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Blossomland Area Safety Council Merges With Safety Council for West Michigan
We are very excited about the recent merger between the Safety Council for West Michigan (SCWMI) and the Blossomland Area Safety Council (BASC). The SCWMI is looking forward to providing safety training and educational opportunities in in the Blossomland area. We welcome and encourage all companies in the Blossomland area to visit our website to explore the advantages of membership.
Two members from the BASC Board of Directors have accepted seats on the SCWMI Board of Directors. They are Marybeth Greendonner from American Electric Powers Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgman, Michigan, and Melissa Schults from the Lakeland Regional Services Organization. Additionally, Mark Hartman from American Electric Power was asked to join the Executive Committee. These seats will help to provide visibility and a local contact in the Blossomland Area.
We are excited about 2002 and the new membership driven direction of Safety Council for West Michigan.
55th Annual Awards Luncheon
For 55 years the Safety Council for West Michigan has recognized member organizations and their employees who reduce the number of recordable injuries and illnesses, or have maintained a low incidence rate. This year, the luncheon will be held on Wednesday May 22, 2002, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Birches Banquet Center in Oshtemo. Included with this newsletter is the luncheon registration form for member organizations to submit the names of the employees that will be attending the luncheon. Also included is, the Safety Recognition Awards entry form for the organizations that meet the guidelines listed. Please have both forms mailed or faxed to the SCWMI by April 19, 2002. If your organization is not a member of the SCWMI, its not too late!! Please contact us for membership registration and information. Call (800) 704-7676 or (616) 344-6189.
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Upcoming Events:
May:
· 7th Accident Investigation @ Jackson Holiday Inn
8 am 12 pm
$75/mem $95/non-mem
Instructor: B. Larson
· 9th Coaching Maintenance Vehicle Operator @ Grand Rapids WMU
8 am12 pm
$35/mem $45/non-mem
Instructor: G. Mitchell
· 15th Bloodborne (Train the trainer) @ Benton Harbor LMC (MTEC)
1pm-4 pm
$250/mem
$315/non-mem
Instructor: P. Loosenort
· 21st-23rd MIOSHA Safety Administration Course @ Benton Harbor LMC (MTEC)
$105/ mem & non-mem
Instructor: Q. Yoder
June:
· 12th MSDS Right To Know @ Benton HarborLMC (MTEC)
$15 mem/ non-mem
· 18th Regulations 101 2nd Edition @ Kalamazoo Radisson Inn 8am 12 pm
$75 mem/ non-mem
· 26th Tree Trimming @ Grand Rapids
8 am 12 pm
$25 mem/ non-mem
Instructor: R. Stacey
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Michigan Safety Conference
This year, the conference will be held on April 16 &17 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, MI. Registration must be postmarked by March 29, 2002. For more information about the conference visit their website at:
www.michigansafetyconference.org
Please stop by our booth #T6 at the conference!
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Meet the Staff
The staff at the Safety Council for West Michigan has been changing over the past month. Four new talented and goal oriented individuals have joined our team in order to serve our members more efficiently.
Amanda Militzer is the new Executive Director, and she comes to us from a healthcare education background. Amanda has been teaching CPR, First Aid and other healthcare classes since 1986. She is a licensed EMT-B and has worked with the American Heart Association on multiple levels. She currently serves as National Faculty for American Heart. She will be based at our Kalamazoo office but will also spend a portion of her work hours helping expand the BASC. She is available Monday through Friday 8AM to 5PM.
Followed by her new assistant, Mae Carpenter, who is starting her career in the safety field after graduating in December 2001 from Western Michigan University receiving a Bachelors Degree in Psychology with an emphasis on behavior analysis. She will be at our Kalamazoo office Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM with answers to your questions.
Next is the formerly retired Ken Baker. Ken brings 15 years of aviation safety experience and 18 years in the ready-mix concrete industry. He served over 8 years as director of safety & environment and was a member in many state and national safety committees. He is ready to help you with your safety questions. Ken will be available Tuesday through Thursday 8 AM to 5 PM for calls in our Kalamazoo office.
Finally, as Branch Administrator in our St. Joseph office is Lisa Roberts. She joined the Blossomland Area Safety Council in 1998. Prior to joining the BASC, she was the Business Manager for a labor law firm for 9 years where a large focus was on litigation encompassing a safe work environment. She will be at the office Monday through Thursday 9 AM to 3 PM and Fridays from 9 AM to 12 PM.
It is our goal to become better acquainted with our members in order to provide superior service. Please do not hesitate to call us, send us an email or stop by the office.
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NEW 300 RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS
The new recordkeeping requirements were effective January 1, 2002. The MIOSHA recordkeeping regulations are substantially similar to the federal requirements:
The MIOSHA form 300 is equivalent to the OSHA 300.
The MIOSHA form 300A is equivalent to the OSHA 300A.
The MIOSHA form 301 is equivalent to the OSHA 301.
Some differences that do exist are:
Michigan will continue to require recording for 10 dB Standard Threshold Shift in hearing from original baseline. These are recorded in Section M, Item 5, Other Illnesses.
* Muscuskeletal Disorders are required to be recorded as either an Injury or Illness when general recording criteria is met.
* Fatalities from motor vehicle accident on public street or highway and heart attacks must be reported/recorded the same as other fatalities.
SIC 82, Educational Services, are not exempt from recordkeeping requirements.
Strategies For the New OSHA Recordkeeping Rule
This article was submitted by Brent D. Rector who represents management in labor & employment, including defense of OSHA and MIOSHA citations, at the member company Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, P.L.C. of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
The new recordkeeping rule went into effect January 1, 2002. Hopefully you have already been updated on what the new rule requires. How about some strategies for compliance? Here are some ideas.
