas Co. d/b/a National Grid New York; the City of New York; Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc.; Hess Corp.; Honeywell International Inc., and The Brooklyn Improvement Co.
The cleanup will have positive ripple effect on the communities surrounding the canal.
| | | | | | | Wall Street Is Profiting From Deadly Asbestos Exposure | | | |
Private equity firms are buying up companies' liabilities for decades of asbestos poisoning and are using any legal manoeuvre at their disposal to delay or deny victims' payouts. How it works?
To get rid of their asbestos liabilities, industrial manufacturers create a subsidiary company onto which they offload their asbestos-related assets. The manufacturer will also add a large pool of cash to their subsidiary, ranging from hundreds of millions to even billions of dollars. A private equity company will then acquire the subsidiary company and its asbestos liabilities, making them responsible for any asbestos claims. The equity firm then works to spend less than the money already put into the subsidiary by the manufacturer. It also allows firms to receive high investment return which allows them to turn a huge profit. | | | | | How Does Your Ergonomics Program Stack Up? | | | |  | | | VelocityEHS, an EHS & ESG software solution company, has created an Ergonomics Program Self-Assessment survey to help businesses assess the quality of their ergonomics program and identify areas for improvement. Poor ergonomics in the workplace can lead to multitude of issues classified as musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). These cost U.S. businesses over $19 billion per year in workers' compensation claims.
The survey looks at six essential principles of continuous improvement: Policy, Management Review, Plan, Do, Check and Act. At the end, you’ll be able to easily see where your ergonomics program is strong and where you should focus your improvement efforts. | | | | | | | | | OSHA Resources for Staying Safe During a Hurricane | | | | | OSHA provides resources and public service announcements both in English and Spanish to help businesses and residential households stay safe during a hurricane season.
| | | | | | | Is Your Home Smoke-Ready? | |  | | Smoke from wildfires can travel hundreds, even thousands of miles and make the outdoor air unhealthy to breathe. Some of that smoke can enter your home and make it unhealthy to breathe the indoor air as well. EPA has shared tips on how to make your home smoke-ready and protect your family: - Visit the Fire and Smoke Map to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) of your area;
- Learn how to keep smoke outside of your home by learning how to close the fresh air intake on your central HVAC and how to close the outdoor air damper on your window air conditioner.
- Plan to filter the air in your home: choose one with a MERV 13 rating, or as high a rating as your system fan and filter slot can accommodate.
| | | | | | | | EEOC: New Guide on Harassment Prevention | | | | | The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) has released a new guide aiming to reduce workplace harassment in the construction industry.
The document identifies risk factors related to the nature of the industry that may increase the likelihood of harassment, including workforces that are predominantly male, workplaces that are decentralized, pressure to conform to traditional stereotypes and the potential presence of multiple employers on a jobsite.
Access the guide to discover EEOC's suggested best practices.
| | | | | | | | | Use SafetySuzy10FEDTC at checkout to get 10% off of any of our health and safety courses. Don't forget that our loyal customers get 15% off, so please get in touch if you'd like to find out more. | | | | | | | Language Barriers Pose a Safety Concern | | | | Language barriers can pose a serious safety concern when it comes to the communication of safety protocols or the interpretation of these protocols in the workplace. Safety regulations, therefore, often come with a linguistic mandate – a requirement that instructions, procedures and hazard communication be understandable to workers who must comply with them. For instance, in the United States, OSHA requires employers to provide training and hazard information in a language and vocabulary employees can understand. Safety + Health magazine shares some advice on how employers and employees can avoid misunderstandings and always maintain safe working conditions. | | | | | OSHA: When Is a Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident Considered Work-Related? | | | | Recently, OSHA was faced with a scenario where an employee visited a customer and stayed at a hotel for several days. Afterward, he went to see a relative and stayed at another hotel. On his return trip home, he used the same route he would have taken if traveling from the customer site back to his residence. On the way, his car slid on an icy road, resulting in a fatal crash. | | | | | | Is this a work-related fatality? OSHA’s Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management says 'Yes'. Even with the detour to visit a relative, the employee was still driving along the same route he would have taken had he left straight home after the assignment. In turn, injuries and illnesses that occur during an employee's normal commute to and from work are not considered work-related according to OSHA. To learn more, follow the link below.
| | | | | | Important Links | |
Upcoming FEDTC Courses (virtual, in-person, online).
