The Leader Winter 2019 - The Age Issue

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1, WINTER 2019 THE Age Issue

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LTHEEADER CONTENTS VOL 6. ISSUE 1 WINTER 2019 features 1 0 Coaching the Next Generation While Millennials bring with them a new set of skills and perspectives, they understandably don’t have the work experience or technical proficiency that is only acquired through time. When one of our more experienced workers leaves the team, their talent, experience and knowledge also head out the door. How do we ensure that this knowledge is not lost forever? How do we pass the torch to this younger generation of workers? 1 4 The Career Arc of the 1 8 Using Exercise to 2 2 Conscious Safety Professional Facilitate Productive Communication— Aging in the Workplace Understanding The aging workforce is a growing topic the Generations among professionals around the world. It’s time to rethink exercise as a As older generations retire, and changes key component of modern safety This is the first time that we have five in technology become increasingly management systems. By 2024, one generations working together. With this prevalent, the workforce does not quarter of U.S. workers will be over the diversity exists many challenges, one resemble what it did years ago. What age of 55. In order for employers to being interpersonal communication. does this mean for the safety and truly prepare for this shift, it’s critical to Interactions have transformed over health industry? Here at VPPPA we were understand that work ability is dynamic in the years with new technologies, interested in the career arc—past, present relation to the aging process. Weakened experiences and differing expectations. and future—of the safety professional, so mobility and other functional limitations Thus, communicating clearly in today’s we had conversations with both newer are far from inevitable, and the workplace workplace is complicated. The potential and more seasoned professionals from setting carries great potential for for conflict and miscommunication Oldcastle Infrastructure. proactively addressing these challenges. poses barriers to conducting work safely. 4 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

features continued www.vpppa.org 2 6 Passing the 3 0 Preparing the VPPPA National Board of Directors Baton: Knowledge Workplace for Transfer Through the Older American Workers Chairperson Generations J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE, Raytheon You’ve heard the phrase, “age is just a Company, LLC Knowledge gained over decades, number.” Older generations have been critical to operational success, resides embracing this mentality, and keeping Vice Chairperson in the minds of seasoned employees. themselves active, long after traditional Terry Schulte, NuStar Energy, LP Extracting that important information, retirement years. Age has started to packaging it and passing it on to the matter less as more workers are delaying Treasurer next leg of the generational relay ensures retirement and staying in the workforce. Chris Adolfson, Idaho National Laboratory a seamless and safe transition from one What challenges do employers face as generation to the next. their workers begin to age? Secretary Dan Lazorcak, CSP, Honeywell International 2 8 Cutting Tool 3 4 First Responder Safety for All Ages Considerations Director from a Site With a Collective for the Aging Workforce Bargaining Unit This is an exciting time. Getting older Jack Griffith, CH2M Hill Plateau isn’t as closely tied to slowing down as it After 26 years of riding in a fire truck Remediation Company used to be. We regularly hear that sixty and ambulance, I’ve learned that is the new thirty, or the like. But there treating younger adults versus older Director from a Site Without a Collective are some physical realities that are adults (55+ years old) presents different Bargaining Agent important to consider in order to keep challenges to patient care during Richard McConnell, Austin Industrial older workers as safe as their younger trauma or medical emergencies. If at LyondellBasell counterparts. When it comes to cutting certain key aspects are not taken into tools, finding safer tools that feature consideration and quickly addressed in Director from a DOE-VPP Site ergonomic handle design and safety the field, there is a higher risk of further Stacy Thursby, AECOM blades will be increasingly important. damage, injury, or even death. Director from a VPP Contractor/ sections Construction Site Jamie Robey, CSP, SGE, The Brock Group A MESSAGE FROM THE 6 Look for these topics highlighted in the VPPPA CHAIRPERSON top right corner of each section. Director-at-Large Johnathan “JD” Dyer, Shermco Industries GLOBAL SAFETY AND 8 G overnment HEALTH WATCH M embership Director-at-Large H ealth Kristyn Grow, CSP, CHMM, SGE MEMBERSHIP CORNER 36 Business Cintas Corporation Outreach STATE-PLAN MONITOR 38 Director-at-Large Sean D. Horne, Valero Energy VPPPA REGIONAL ROUND-UPS 42 Director-at-Large INFOGRAPHIC CORNER 46 Kimberly Watson, Oldcastle Infrastructure CALENDAR OF EVENTS 47 Director-at-Large Alice Tatro, Acushnet Company—Ball Plant II Director-at-Large Vacant Editor Kerri Carpenter, VPPPA, Inc. Associate Editor Jamie Mitchell, VPPPA, Inc. Editorial Mission The Leader (ISSN 1081-261X) is published quarterly for VPPPA members. The Leader delivers articles from members for members, safety and health best practices, developments in the field of occupational safety and health, association activities, educational and networking opportunities and the latest VPP approvals. Subscriptions are available for members as part of their membership benefits and at a 50 percent discount beyond the complimentary allotment. The nonmember subscription rate is $25 a year. Ideas and opinions expressed within The Leader represent the independent views of the authors. Postmaster >> Please send address changes to: VPPPA, Inc. • 7600 Leesburg Pike, East Building, Suite 100 • Falls Church, VA 22043-2004 VPPPA, Inc., the premier global safety and health organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that promotes advances in worker safety and health excellence through best practices and cooperative efforts among workers, employers, the government and communities. vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 5

