The Leader - Aging Workforce

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1, WINTER 2015



chairman’s message Dear Members, ith Federal OSHA being caught up on recertification audits and back conducting new application audits, interest in VPP is very high. W Requests for mentors and application workshops have greatly increased. I also want to thank our state-plan OSHA partners for continuing to conduct new applications audits during 2014. With numerous changes in Congress, 2015 will be an important year as we will need to educate new senators and representatives on VPP and the need for codification and OSHA providing necessary resources to grow the program. We are looking forward to having a strong congressional outreach campaign throughout the year, starting with the February 25–26 congressional meetings, followed by additional meetings June 10–11 and November 18–19. Anyone who is interested in participating, please contact me, as additional help is needed. These meetings with Congress are not only fun, but valuable in letting congress know about VPP and its importance in improving safety and health for employees. Additionally, it is important for you to contact your members of Congress back in their district offices to let them know what VPP does for all employees at your company. Membership information was sent out in December, and I urge you to make sure your site’s membership is current, as strength is in numbers. An important part of VPP’s continued growth is from the states that have their own OSHA. A state-plan VPP managers meeting was conducted at the 2014 national conference and we look forward to conducting regular meetings during 2015 with these important partners. Regional conference planning is in full swing, so check out the dates for your regional conference. Additionally, the national Conference Planning Committee is working to make the 2015 conference at the Gaylord Texan, which is located between Dallas and Ft. Worth, even bigger and better. We recognized the issues with the opening general session at the 2014 conference and want to assure you steps have been taken to correct the issues. Feedback from the attendees was greatly appreciated. Thank you and remember the best is yet to come. We are looking forward to having a strong congressional outreach campaign throughout the year, starting with the February 25–26 MIKE MADDOX Chairman congressional meetings. VPPPA Board of Directors THE LEADER vpppa.org 3

LEADER THE CONTENTS VOL 2. ISSUE 1 WINTER 2015 cover Responding to 10the Needs of an Aging Workforce The physiological changes associated with aging occur from the moment we are born. Fast forward to age 45 and the body begins to change more significantly. Depending on primary factors such as health, fitness and genetics, all of us age differently with varying degrees of impact on our features ability to function in the workplace. With age comes decreased muscle strength, lower dexterity, reduced fitness Letter to Extending the Life level and aerobic capacity, poorer 6 the Editor 20of your Workforce visual and auditory acuity and slower cognitive speed and function, to name —Ergonomic Design for a few. All of these changes can have a Trends in Resource Aging Workers dramatic impact on the aging worker. In addition to physical changes, older 16Management Addressing the issue of the aging workers are at increased risk of disease There is an inherent and shared workforce with workplace ergonomics and other ailments. These include the reluctance to recognize or even accept programs, education and training increased risk of obesity associated the physical changes associated with is becoming necessary. A focus on with aging, diabetes, heart disease aging. The groans become louder when proactive efforts to accommodate and cancer, among others. Individual reaching for those reading glasses or the “seasoned” and gifted workforce and organizational structures need to when periodically complaining of stiff today will result in a safer, healthier, be engaged with prevention initiatives joints. The physical changes associated more productive and more competitive in order to support the aging worker with aging eventually affect us all; business tomorrow and down the road. so that an effective, comprehensive however, it does not necessarily appear Losing the expertise of these workers could strategy is developed. have a drastic and negative impact in an equal way. Some of us weigh a on your company’s operations. It is vital little more, some lift a little more and to accommodate aging employees, some of us stand a little more, resulting in who represent some of your most different wearing of our joints. knowledgeable and most productive workers, to ensure their continued, safe and productive work performance. 4 THE LEADER vpppa.org

www.vpppa.org features continued VPPPA National Board of Directors Time has Caught Chairperson 24Up with Us Mike Maddox, NuStar Energy, LP Vice Chairperson You walk into a room of workers—at Mike Guillory, SGE, The Brock Group a conference, a safety meeting, on a Treasurer construction site, a union hall meeting Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory or even the cafeteria. If this worksite Secretary is anything like the vast majority of Anthony Stoner, Integrity Windows and Doors workplaces in the developed countries Director from a Site With a Collective of the world, what you will notice is a sea Bargaining Agent of grey hair. The aging workforce is here, the last four years and 78 percent agreed Kent Lang, Clearwater Paper Corporation and for many of us, we are it. The “Silver that Congress should enact stronger age Director from a Site Without a Collective Tsunami” is rushing in and we will be riding discrimination protections. Bargaining Agent the crest for the next 15–20 years. So, Rob Henson, LyondellBasell we go full speed ahead with business as Director from a DOE-VPP Site usual? Well, not quite. A 65 or 70 year old Local Stacy Thursby, Washington Closure Hanford worker is an entirely different entity than a 32Outreach Director from a VPP Contractor/ 20 or 30 year old worker. Construction Site Congressional outreach has proven to Richard McConnell, Austin Industrial be an extremely valuable method of at LyondellBasell As More Workers educating members of Congress on Director-at-Large 28Age, Bias and the benefits and success of VPP. During Bill Harkins, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company Insecurity Persist this year’s outreach efforts, several Director-at-Large congressional members expressed J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE , Raytheon While the share of older adults employed has been rising for three decades, interest in seeing firsthand how VPP has Technical Services Company LLC despite setbacks like the Great benefited employees, employers and Director-at-Large Recession, this trend has emerged OSHA within their own districts and states. Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP despite evidence of persistent age bias. Director-at-Large In a 2012 AARP survey of voters ages 50 Kristyn Grow, CSP, CHMM, SGE and older, 64 percent said older workers VPP Excellence Cintas Corporation face age discrimination at work, 34 34in Safety Director-at-Large percent reported that they or someone Don Johnson, Phillips 66 they know, faced age discrimination in Certificate Program Editor Sarah Neely, VPPPA, Inc. sections Editorial Mission The Leader (ISSN 1081-261X) is published quarterly for VPPPA members. The Leader delivers articles from members for members, safety and health GLOBAL SAFETY AND 8 Look for these topics highlighted in the best practices, developments in the field of occupational safety and health, association HEALTH WATCH top right corner of each section. activities, educational and networking opportunities and the latest VPP approvals. WASHINGTON UPDATE 9 Government Subscriptions are available for members as part of their membership benefits and at a 50 percent MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 35 discount beyond the complimentary allotment. Membership The nonmember subscription rate is $25 a year. MEMBER INFO CORNER 36 Ideas and opinions expressed within The Leader Health represent the independent views of the authors. INFOGRAPHIC CORNER 37 Postmaster >> Please send address changes to: Business STATE-PLAN MONITOR 38 VPPPA, Inc. • 7600-E Leesburg Pike • Ste. 100 Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 Outreach CHAPTER ROUND-UPS 42 VPPPA, Inc., the premier global safety and health organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable CALENDAR OF EVENTS 46 organization that promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, CROSSWORD PUZZLE 47 the government and communities. THE LEADER vpppa.org 5

letter to the editor New! Dear Editor, enjoyed the article by David Hesher, “Life worried about cost of safety, not the culture Safety Solutions,” in your autumn 2014 of it. It sounds to me like that refinery is Tell us what you think! I issue. Working in the refining business, it serious about keeping its employees safe and is Do you have feedback about The Leader? “Letter is easy to see that many employers are only committed to finding a way to do so no matter to the Editor” is a new section of the magazine the cost. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. that gives VPPPA members a platform to provide Kudos to their achievement! feedback on the topics covered, feature articles, I also really like the layout of the magazine. chapter round-ups and other magazine sections. It is easy to read and you have great articles. Tell us what you want to see more of! Help us continue to improve our publication by providing Having articles that bring up issues like slips your opinions, both positive and negative, so that and falls, (autumn 2014 issue, page 26) and we can tailor content to your interests and needs. then having advertisements for safety products that are designed to mitigate such hazards on Printed letters may be anonymous and will not be edited for content but will be edited for the previous pages to the article is a good idea. spelling and grammar. Avoid using profanity It’s like saying, “Here are some well-known or derogatory, inflammatory language in your hazards, and here are a few solutions that you response. Lastly, please provide feedback relevant may want to look into to try to prevent the to the most recent issue of the magazine. hazards to begin with.” Send letters to the editor to Sarah Neely at Keep up the good work! [email protected] by March 19, 2015, for an opportunity to see your letter in our Sincerely, spring issue. We want to hear from YOU! Midwestern Oil worker THERE’S NO ROOM FOR POOR JUDGMENT. MEET ALISON LEVINE. World-renowned adventurer, former team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, and the Opening Session speaker at AIHce 2015, where she will share her experiences and provide leadership principles you need to protect worker health. REGISTER TODAY! May 30 — June 4 + Salt Lake City, Utah + www.AIHce2015.org 6 THE LEADER vpppa.org



global safety and health watch Hear Me Out to emphasize growth and industrialization, therefore, protection of workers is given little importance. The lack of protective measures According to is the biggest factor leading to noise-induced the World Health hearing loss. So how can a worksite prevent workers Organization, from developing hearing loss? OSHA advises of the 250 million companies to monitor all facets of the way individuals affected a company is run. For example, a worksite’s by hearing loss administration has a responsibility to provide worldwide, 16 safe permissible exposure limits; a company’s procedures and guidelines for how work is percent attribute executed can play a major part in reducing noise their hearing loss to exposure. Employing administrative controls can occupational noise. include limiting the amount of time each worker spends utilizing loud machines, instituting or enforcing educational and training sessions or programs based on noise and following through on evaluations of workers’ hearing ability. As BY BENJAMIN MASSOUD, productivity, cause physical and psychological a matter of fact, having an effective hearing COMMUNICATIONS stress, interfere with communication and conservation program is required by OSHA for COORDINATOR, VPPPA INC. concentration and contribute to workplace employers whenever noise exposure is equal to or accidents and injuries by making it difficult to greater than 85 dBA for an eight hour day. hear warning signals. Additionally, the WHO Furthermore, the Centers for Disease f you were asked to list some of the most has reported that exposure to excessive noise can Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend prevalent occupational health concerns, implementing engineering controls, which I chances are, noise-related hearing loss adversely affect one’s health. High blood pressure, include modifying or replacing equipment difficulty sleeping and reduced performance are a probably would not be one of them. That few of the health problems that can develop. and making changes to the worksite, such is understandable. Losing one’s sense of How loud is your worksite? OSHA’s as building an acoustic barrier or installing a hearing is a gradual process in which daily permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 90 dBA muffler, in order to best reduce noise exposure. exposure to loud noise over long periods of (A-weighted decibels) for all workers for an When complete noise reduction is not possible, time can lead to deafness. Unlike falling off eight hour day, while the National Institute for simply wearing the proper ear protection, of a ladder and breaking a bone, the impact Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), including earplugs and ear muffs, is advised. is not felt immediately. However, according recommends that noise levels not exceed Not only is hearing loss an obstacle to to the World Health Organization (WHO), 85 dBA. What if you are not sure how loud the individual, it can also be devastating to of the 250 million individuals affected by a company’s bottom line. In a world where hearing loss worldwide, 16 percent attribute your worksite is? OSHA suggests that if you communication is so vital to the success of their hearing loss to occupational noise. experience anything that is on the list below, business and relationships, both professional Additionally, of 17 noise exposure studies you are at risk for permanent hearing loss. and personal, maintaining a safer noise performed in 12 countries in South America, • You have to shout to be heard by a coworker environment ought to be a priority. Africa and Asia, high occupational noise an arm’s length away. Can you hear me now? exposure levels, which lead to hearing loss, • You hear ringing or humming in your ears were found in occupations ranging from when you leave work. For more information, visit OSHA.gov and the production and manufacturing of metal • You experience temporary hearing loss when WHO.int. products, printed materials and mining leaving work. products, to name a few. While developed countries are gradually References As if losing your hearing was not bad starting to implement some protective • www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/ enough, the Occupational Safety and Health measures, the average noise levels in developing global/6noise.pdf Administration (OSHA) warns that prolonged countries are well above the occupational level • www.osha.gov/SLTC/ exposure to loud noise can also reduce recommended. Developing countries tend noisehearingconservation/index.html 8 THE LEADER vpppa.org

washington update BY CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC. Workplace Injuries Resume Decline in 2013 Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in the private sector declined to more than three million, or 3.3 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, according to the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Before an increase in 2012, reported injuries had seen declines in the preceding 11 years. Injuries composed the vast majority (94.9 percent) of these totals. The goods- producing side of the economy continues to be overrepresented among reported injuries. While such industries employ only 17.6 percent of individuals in the private sector, they suffer 24.5 percent of injuries. Illness rates for skin diseases or disorders, respiratory conditions, poisonings and high number, it is easy to focus on the only requires 30 minutes. It is offered hearing loss were all flat from 2013 figures. headline and miss the trend line. We are at no cost at www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/ However, the category of “all other illnesses,” encouraged that the rates continue to decline longhourstraining/. which BLS specifically notes includes over the past few years, even during this musculoskeletal disorders, experienced a period of healthy economic growth when Ergo Guide for Retailers significant drop in its case rate from 11.0 to we would expect the rate of injuries to rise. NIOSH issued a guide for preventing 10.2 per 100 equivalent full time workers. The decrease in the injury rate is a product Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting manual material handling injuries at retail industries led the goods-producing sectors of tireless work by those employers, unions, locations ahead of the holiday shopping with a rate of 5.7 per 100 equivalent full worker advocates and occupational safety season. Sixty percent of injuries at retail time workers, compared to rates for 4.0 for and health professionals all coupled with businesses are due to overexertion. The manufacturing, 3.8 for construction and the efforts of federal and state government booklet, entitled, “Ergonomic Solutions for 2.0 for mining. Arts, entertainment and organizations that make worker safety and Retailers,” is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ recreation topped the service industries with health a high priority each and every day.” docs/2015-100/pdfs/2015-100.pdf. a rate of 4.8, followed by health care and social assistance in addition to transportation Resource for Emergency FAA Approves More Drone Uses and warehousing, both with rates of 4.7. Responder Fatigue The Federal Aviation Administration Finance and insurance industries reported The National Institute for Occupational (FAA) has approved four companies to use the lowest figure at 0.7 cases per 100 Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released an unmanned aircraft systems, commonly equivalent full-time workers. online training program to aid emergency referred to as drones, for commercial use to Assistant Secretary of Labor for responders facing long hours in disaster monitor construction sites, inspect oil rigs Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David situations including disease outbreaks, and for aerial surveying. As reported in the Michaels commented on the figures through extreme weather and natural disasters. Summer 2014 issue of The Leader, regulatory a press release alongside the report, “Today The training covers information on proper requirements for the use of such vehicles are we learned that, in 2013, approximately sleep and the dangers of fatigue as well as unsettled and likely to rapidly evolve. Other three million private sector workers in information on managing work to prevent companies in the film, television and tourism America experienced a serious injury or strain and overwork in such situations. industries were granted exemptions to the illness on the job. In this extraordinarily NIOSH estimates the online course ban on commercial drone use. THE LEADER vpppa.org 9