FED Creates Asbestos Air Sampling Tables That Can be Used In the Field or the Office
Order Here!
ELEVATE YOUR SAFETY PROGRAMS with SiteDocs and Future Environment Designs. Contact SiteDocs here. "Do As I Say, Not As I Did! What I've Learned After 30-Years of Being in Business" - book by Angelo Garcia III
Order Here!
FEDTC Training Library: Click Here to access our Library.
Additional Resources
FEDTC’s Recent Blogpost:
DAY Two of PACNY's 27th Annual Environmental Conference: Key Updates and Interactive Sessions, Part Two New York Asbestos LinkedIn Group Recent Discussion:
US & NESHAP: EPA LETTER "NO END DATE" for asbestos surveys! Join the conversation and become a member of a thriving group of health and safety professionals.
| | | | | | | OSHA courses (Online & In-person): - OSHA Respirator User
- OSHA Crystalline Silica Standard for Workers
- OSHA Hazard Communication
- OSHA Hazard Communication plus NYS Right-to-Know
- Covid-19 Awareness Course
- Respirator Hierarchy
- Lead in Construction Awareness Course
- Mold in Construction Awareness Course
- Blood-borne Pathogen 4-Hour Course
Mold courses: - Keeping Your Family Safe Mold Awareness - Online
- NYS Mold Refresher
Sep 12, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM, FEDTC's Syosset
- Oct 4, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM, GoToMeeting
- Mold Abatement Worker Initial
August 26-27, 8:30 AM - 5:45 PM, Syosset - Mold Remediation/Supervisor Initial
- August 26-28, 8:30 AM - 5:45 PM, Syosset
- Mold Assessment Initial
August 26-29, 8:30 AM - 5:45 PM, Syosset
Asbestos courses (check our website for the full schedule of upcoming refresher courses): - Asbestos Awareness Course - Online
- NYCDEP Handler/Supervisor Exam Prep - Online
- NYCDEP Investigator Exam Prep - Online
- AHERA LEA's Designated Person Training - Online
- Asbestos Inspector Refresher
- Aug 7, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Syosset
Aug 23, 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM, National Inc.
Sep 5, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM, GoToMeeting
Sep 18, 8:30 AM - 12:30 Pm, FEDTC's Syosset - NYS/NYC Asbestos Handler Refresher
Aug 14, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Brookhaven National Library
Sep 14, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, IUOE - NYS Asbestos Project Sampling Technician Refresher
Aug 15, Sep 9, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM, GoToMeeting
- Asbestos Management Planner Refresher
Sept 5, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, GoToMeeting
Sep 18, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, FEDTC's Syosset - Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor Refresher
Aug 22, 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM, National Grid Inc.
Sep 16, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, FEDTC's Syosset - Asbestos Project Monitor Refresher
Sep 17, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, FEDTC's Syosset
Aug 15, Sep 9, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, GoToMeeting
- Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Refresher
Aug 13, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM Brookhaven National Library - Sep 14, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, IUOE
- Asbestos Project Designer Refresher
- Sep 4, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, GoToMeeting
Sep 19, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, FEDTC's Syosset
Please click on the individual courses' link to discover more dates!
| | | | Don't Forget Our Referral Program! If you refer asbestos, indoor air quality, or OSHA training to us we will provide you with a 5% discount on any training you book with us. This would be in addition to any other discounts we provide. Thank you to those who have taken advantage of this! | | | | |