J.A. Rodriguez, Jr. A Message From the VPPPA Chairperson W elcome to our Winter Issue of –– Experienced a 26 percent increase in big New Orleans-style gala at the Safety+ The Leader Magazine. 2018 is now exhibitors (231 to 291) from 2017 Symposium, and more behind us and we are very much to 2018 • Watch our website for the National Board looking toward an exciting 2019 as we celebrate of Directors election information—consider our 35th year of service excellence together –– We launched a highly successful marketing running for our board, and enhancing your with our OSHA and industry partners, our campaign garnering prominent and global career, while helping us forge our future exhibitors, and our entire VPPPA Community. Association recognition • There will be many opportunities to join our team by volunteering for a committee, What an exciting 2018! Before looking at • Partnerships writing for The Leader and our blog, what’s in store for 2019, let’s reflect on where we’ve –– We partnered with Tennessee Safety and delivering powerful and industry-leading been, so we can better define where we are headed. Health Conference on Safety+ webinars, or by contributing to our new –– We developed and finalized a partnership body of knowledge platform The key 2018 milestones: with Columbia Southern University to • We will continue to partner with OSHA on offer a 10 percent discount on education supporting the Safe + Sound Campaign • We finalized and initiated the courses to VPPPA membership along with implementation of our 2022 VPPPA Strategic a waived application fee and free textbooks In addition, VPPPA has set up an Plan, concentrated on delivering membership –– We partnered with OSHA on their Safe + AmazonSmile account. AmazonSmile is a website value, growing strategic partnerships, Sound Campaign operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy enhancing global presence and facilitating –– We organized two VPP outreaches on the same wide selection of products, low prices, safety management system excellence Capitol Hill with over 225 meetings and convenient shopping features as on Amazon. –– We exhibited at the Kentucky Safety com. The difference is that when our members • The Leader Magazine & Health Conference and the Virginia shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), –– We won the Association Media & Occupational Safety and Health Conference the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate Publishing’s 2018 Excel Award in June for 0.5 percent of the price of eligible purchases Best Feature Article While 2018 was a highly successful year, just to VPPPA. There is no price difference if –– The Summer 2018 issue became the first wait for 2019! We are planning a bigger, better our members choose to use AmazonSmile. ever national, multi-language health and year, and with your active participation and With hundreds of thousands of employees safety magazine in the industry support, it will be one for the record books. at VPPPA member sites, this program could –– This Winter issue has more feature articles significantly make a major and positive than ever before (eight total), which offers Here’s a teaser on what is impact on our association. To sign up for more solutions to our biggest challenges headed your way: the VPPPA AmazonSmile page, visit: bit. ly/AmSmVPPPA. Be sure to start at Smile. • Membership • Continued implementation of our 2022 Amazon.com when you begin shopping. –– We had more educational events in 2018 Strategic Plan than ever before with nine webinars Our goal is to help you drive performance –– Our social media following is up • We are working on a new and amazing excellence by design, to facilitate your success by significantly (Facebook up 63 percent, Safety+ Symposium in New Orleans, LA, connecting you to actionable resources and to be Twitter up 12 percent) with innovative exhibitors and informative the association of choice for business success and –– We experienced the highest membership workshops for the safety practitioner, labor market share enhancement. In this regard, let us retention rate in the last five fiscal years with force and leadership, from the top experts in know how we can help, how we can improve, a total of 379 new members—welcome! the industry how we can deliver what you need to better –– We created the Member Center webpage protect our nation’s workforce, and how we can showcasing membership news celebrating • We are working on a body of knowledge help your organization enhance its competitive you, our valued members platform to transform the way you access advantage in the global marketplace. best practices, educational information and • 2018 Safety+ Symposium business resources We are your association. You are VPPPA. We –– We exceeded revenue goals in advertising, are truly transforming tomorrow together. exhibit hall and sponsorships • We are working on additional partnerships –– Experienced a 32 percent increase in and enhancing those already in place registrants (2,656 to 3,507) from 2017 to 2018 • We are celebrating our 35th birthday all year long with prizes, throwbacks and a 6 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