BY JOE GALUSHA VICKI MISSAR MANAGING DIRECTOR—RISK CONTROL, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR— CLAIMS, AND ENGINEERING PROPERTY CASUALTY RISK CONSULTING, AND CASUALTY RISK CONTROL, AON GLOBAL RISK CONSULTING AON GLOBAL RISK CONSULTING RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF AN AGING WORKFORCE 10 THE LEADER vpppa.org

Understanding the Issue According to the U.S. Department of Labor, over the past decade, workers in the 45 year-old and over category have increased 49 percent and now make up 44 percent of the workforce. The age group over 55 has grown to 21 percent of the workforce. As a glimpse into the future, a 2013 Gallup poll revealed that 37 percent of working age respondents indicated they expect to work beyond age 65. Gallup reported that only 22 percent responded the same way in 2003 and only 16 percent in 1995. Given this projected “aging” of America’s workforce, are America’s employers prepared to effectively address the associated increase in workers’ compensation claims? The Future is Now manufacturing industry group’s average claim Department of Labor and Industries, published The time to discuss these trends as “having cost was 52 percent higher than 25–35 year materials on the topic in 2005, stating “a random potential impact in the future” has actually old claimants. This trend varied in degree by sample of Washington workers’ compensation passed. We need to reorient our thinking of industry, but only by the pitch of the slope, claims from 1987–89 found that workers over the aging workforce as a new constant and leaving us to look deeper into the issue and age 45 were at risk of longer term disability.” as “today’s reality.” As shown in table 1, the attempt to identify what was driving this cost. The study concluded that older age is the most median age in most industries is over 42, This issue has been under study for important and consistent influence on the which indicates a need to act. quite some time. Heather Grob, Ph.D, and duration of disability. While we are not breaking At Aon, we have been studying and senior economist with the Washington State new ground on identifying the issue, what seems quantifying the impact of aging on our clients. Based on our client research, it is imperative to quantify the impact of this issue, TABLE 1: Percent of workforce over 45 years of age, by industry. which in turn provides key input and metrics for helping mitigate the problem. As one client asked when shown the injury trend related to % of Employees over 45 Median Age an age band of workers and the type of injury Total, all industries 44% 42.3 driving a considerable portion of their loss time Agriculture, forestry, fishing, injuries, “Are you saying that by prioritizing and hunting 55% 47.5 the identification and potential for shoulder Crop production 53% 46.7 injuries, I could get more return on investment Mining, quarrying, and oil and from my ergonomics efforts?” The response gas extraction 42% 41.5 was a simple but definitive, “yes.” Construction 44% 42.6 Manufacturing 50% 44.7 The Impact on Work-Related Injuries Wholesale and retail trade 39% 39.3 Over the past three years, Aon casualty specialists have been monitoring the impact Wholesale trade 47% 43.8 of work-related injuries to aging workers by Retail trade 38% 37.9 examining the workers’ compensation claim costs of our clients. From this research, we have Transportation and utilities 54% 46.3 identified some rather compelling trends. Information 41% 41.4 One of the most concerning trends is the current impact of this age group on the cost Financial Services 48% 43.9 of workers’ compensation. We studied $2.5 Professional and billion in workers’ compensation claims from business services 44% 42.6 2007 through 2012 and found a consistently Education and health services higher average cost for workers compensation 47% 43.7 claims for older claimants across all industry Leisure and hospitality 26% 31.4 groups. For example, as shown in Figure 1 (see page 12), the 45–55 year old claimants in the Other services 46% 43.1 THE LEADER vpppa.org 11

to be missing is the socialization and acceptance within which they fall. Aon analyzes the We studied $2.5 billion in of the impact as well as an understanding of what trends, from short-term disability (STD), workers’ compensation we should be doing about it. long-term disability (LTD), workers claims from 2007 compensation (WC), casual absences (CA) through 2012 and found The Birth of Ageonomics in and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) a consistently higher Workers Compensation absences (Figure 2) to understand claim In 2011, Joe Galusha, managing director average cost for workers of Aon’s Casualty Risk Consulting practice volume, average claim duration, average cost per lost day, average cost per claim, total costs compensation claims for and Vicki Missar, Aon Board Certified and the ultimate cost projections. In addition older claimants across all Ergonomist, began to compare notes on to the financial output, Aon calibrates the industry groups. the issue and coined the term “ageonomics” leading absence causes by program type to to address the phenomenon of the aging understand what is driving the aging employee workforce and the strategies that can help absenteeism. This insight provides a clearer address increased costs and worker safety. diagnosis on which program(s), STD, LTD, Missar defines ageonomics as the scientific etc., are impacting the organization most, and discipline concerned with the interaction which absenteeism causes are being reported among aging humans and other elements of with the most frequency. Internal programs the system within which they work. were also reviewed to understand how the Ultimately, ageonomics applies theoretical framework aligns with the organization’s aging principles to designing age-specific systems to optimize the wellbeing of the aging worker worker initiatives. while improving overall system performance. By looking at absenteeism trends Ageonomics leverages the differentiated associated with aging workers, as well as the expertise of professionals spanning such framework within which these programs disciplines as ergonomics, wellness, benefits function, organizations can then develop a and safety to deliver comprehensive and targeted, age-specific strategy to help prevent powerful solutions to the aging workforce or reduce the duration of lost work days challenges most employers are facing. associated with the respective absences and This approach uses a precise methodology implement pre-emptive programs to help for calibrating the absenteeism trends for keep aging workers healthy and optimize the aging workforce, regardless of the bucket their individual work productivity. FIGURE 1: Results from Aon Laser report ■ < 25 years ■ 25 to 35 ■ 35 to 45 ■ 45 to 55 ■ 55 to 60 ■ > 60 years $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $0 Education and Leisure and Manufacturing Natural Professional Trade, All industries— Health Services Hospitality Resources, and Business Transportation considered Mining & Services and Utilities together Construction 12 THE LEADER vpppa.org

Changes Associated with Aging reduce manual lifting that would be fatigue- FIGURE 2: Various causes of The physiological changes associated with inducing for the aging worker, which could absenteeism analyzed by Aon’s aging occur from the moment we are born. potentially result in injury or absence. Ageonomics program Fast forward to age 45 and the body begins In the course of the diagnostic research, the to change more significantly. Depending on two leading loss causes of injuries to knees primary factors such as health, fitness and and shoulders stem from strain and sprains genetics, all of us age differently with varying and slips, trips and falls, which can be directly Short Term degrees on our impact to function in the attributed to reduced mobility and reduced Disability workplace. Researchers in Finland (Ilmarinen, strength, which can be related to an older 1 et. al. 1997) found a decline in workability, physiology. By understanding the physical with 51 years of age being the most critical changes of an aging human and linking these Family Long Term Medical point at which workability started to decrease. changes to loss-producing trends in the data, Leave Act Aging Disability Worker In addition, researchers noted that workability, we can develop a thoughtful strategy for Absence was shown to have a high predictive value increasing workability and reducing age- Trends for work disability (e.g. lower workability specific exposures in the workplace. equals higher disability days). This means that we must now focus on the individual to Rethinking the Workers’ Casual understand age-related risk factors, modifiable Work Environment Absence Compensation and non-modifiable, in order to really address After some research and discussions with the challenges facing the aging workforce. other benchmarking groups such as the National Council on Compensation Physiological Changes that can Insurance (NCCI) and the Integrated Impact Work Performance Benefits Institute (NBI), we can begin With age comes decreased muscle strength, to make some educated assumptions lower dexterity, reduced fitness levels and surrounding drivers of these increased costs. be done when each program is assessed and aerobic capacity, poorer visual and auditory Physical changes can influence solutions to refined for the aging workforce (Table 2) (see acuity and slower cognitive speed and function, reduce injury risk and prevent absenteeism. page 14). to name a few. All of these changes can have With the onset of saropenia—loss of muscle a dramatic impact on the aging worker. For mass—comes decreased strength. Many Rethinking Wellness example, aging is related to the loss of muscle physically demanding jobs do not factor As the U.S. workplace continues to age, it is mass beginning at the age of 50, becoming this into the equation when developing critical to rethink wellness programs. Berry more dramatic at the age of 60 (Deschenes production standards or production demands et. al. (2010) state the following in a recent 2004). In addition to physical changes, older for the workforce. By age-adjusting the issue in the Harvard Business Review: workers are at increased risk of disease and demands, we can reduce the risk of injury “Wellness programs have often been viewed as other ailments. These include the increased and improve the long-term workability and a nice extra, not a strategic imperative. Newer risk of obesity associated with aging, diabetes, productivity of the workforce in general. evidence tells a different story. With tax heart disease and cancer, among others. Thus, For example we may perform an ergonomic incentives and grants available under recent individual and organizational structures need risk assessment using a tool like the NIOSH federal health care legislation, U.S. companies to be engaged in prevention initiatives in Work Practice Guide. We could add a can use wellness programs to chip away at order to support the aging worker so that an multiplier to account for the aging worker their enormous health care costs, which are effective, comprehensive strategy is developed. which would reduce the recommended only rising with an aging workforce.” For example, if we know that muscle strength weight by a small percent to account for the The article continues to point out six key declines with age, organizations need to older worker. pillars of an effective wellness program that, consider implementing proactive safety, The ultimate objective is to develop once implemented, can help significantly ergonomics and wellness programs to help strategies geared towards optimizing the lower healthcare costs. As part of Aon’s build individual strength while working to performance of the aging worker. This can only ageonomics practice, we analyze these FIGURE 3: Various elements of aging drive the aging strategies in the workplace. Physical Cognitive Disease Absenteeism Workplace Changes Changes Processes Trends Aging Strategy THE LEADER vpppa.org 13

key pillars, including leadership, program Conclusions The ultimate objective quality, accessibility and communication of As with any workplace program, measuring is to develop strategies not only wellness, but safety, ergonomics success includes not only healthcare costs, geared towards and other programs to understand gaps for but workers’ compensation costs, safety optimizing the aging workers. By reviewing age-specific program incident rates, absenteeism and performance of the data and wellness program statistics, we presenteeism and turnover rates, among can probe deeper and ultimately develop other leading and lagging indicators. It aging worker. strategies to better align these programs for is now essential to align traditional silo the aging worker. Researchers at Harvard programs into a synergistic, thoughtful found that participants in wellness programs approach to optimize any program that are absent less often and perform better at touches an aging worker. work than their nonparticipant counterparts. Structuring a wellness program around aging References: workers can become a way for organizations • link.springer.com/ to retain aging workers and ensure their article/10.2165/00007256-200434120-00002 workability does not decline to levels • onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365- that result in disabilities and/or workers’ 2648.2006.04118.x/abstract;jsessionid compensation claims. =4FAD93511B84EB709749640CD1DBC06 C.f01t02?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=& userIsAuthenticated=false • www.arbeitsfaehigkeit.uniwuppertal. de/picture/upload/file/Concept_and_ TABLE 2: Programs and specific strategies for Ageonomics Assessment.pdf • www.bls.gov/news.release/osh2.nr0.htm Program Ageonomic Work Environment Strategy Endnote: • Refine training programs around aging workers 1 According to the Finnish researchers Ilmar- inen&Tuomi (2004), “workability” may be • Target high risk exposures for aging workings (e.g. fall understood as “how good is the worker at prevention, musculoskeletal, etc.) Safety Program present, in the near future, and how able is he/ • Refine on-boarding programs for aging workers to include she to do his/her work with respect to the work preceptor programs demands, health and mental resources.” This definition is based on a so called “concept • Align safety programs with age-specific absenteeism trends of workability” (Ilmarinen, 2004) according to which, workability is the result of the interaction • Assess fatigue and work-rest cycles of the worker and his or her work. Workability • Evaluate signage and work instructions for aging workers may also be described as the balance of the workers’ resources and the work demands. • Adjust ergonomic tools for age Ergonomic Programs • Conduct age-specific evaluations Joe Gulasha—Joe currently leads Aon’s US • Time-motion study for aging workers Casualty Risk Consulting organization. His • Workload assessments responsibilities include leading the more • Align with age-specific data trends than 100 Aon consultants who focus on the • Support WC, STD, LTD trends development and delivery of casualty related Benefits Programs • Align with your safety and ergonomics program pre and post-loss mitigation strategies for US Clients. Joe also serves on the Aon Global Risk • Understand and develop strategies for casual absence for aging workers’ (e.g. care taker programs, flex schedules, etc.) Consulting America’s Board. • Align wellness programs with injury trends on the WC side Vicki Missar—As an associate director at Aon, Wellness Programs • Deliver innovative and meaningful solutions to meet aging she works closely with clients to deliver and workers’ needs execute services that strive to reduce the total • Assess workforce profile and age stratification cost of casualty risk spend. She is a thought leader at Aon and has spoken in the USA and abroad • Understand production demands and review jobs for Human Resource age-appropriateness on the topic of ageonomics. Vicki is joining the Programs • Understand absenteeism and structure work in ways that faculty at Harvard in 2015 to present ageomics and reduce fatigue and improve retention integrated health, safety and wellness strategies at an upcoming professional development course at • Create synergist program within the organization the School of Public Health. 14 THE LEADER vpppa.org