Counting Days Away from Work
The old concept of lost workdays is gone. The new requirement to count days away from work means that you must count all calendar days an employee misses work or is on light duty (restricted work) due to a recordable injury or illness, whether or not the employee was scheduled to work. (The old rule of not counting the day of the injury or illness is still in effect.) Thus, an employee will have more days counted if the restrictions extend into a weekend, holiday, or vacation. Under the old rule, an employee injured on a Friday who could medically return to work on Monday had no lost workdays. Now, under the new rule, that employee will have two days away from work even if not scheduled for the weekend.
This change should prompt you to consider a couple of strategies. First, educate health professionals. Make them aware that medical opinions on when an employee is ready to return should not be affected by scheduled days off.
This new counting of calendar days will also affect comparisons between years. Comparing lost work days before 2002 with days away from work in 2002 and after would be like comparing apples and oranges. If you need a year-to-year comparison for health and safety management, keep your 2002 log in two forms: the official log, using the new record keeping rule, and another unofficial log, using the old rule.
Certification
The new rule requires a company executive to certify the annual summary before it is posted. The preamble to the new rule suggests that the executive who signs a certification is stating that he or she is familiar with OSHAs recordkeeping requirements, has read the Log and Summary, and has obtained assurance from the staff responsible for maintaining the records that all of OSHAs requirements have been met and all practices and policies followed. Dont surprise top management of this shortly before February 1, 2003 date for posting with the new certification, Be sure to involve the appropriate company executive now.
What employers should expect
Employers can expect increased OSHA/MIOSHA citations and penalties under the new recordkeeping rule. With requirements stated more clearly and the certification requirement involving top management, enforcement is likely to be more stringent than before.
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Regulations 101: Navigating Through the Environmental, Safety, and Health Regulation Maze
Is your manufacturing facility in compliance with all required state and federal environmental, safety and health regulations? Most likely, youre unsure of the answer to this question. The sheer volume and complexity of the regulations apply to the various equipment and activities at your facility.
The good news is you can quit living in fear of the unknown! The Michigan Clean Air Assistance Program is updating the Michigan Manufacturers Guide to Environmental, Safety, and Health Regulations. The popular publication, a joint product of Michigan Departments of Environmental Quality and Consumer and Industry Services, increases the readers understanding of state and federal regulations affecting daily manufacturing operations. Over 3,000 copies of the First Edition were distributed to Michigan manufacturers.
Workshops are being offered in June 2002 and attendees will be the first to receive copies of the Second Edition. The Safety Council for West Michigan is a co-sponsor of the workshops. You are encouraged to attend and meet representatives from the Michigan Departments of Environmental Quality and Consumer and Industry Services who will show you how to navigate through the regulatory maze and identify which agencies and regulatory programs apply to your business.
Dates and locations of the workshops are as follows:
June 11, 2002 Premiere Center, Iron Mountain
June 13, 2002 Gaylord Inn (formerly Holiday Inn), Gaylord
June 18, 2002 Radisson Inn, Kalamazoo
June 19, 2002 Hotel Baronette, Novi
June 24, 2002 Bay Valley Hotel & Resort, Bay City
June 25, 2002 Sheraton Inn, Ann Arbor
June 27, 2002 Holiday Inn Muskegon Harbor, Muskegon
Dont miss out on this chance to obtain your passport to a fuller understanding of the regulations, tips on where to go for help, and an all-around compliance assistance for your day-to-day operations. On-line registration is available at www.michigan.gov/deq; click on Information & News, Outreach & Training, Workshops. For further information, contact the Environmental Assistance Center at 800-662-9278.
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Information You Can Use
We are currently updating our e-mail lists for our member corporations. Please take this opportunity to send us your new e-mail address or confirm the existing one to council@scwmi.org. This will enable us to contact you sooner to answer your questions or concerns and send you information about upcoming events plus the latest news in safety through our bi-monthly newsletter.
Currently at our Kalamazoo office we have all weather No Concealed Firearms signs available for $20 each.
COMING SOON!! Our breakfast meetings will be back. Stay Tuned!
Safety Council for West Michigan currently has a couple of seats open on its Board of Directors. We are looking for someone that has the time, dedication and energy to participate in the functions of the board. As you know the SCWMI mission is to promote health and safety in the workplace and in the community. If you have the desire to be a part of this continuing effort please call Amanda Militzer at the council office.
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Video Library
Members can borrow videos for 2 weeks FREE if the videos are picked up and returned in person. Otherwise, you only pay for shipping costs!
We are in the process of updating our video library.
If your company has current videos no longer in use, the Safety Council will be very grateful for video donations.
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Our website
www.scwmi.org
is
In
Progress...
We appreciate your patience while the website is being updated.
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SCWMI
Open House
Member Companies Welcome!!
Please Bring Your Non-Member Neighbors!!
Date: June 19, 2002
Time: 3:30 6:30 PM
Location: Lakeland Regional Health System
1234 Napier Ave.
St. Joseph, MI 49085
* Meet the New Staff
* Pick Up an Information & Benefits Packet
* Check Out the Upcoming Programs at SCWMI
R.S.V.P. Call 1-800-704-7676 or 616-344-6189
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Open Enrollment First Aid & CPR
Cost: $45 Time: 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
March 29 Kalamazoo Borgess Medical Center
April 16 Jackson Doctors Hospital
18 Zeeland Zeeland Community Hospital
26 Kalamazoo Borgess Medical Center
May 16 Jackson Doctors Hospital
23 Zeeland Zeeland Community Hospital
24 Kalamazoo Borgess Medical Center
June 11 Jackson Doctors Hospital
20 Zeeland Zeeland Community Hospital
28 Kalamazoo Borgess Medical Center |