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global safety and health watch Building Safety Communities Through Social Media BY JAMIE MITCHELL, million people using Facebook, roughly 210 addition, according to Pew Research Center, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, million Americans use Facebook and about “Around four-in-ten U.S. adults (43 percent) VPPPA, INC. 270 people in India use Facebook. A January get news from Facebook, according to a survey 2018 study conducted by Pew Research Center conducted in July and August. The share of T he magazine you are currently reading is a found that people (in the U.S.) ages 18–29 use U.S. adults who get news through Facebook time-honored example of an educational Facebook the most at 81 percent. Also, people is much higher than the shares who get news resource available to the VPPPA safety and ages 65+ were using Facebook at 41 percent. through YouTube (21 percent), Twitter (12 health community—we have been publishing This is still the smallest demographic group to percent), Instagram (8 percent), LinkedIn (6 The Leader since 1999. However, we cannot be using Facebook in the U.S., but they have percent) and other platforms.” Therefore, to deliver these articles and other association doubled in size since 2012. successfully reach your membership, you need updates to your door daily. That’s where social to be one of the voices in that crowd. media conveniently comes into play. The VPPPA Facebook page has over 1,500 “likes” (when a user “likes” a page, they are part Twitter This issue of The Leader discusses the different of the community of people who will see the ways generations communicate, learn and pass daily posts of that page). We have found that Based on their third quarter results from 2018, down safety knowledge. Our communications our VPPPA Facebook page is a great way to Twitter has around 326 million monthly active team is constantly trying to think of the best ways share quick updates about the association, host users. This number decreased from Twitter’s to communicate with, and reach, our members. contests, post safety and/or health articles and second quarter 2018 results, which found 335 One way we do this is by turning to the news items, or even send fun updates from the million monthly active users. In the U.S., there demographics of our VPPPA social media outlets. National Office Staff. While we know our whole are 67 million monthly active users on Twitter. member base is not on social media, or maybe E-blasts have not found our page yet, it is important The VPPPA Twitter page has over 1,700 for organizations to have these outlets. But followers. We have found many of these followers E-blasts, or email communications, are a very why? Every 60 seconds on Facebook 510,000 are companies that exhibit their products at effective tool for reaching your audience. comments are posted, 293, 000 statuses are VPPPA regional or national events. While many However, it is imperative to space out your updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded. In of these followers are also on Facebook, they emails. You do not want to overuse this prefer to utilize Twitter for communications. medium and irritate your audience. Remember, as fast as someone can opt in to an e-blast, they can opt out. It is also important to be mindful of the date and time with which you send out communications. For example, sending an e-blast about association news the day before Thanksgiving is likely to yield a high number of out-of-office messages and bounce-backs. While we utilize email marketing messages to send thousands of our members safety and health-related news, we cannot send these emails every day. That’s why we also take advantage of other social media channels. Facebook These statistics are constantly changing as more accounts are created each minute, but according to Facebook’s third quarter results for 2018, there are over 2.27 billion monthly active Facebook users worldwide (as of October 30, 2018). For example, Europe has over 307 8 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

global safety and health watch Companies often turn to Twitter to tag VPPPA, Social Media for the to connect with our members, but it was and share their booth number and giveaway Safety Industry interesting to watch the interaction between items, for any interested conference attendees. different users. Our social media pages are the most active Printed materials are still an important resource during our annual Safety+ Symposium but for the safety and health community, and many With everything technology-related there tuning into the pages year-round can give VPPPA members prefer this mode of receiving are always challenges that come with it. In the members the “inside scoop” before, during or information. However, the instantaneous aforementioned EHS Daily Advisor article, after the show, as well as special updates that nature of social media does have benefits. We it states, “Inexperience with social media is a wouldn’t necessarily be in a mass email to the cannot be seated in front of a television 24/7 problem for some safety professionals. Walaski membership. There are numerous safety and watching the news, so we often receive our encourages those who want to get involved with health groups on the Facebook platform alone, updates through the internet, or even on social digital tools not to hide behind inexperience. and they house thousands of members. Overall, media sites. Facebook is where you might find Look for a knowledgeable (probably younger) it’s important to cross-promote and use all of out about someone getting engaged, having colleague who can help you get started… your different communication channels in sync. a baby, or moving to a new city—so why not And finally, while some employees fear being join an EHS-based group, or “like” a page, considered backward or tech-phobic, Walaski Social Media Demographics and use that same platform to get updates says, ‘There’s also a concern about appearing to be about the safety and health industry? You won’t one of those people who’s always got a phone in According to the Pew Research Center, “A be alone—200 million people are members their face.’ Not surprisingly, her advice is to strike new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. of meaningful Facebook Groups, according a balance—use technology to your advantage adults finds that the social media landscape to Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO. without letting it overtake your job or your life.” in early 2018 is defined by a mix of long- Other ways social media can assist the safety standing trends and newly emerging narratives. professional include: networking opportunities, If this article has piqued your interest in Facebook and YouTube dominate this communicating with stakeholders and sharing getting involved in the safety and health landscape, as notable majorities of U.S. adults information between colleagues. In the EHS community online you can find a wealth of use each of these sites. At the same time, Daily Advisor article, “Social Media for Safety EHS, OHS and other safety-related groups younger Americans (especially those ages 18 Professionals,” Pam Walaski, CSP, and regional on Facebook—simply search for what you are to 24) stand out for embracing a variety of manager for EHS services at Compliance looking for in the search bar and click over to platforms and using them frequently.” These Management International, notes, “social “groups.” You can find the VPPPA Facebook additional platforms can include Instagram, media also offers a way to get and share and Twitter pages by searching for @VPPPA. Snapchat, Pinterest, Whatsapp and more. relevant information about safety and health on a daily basis. While print publications References In addition to these results, Pew also finds remain essential, the immediacy of social media that different age groups embrace social media is a big part of its appeal. When social media is 1. www.pewinternet.org/2018/03/01/social- at different rates. It was not surprising to read used as it is intended—as a two-way source of media-use-in-2018/ that “there are substantial differences in social communication—‘it can make us all better at media use by age. Some 88 percent of 18- to what we do.’” 2. www.facebook.com/search/ 29-year-olds indicate that they use any form groups/?q=environmental%20health%20 of social media. That share falls to 78 percent In addition, social media is a free and easy and%20safety&epa=SERP_TAB among those ages 30 to 49, to 64 percent among way to make connections with your peers in those ages 50 to 64 and to 37 percent among the safety and health industry. Perhaps you 3. ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2014/04/social- Americans 65 and older.” Pew also found that work alone, with a small group of people, or media-for-safety-professionals/ “the typical (median) American reports that do not have the funds to attend a conference. they use three of the eight major platforms that Social media could be a way to make 4. blog.hootsuite.com/facebook- the Center measured in this survey.” The eight connections with others you might not get to demographics/ major platforms include: Facebook, YouTube, meet face-to-face. Social media is a great way Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter to create connections with members in other 5. www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/ and WhatsApp. Younger audiences admit a regions from you that you would have never demographics-of-key-social-networking- willingness to try a variety of new platforms, yet I met otherwise. For example, VPPPA hosted platforms-2/ predict that this could shift as generations age or a Halloween Costume Contest on Facebook adapt, new generations emerge, and technology (see page 36), and we received entries from 6. s21.q4cdn.com/399680738/files/doc_ continues to change. all over the country. Not only was it exciting financials/2018/Q2/Q218-earnings-call- transcript.pdf vpppa.org 9 7. blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/ 8. www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/24/ facts-about-americans-and-facebook/ 9. www.vendasta.com/blog/163-stunning- social-media-stats-to-savor#generalstats THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