TRENDS IN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: THE AGING WORKFORCE 16 THE LEADER vpppa.org

BY DR. PATRICK CARLEY PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES AT AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE The art of managing human resources is maximizing the human form and function, which becomes especially important when considering the aging workforce. Collectively, we experience great satisfaction when our mental and physical participation achieves success during work, hobbies or recreational activities, even as we age. It is beneficial to understand the aging process and make the necessary adjustments for a safer and more productive workplace. The benefits to employees and organizations are conceivable by exploring concerns with aging and possible solutions for today’s workforce. What was around the corner is already here! There is an inherent and shared reluctance to recognize or even accept the physical changes associated with aging. The groans are becoming louder when reaching for reading glasses or when periodically complaining of stiff joints. The physical changes associated with aging eventually affect us all. However, it does not necessarily appear in an equal way. Some of us weigh a little more, some lift a little more and some of us stand a little more, resulting in different wearing on our joints. There are also repeated injuries, tight muscles and different lifetime events that cause cartilage to get a little thinner, stiffer joints, and painful feet from flatter arches. It seems most pronounced in cold temperatures or even cool workplaces that tend to wreak havoc on the worn parts. An extensive 2011 report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) noted that, “medical severity was more than 50 percent higher for older workers’ lost-time claims” with temporary payments closed within 24 months of the date of injury. It was also noted in data from 1996 to 2007, that older workers are more likely to experience rotator cuff and knee injuries and lower back nerve pain (lumbosacral THE LEADER vpppa.org 17

can be a decline in muscle strength of 10–25 percent by age 65. Stronger muscle fibers, such as the quadriceps, calves, gluteal muscles and deltoids, begin to atrophy more quickly due to reduced muscle use or lack of strengthening exercises. As a result, the ability to recover from slips, near falls or stumbles decreases significantly, resulting in a potentially significant injury. Muscle endurance and earlier fatigue noted in work activities will also have a slower recovery time. This lowered “fatigue threshold,” in combination with reduced recovery, induces a chronic overload on muscles and tendons in older workers, complicated by cardiovascular concerns. There is a 50 percent decline in heart filling between 20 and 80 years of age, with a reduction in aerobic capacity beginning at age 40 in individuals not regularly participating in a cardiovascular exercise program. This begins in the twenties and continues declining at a rate of 10 percent each decade with a potential 40 percent reduction by age 65. Workplace balance concerns Balance reactions depend on sensory-input from our leg joints and the pads of our neuritis) while younger workers are more feet, and slow down as we age, affecting There is no real surprise likely to have sprains and lower back pain. that strength begins These findings paralleled an Ohio Bureau information exchanged between the brain and muscles. Nerve conduction slows down to diminish with age of Workers’ Compensation study which during exposure to lower temperatures but depending on the found that the top four injuries by age range further affecting information speed from muscle group, there can between 1998 and 2002 were lumbar disc, the periphery and then back out to control lumbar sprain, finger wounds and knee be a decline in muscle sprains for those workers under the age of muscles. To help with balance reactions, computerized force plate studies and levels strength of 10 percent to 40 years old. In comparison, workers 45 to of electrical activity of leg muscles suggest 25 percent by age 65. 70 years old reported the same two lumbar that placing the cushioning close to the foot injuries but the next two highest reported surface will improve balance reactions. As injuries included shoulder strains and knee such, insole programs can address multiple cartilage tears. The difference in reported issues related to standing, muscle fatigue, injuries is evidence of more chronic wear and foot pain and the aging workforce. tear on the body, over time making older workers more susceptible to musculoskeletal Improve the productivity and disorders. The effects of static loading, safety of the aging workforce prolonged standing and awkward postures In addition to common ergonomic and bring attention to the need to change workplace redesign, vision changes in positions and modify worksite designs. old age require different backgrounds for greater contrast perception or adding Aging effects on motor control higher illumination to work areas. However, A more noteworthy result of aging is the increasing illumination should avoid change in motor function and level of increasing glare by allowing for diffusers muscular strength. There is no real surprise from light sources, indirect lighting or that strength begins to diminish with age, a larger number of lower power and but depending on the muscle group, there adjustable light sources. There should also be 18 THE LEADER vpppa.org

limitations on the need to adapt to light and achieve that unique balance between dark conditions or visual changes associated safety and productivity in the near future. Dr. Patrick Carley, DHA, MS, PT is a professor with color change, such as shades of blue Contemporary safety directors need to in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program or blue on black backgrounds. Companies be aware of the genuine, physiological at American International College. Dr. Carley should plan to use larger print sizes and fonts alterations challenging today’s aging has been actively involved in practicing physical in work areas whenever possible but certainly workforce. Increasing that understanding therapy over the past 37 years in the Boston, MA, for important postings and warnings. and Springfield, VA, areas. Dr. Carley taught part- Contemplate auditory changes, since and awareness will afford organizations time at Northeastern University and Springfield higher frequency sounds can be unnoticed realistic ergonomic opportunities to College before starting his full-time academic by older workers. Use sound-absorbing optimize that fruitful balance through many construction materials in areas where cost effective approaches. The fact is that career at American International College in 1996. communication is important and avoid collectively, we are all living longer. We For the past 25 years, his research emphasis room designs or work areas that create may want to reconsider lifespan as more has been on ergonomic modifications, work echoes, e.g. squared rooms, tunnels or those of a healthspan as we stay active, safe and performance and effects of prolonged workplace with machine background noises. Consider productive beyond those 39th birthdays. standing. He has worked on projects with small smaller conference tables and circular seating and large corporations such as LEGO, Merrill arrangements to encourage older workers to Reference Lynch Financial, Hasbro Games, Vibram— sit closer to speakers or presenters. • National Council on Compensation Insurance Quaboag Shoes, Lenox Saw, ATP Manufacturing, The human body is a wonderful biological structure that is constantly changing and Inc. (2011). www.ncci.com/documents/2011_ US Postal Service, Equipois, Honda and the adapting to new conditions or environments Aging_Workforce_Research_Brief.pdf. Boeing Company. even as we age. Progressive stretching of joints will optimize muscle performance, improve the internal structural health of tendons and help improve overall circulation. Muscles can increase strength and endurance regardless of age if exercises become part of a weekly routine. Lifting weights for exercise should focus more on repetitions (20 to 30 reps per set) rather than progressively higher weights. Shifting towards higher repetitions will also reduce fatigue while decreasing the potential work related aches and pains. Plyometric exercises at low levels are worth exploring to balance responses, muscle recruitment and endurance. Conclusion Older workers have a wealth of experiences to offer that benefit organizations. Applying learned skills in different applications might lead to enhanced cognitive problem solving abilities and a heightened sense of well-being and improved job performance. Cognitive losses in older workers are not typical signs of aging. Learning new tasks and approaches may offer better productivity expectations than machine-paced work environments. Older workers, by empirical research, usually find ways to compensate for deficiencies and often still outperform younger workers by their learned skill sets. Based on the changing demographics and recently recovering economic events, a greater awareness of options that blend a multigenerational workforce can successfully THE LEADER vpppa.org 19

BY KEITH OSBORNE ERGONOMIST FOR SEATTLE CITY LIGHT EXTENDING THE LIFE OF YOUR WORKFORCE— ERGONOMIC DESIGN FOR AGING WORKERS 20 THE LEADER vpppa.org

Unless you have been living somewhere without internet or cable service, you’ve probably heard that the U.S. workforce is aging. In fact, you’re probably witnessing it firsthand—and now you’re the one tasked with creating a safe and productive work environment that accommodates an aging workforce. ou might have also read these and more competitive business, tomorrow and will develop at an even higher rate. A statistics on the web or heard them down the road. proactive process can assist in keeping your Y in the boardroom: Losing the expertise of these workers workforce healthier and more productive. • In 2008, there were 28 million workers could have a drastic and negative impact Individual Risk Factors: Some individual over age 55. By 2016, that number is on your company’s operations. It is vital to risk factors that come into play are poor expected to be almost 40 million, an accommodate aging employees, who represent work habits developed over time, poor fitness increase of 43 percent. some of your most knowledgeable and most • Starting in January 2011, 10,000 people productive workers, to ensure their continued, habits and poor health habits. turn 65 every single day and this will safe and productive work performance. Physical Changes: As people age, they continue through 2030. begin to lose strength, flexibility, balance, • By 2020, an estimated 25 percent of Characteristics of the sight, reaction time, speed, hearing, manual the labor force will be 55 and older and Aging Workforce dexterity and feedback and body fat. almost 17 percent will be 65 and older. Physiological Changes: Aging leads to • 79 percent of baby boomers say they don’t As workers age, their physical, physiological a decrease in maximum oxygen intake, rising and psychosocial capabilities and limitations plan on retiring at age 65. systemic blood pressure, fatigue and greater • The average age of a high-skilled U.S. change. The more we understand these changes, susceptibility to extreme temperatures. manufacturing worker today is 56. the better we can accommodate employees. We must be proactive in our processes to ensure Psychosocial Changes: As workers These demographics represent not actionable engineering and administrative age, they have different shift preferences, only challenges, but also opportunities controls are in place to ensure ergonomic and training and learning styles and employees throughout industry today. At the very least, individual risk factors are addressed to keep our sometimes experience disenfranchisement the changing demographics of the U.S. workplace moving forward seamlessly with the and disengagement with their work. workforce deserve careful consideration as chronology of our workers. companies develop safety programs moving Here is a brief summary of those risk factors These characteristics of the aging workforce forward. In today’s business environment, it put them at a higher risk of developing a and changes: is vital for companies to engage their aging WMSD and other injuries. It is paramount workers in a job that promotes healthy and Ergonomic Risk Factors: Force, that reduction or elimination of these risk safe work performance. repetition and posture are ergonomic risk factors occur to ensure a safer workplace. Addressing the issue of the aging workforce factors that become magnified as we age So what can you do to help? Build a with workplace ergonomics programs, because the body has had those factors comprehensive WMSD prevention process education and training is becoming necessary. impacting it over time, even in the best of that will identify and remove WMSD risk A focus on proactive efforts to accommodate conditions. If these are not addressed within factors. An essential component to an the “seasoned” and gifted workforce today, will a proactive ergonomics process, workplace effective WMSD prevention process result in a safer, healthier, more productive musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) issues is ergonomics. 2008 28 MILLION BABY BY 2020 BOOMERS 2016 40 MILLION In 2008, there were 28 million WORKERS OVER AGE 55. By 2016, that number is expected to be almost 40 million, an 25 PERCENT of the labor force will 79 PERCENT of baby boomers say be 55 and older and almost 17 they don’t plan on retiring at age 65. INCREASE OF 43 PERCENT. PERCENT will be 65 and older THE LEADER vpppa.org 21

Ergonomics—Designing • Reduce static standing time the Workplace for an • Remove clutter from control panels and Aging Workforce computer screens and use large video displays Ergonomics is the science of designing the • Reduce noise levels workplace to fit the worker while keeping in • Install skid resistant material for flooring and mind the capabilities and limitations of the especially for stair treads to help reduce falls worker. The goal is to design jobs and tasks to • Install shallow-angle stairways in place of remove incompatibilities between the work and ladders when space permits, and where any the worker that impact safe work performance, daily elevated access is needed to complete a while maintaining productivity. This allows task, to help reduce falls you to prevent injuries, illnesses and mistakes • Utilize hands free volume adjustable while improving overall worker health and telephone equipment business performance. Here are some tips to • Incorporate speech recognition software for help with the designing of the workplace: those who have difficulty typing • Improve illumination and add color contrast • Increase task rotation which will reduce the • Design the workplace with easily adjustable strain of repetitive motion By designing jobs and surfaces to allow employees with different • Lower sound system pitches, such as on alarm systems, as they tend to be easier to hear tasks with aging workers body types to complete work, especially in • Lengthen time requirements between steps shared spaces in mind, you’re making • Eliminate heavy lifts, elevated work from in a task the jobs and tasks safer ladders and long reaches • Increase the time allowed for making decisions and more productive • Design work floors and platforms with • Consider necessary reaction time when for everyone. smooth and solid decking while still assigning older workers to tasks allowing some cushioning • Provide opportunities for practice and time to develop task familiarity In other words, ergonomics is about fitting the work to fit the worker. When considering how to accommodate the aging workforce, it is as important as ever to match job demands to worker capabilities. Ergonomics and the Aging Workforce Ergonomically correct design accounts for workers from the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male. By designing jobs and tasks with aging workers in mind, you’re making the jobs and tasks safer and more productive for everyone. Follow these basic ergonomic principles to help accommodate an aging workforce: • Work in neutral postures. Working with the body in a neutral position reduces stress and strain on your musculoskeletal system. • Allow for posture changes. Working in the same posture or sitting for prolonged periods of time is bad for you. Your body’s musculoskeletal (or movement) system is designed to move. Arrange workstations and tasks to allow for changing postures. Movement at any age is especially important to allow muscles and the body to refresh. • Work from the “power zone.” The power zone is also referred to as the “hand shake 22 THE LEADER vpppa.org