COACH The landscape of the United States labor force is changing fast. Millennials have been replacing Baby Boomers for years and have recently reached a milestone. In 2015, Millennials outnumbered Baby Boomers in the U.S. workforce for the first time. While Millennials bring with them a new set of skills and perspectives, they understandably don’t have the work experience or technical proficiency that is only acquired through time. When one of our more experienced workers leaves the team, their talent, experience and knowledge also head out the door. How do we ensure that this knowledge is not lost forever? How do we pass the torch to this younger generation of workers? Through effective coaching. F or our more seasoned workers, the lessons It’s not the sharing of information, but the Here’s where we tend to get off the rails. We learned, and experience gained, were application of this information where most set the expectations for what we want from our often paid for with cuts, bumps, bruises organizations struggle. Again, we are effective people, “Your job is to block that person,” but and heartache. We don’t want our new workers at telling our workers what we want but fail in telling them how. If we don’t continually to learn the hard way, so our current leaders miss the mark when it comes to how these coach and reinforce on how to properly block, must effectively impart their years of experience expectations are accomplished. we have set the expectation, but we have not to the next generation. Part of this transfer of explained the execution. Then we become knowledge can be accomplished with a robust Think of your organization like a football frustrated and ask “Why didn’t you block? I training program, capturing best practices team. The organization has goals and can easily told you to block? You’re a lineman, you should through accurate procedures, or the continued communicate the “what.” What the General know how to block!” use of operating experience (OE), to see where Manager/Owner wants is to win Super Bowls. the industry is getting it right or failing. What the Head Coach needs to do is win lots Constant refinement of skills and continued of games. What the Offensive and Defensive reinforcement of expectations is what sustains These are good sources of information, but Coordinators want is to score more points than high levels of performance. The Baby Boomers typically only describe the “what.” their opponent to win those games. What the have been in the trenches and may take for • What are the specifications of this equipment? position coaches need from their players is granted that the fundamentals of our work, • What is the process for operating it? flawless execution of the organization’s plan. the blocking and tackling, is understood by • What are the policies put in place to protect What the players need to do is focus on the everyone in the organization. The younger fundamentals of their job: blocking and tackling. worker may have had some education or the worker and the system? work experience which implies a certain level 10 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

HING NEXT THE GENERATION BY DAVE SOWERS THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 11 KNOWLEDGE VINE vpppa.org

There are a great number of technical proficiency, but they still need passively observe but will be appropriately of tips and traits to remember coaching every day. engaged and not distracting. Ask if they have and employ before it all any questions for you. becomes habit. To make Isn’t it interesting that the NFL still employs it a little easier at the position coaches? You would think that after Observe onset, we use the acronym years dominating their position, being deemed COACH: Communicate, the best of the best, and being handed millions As an observer, do you know what you are Observe, Acknowledge, of dollars, that teams would think these players seeing? Are you prepared for the job? Do Change and Help. would need very little oversight regarding the you understand the standards, expectations fundamentals. Yet, these experts in their field and requirements of the work? Do you know receive coaching day in and day out. It’s time the roles and responsibilities? One particular for us to take our all-pro veterans and let them challenge for a Baby Boomer who came up coach and groom our first-round picks. through the ranks is the propensity to lose perspective. You know the work because you Coaching isn’t a natural ability. It’s a skill have performed it many times yourself. There we can develop and hone, but it takes time, is a tendency to jump in and lend a hand. As effort and a little direction. There are a a coach, you need to maintain the big picture great number of tips and traits to remember view. Once you start turning wrenches you are and employ before it all becomes habit. To no longer a coach; you are accomplice number make it a little easier at the onset, we use the two. During game action the football coach is acronym COACH: Communicate, Observe, literally restricted to the sideline; they have a Acknowledge, Change and Help. great view but are not active participants. Stay in that role and keep your perspective to help Communicate you determine the broader behaviors which drive success. This one may seem obvious. After all, isn’t communication one of those buckets you can Acknowledge put anything into? Can’t we all do a better job of communicating all the time? Of course, but as it The quickest and most effective way to shape relates to coaching, communication carries with behaviors is through positive reinforcement. it some very specific attributes. Oddly enough, the concept of positive reinforcement also seems to be the greatest We must communicate the intent to engage divide between Baby Boomers and Millennials. in coaching. Nothing is more unsettling or Baby Boomers will wax nostalgic about the old distracting than a supervisor who lurks at the days of a get it done attitude that built America. fringes of the jobsite with a notepad in hand The only positive reinforcement you needed and no explanation regarding their intent or was that paycheck every two weeks. Baby purpose. Coaching is not a game of “gotcha” Boomers will point to participation trophies, looking for compliance issues to write up; trigger warnings, and safe spaces, and label this that’s an audit. It’s important to engage in next generation as soft and needy. These broad conversation and let the person know you’re generalities tend to skew our perceptions. there to help. Communicate any changes that the worker may not have heard. Communicate First, Baby Boomers received positive the standards and expectations set by the reinforcement and (gasp) liked it. Sure, it was organization for safe work. Communicate any your old boss saying, “you messed up less today, lessons learned from previous jobs or industry events. Communicate that you won’t just 12 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

good job” but it was positive reinforcement all Your legacy is not how you influenced their evolution into the experienced the same. Second, we don’t appreciate the positive used to do it; it’s the people veteran they are today. It took coaching qualities that most Millennials bring. Broadly you leave behind to carry and mentoring. It took constant process speaking, they are more collaborative, they the torch. improvements. It took time and effort. It took embrace change better, they have a greater sense a refusal to accept errors and injuries as just the of ownership over their work and they thrive in provide specific, actionable guidance. Vague cost of doing business. We are better than we jobs where they feel the work is important. platitudes like “be safe” or “stop when unsure” have ever been, but we are not as good as we tell our people what, but don’t communicate can be. It is imperative that we coach the next Acknowledge the correct behaviors you see, how. Specifically, how should you be safe today? generation, so they can stand on our shoulders help new employees understand the importance Are there particular hazards associated with to reach even greater heights. Your legacy is not of their work, make them leaders in change and today’s work that need to be addressed in greater how you used to do it; it’s the people you leave solicit their input. If you don’t, you’re missing detail? How are you going to recognize that you behind to carry the torch. opportunities to develop a younger worker are out of scope, procedure or processes? What who may otherwise become frustrated and parameters will tell us exactly when to stop work? Dave Sowers is a founding member of Knowledge leave; and then is immediately replaced with another Millennial. Look for legitimate positive When the workers communicate their Vine; a Human Performance Training and reinforcement opportunities, (they are out there) concerns to you, take action. Nothing shows and let your people know they are valued. It also your commitment to developing the next Consulting organization which strives to reduce makes it easier to engage in coaching when you generation more than following through. need to address the wrong behaviors. Coaching is not a drive-by, one-time event. the frequency and severity of human errors in Change If they take the time to look back on their the workplace (www.knowledgevine.com). Dave career, Baby Boomers will likely recognize what The reason you are going into the field is has almost 30 years of experience in power to ultimately have a positive impact on the organization. You are looking to move the generation and the utility industry. He is a needle; create some change. If your engagement is focused on compliance issues and not veteran of the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Program behaviors, again, you are performing an audit and not coaching. It’s easy to slip into audit and holds a bachelor’s degree in resources mode and miss the opportunity to create change. management and a master’s degree in both For example, you see a worker is missing some PPE. Your coaching response is for that management and emergency management and worker to wear their gloves. You are addressing the what, but not the how. You can fix the homeland security. glove issue easily, but you haven’t really coached the behavior. VPP101 How did this happen? Are the requirements We have the information that your unclear or poorly communicated? Is there an employees need to understand and be extent of condition concern; are there other prepared for the VPP audit process. PPE requirements the worker is missing and are there others with the same gap in Have you submitted your VPP application? Are you looking knowledge? How did the worker come to to educate your employees about VPP? Then look no further the choice to not wear the gloves? Are gloves than our VPP 101 Education Tools. not available? Is the worker’s production bias encouraging shortcuts? Is the worker’s risk VPP 101 is available on VPP 101 Pocket Booklet assessment not conservative enough? Ensure DVD or Flash Drive you are changing behaviors or processes rather than only chasing compliance issues. VPP Element Banner VPP Element Card Help PROMOTE THE VALUE OF SAFETY Give your people what they need to raise their A I M FO R SA F E T Y.C O M // 1 -8 0 0 -2 2 0 -1 8 1 8 performance. You established communication S A L E S @ A I M F O R S A F E T Y. C O M early in the process; continue this dialogue to find out how you can help them increase their knowledge and skills. You are helping when you vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 13

THE vpppa.org CAREER ARC of the Safety Professional 14 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

The aging workforce is a growing topic among professionals around the world. As older generations retire, and changes in technology become increasingly prevalent, the workforce does not resemble what it did years ago. What does this mean for the safety and health industry? Here at VPPPA, we were interested in the career arc—past, present and future—of the safety professional, so we had conversations with both newer and more seasoned professionals from Oldcastle Infrastructure. VPPPA What is your job title and VPPPA What enticed you to enter when did you start working the safety and health field? in the safety/health field? MC: I knew it was an up-and-coming field with good job demand that interested me. Michael Cunningham, CSP: I liked the thought of protecting employees through prevention. I am currently the EHS Compliance Manager for Oldcastle Infrastructure, and I started in KW: It was a bit accidental. When I graduated the industry in the summer of 2003. from college, I first worked as a microbiologist. Within a year, I took a position as a technical Kimberly Watson, sales account manager for a bio enzyme program with universities. My father approached me VPPPA National Board Member: about a job opportunity he learned of from one of his customers. His customer’s plants My position is corporate Environmental, had a need for an environmental coordinator. Health, Safety and Sustainability Director My dad encouraged me to apply. I knew very for Oldcastle Infrastructure. I began working little about EHS at the time, but I had the indirectly in the safety/health field as an company’s prerequisite of having a technical environmental coordinator in 1994. I became degree in science. I guess they were willing to responsible for safety and health when I take a chance on me, and the rest is history. was promoted to an EHS manager in 1997. I have been in the EHS field for almost 25 years. Ashley Reese: AR: I come from a long line of lumberjacks and construction workers in my family. Working I am the West Regional Environmental and in heavy timber and construction for many Health Manager for Oldcastle Infrastructure. I have been in the safety field for 18 years. vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 15