ERGONOMICS AND THE AGING WORKFORCE Work in Allow for Work from the Provide Have a NEUTRAL POSTURES POSTURE CHANGES “HAND SHAKE ZONE” GOOD LIGHTING GOOD GRIP zone”—this is an easy way to remember the you to identify ergonomic risk factors early and improves business performance. Be optimal location to perform work. and then proactively mitigate their affects proactive in your approach. • Provide good lighting. A common issue by implementing both engineering and • Designing jobs and tasks for aging workers with older workers is lighting. Visual acuity administrative controls to the work process. benefits all! You keep your knowledge base deteriorates with age, so make sure work Education and training programs motivate longer! areas are properly lit. The typical OSHA employees to accept responsibility for adopting • A comprehensive approach that includes guidelines for lighting may not be enough as healthier work habits and lifestyle choices. ergonomics, education and early your workforce ages. Implement programs that emphasize stretching intervention is needed to remove all • Have a good grip. Providing “power and fitness/wellness initiatives that will enhance WMSD risk factors. grips” instead of pinch grips for jobs and the overall wellbeing of the worker. The more tasks is another ergonomics “low hanging fit the “workplace athlete,” the more efficient fruit” to help accommodate aging workers. the work product produced, the higher the Keith Osborne is currently the ergonomist for Ensure issued PPE also addresses this. Use quality with reduced errors and the better the Seattle City Light. Previously, he worked as gloves with additional grip built in to allow health status of the employee due to lower an HSE Site Lead for Honeywell in Colorado employees whose grip strength may be injury rates. Springs for 11 years where he built two waning, the ability to perform certain tasks. Early intervention focuses on improving OSHA best practice programs (ergonomics employee health through proactive Following these ergonomic principles will management of WMSD signs. When early and wellness) that were responsible for significantly reduce ergonomic risk factors that action is taken to address an employee’s proactively saving HTSI over $23M in four contribute to WMSDs. However, removing report of fatigue or discomfort, causative risk years. He is responsible for the office and all risk factors that contribute to these injuries factors can be identified and principles of industrial ergonomics/biomechanics programs requires a comprehensive approach. prevention can be employed to resolve the at Seattle City Light and has consulted on employee’s discomfort. corporate ergonomics and health and wellness Develop A programs on numerous occasions. Keith is a Comprehensive Approach Conclusion Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist If your goal is to prevent musculoskeletal If you’re preparing for an aging workforce (or I/III, Certified Wellness Specialist, Master injuries and to promote maximum safe you already have one), it is as important as Fitness Trainer, Six Sigma Greenbelt, published work performance, you need to identify ever to be proactive and remember the basics author and OSHA Certified Ergonomics and remove WMSD risk factors as early as of WMSD prevention. The wave of an aging Program Manager. He is also the recipient possible. Companies that understand this workforce is already here and it is building. of the HTSI HSE President’s Award and the have proactive processes that assess job Here are some key takeaways to remember: tasks and get workers involved before work • The demographics of the U.S. workforce 2014 Honeywell Aerospace Outstanding is done to proactively mitigate issues. To are changing rapidly: 10,000 workers turn Engineer and Innovator Award. Keith holds remove all WMSD risk factors, you need 65 every day! two Bachelor of Science degrees in Applied a comprehensive process that includes an • Older workers are valuable workers Management and Business Administration. ergonomics improvement process, education/ and represent a large portion of your Keith has spoken numerous times at the training and early intervention. organization’s knowledge and skills. Region VIII VPPPA Conferences and VPPPA The ergonomics improvement process • The ergonomics process removes barriers national conferences as well as the National should be a proactive one that will allow to safe work performance, prevents injuries Ergonomics Conference and Exposition. THE LEADER vpppa.org 23

TIME HAS CAUGHT UP WITH US BY BRENDA WIEDERKEHR, CSC ACCESS HEALTH SYSTEMS You walk into a room of workers at a conference, a safety meeting, he aging workforce is here, and for many on a construction site, a union hall meeting or even the cafeteria. If of us, we are it. The “Silver Tsunami” T is rushing in and we will be riding the this worksite is anything like the vast majority of workplaces in the crest for the next 15–20 years. So, do we go developed countries of the world, what you will notice is a sea of grey full speed ahead with business as usual? Well, not quite. A 65 or 70 year old worker is an hair. You might not see this at an internet startup, a tech company or entirely different entity than a 20 or 30 year a research facility, but in businesses that have been around for the last old worker. 20 years or longer, this is clearly the case. An employer could say, let’s just hire young people and maybe push the old guys out. This 24 THE LEADER vpppa.org

TIME HAS CAUGHT UP WITH US won’t work because there are not enough In addition, for many workers, pension is it about these aging bodies that can change experienced, trained and skilled workers to plans are a thing of the past and the self- the dynamics of a company and its abilities? replace them. To function effectively, we retirement plans and Social Security are not In order to understand the impact, we need need to hold onto the older, experienced providing the lifestyle many people need or to look at the physiological, the mental workforce. This crisis spreads across several want. The idea of retiring at 62 or 65 is rapidly health and the social changes at play. industries that go beyond laborers. There is an disappearing. However, workers are finding A full discussion of the effects of aging in impending shortfall of staffing for qualified that they now want to stay on the job until 70 the workforce would require a book; for the and experienced doctors, engineers, upper or beyond. sake of framing the discussion, let’s look at management personnel and a wide range of The questions arise: How does this impact a couple of major factors such as changes in technical specialists. the health and safety of the workplace? What vision, mobility and the threat of disability. THE LEADER vpppa.org 25

sometimes with bleeding in the eye. Ask yourself how important the ability to see objects clearly in your workplace is, and then think about your workforce. Another vision issue is the ability to transmit light. Light does not pass through the lens and other structures of the eye and the pupil may be smaller in an older eye. Therefore, if you have a room where both the younger and older workers are working together, the lighting set for an older workforce may be too bright and intense for the younger worker and cause discomfort, headaches, malaise and fatigue with visual activities. On the flip side, if the workplace is set up for a younger worker, the older worker might have some difficulty discerning detail if the lighting is not adequate for their visual needs. The next aspect is the eye’s ability to adapt to changes in light. You know how after you pass through a dark long tunnel and come out into the light, there is a moment of vulnerability when you have not adjusted to the glare? An Vision older worker takes much longer to make this The aging workforce is To put it simply, every aspect of our visual adjustment. Consider a workplace with two here, and for many of abilities deteriorates. If underlying medical rooms, one bright and one dark, which an us, we are it. The “Silver conditions exist, this can be markedly worsened. employee has to drive between with a forklift Tsunami” is rushing in and The most obvious loss is in the ability to see at a good pace. The hazards are greater with contrasting light levels for the older worker than we will be riding the crest clearly, known as visual acuity. When you are for the younger worker. Assigning tasks to older young, you might need glasses because of the for the next 15–20 years. shape of the eye being too long or short to focus workers might be affected by these constraints the light transmitted through the lens. It is the and should be taken into consideration or, a shape of the eyeball that we develop growing up. change in lighting might be in order. When you reach your 40s, most people begin to Glare is also difficult on the older eye. Lighting have trouble reading. This is actually related to or outside light which produces direct or reflected the ability to stretch the lens of the eye, which has glare can markedly diminish the visual abilities muscles to pull on it to flatten it and change the of the older eye. Uncovered windows may cause place where the light falls. As we get older, our light that decreases visual abilities. fluid filled tissues, such as the lens of the eye, the Beyond the visual challenges, there is the disks of the back, the skin and many others, lose relationship between the eye and the brain. water content and become stiffer and shrink. This Data show that the ability to work with is true of the lens as well, resulting in the need for objects in a cluttered or complex workplace, reading glasses to compensate. with many different kinds of objects, requires With time, you might also need various good visual scanning and interpreting skills. strengths of correction for distance. It is much harder for an older worker than a Unfortunately, many workers do not have younger one. The older worker does much proper visual correction and often do not better in an environment with a limited see an eye specialist. Older workers are often number of discrete objects, less clutter and unable to visualize things adequately. In more definition between objects. addition, the lens of the eye can often develop We are all aware of the deterioration of static a cloudy deposit in it, called a cataract, which vision as we get older. Static vision, the ability to actually fogs up the vision. There may be a see an object, begins to significantly deteriorate whole host of eye diseases that appear in the at age 60. However, the ability to deal with older worker, such as macular degeneration and process the information about moving affecting the central vision, or glaucoma objects starts to deteriorate much earlier. Take in which peripheral vision may go first, or for example the worker who drives for a living, sudden loss from diabetes related conditions, such as a school bus driver, a pilot or a fork lift 26 THE LEADER vpppa.org

operator. The ability to process visual information worker 18–24 years old, the rate of disability is significantly diminished, and this is made worse is 9.4 percent. For ages 45–54, it is roughly 20 Now, think of the people during activities at night or in dark areas, such percent. For age 65 and older, it is a whopping you work with and wonder as a warehouse. Nighttime legibility for distant 42 percent. Now, think of the people you work who, if almost half of them, highway signs for those over age 60 is 65–77 with and wonder who, if almost half of them, will will suffer a disability before percent of the distance for younger drivers. Turn suffer a disability before they leave the workforce. on that flashlight to see something on a map This does not even begin to discuss the shifting of they leave the workforce. while driving at night, and that 70 year old truck healthcare costs for handling wear and tear items, driver might not be able to see clearly on the such as total knee replacements, neck surgeries highway again for quite a while. Is 20 seconds at for arthritis, or many other age-related medical 65 miles per hour a reasonable time frame to be conditions, from health insurance to workers’ unable to see the road or objects around it? compensation—only because the employee is retain new information, just to mention a still in the workplace. The impacts of this shift few. The effects of having an older workforce Mobility are phenomenal. are cropping up everywhere. Hopefully, The biggest challenge to an aging workforce, adjustments, accommodations and even if we do not succumb to being couch Conclusion engineering and administrative controls can potatoes, is that as we get older our muscle This was only an introduction to the aging help to soften the impact and assist in safely mass decreases. You won’t find a 60 year old workforce. We did not discuss issues such as accommodating the workforce that we have. playing in the NFL regardless of how much changes in reaction time and speed, hearing First, we have to recognize that the wolf is at experience he has! Our muscle mass peaks deficits, manual dexterity, increasing body fat the door. between the ages of 25 and 35, and it’s all and chronic illness, maximum endurance as downhill after that. Between 50 and 60 years manifested by drops in the ability to supply Brenda Wiederkehr, CSC, has been a VPPPA old, we are left with only 75–80 percent of the oxygen to the body, drops in cardiovascular member since 2002 and is currently the strength that we had at our peak condition. performance, changes in blood pressure and vice president at Access Health Systems, the In addition, we become stiffer; and our rates of fatigue, the impact of shift work Owner of Access Compliance and the VPPPA flexibility disappears. Osteoarthritis, common and time of day or the ability to learn and Region II Chairperson. in aging, limits the use of joints and creates more stiffness and pain. We have cartilage between the bones in joints that wears away, and elastic tissues in tendons and throughout the body lose their elasticity. Once things start to hurt, the older worker self-limits their range of motion and further reduces their flexibility as things stiffen up at the lesser range of motion. By age 65, the average person has lost 18–20 percent of their flexibility. Another major concern is the natural deterioration in our balancing abilities. Nine percent of people at age 65 experience significant balance issues. This may be related to the balance centers of the inner ear, or to position sensors in the neck, back, spine and extremities; or it may be related to deterioration in the balance centers of the brainstem or the cerebellum or even vision changes. The impact is felt in workplace falls. An astounding one- third of individuals 65 or older fall each year. A fall in old age can have markedly different consequences than for the younger worker. Disability Looking for a moment at the bottom line with regard to the physical impact of the older worker, the rate of disability is a major problem which once was looming on the horizon, but now is rapidly becoming an immediate issue. For a THE LEADER vpppa.org 27

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BY DANIEL B. KOHRMAN The American Society on Aging grants permission to VPPPA, Inc. to print unknown number of copies of/ or post electronically, the following: As more workers age, bias and insecurity persist, by Daniel Kohrman, from the November/December 2013, issue of Aging Today, vol. 34, iss.6. This updated article is reprinted with permission from Aging Today 34:6 November/December 2013. Copyright © 2013. American Society on Aging, San Francisco, California. www.asaging.org. THE LEADER vpppa.org 29

percent agreed that Congress should enact stronger age discrimination protections. Data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission confirms that age discrimination is a growing problem. In fiscal year 2008, charges of age bias spiked 25 percent from the prior year, and in fiscal year 2013, it remained 15 percent higher than before the onset of the Great Recession. Laborforce statistics show huge job losses among older workers since 2007, and suggest, in this and other respects, very uncertain economic terrain. Though unemployment levels among older workers are somewhat lower than for younger workers, according to AARP Senior Strategic Policy Advisor Sara Rix, in December 2012, nearly 1.1 million more workers ages 55 and older were unemployed than at the outset of the recession. Twice as many older than younger jobseekers—nearly half of older jobseekers—were “long-term unemployed” oni Strength, a 53-year-old commercial (looking for work 27 weeks or more); and Most older adults are property manager, says she lost her job convinced that age T when the new CEO judged her to be almost five times more older persons were classified by the U.S. Department of Labor discrimination in the “old and ugly” and unlikely to attract new as “discouraged workers” (people who want a American workplace is tenants. Phillip Swafford, age 48, asserts job, are available to work, but have dropped alive and well. that he fell short in a bid to return to work out of the workforce because they think that as an oil company scheduler after the firm’s no work is available or that employers think site director told his hiring manager that they are too old). Swafford was too old, and spent too much Yet the most powerful hint of age bias time caring for his wife’s cancer and his own may be the greater average duration of ailments. Marjorie Tramp, a 71-year-old unemployment for people ages 55 and older, insurance customer service representative, which is roughly 50 percent longer than for found herself unemployed in a reduction younger people. This unemployment age in force that her employer said was focused penalty has increased in recent years. On on its “oldest and sickest employees.” These average, AARP data show, in 2012, workers are all recent U.S. court cases of alleged age ages 55 and older had been out of work discrimination at work. more than a year (55.1 weeks), and workers younger than age 55, on average, just 36.5 Age Discrimination Thriving weeks. Since then, AARP data show little Post Recession change, and if anything, growing disparity in For most older workers, the notion that the experience of older and younger workers. we’re living in a post-civil-rights era has little As of May 2014, persons age 55 and above credence. While the share of older adults spent nearly twenty more weeks out of work, employed has been rising for three decades, on average (52.5 weeks), than their younger despite setbacks like the Great Recession, counterparts (32.8 weeks). this trend has emerged despite evidence of persistent age bias. Most older adults are Discrimination vs. Reliability, convinced that age discrimination in the Loyalty and Engagement American workplace is alive and well. In a The last seven years have seen the worst 2012 AARP survey of voters ages 50 and economic conditions in eight decades. For older, 64 percent said older workers face age countless people ages 40 and older—those discrimination at work, 34 percent reported protected by the federal Age Discrimination in that they, or someone they know, faced age Employment Act, and by similar state and local discrimination in the last four years and 78 laws—the best-paying jobs of their lives are 30 THE LEADER vpppa.org