years, it was very evident to me that the safety working, I pursued and attained multiple person responsibility to having an employee- and health of me and my fellow employees certifications. I earned certifications as a engaged safety and health culture rich in was vital to us personally, as well as the financial Registered Environmental Manager, Certified management commitment. ramifications for us and our employers. Environmental Safety Compliance Officer, OSHA VPP Special Government Employee AR: This is a huge question, but to narrow VPPPA Did anyone (or an (SGE). I also earned Industrial Safety and my answer down I will say that the biggest experience) inspire you to Health and Construction Safety and Health change I have seen in my years in the industry certifications from Georgia Technical Institute. has been the evolution of the employers and enter the field/did you have any companies to a heightened sense of health and AR: I originally started out wanting to be a safety in their sphere of influence. This has mentors when entering the safety/ Doctor of Pharmacy, and I have an associate been a gradual change that has been driven (in degree in pre-pharmacy. I was working my opinion) by the Department of Labor and health field? construction to pay my way through college the insurance industry. I feel that we are finally and made the decisions I mentioned above moving towards compliance as a choice instead MC: My father started a consulting business about pursuing a career in safety and health. of compliance out of fear of reprisal. I would back in 1985 revolving around Hazard Once I got into Pharmacy School, I found attribute this to the dedicated efforts of our Communication compliance. It evolved to safety/ that I was not as passionate about becoming EHS fraternity coupled with working with our health consulting. I worked with him for several a Doctor of Pharmacy as I was about being compliance agencies, such as the partnership of years before moving on to another opportunity. a safety professional. I shifted my focus and the OSHA VPP program. graduated with a BS degree in organizational KW: I did not. At the time, I was the only management and leadership from Friends VPPPA What are some ways you female in EHS for the company where I worked. University in Witchita, KS. I have the envision the field to evolve What I did have was a supportive manager who following certifications: allowed me to network with other professionals • OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Card Holder— in the coming years? in safety and health, attend conferences and attain additional training to strengthen my knowledge Construction and General Industry MC: Utilizing technology and data analytics and skill set. Today is very different. I know many • OSHA 500 Trainer Course in Occupational to focus on lagging and leading indicators to more professionals in safety and health. I find that focus efforts on incident prevention. we inspire each other. EHS folks are open and Safety and Health Standards for Construction willing to mentor, share and support where we can. • OSHA 501 Trainer Course in AR: I did not really have a mentor, but I lost a Occupational Safety and Health Standards KW: Safety technology will continue to grandfather to a workplace accident and my father for General Industry advance, and as it does it will offer more was seriously injured while working for a lumber • MSHA Certified Trainer for Surface and solutions to make workplaces even safer for mill. These events, along with learning from my Underground Mining employers and employees. own experiences, injuries, close calls, and behaviors • American Red Cross Certified Instructor inspired me to enter the field. I think that looking for CPR, AED, First Aid, and Blood AR: I would expect the evolution to continue out for others comes naturally to most people, Bourne Pathogens to move in the way of compliance because and for me it was an easy career choice to feel it’s the right thing to do for the employees of passionate about my accomplishments and the fact In addition, I have plans to achieve my ASP their respective companies. I have seen, and that the fruits of my labor would positively affect and CSP Certifications. continue to marvel, at the leaps that we are my family, my work family and my company. taking with engineering and technology and how it effects the safety and health field. We are VPPPA How has the industry getting smarter about how we work instead of changed since you have just applying more elbow grease. I also expect What was your educational started your career in safety to see more positive movement in the human VPPPA background before starting and health? performance and human error side in our field in the near future. your job? MC: With the rising cost of medical and insurance costs, I feel the industry is more MC: I have a bachelor’s degree in numbers driven (financially) than when I VPPPA How do you inspire your occupational safety and environmental health. started off. The Human Performance theory colleagues to adopt safety I also currently hold CSP certification and I am and process has also dramatically changed the studying for my CIH certification. way EHS professionals view safety. KW: I graduated cum laude from North KW: The industries with which I have practices on the job? Carolina State University with a Bachelor been fortunate enough to be associated have of Science in Biological Life Science and a moved from safety and health being a single MC: By including safety as they would minor in Foreign Languages (French). While include any other operational priority. 16 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

Identifying and mitigating becomes an Companies need the expertise of the safety and health inherent part of the job. professional to lead and navigate them, and their employees, through compliance with complex regulatory standards, KW: I focus on engagement and building and to be solution-oriented, smart business partners in the sustainable safety and health cultures. I discuss ever-becoming competitive market landscapes. the importance of why we would want to work safe. I involve them in the development of VPPPA Do you have an example of KW: I would put on my sales/coach’s hat and those practices, implementing their thoughts a safety initiative that you help those to understand the necessity of the and ideas to achieve best practices. safety procedure and why it is of value to them. led from start to finish? AR: There are so many things but here are AR: Be direct and honest upfront with a few: first, I feel it is important for me to MC: I coordinated a safety climate perception the new procedures. Address how this will believe or be passionate in what I am trying survey for facilities and identified gaps in EHS positively affect their work and their health and to accomplish with my work family. Next, communication with production employees. safety. An important part of this is to include it is key to have good knowledge about the I also launched a leadership training program the employees and listen to their concerns and practices that I am trying to share or roll for supervisors/managers focusing on positive resolve their concerns as they are brought up. out to our colleagues. I try to relate to them two-way communication. Finally, I developed Again, being consistent in this delivery. and their individual circumstances and have and deployed a digital communications system, empathy for how the safety practices will affect now installed in each facility. What do you think the future what they are working on. I let them know is like for the safety and that they are accountable, and we follow up KW: I implemented a Contractor Safety VPPPA on that accountability. Finally, I try to be as qualification process to safeguard that those consistent as possible in all the safe practices contractors used within the company’s health profession (generally)? that we employ. operations had robust safety and health programs, required training for work tasks to VPPPA What leadership be performed and met requirements for leading MC: With medical and insurance costs experience or skills make and lagging safety key performance indicators. continuing to increase, safety will continue to become more of an important business pillar. you an effective leader? Finding more ways to remove risk from our operations will be paramount. With this, the need MC: Passion—caring about our employees AR: The second company I worked for for innovative and focused safety professionals and knowing what we do makes a difference. after college was a commercial and industrial will be needed in every business model. Getting them home to their families safely. electrical, voice and data company. When I Integrity—doing the right thing when it’s not was hired, they did not have an environmental KW: In my opinion, safety and health easy; and work ethic. health and safety program at the company. As professionals will continue to be needed, and will the Corporate Safety Director, I was able to be grow even greater in demand as a valuable part KW: Building talent, surrounding self with a large contributor to creating their program of organizations. Industry as a whole recognizes strong talent, building trusted relationships, and ensuring compliance. It was incredibly the importance of workplace safety and health, demonstrating value, being a servant leader, rewarding watching their injuries decline in the and understands the importance of keeping their being action-oriented, celebrating wins, years after the program was in place. employees safe. Companies need the expertise learning from failures and valuing stakeholders. of the safety and health professional to lead and navigate them, and their employees, through AR: This is an awkward question to answer VPPPA How would you potentially compliance with complex regulatory standards, about yourself, but here we go. Having been introduce a necessary, and to be solution-oriented, smart business “on the floor,” so to speak, I try to draw on partners in the ever-becoming competitive my experiences in the construction industry but unpopular, safety procedure market landscapes. in my early career and remember what it was like to be in their shoes to instruct and work at work? AR: I think that it is bright and growing. with them keeping that in mind. It helps me to I envision our field to be something akin to relate and listen to them and how we can truly MC: Engage the employees from the doctors or pharmacists—we will always need make a difference in their safety. I do what I say beginning. Include their thoughts and them. The progress in the last 20 years has I am going to do, and this helps build positive suggestions into the process. Ensure top been staggering and with the engineering and relationships that lead to great opportunities to management is included in the process and technological advancements in our field, I feel be an effective leader. holds everyone accountable. that the sky is the limit. vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 17

EXERCISE USING to Facilitate Productive 18 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 Aging in the Workplace vpppa.org

BY JON KABANCE, RKT PRESIDENT, BIOKINETIX For many years, I worked in a rehabilitative capacity helping athletes both prevent and recover from injuries as a kinesiotherapist. Not only did this include professional and collegiate athletes, but also industrial athletes in the occupational setting. What always struck me, however, was the reactive culture of medicine I’d observed outside of athletics. The level of engagement medical professionals had with patients were often limited until after injuries occurred, narrowing the opportunities for preventive care to rehabilitation alone. This reactivity could have resulted from organizational resource silos in which safety, HR and injury management operate in isolation from each other, as well as low consumer accessibility to affordable healthcare. O f growing concern was the effect that this Disproving the Myth of lack of engagement would have on the Inevitable Decline aging population. Statistically, workers ages 55 and older are The first step toward accommodating the the least frequently injured demographic. needs of older workers requires us to examine But when injuries do occur, they experience established insights from occupational significant increases in severity and fatality, medicine. There is no magic-bullet solution with particular vulnerability toward slips, trips to reverse the effects of aging, but both the and falls. The resulting impact on return-to- onset and severity of age-related declines can be work outcomes is well-documented; after being mitigated through modifiable health behaviors. injured on the job, older adults are also more likely to require hospitalization, experience There’s a common misconception that subsequent fractures and incur more days away after a certain point, it’s “too late” to be able from work than other age groups. to benefit from exercise or other positive changes in health behavior, such as smoking The impact this has on quality of life cessation. This self-defeating mentality is often cannot be emphasized enough. Even without challenging to overcome, both for employees sustaining an acute injury, years of performing and for organizational leaders. Fortunately, the repetitive or strenuous movements culminate human body possesses extraordinary capacity into losses of both mobility and independence to rebuild and repair itself. That’s part of what throughout one’s later years. makes exercise so effective as a preventive measure—it helps preserve physical capacity, vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 19