gone and health insurance has vanished with bias, is irrational and bad for business, does their paychecks. They now may fall behind not mean it will disappear on its own. Just ask As older workers rise to on rent or a mortgage, and may be unable to Toni, Phillip and Marjorie. these challenges, many pay taxes or fend off foreclosure. And with encounter age bias. Job few years left to earn significant income, their Kohrman is a senior attorney with AARP interviews can be rare, retirement savings may have been wiped out or Foundation Litigation (AFL), AARP Foundation’s and older candidates reduced to a pittance. Unless the labor market legal advocacy arm, in Washington, D.C. He adjusts to offer these older workers robust handles employment (and voting) rights cases considered promising on earnings, the U.S. social safety net—including for Americans age 50+, usually involving paper may experience swift new health insurance subsidies, Social Security discrimination on grounds of age and/or dismissal when they present and Medicare—will see further strain. disability. Dan and colleagues have represented themselves in person. As older workers rise to these challenges, older workers terminated in reductions-in-force many encounter age bias. Job interviews at Ford Motor Co., Goodyear Tire & Rubber, can be rare, and older candidates considered Sprint, and credit card issuer Capital One, promising on paper may experience swift brought other age bias claims against Allstate, dismissal when they present themselves in Seagate Technologies, 3M, and Wellpoint, and person. Online applications often require age- for years, represented Hollywood writers in age related data irrelevant to job qualifications, discrimination suits against various TV networks, and refuse submissions if leaving such movie studios and talent agencies. Dan recently queries blank. Offers of pay commensurate helped persuade national bus firm, CoachUSA, with experience are also rare. Even offers to refine its qualification standards for bus of reduced pay can be scarce, as employers drivers with diabetes to reflect current medical assume—usually without asking—that knowledge. He also files appellate amicus briefs these will be rejected by applicants deemed favoring rights of older workers or voters in “over qualified.” Older applicants report federal and state courts. confronting “ageist” stereotypes held by younger—and worse, by older—managers (e.g., that older workers cannot adjust to technology or are generally resistant to change). Nevermind that smart phones, email and texting are ubiquitous, and Internet use is growing fastest among older Americans, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center study, “Older Adults and Internet Use.” There is a pressing need in this country for more employers to realize that one way WE DO RESCUE they can outpace competitors is by attracting and retaining high-performing older workers TRAINING SERVICES EQUIPMENT via flexible work schedules, regular skills upgrades and “reasonable accommodation” of disabilities. Most such employers benefit from the loyalty, reliability and engagement for which older workers are known. Even the Supreme Court has tipped the scales, ruling in 2009 that a higher standard of proof applies to age discrimination claims than to job bias claims based on sex or race. It is ironic that age discrimination persists at the same time employers confront the reality of an aging workforce. If employers do not focus on hiring and holding onto older workers, many will face staff shortages and a loss of institutional memory, skills and experience. But market forces and the business case for RocoRescue.com | 800-647-7626 age-friendly policies have not swept away age prejudice. Just because age bias, like other THE LEADER vpppa.org 31 VPPtheLeader_Roco14OCT.indd 1 9/22/14 4:54 PM

BY BILL LINNEWEH LOCAL OUTREACH 2014 marked another very successful year for VPPPA’s congressional outreach efforts. In all, more than fifty representatives from VPP Star worksites participated in 229 congressional outreach visits in Washington, D.C. Of these, 26 outreach meetings were completed within the Senate and 203 were completed in the U.S. House of Representatives. ongressional outreach has proven Steve Limberg, plant manager for a site to be an extremely valuable method in Mitchell, SD, spoke about a recent local C for educating members of Congress outreach event. “Senator John Thune visited on the benefits and success of VPP. Meeting our operations in Mitchell, SD, in September with re-elected, as well as newly elected, 2014. He’s very down to earth, and we were congressional members helps ensure VPP is very impressed during the plant tour as he on the minds of Congress and their staffs. personally knew several of the employees on During this year’s outreach efforts, several the production floor,” Limberg said. congressional members expressed interest Limberg and his team first provided Senator in seeing, firsthand, how VPP has benefited Thune with a historical overview of the employees, employers and OSHA, within operations and the importance of safety and their own districts and states. One company, VPP. “We discussed our VPP journey—how Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle I was hesitant at first, about entering the Systems, agreed to share their experiences program but after having met with OSHA, we on how to conduct local outreach visits realized how great the program was and how and provide insight on how to engage local valuable VPP would be to our employees,” U.S. Representative Bob Gibbs, OH-7th congressional members. They also shared Limberg recounted. District, (left) meets with Perry Bahr, VP of their beliefs with local leaders as to why VPP The Mitchell facility was recommended Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems (right) is so important to employees. for Star status in November 2008 and again 32 THE LEADER vpppa.org

in 2012. Limberg explained to the senator, “OSHA conducted some pre-audits at our site and helped educate all our employees on VPP as well as the importance of workplace safety. Pursuing and attaining VPP was a very good team approach for us, and our employees are very proud to be a VPP Star site.” Congressional outreach at the local level can come about in a variety of ways. Once the decision has been made to invite LOCAL your site so that you and your team can congressional members to the facility, the next step is to formally invite them to visit provide a firsthand look into VPP. Some reasons to invite congressional members to your facility may include: • Participation in the site’s VPP Star OUTREACH • Joint outreach meeting held in conjunction recognition ceremony. with another outreach effort such as sustainability or community outreach. • Coordinated visit with VPPPA, following a congressional outreach event in Washington, D.C. Once scheduled, it’s recommended the site safety team put together talking points highlighting the success of VPP at your site. Whether shared via a formal presentation, provided in a handout or discussed by employees during the facility tour, highlighting how VPP and the safety efforts have benefited employees and their families is an enlightening way to demonstrate the value of the program. Another local outreach visit resulted from the June 2014 congressional outreach event in Washington, D.C. During the D.C. outreach, Kristyn Grow, VPP manager for Cintas and director-at-large on the national VPPPA Board of Directors, met with U.S. Representative Bob Gibbs (OH-7). After providing an overview of During the tour, it’s best to introduce Top: Hendrickson Canton Safety Team VPP, including highlighting its benefits, Kristyn congressional members to personnel and ask that receiving their VPP flag and plaque encouraged the congressman’s aides to visit employees share their insights on the importance Bottom: Senator John Tune-SD (left) a VPP site within the district. Soon after the of VPP. Employees can highlight success stories hears from Grant Derdall (welding event, Kristyn and the national VPPPA office such as improved safety practices or elaborate on fabricator) and Plant Manager Steve coordinated a site visit with the Hendrickson how they have achieved greater involvement and Limberg (right) about the importance of VPP Trailer R&D Center located in Canton, OH. ownership of the safety programs. A formal visit took place in August 2014, VPP sites have a great story to share following a presentation to Representative Gibbs with elected officials, and hosting a local about VPP and its benefits to Hendrickson. congressional visit is a fantastic way to show Perry Bahr, vice-president of Trailer Commercial support for the program. Vehicle Systems, emphasized the value of VPP, If you are interested in hosting a local “VPP has been instrumental in our safety congressional outreach visit or would like more efforts. We have seven VPP Star sites located in information on how to interact with your Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota, Tennessee and representatives, contact the Government Affairs Ohio. With VPP, safety has become a core value Department at [email protected] at Hendrickson.” or (703) 761-1146. THE LEADER vpppa.org 33

EXCELLENCE IN SAFETY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM Introducing the First Ever, VPPPA-Endorsed Safety Education Program Who should enroll? Program Highlights Program Co-Author & Instructor Anyone involved in safety within “Christopher J. Colburn, MEng, CSP, your organization • Completely Online possesses almost 20 years’ experience in the • Self-Paced field of safety and health management. He SHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs • Six courses for completion has worked at companies such as Hunter (VPP) are one of the most highly • CEUs offered Douglas, Norbord and is currently the O recognized and respected cooperative • Leading Industry Instructors North American Environmental, Health and programs aimed at improving occupational The goal of the VPP Excellence in Safety Safety Manager for the AGCO Corporation. safety and health by establishing rigorous Certificate Program is to provide students with He has been instrumental in leading performance-based criteria. No safety education the tools they need to drive risk reduction, reduce and mentoring a number of worksites in program has ever received the VPPPA’s official incident frequency and severity and ultimately significate improvements in safety and health endorsement, until now! The University of achieve VPP approval. Students gain the performance including VPP Star status. Chris Alabama at Birmingham’s VPP Excellence in knowledge necessary to develop and implement also sits on the Region IV VPPPA Board of Safety Certificate Program is the new standard a world class, VPP Star level, safety and health Directors as a director-at-large. Chris has an in safety education, in both curriculum and in management system at their respective worksites. associate’s degree in occupational safety and delivery: a fully online, on-demand learning Successful completion of all courses will result health management, a bachelor’s degree in experience with seasoned professionals from all in the VPP Excellence in Safety Certificate. environmental safety and health management over the world. The collaboration between UAB and a master’s degree in advanced safety and VPPPA follows the rigorous criteria of the Course Topics engineering and management from UAB.” OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs, which Visit our website or contact us directly for encourage corporations to meet a much higher • Introduction to System Safety additional information! standard of safety than mere compliance with • Management Plans OSHA’s mandatory standards. • Hazard Identification and Control The program, comprised of six courses, is • Worksite Analyses an opportunity for professionals in the safety • Management Leadership and www.uab.edu/online/vpp field to quickly learn the fundamentals of best Employee Involvement [email protected] safety practices in a self-paced, totally online • Advanced Safety and environment under the instruction of recognized Health Training (205) 934-7217 safety and health leaders. • Continuous Improvement 34 THE LEADER vpppa.org

member spotlight Katelyn Girouard 2014 June Brothers Scholarship Recipient Katelyn Girouard, prevent injury or to assist them in being as Additionally, my participation in SkillsUSA from Dedham, independent as possible. Massachusetts as an alumni member has actually MA, is the had the biggest impact on my life. These recent winner You’ve got your whole life ahead organization and leadership conferences have of the VPPPA of you! What are your plans after taught me how to be a leader as well as a team June Brothers graduation from Worcester State? Do member, to effectively communicate with my Scholarship. you have a dream job? peers and to effectively work as a team for a Graduating from I am set to graduate in Dec. 2015, upon which common goal. I was involved in this organization a vocational, I will receive my Master of Science Degree as a high school student and I have been a part of technical high school in 2010, Katelyn in occupational therapy. I want to become the alumni organization for the past five years. attended Worcester State University an occupational therapist, hopefully with the in MA, where she graduated in 2014 opportunity to help young children. Ever since Who has had the biggest impact on you? with a Bachelor of Science degree I was little, whether it was in teaching or in My dad has had the biggest impact on my life in Occupational Studies. Currently, occupational therapy, I’ve dreamed of working because he has instilled in my brother and I a Katelyn is attending Worcester State’s with children. I also would like to pursue a strong work ethic. My dad has always worked graduate school where she continues doctorate degree in occupational therapy. so hard, so growing up, I always admired him to study occupational therapy. Honestly, my dream job is what I plan for what he was able to accomplish each day. on doing after graduation: working as an Throughout my college career, I have looked occupational therapist, helping young children Why did you decide on occupational to him for guidance when I was faced with the therapy for your degree? with disabilities. Like I mentioned, I have challenge of maintaining multiple classes each I decided on occupational therapy because I want always had an interest in bettering the lives of semester and putting in the hard work and to help people with disabilities reach their highest children and I knew from a young age that I dedication required to succeed in each course. potential. At first, I wanted to become a teacher. would one day accomplish this. I actually got He leads by example and is always willing I have always loved the field of mathematics and the opportunity to work as a teacher of infants to help others. The word “no” is not in his I thought that I would become an elementary and toddlers. I saw how the children grew from vocabulary. I have admired him for this, and I school math teacher. Up until high school, I what I had taught them and seeing them go to am striving to be just like him. I was also taught thought this was what I wanted to do for the rest preschool with the strong values that I instilled by him to learn from others’ mistakes and pay it of my life. I always enjoyed teaching others but as in them made all the hours that I put into forward by sharing with others. Over the years, I started looking at college programs, I knew that making my students succeed worthwhile in the I have been told of so many stories where things I wanted to help children with disabilities and end. I have had the opportunity to work with that went wrong could have been prevented. becoming a general education teacher would not young children with disabilities and witnessing For this reason, he is a big proponent of using allow me the opportunity to assist these students. how they can overcome the struggles they are protective equipment during the work day and in My mom then suggested the field of occupational faced with each day, puts a smile on my face. the home environment and enforces it regularly. therapy. I researched the field and fell in love with it. I would still be able to teach others but I You mentioned your experience as a What motivates you to succeed? teacher of infants and toddlers. Are would be able to provide individualized treatment there any skills and knowledge that you Seeing how I can change the lives of others for and attention to all of my clients. I would also acquired or any lessons you learned the better is my ultimate motivator. I had the be able to help many different populations, not from that experience that you will utilize opportunity to volunteer at leadership conferences just children. At that time, I knew occupational in your future education or career? each fall as a mentor to high school students. The therapy was the career for me. I am very thankful I actually received my certification as an infant, students that attend these conferences are shy the to my mom for this because I am now pursuing toddler and preschool teacher for the state of first day that they arrive and many do not want to the career that I was meant to do. Massachusetts. The experience taught me that complete the activities that we have planned for I know I made the right choice. My intro to every child has different needs and that you have them. Throughout the conference, you are able occupational therapy course taught me to treat to tailor your instructions to meet their needs. Not to see the students come out of their shell and each patient with respect and dignity. It taught all children are able to complete the lesson plan realize they can be the future leaders of tomorrow. me that everyone, no matter what their abilities, that you set up for the class. I have had experiences On the last day of the conference, when students deserves to be included in the community. where I needed to modify my lessons for each come up to you and thank you for all you have My favorite course was assistive technology. child in the classroom. These opportunities will done for them, it makes me feel proud, and I This course taught me the different tools that assist me when I am creating individualized cannot wait for the next conference to change the individuals can use throughout their day to treatment plans for my clients in the future. lives of even more students. THE LEADER vpppa.org 35

member info corner Membership Renewals & Upcoming Contest Renew Your VPPPA Membership Scholarship and the VPPPA William “Sully” members to market and promote themselves The bad news is that if you haven’t renewed your Sullivan Scholarship. and their company! VPPPA membership for another year, then it has If you would like to renew your The deadline to submit is April 10, 2015. expired. The good news is that it’s not hard to membership or have any questions, please The rules and requirements to enter this renew! Don’t miss out on all of the benefits that contact VPPPA’s Membership Department contest are as follows: VPPPA membership provides to you! Also, while by email, [email protected], or by • Must be a member of VPPPA you renew for another year, consider helping calling (703) 761-1146. • You must have the rights to the photos used out future generations of safety professionals • We’re looking for original artwork, computer by donating to VPPPA’s scholarship fund. Member’s Illustrated Journey generated or a drawing Donations to the fund will benefit the VPPPA A picture is worth a thousand words. • VPPPA is not responsible for any lost/ June Brothers Scholarship, the VPPPA Stephen Fortunately, you don’t have to use any words. damaged artwork Brown Scholarship, the VPPPA Sargeant Safety • VPPPA has all rights and ownership to the Enter VPPPA’s Illustrated Journey competition artwork that is submitted and depict your journey through VPP by using • VPPPA reserves the right to make any only original pictures and artwork. In your minor edits illustrated journey, show us how your company • Photo or graphic must be high resolution got involved with VPP. Where did you begin (300 dpi) and how did you get to where you are now in • No nudity, graphic language or imagery, VPP? What does VPP and your involvement firearms or alcohol may be shown in within VPPPA mean to you? any artwork No words. Just your own pictures and Submit entries by April 10, 2015, by email drawings. The person with the most creative at [email protected], or by dropbox. illustrated journey will receive a two page You can also mail your entry to VPPPA’s spread in The Leader; the left side will include National Office: your artwork and the right side will include VPPPA, Inc. an explanation (500 words) of the pictures, Attn: Membership company background information and 7600-E Leesburg Pike, Suite 100, contact information. This is a great chance for Falls Church, VA 22043 CROSSWORD ANSWERS FROM THE LAST ISSUE ACROSS; 3. Owner of Access Compliance, Brenda_______ (Wiederkehr); 6. Recognizing something valuable and enhancing it further, in order to meet a particular need (Leadership); 7. Rather than blame the individual worker, leaders should seek to identify _______ within the work system (Deficiencies); 9. Subject of the 2014 Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association Innovation Award - Mobile ________ Simulator (Slip); 12. In response to problems such as personal injuries and cardiovascular issues, Marathon Petroleum Company developed this for their workers (Panicbutton); 14. To reduce slips, trips and falls, MoveSMART developed a ______ module (Balance); 15. Duration, in years, of World Health Assembly Executive Board members’ terms (Three); 16. The location of the school that completed the VPP Excellence in Safety Certificate Program (Alabama); 18. Cooperation across countries focusing on treatment and prevention, led to the eradication of this disease in 1979 (Smallpox); 19. __________ River Remediation , LLC, established at the initiation of the liquid waste contract with the government, in the summer of 2009 (Savannah); 20. Organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland (WHO); 22. Jess Lankford was recently appointed as chief administrative officer of this state’s OSHA section (Nevada); 24. Most common work injury types from 2009-2010 (Falls); 25. Second technique for building a safety culture, Measured ________ (Accountability); 27. Name of the book/movie based on Keni Thomas’ elite special operations unit (BlackHawkDown) DOWN; 1. Percent of fall-related injuries that occur as a result of falls from same-level-walking surfaces (Sixtyfive); 2. City in Texas where 31st Annual National VPPPA Conference will be held (Grapevine); 4.Third technique for building a safety culture, strategic ________ (Visibility); 5. Type of work site where Life Safety Solution was implemented (Refinery); 8. Location of Region I, “The Best of the Northeast” Conference” (Capecod); 10. The “M” in MRO Products (Maintenance); 11. State that welcomed in a new VPP Participant, Loven Contracting, Inc, into the Star Program (Arizona); 13. NIOSH released a guide on improving sleep quality for these workers (Truckdrivers); 15. NIOSH and OSHA released a recommended practices document for staffing agencies and host employers, in order to better protect this type of workers (Temporary); 17. New competition for 31st Annual National VPPPA Conference, VPPPA’s ________ (Gottalent); 21. Maximum amount of a substance allowed in the air. Permissable ______ limits (Exposure); 23. Leadership is more of a _______ than an inherited trait (Mindset); 26. Number of recognized VPP sites in the state of Washington (Thirty) 36 THE LEADER vpppa.org

infographic corner Workers 65 and older are Workers in the 45 year-old and more than over category have increased by four times 49 percent as likely to sustain fatal on-the- and now make up 44 percent of the workforce. The age group job injuries as over 55 has grown to workers in their 20s, according to a 21 percent new report from the Bureau of Labor of the workforce. Statistics. A 2013 Gallup poll revealed that Last year, 21,396 37% age discrimination of working age respondents indicated claims were recorded. they expect to work beyond age 65. Gallup reported that only 22 percent responded the Older workers tend to experience longer unemployment same way in 2003 and only than their younger counterparts. 16 percent in 1995. In 2012, adults aged 55–64, on Starting in average, were unemployed for 54.6 January of 2011, weeks, compared to 36.4 weeks for workers aged 25–34. The lack of 10,000 jobs for those older Americans cost the United States some people turn 65 $245 every single day, and this will continue through billion 2030 in lost output. THE LEADER vpppa.org 37

state-plan monitor COMPILED BY Alaska the VPP process is to share the knowledge so CHARLIE DOSS, GOVERNMENT On Nov. 4, 2014, Barkley Lloyd, president that other organizations can learn from the AFFAIRS MANAGER, VPPPA, INC. and general manager of Alaska Clean Seas path you have forged. (ACS) of Prudhoe Bay, received notification Jessie Atencio, VPP coordinator for from Dianne Blumer, commissioner for ADOSH, has seen very good growth in the the Department of Labor and Workforce Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Development, of their renewal approval as a Program (SHARP) as well. He is also Star site in Alaska’s Occupational Safety and working on a program that will enable Health (AKOSH) VPP. “While adherence to employers in the construction industry to our core value of safety is a top priority of work through a mobile workforce SHARP, every member of the ACS team, our safety eventually growing their programs to move specialists, Randy Pittman, CSP, and Eben towards the construction VPP. ADOSH McWilliams, RSP, are a key force behind our continues to use SGEs and does not VPP renewal and safety record, including anticipate that slowing down, especially going 13 years without a lost time accident. given the amount of re-approvals that are Federal OSHA States They support a world-class team of spill still to come. Jessie and his staff in the State-Plan States responders to prevent incidents, eliminate consultation and training department will Public Sector State Plan/Private risk where possible and seek improvements continue to educate stakeholders throughout Sector Federal OSHA to our processes to protect the ACS family at the state on the advantages of the Voluntary work and at home,” said Lloyd. Protection Programs as part of several Safety ACS is a not-for-profit oil spill response Summit meetings held at varying times cooperative, whose current membership during the upcoming year. includes oil and pipeline companies that engage in or intend to undertake oil and gas Iowa exploration, development and production Iowa OSHA is proud to announce that three or pipeline transport activities on the North resident contracting companies achieved Star Slope of Alaska. Originally formed in 1979, status recently: Thompson Construction, ACS was restructured in 1990 from an Inc., Clausen Supply Company and J. W. equipment cooperative into a full-response Koehler Electric, Inc. Each is a resident organization. ACS is now poised to respond, contractor at LyondellBasell, a PSM-covered similar to a professional fire department, to chemical plant, in Clinton, which has been a spill emergencies with trained responders Star site since 2002. A celebration was held and over $50 million worth of arctic-based on Oct. 14, 2014, which included all three response equipment, including a fleet of contracting companies, their employees and over 100 vessels and over 60 miles of oil spill the LyondellBasell partners. Iowa Labor boom, strategically in place across their area Commissioner Michael Mauro presented of operations. each company with a plaque and a flag to recognize how each company went above and Arizona beyond OSHA minimum requirements to Arizona’s state OSHA program is pleased achieve VPP Star status. to add Loven Contracting, Inc., to the list LyondellBasell fully integrates their of VPP participants, bringing their total to contractors into their safety and health 35 active sites, with at least three pending management systems and their leadership applications in the works. The Arizona was one aspect that contributed to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health successes of their contracting partners. (ADOSH) has been extremely active working One small, but powerful, example of safety to complete re-approvals with companies leadership was demonstrated when the VPP such as McCarthy Construction, Hunter celebration began with a safety moment, Douglas’s Horizontal Blinds Division, Frito shared by Clausen hourly employee, Jeremy Lay Distribution Center, Johns Manville, Lemon. Safety moments are part of the Raytheon Missile Systems (multiple sites) LyondellBasell philosophy of making safety and more recently, Central Arizona Project, personal. Every meeting throughout the who has once again been re-approved. Great facility begins with someone sharing a work everyone! Remember, the philosophy of personal story about safety. At the conclusion 38 THE LEADER vpppa.org

of the VPP ceremony, LyondellBasell J.W. Koehler Electric, Inc., is the first On Aug. 15, 2014, Monsanto Corn again demonstrated leadership when they electrical contracting company to achieve Star Research-Independence celebrated their Star challenged the group to continue to improve status is Iowa. Koehler Electric has been an approval. The audit process was completed in and create an even safer workplace, as electrical contracting company at LyondellBasell phases since seasonal activities vary. This site achieving the Star is only the beginning of for over five years, performing industrial employs nine people full time, supplemented their safety journey. electrical design, installation and maintenance. by many seasonal workers. Everyone in the All three contracting companies worked They began their journey to achieve the Star core group is deeply involved in safety and closely together to prepare for the rigorous over three years ago, with full support from is responsible for different safety programs VPP audit process, just as they do when the International Brotherhood of Electrical and activities. Monsanto supports safety performing work at LyondellBasell. That Workers (IBEW) Local 145, out of Rock Island, and health in the community as well and close communication was another key to IL. The company’s motto is “Always Striving everyone in the core group was also heavily achieving Star status. All resident contractors for Excellence in Whatever We Do.” Koehler involved in outreach activities. The Star belong to the Contractor Safety Council, Electric has approximately 124 employees, with celebration was unique in that family an effective tool to promote close, positive 32 employees (varies with projects) located members were also invited and recognized. communication and the sharing of best at LyondellBasell site. Their three-year total Please join us in honoring and practices between contracting partners. incident rate at the site is 0.0 and the company’s congratulating Iowa’s four new Star successes. Thompson Construction, Inc. offers overall Insurance Modification Rate is the lowest For more information about the Iowa VPP a comprehensive menu of general labor possible, demonstrating their commitment to program, contact VPP Team Leader, Shashi services at LyondellBasell and has been safe work throughout their company. Patel at (515) 281-6369. working at the site for 38 years. The services include utility locating, excavation and repair of underground piping, concrete flat work, gravel work, snow removal, bicycle inspection and maintenance and general maintenance of grounds and buildings. Their company motto is “Forging Into The Future Committed To Safety, Quality, And Health.” Thompson Construction has less than 10 employees, and they are a shining example of how a small company can implement a comprehensive safety and health management system effectively, including behavior-based safety and performing job hazard analyses for every task. For the last 18 years, the company has worked with zero OSHA recordable injuries. Clausen Supply Company is also a resident general labor contracting company at LyondellBasell. The services performed include general labor, scrap yard management, janitorial support, train hopper car wash, PEX boxing and loading, warehouse coordination, fire watch, confined space entry support and air monitoring for excavations. Their company motto is “Safety First, Quality Always.” Approximately 29 employees work at the LyondellBasell site. Their three-year total incident rate at the site is 0.0. Clausen Supply Company is another LyondellBasell contractor that trains their employees that they not only have the right to stop a job if it appears unsafe, they have Top: Thompson Construction displays its VPP flag and plaque the obligation to do so. Bottom: Clausen Supply Company displays its VPP flag and plaque THE LEADER vpppa.org 39

state-plan monitor contacting each state >> Alaska Michigan South Carolina Minnesota Bill Nickerson Doug Kimmel Sharon Dumit Minnesota has 38 Star sites and two VPP Coordinator MVPP Specialist VPP Coordinator Merit sites within the Minnesota VPP Phone: (907) 269-4948 Phone: (231) 546-2366 Phone: (803) 896-7788 (MNSTAR) program. Of the 38 Star www.labor.state.ak.us/lss/ Sherry Scott www.scosha.llronline.com oshhome.htm MVPP Manager Tennessee sites, 36 are classified as general industry Phone: (517) 322-5817 and two are resident contractors at our Arizona David Blessman MNSTAR approved refinery. Minnesota Jessie Atencio www.michigan.gov/mvpp VPP Manager OSHA (MNOSHA) and the MNSTAR Assistant Director Minnesota Phone: (615) 253-6890 Phone: (520) 220-4222 Ryan Nosan www.state.tn.us/labor- Program were very strong in 2014. Since www.ica.state.az.us/ MNSTAR VPP Coordinator wfd/vppStar.html the beginning of the year, we continued to ADOSH/ADOSH_main. Phone: (651) 284-5120 Utah process our re-approval audits in a timely aspx www.doli.state.mn.us/ Holly Lawrence manner and completed four new site mnStar.html approvals into MNSTAR. In addition, one California VPP Manager Iraj Pourmehraban Nevada Phone: (801) 530-6494 site was recommended to participate in a Cal/VPP & PSM Manager Jimmy Andrews www.laborcommission. Merit status. One site is currently under the Phone: (510) 622-1080 VPP Coordinator utah.gov/divisions/UOSH/ 90-day deferral period and upon successful www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/cal_ Phone: (702) 486-9069 VPPprogram.html completion of the hazard items, they vpp/cal_vpp_index.html www.dirweb.state.nv.us Vermont will be recommended as a full MNSTAR Hawaii New Mexico Daniel Whipple participant. The MNSTAR team continues Clayton Chun Melissa Barker VPP Coordinator to receive applications from interested Manager VPP Coordinator Phone: (802) 828-5084 employers. This year will see 12 re-approval Phone: (808) 586-9110 Phone: (505) 222-9595 www.labor.vermont.gov/ visits among existing MNSTAR employers. labor.hawaii.gov/hiosh www.nmenv.state. vosha Having a dedicated MNSTAR team nm.us/Ohsb_Website/ Indiana Virginia has allowed us to build strong working Michael Gaskill ComplianceAssistance/ Milford Stern relationships with our partners and has helped Manager VPP.htm VPP Coordinator open lines of communication from site to site. Phone: (260) 373-2860 North Carolina Phone: (540) 562-3580 Our current stakeholders continue to promote www.in.gov/dol/ LaMont Smith www.doli.virginia.gov/ the program to their clients which has led to Iowa Recognition Program vosh_coop/vosh_vpp.html an increase of inquiries into the program. Our Shashi Patel Manager Washington MNSTAR sites share best practices from site VPP Coordinator Phone: (919) 807-2909 John Geppert to site which allows all employers to strive to Phone: (515) 281-6369 www.nclabor.com/osha/ VPP Manager be better. www.iowaworkforce.org/ osh.htm Phone: (360) 902-5496 The following sites achieved MNSTAR or labor/iosh Oregon www.lni.wa.gov/safety/ Merit status in 2014: Mark E. Hurliman, CSHM topics/atoz/vpp/default.asp Kentucky • Nyco, Incorporated—(Rosemount, MN) Joe Giles VPP/SHARP Program Wyoming was recommended and approved as a full VPP Program Manager Karin Schubert MNSTAR site Administrator Phone: (541) 776-6016 Consultation Supervisor Phone: (502) 564-4089 www.cbs.state.or.us/osha/ Phone: (307) 777-7710 • Delta Air Lines—Minneapolis labor.ky.gov/dows/ subjects/vpp.htm www.wyomingworkforce. Reservations Customer Engagement oshp/doet/partnership/ Puerto Rico org/employers-and- Center—(Minneapolis, MN) was pages/VPP---Voluntary- Ilza Roman businesses/osha/Pages/ recommended and approved as a full Protection-Partnership. Director safety-and-health- MNSTAR site. aspx Phone: (787) 754-2171 compliance.aspx • Firmenich—(New Ulm, MN) was www.dtrh.gobierno.pr Maryland recommended and approved as a full Cynthia L. Wheeler MNSTAR site. VPP Coordinator • Bosch Security Systems—(Burnsville, MN) Phone: (410) 527-4473 was recommended and approved as a full www.dllr.state.md.us/ MNSTAR site. labor/mosh/vpp.shtml • Sysco Asian Foods—(St. Paul, MN) has been recommended and approved to For additional information and up-to-date contacts, please visit participate as a Merit—MNSTAR Site. www.vpppa.org/chapters/contacts.cfm. Also in 2014, we completed successful re- approval visits at: 40 THE LEADER vpppa.org

• Danfoss Power Solution— Washington (Plymouth, MN) There are currently 30 recognized VPP sites Our (Minnesota) • Aveda Midwest Distribution Center— in the Washington State program. Initial MNSTAR sites share (Blaine, MN) approval onsite visits were held at MA best practices from site • Marvin Windows and Doors— Mortenson Construction in University Place, to site which allows all (Warroad, MN) NuStar Energy in Tacoma and Starbucks • Monsanto Corn Research— Roasting Plant in Kent. Onsite evaluations employers to strive to (Olivia, MN) for continued participation were conducted be better. • CB & I—(Rosemount, MN) at GE River Road Generating Plant in The MNSTAR Team continues to Vancouver and Monsanto in Othello. receive inquires and has visited with The sites most recently re-approved were multiple employers that have an interest Intermech in Richland, Simmons Bedding in the MNSTAR Program. The small team in Sumner and Schweitzer Engineering approach has allowed MNOSHA to remain Laboratories in Pullman. Celebrations were consistent from site to site and helped held for Veolia Environmental in Vancouver, alleviate any scheduling conflicts. WA, and Cascades Sonoco in Tacoma. An If you would like further information about initial approval onsite visit was scheduled in the MNSTAR Program, please visit www.doli. January for Trident Seafoods in Seattle. state.mn.us/WSC/Mnstar.asp or contact Ryan The Washington State Voluntary Nosan, MNSTAR VPP coordinator, at ryan. Protection Programs will hold its 3rd Annual [email protected]. Safety Excellence Seminar on March 19, 2015, in Tumwater. The focus of the seminar Nevada this coming year will be Safety Culture. As was noted in the last issue of The Leader, Nevada’s State OSHA program VPP Coordinator, Jess Lankford, vacated his role to take the helm as chief administrative officer. We have learned that the position of VPP coordinator has now been filled by Jimmy Andrews. We want to congratulate Mr. Andrews on his new appointment and are looking forward to working with him within Region IX. Mr. Andrews is already actively involved in the program as they continue to work to add to the nine active VPP sites within Nevada. In fact, there are four re- approvals already slated for the 2015 calendar year and 2014 saw one new site added to the roles of the VPP family. Keep up the good work and welcome aboard, Mr. Andrews! Oregon Oregon had two sites re-approved during the quarter. Boise Packaging and Newsprint, a wholly owned subsidiary of Packaging Corporation of America, underwent their evaluation in October and was re-approved as a Star site in November 2014. Covanta Marion, Inc. went through their evaluation in November and was re-approved as a Star site in December 2014. Three evaluations are scheduled for the first quarter of 2015, and two new applications are anticipated in the near future. THE LEADER vpppa.org 41

chapter round-ups COMPILED BY Region I manager, Karen Girardin, presenting an overview BENJAMIN MASSOUD, Hello from Region I, where New England of the facility. The facility employs 360 people COMMUNICATIONS sparkles in winter. Blanketed in snow, white who support operations, the manufacturing of COORDINATOR, VPPPA, INC. church steeples stand out against the deep new products and the refurbishing of Maine blue sky. Whether it’s winter, spring, summer Hunting Shoe and Bean Boots. or fall, it’s a great place for a vacation. If Chapter Chair, Steve Gauthier, welcomed you haven’t visited New England, plan everyone and provided a chapter report. Steve on attending one of our annual safety also informed the membership about the Feb. conferences. With that said, Region I is 10, 2015, chapter meeting which will be held planning for our spring conference, held on at United Technologies Aerospace Systems- beautiful Cape Cod, at the Sea Crest Beach UTC, Windsor Locks, CT. Hotel in Falmouth, MA, May 18–20, 2015. Following the chapter report, OSHA gave As always, we are planning an all-out event a regional report. We’d like to thank the by providing keynote speakers that you’ll OSHA representatives in attendance; their remember long after the conference. The vast participation continues to demonstrate the number of workshops, along with various strong relationship our members have with exhibitors and their products, will present a their regional OSHA representatives. host of information. Don’t miss this event! Region I’s Tim Irving, assistant regional Early registration is recommended. Visit administrator for cooperative and state www.vppregion1.com for more information. programs, Robert Sands, Region I VPP We recently held our fall chapter meeting, manager, Lynnda Ignacio, VPP coordinator, Maryann Medeiros, area director Maine, and hosted by L.L. Bean at their Brunswick Manufacturing facility in Brunswick, ME. Brian Sullivan, compliance specialist, were The chapter meeting opened with the facility’s on hand to answer questions about the most manager, Rick Bohan, and safety program recent national initiatives. The chapter meeting was adjourned, and L.L. Bean then provided a tour of their facility. Thanks to L.L. Bean for hosting. Contributed by Steve Gauthier, Region I Chairperson Region III The Region III VPPPA Board of Directors is excitedly preparing for our 18th Annual Conference, scheduled for March 4–6, 2015, at The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA. It is time to register! The registration link (www. vppparegion3.org/2015RegistrationForm.pdf), is available on the Region III website. Be prepared to absorb all that The Homestead has to offer, including natural hot springs, mountains with skiing on the property, hiking trails and two championship golf courses. You can book your hotel reservation online or directly with The Homestead. Don’t miss out on the discounted conference hotel rate of $135. Be sure to visit The Homestead’s website for more information on the Conference: www.thehomestead.com/ VPPPARegionIII2015AnnualMeeting. Sea Crest Beach Hotel, location of Region I’s conference 42 THE LEADER vpppa.org

Congratulations to Region III Director- Some Conference Highlights are: Region VI at-Large, Kristyn Grow, (Cintas) for her Keni Thomas will be this year’s Region VI is gearing up for our 2015 election to the National VPPPA Board keynote speaker. In the summer of conference, “Hooked on Safety,” held at the of Directors during this year’s national 1993 Sergeant Keni Thomas was American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, conference! Also, the Region III Board deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia. TX, May 4–7, 2015. would like to welcome Carol Hash of Keni and his fellow rangers Workshop proposals are now being accepted Kennametal, to the Board of Directors. distinguished themselves in an eighteen hour fire- as well as sponsorships and registration for Carol will be filling our hourly union fight that would later be recounted in the highly exhibitors. All this can be completed via the representative position. successful book and movie “Black Hawk Down.” Region VI website, www.regionvivpp.org. In addition to following Region III A powerful speaker, Keni captivates audiences Once again, OSHA will be offering an VPPPA on our website (vppparegion3.org/ from beginning to end as he tells the incredible SGE class on the days leading up to the 2015 homepage.html), you can also keep up with story of extraordinary individuals and how they Region VI VPPPA Regional Conference. our activity by becoming a Facebook “friend” fought to bring each other home. Drawing from The dates of the class are May 2–4. The of Region III VPPPA. his experiences on the battlefield, Keni inspires application Deadline was Jan. 15, 2015. people to achieve greatness by stressing the The future SGE training schedule is as Contributed by Bob Schroeder, importance of outstanding leadership at every Region III Secretary follows: July 14–16, 2015—McKee Foods, level. Attendees can also look forward to: Gentry, AR. Application deadline April • Over 40 Outstanding EH&S Workshops 15, 2015. Sept. 15–17, 2015—NASA-JSC Region IV • Raffle Prizes (Gilruth Center), Houston, TX. Application The 2015 Region IV Safety & Health • Great Networking deadline is July 15, 2015. Excellence Conference, held June 16-18, • VPP Application Workshop To register, please go to www.osha.gov/ 2015, will be in Orlando, FL, at the fabulous • Pre-conference Tour at Nucor Steel in dcsp/vpp/sge.html. If you have any questions, Marion, OH please contact Chantel Sollers at sollers. Caribe Royale. New for the 2015 conference, adding to the vast educational opportunities, For more information on becoming an [email protected] or at (202) 693-2237 or Bill five free pre-conference workshops will be exhibitor, contact Eric Siefker at (419) 943- Klingbeil at [email protected]. offered. For more conference and registration 1183 or [email protected]. The Have you recently celebrated a success at information, visit www.regionivvpp.org. Region V Conference provides an excellent your site? Share your story with the rest of L.E. Meyers is hosting an SGE Training Class opportunity to create new, and strengthen the VPP community. Let’s hear what’s going in Chattanooga, TN, April 7–9, 2015. For more existing relationships and reinforce your on at your site. Send us your stories with information on the SGE program within Region services and products to companies who photos and brag a little about what you’re IV, visit www.regionivvpp.org/sge. continuously strive for safety excellence. doing well and how it has impacted your Looking for assistance from another VPP Would your organization like to sponsor site and safety program. Send your stories site on the complexities of navigating through or donate items for the 2015 conference? and photos to Kirk Crandall, kirk.crandall@ the process? Region IV has many VPP sites We are looking for items such as cups, ID nrgenergy.com. Visit the Region VI website that are eager to help other sites achieve lanyards, notebooks, etc. All sponsors will have at www.regionvivpp.org for more details. VPP status. Learn from those who have their company name, logo and the level of Region VI recognizes Connie Pritchard: been through the process. The Region IV sponsorship provided to all attendees and will An outstanding and website has an online form for those looking be prominently displayed at all the Opening accomplished employee of the to mentor others and for those looking for a and General Session events. Additional NASA Johnson Space Center mentor. Visit www.regionivvpp.org/mentoring information about sponsorship opportunities is (JSC) for 30 years, Connie for more information or to submit a mentor/ available on the Region V website. Pritchard is an advocate mentee request. The 2015 VPP assessment schedule for and mentor for both VPP, and the OSHA Region V has been posted on our website. If Contributed by Phil Walsh, Region IV you’re an SGE and looking to participate on an Challenge Program. Chairperson Her support for VPP and the JSC assessment in 2015, be sure to review the VPP grew when she transferred into the Safety schedule and contact the OSHA lead as soon & Test Operations Support Division Region V as possible. For the VPP assessment schedule in 2009. She is actively involved in The 2015 Region V Conference will take and the OSHA contacts, please visit www. supporting JSC’s VPP Star program by vppregionv.com/region-v-sges. place May 19–21, at the Great Columbus educating employees and contractors on Convention Center in Columbus, OH. Be Contributed by Bill Linneweh, the importance of maintaining JSC’s safety sure to save the dates! Region V Chairperson and health excellence. THE LEADER vpppa.org 43

chapter round-ups Connie presents VPP information at Mike Minicky, Mike Murphy and Terry Bass are switching to a feedback-based conference. pre-proposal conferences, an important early for leading the workshop. We are hoping to establish regional committees stage in the NASA procurement process. The Region VII VPPPA BOD is very busy to meet the needs of all six states, while focusing She coordinates and implements safety preparing for this year’s conference in St. on mentorship, outreach and growth. requirements in request for proposals and Louis, MO, at the Chase Park Plaza, May Region VIII is on the verge of something evaluates safety and health plans and safety 18–20, 2015. We are very excited to announce great and understands we are part of past performance reviews on all support that we have dynamic speaker, singer and something bigger. As we press on together, contracts at JSC. She also supports JSC’s song writer, Keni Thomas, presenting at the the synergy is unstoppable. Change is annual VPP self-evaluation by providing opening session. Keni is an American country inevitable, but our region is worth the documentation on several critical elements music singer and a former United States Army work. This year the goals were to develop a for the report and assists in the development Ranger. Keni was a member of Task Force regional mission statement, define roles and of the report. She provides one-on-one Ranger as a part of Operation Restore Hope, in responsibilities for the board, support our mentoring to several contractors for the Somalia, and served in the Battle of Mogadishu OSHA regional VPP manager, maintain our Challenge Program. that was later immortalized in the book current VPP sites and look for opportunities “Black Hawk Down” and its subsequent film to expand outreach. I am happy to report Region VI recognizes Kimberly Cooper adaptation, for which he served as a consultant. that all of these were carried out in 2014. (Written by Kimberly) We would like to congratulate Jeff This year’s goals also include a Government In February 2012, I became VPP site Klinksick, chairperson, and Randy Bickford, Relations Committee while continuing coordinator for Chevron Phillips Chemical vice chairperson, on their retirement and we to focus on member relations, increasing Orange Plant. To familiarize myself with VPP wish them the best of luck in their future membership and participation and improving and my role, my manager suggested that I take plans. We also want to thank them for conference attendance and workshops. I “learning journeys” and to network at our sister their dedication, passion and leadership believe that with everyone’s dedication and sites. Each time I visited a new site, I learned they have had for VPP and the VPP support, we can master all of these items and something new. Participants’ Association. develop an even better region. At the 2014 VPPPA national conference, I With their retirements, the BOD has This year, four board positions will be open attended a pre-conference workshop presented elected Mike Murphy, Ply Gem and Bill for election: chair, treasurer, site representative- by OSHA, about possible upcoming changes Turner, NuStar Energy, as chairperson and union and director-at-large #2. I urge you to to the Annual Self-Evaluation and PSM vice chairperson, respectively, and Alicia get out and vote and get involved in shaping Supplement B questions. Since I was the Hardacre, Tyler Pipe, has stepped into the the future of the region. only Chevron Phillips Chemical employee in role of secretary/historian. With the new It has been an honor to serve as the interim attendance, I invited all our domestic VPP leadership, we look forward to maintaining chair for 2014. Rest assured, we still have work site coordinators and our OSHA area VPP the same level of quality and conferences, to do, and I am up for the task. I sincerely coordinator to a two day networking meeting. while at the same time increasing interest in want to thank the Board of Directors for their We have three coordinators who have been employee safety, VPP and VPPPA. patience, willingness to change and most in their positions for less than a year, and they We hope to see you all this May at the importantly, trust. found these meetings to be very beneficial. conference in St. Louis. I wish for health and happiness for you all in It gave them a chance to ask questions and the upcoming year. Thank you for being such learn from more seasoned VPP coordinators, Contributed by Bill Turner, a supportive group of hard working individuals Region VII Vice Chairperson learn how each site prepares and submits committed to health and safety excellence. their self-evaluations, as well as learn OSHA’s expectations and best practices from their Region VIII Contributed by Mark. A. Moya, Region VIII Chairperson counterparts. As a result, we now have an Planning for the 2015 conference, scheduled established VPP Coordinators Best Practice for May 5–7, 2015, in the Denver area, is in Team in our corporation. full swing. We are currently working with the Region IX Contributed by Kirk Crandall, DoubleTree to relocate exhibitors to a friendlier Reaching the summit in any endeavor, simply Region VI Director-at-Large environment. Additionally, we are generating put, implies that you have arrived; you are a “Things to Do in Denver” flier so our guests the best! But what does it take to get there? It enjoy the “Mile High City.” Our keynote doesn’t just magically happen. It takes work, Region VII speakers have not been confirmed, but we have commitment, engagement and education, The Region VII VPPPA Board of Directors narrowed it down to three top choices. We just to name a few. Then there is the issue of would like to thank everyone that attended are focusing on speakers that will bring a fresh making sure that once we achieve those lofty the VPP Application Workshop in October in undertone to the opening and closing sessions. goals designed to get us to the pinnacle of Des Moines, IA. A big thanks to Matt Gaines, In order to improve the conference each year, we success in safety, that we remain at the top, 44 THE LEADER vpppa.org

that we don’t fall off the ledge! These are all is performed safely, you demonstrate that areas that each and every VPP participant zero injuries is achievable, and you not only struggles with on a daily basis and the Board know how to do it, but also take personal of Directors for Region IX VPPPA are accountability for your actions while looking committed to helping you get the answers. out for your colleagues.” You will find that help at the 2015 Regional Employees of Tessenderlo Kerley Inc. Safety Summit in Reno, NV, April 14–16, (TKI), of Burley, ID, celebrated Star 2015. Learn from people who have already re-approval on Oct. 9, 2014, for their forged a path to the peak: management and continued excellence in safety and health. employees, who in the interest of saving The TKI manufacturing plant sits on lives and enhancing safety within their approximately 40 acres. The site is located varied organizations, have already scaled the five miles south of Burley, ID, and is mountains, eliminating the obstacles placed surrounded by farmland. It employs 12 before them, eventually to discover there is workers who produce soil fumigant for such a thing as safety excellence. Come learn from corporate executives, charged with the distribution to agricultural product retailers. day-to-day decisions affecting and shaping the Production time is limited to six to eight very direction of their journey to excellence months a year, depending on demand. as they explain what it means to them! In Generally, production times are from mid-February to the end of April and from addition, you can discover new methods and best practices utilized by those organizations, the first of June to the end of November. all of whom have successfully maintained that During extended downtime periods, engagement and level of success year after facility maintenance and improvements are year, demonstrating continuous improvement completed. OSHA initially approved the the entire time. Learn how VPP saves lives, facility’s VPP Star status in February 2006. saves money and builds success into an The facility has an injury and illness rate organization. Join region IX VPP participants 100 percent below the national average for at the 2015 Safety Summit. If you want to its industry. get involved and contribute to our success by Congratulations to the employees of Top: (Back Row, left to right) Jack Kerns, doing a presentation, volunteering to help the URS E&C office in Boise, ID, for the Steve Sailors, Chace Thomas, Richard with conference duties or in some other way, successful renewal of their VPP Star. The Hobbs, Spencer Sorensen, Jordan Burns simply go to the Region IX website, Boise office first received OSHA VPP Star (Front Row, left to right) Mike Granillo, Rick www.regionixvpppa.org/ and discover the status in 2006 and is the first URS office Hieb, Stephanie Johnson, Scott Vail, Mark Payne, Todd Hale, Greg Roggentine, not ways in which you can contribute to our to receive the recognition. This important pictured Daryl Scott journey to success! achievement was marked at a ceremony on Bottom: Employees of Tessenderlo Kerley Contributed by Mark Norton, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. celebrate Star re-approval Ambassador to the Region IX Board “This is a significant achievement and places the Boise office among the safety elite,” said Brad Giles, energy & Region X construction (EC) senior vice president of On Oct. 1, 2014, Idaho Cleanup Project safety. “Less than 0.03% of workplaces in (ICP) President and CEO, Tom Dieter, the United States have achieved this level congratulated employees for achieving one of health and safety performance.” A thank million hours without a recordable injury you is extended to the Boise employees and for the fourth time. In recognition of this the safety committee that assisted in the re- great achievement, employees were treated approval process. to a special safety appreciation lunch. In In addition, celebrations also took place at his message he praised his workers: “As you the following sites: Potlatch Land & Lumber know, most companies tout how many hours of St. Maries, ID, and Everett Naval Station they’ve gone without a ‘lost workday injury,’ in Everett, WA. but we took the challenge to take safe work metrics to a new level of achievement. Contributed by Jack Griffith, Region X Through your dedication to ensure work Communications Committee Chairman THE LEADER vpppa.org 45

calendar of events VPPPA Contacts To reach the VPPPA National Office, call (703) 761-1146 or visit www. february may vpppa.org. To reach a particular staff member, please refer to the contact information below. R. Davis Layne Jan. 12–Feb. 23, 2015 May 4–7, 2015 [email protected] VPPPA’s Got Talent Voting Region VI VPPPA Conference Senior Advisor Omni Bayfront Hotel, Sara A. Taylor, CMP march Corpus Christi, TX [email protected] May 5–7, 2015 Director of Operations Ext. 107 Region VIII VPPPA Conference March 2015 Doubletree Hotel Denver Tech, Amanda Buckner st Registration open for the 31 Greenwood Village, CO [email protected] Annual National VPPPA Safety Senior Conference Coordinator Ext. 112 & Health Conference May 13–14, 2015 Region X VPPPA Conference Sarah Neely March 3–5, 2015 Red Lion on the River, Portland, OR [email protected] Region III VPPPA Conference Communications Manager OMNI Homestead Resort, May 18–20, 2015 Ext. 121 Hot Springs, VA Region I VPPPA Conference Benjamin Massoud Sea Crest Beach Motel [email protected] Communications Coordinator april Falmouth, MA Ext. 117 May 18–20, 2015 Charlie Doss Region VII VPPPA Conference [email protected] April 14–16, 2015 Chase Park Plaza Hotel, Government Affairs Manager Region IX VPPPA Conference St. Louis, MO Ext. 113 Grand Sierra Resort & Casino, Tom Webb Reno, NV May 19–21, 2015 [email protected] Region V VPPPA Conference Strategic Development & Member Hilton Columbus Downtown, Services Manager Columbus, OH Ext. 114 Jenna Shay june [email protected] Member Services Coordinator Ext. 115 Laura S. Rotzler, CMP May 30–Jun 4, 2015 [email protected] American Industrial Hygiene Advertising & Sponsorship Conference and Expo (AIHCE) 2015 Coordinator Salt Lake City, UT Ext. 111 Marianne Trinh June 1–3, 2015 [email protected] Region II VPPPA Conference Senior Accountant Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ Ext. 106 Bryant Walker June 16–18, 2015 [email protected] Region IV VPPPA Conference Information & Data Analyst Manager Caribe Royal, Orlando, FL Ext. 110 Courtney Malveaux, Esq [email protected] Government Relations Counsel Ext. 105 46 THE LEADER vpppa.org

crossword puzzle Fill out this crossword puzzle featuring clues on VPP, the association and content from this issue! Answers to this puzzle will appear in the spring issue of The Leader. Do not include spaces for multiple-word answers. To submit a crossword puzzle clue/answer in the next issue of The Leader, contact [email protected]. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 11. Repetition, posture and _______ are ergonomic risk factors that become Across magnified as we age because the body has had those factors impacting it over 2. One of Region VIII’s goals; Government time even in the best of conditions _______ Committee 12. Representative from Ohio’s 7th 6. Theme of the 2015 Region VI Congressional District, Bob _______ Conference, “ _______ on Safety” Down 14. Number of completed outreach 10. To help prevent serious injuries on meetings with the Senate in 2014 the job, you need a comprehensive 1. The term for workers who want a job, are 15. This type of program can address process that includes an ergonomics available to work, but have dropped multiple issues related to standing, improvement process, education/ out of the workforce because they think muscle fatigue and foot pain training and early _______ that no work is available or believe that 17. Idaho Cleanup Project President and 13. Limits the use of joints and creates employers think they are too old CEO, Tom stiffness and pain 2. Older workers can provide many 18. City where 2015 Region VII Conference 16. At this age, workability starts to benefits, including loyalty, engagement will be held decrease at its most critical point and _______ 19. According to Aon’s Ageonomics 20. The belief that older workers cannot 3. Cloudy deposit that can develop in the diagnostic research, the two leading adjust to technology or are generally lens of an eye causes of injuries to knees and resistant to change” is an example of 4. By 2020, an estimated _______ percent of shoulders, strains/sprains and slips/trips/ an _______ stereotype the labor force will be 55 and older falls, can be attributed to reduced 21. Periods of _______ last about 50 percent 5. The optimal location to perform work strength and _______ longer for older people 7. City where the 2015 Region IV Safety 20. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that 22. By looking at _______ trends associated and Health Excellence Conference will a higher standard of proof applies to with aging workers, organizations can be held _______ discrimination claims than to job develop a targeted, age-specific 8. The scientific discipline concerned with bias claims based on sex or race strategy to prevent or reduce the the interaction among aging humans 24. The science of designing the workplace duration of days that older workers miss and other elements of the system within to fit the worker while keeping in mind the 23. Plant manager for Hendrickson Trailer which they work capabilities and limitations of the worker Commercial Vehicle Systems, in 9. A person’s fatigue _______ is lowered if 25. Utilizing diffusers of light sources, indirect Mitchell, SD, Steve _______ they experience reduced recovery time lighting and installing a larger number of 26. A proper ergonomics program can help for muscle endurance and get tired lower power and adjustable light sources prevent workplace _______ disorders earlier in work activities can help reduce this in a worksite See page 40 for Crossword Answers from last issue. THE LEADER vpppa.org 47

7600-E Leesburg Pike, 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 Workshouldn’t hurt. Save your knees with our ergonomic products! Soft Knees Knee Pads Disposable Knee Pads Ergokneel Handy Mats Pak •A •Ladder Garden Kneeling Strip Extreme Standing Mats Ergokneel Ergomotion Soft Top Aircraft Mats Pocket Kneeler Ground Blankets Surgical Lift Mat with Lanyard 888-456-3372 • www.safeworker.com