In an occupational setting, exercise interventions can be used as a powerful tool to mitigate and accommodate the physiological and cognitive limitations experienced by older workers. and by extension, the ability to perform job • Incorporates low-intensity exercises that are tasks. In fact, increasing physical activity is practical and effective for all ages and levels one of the most impactful modifiable variables of physical ability in improving work capacity of older adults [9]. The benefits of bringing exercise into the • Can be performed in any work environment workplace setting are far too critical for today’s with minimal equipment safety and health professionals to overlook, especially given the growing prevalence of Another important variable here is physical inactivity across all age groups. consistency: employees gain the most benefit from warming up before their job tasks when Why Warm Up? warming up occurs on a daily basis. Modern medical literature indicates that Key Areas of Impact both age-related declines in function and musculoskeletal injury risk are most effectively ARTHRITIS: Perhaps the most urgent justification mitigated through exercise that is (1) resistance- for workplace exercise interventions is the high based, and (2) low-to-moderate intensity. absenteeism and severe functional limitation caused by arthritis, which creates joint stiffness At BIOKINETIX, we deliver this in a time- and soreness while limiting range of motion. efficient program called the 3-Minute Warm- Warming up helps prevent joint stiffness by Up. Warming up is a form of resistance exercise decreasing the viscosity of synovial fluid, a that engages the muscles in movement and lubricant secreted at the surface of the joints that prepares the body for the physical demands reduces friction between bone and joint—quite of work. There is an important distinction similar in function to WD-40 [5]. This directly between warming up and stretching—while improves the ease of moving joints through a warming up actively lengthens and shortens proper range of motion, helping older workers the muscles while generating force, stretching minimize discomfort as they start their day [6,7]. merely lengthens muscles in a passive state. FALL PREVENTION: Warming up also serves Although this practice has traditionally as a direct means to address balance and postural been applied in the context of professional instability. While slips, trips and falls remain the and collegiate athletics, the physical demands primary cause of injury among older adults, this required to perform a broad range of risk has a higher correlation with poor balance both industrial and sedentary job tasks is than with poor muscle strength. A meta-analysis significant enough to merit the use of similar of 44 studies on fall prevention revealed that interventions. The most important components exercise interventions reduced fall rates in older to consider when implementing a warm-up people by an average of 17 percent; programs program are: that specifically challenged balance had the • Uses task-specific movements to prepare greatest relative effects [8]. workers for the physical demands of their jobs 20 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

MUSCLE STRENGTH & ENDURANCE: the challenges faced by older workers, but 3. Hogan, C., Mata, J., & Carstensen, L. (2013). actively supports employees in functioning Exercise holds immediate benefits for affect Another critical work-related outcome effectively and safely as they age. and cognition in younger and older adults. associated with aging is the gradual loss of Psychology And Aging, 28(2), 587–594. mobility. The loss of muscle mass and strength As President of BIOKINETIX, Jon Kabance has generally begins at age 45 and accelerates been masterful in combining his expertise in 4. Holloszy, J., Tseng, B., Marsh, D., Hamilton, M., & between the ages of 50 and 80. The rate of exercise science, kinesiology and education Booth, F. (1995). Strength and Aerobic Training progressive muscle weakening, however, can with the real-world demands companies face Attenuate Muscle Wasting and Improve be slowed most effectively through resistance every day as they look to reduce employee Resistance to the Development of Disability training—which helps preserve mobility, injury rates.  With Aging. The Journals Of Gerontology mitigate lifestyle inactivity and reduce the risk Series A: Biological Sciences And Medical of related disabilities, such as osteoporosis [4]. His thought leadership has helped clients save Sciences, 50A(Special), 113–119. doi: 10.1093/ over $100 million through strategic prevention gerona/50a.special_issue.113 COGNITIVE FUNCTION: The benefits of and wellness programs. In addition to speaking warming up also extend to older workers’ at the 2018 VPPPA Safety+ Symposium, Jon has 5. Safran, M., Garrett, W., Seaber, A., Glisson, ability to perform the cognitive demands also shared best practices at numerous safety R., & Ribbeck, B. (1988). The role of warmup associated with work. Participating in physical and health conferences nationwide, including in muscular injury prevention. The American activity is shown to reduce signs of aging in the the NSC Congress and ASSP Safety 2018. Journal Of Sports Medicine, 16(2), 123-129. brains of older adults by increasing plasticity and adaptiveness [2]. In terms of work- References 6. Sapega, A. A., Quedenfeld, T. C., Moyer, R. related outcomes, these changes in cognitive A., & Butler, R. A. (1981). Biophysical Factors in performance translate to improvements in 1. Czaja, J. (2009). Aging and work: Range-of-Motion Exercise. The Physician and memory retention, information processing, issues and implications in a changing Sportsmedicine, 9(12), 57–65.  problem solving, attention and even mood [3]. landscape. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 7. Shellock, F. (1983). Physiological Conclusions Benefits of Warm-Up. The Physician And 2. Gow, A., Bastin, M., Munoz Maniega, S., Sportsmedicine, 11(10), 134–139. It’s time to rethink exercise as a key component Valdes Hernandez, M., Morris, Z., & Murray, C. of modern safety management systems. By et al. (2012). Neuroprotective lifestyles and 8. Sherrington, C., Whitney, J., Lord, S., 2024, one quarter of U.S. workers will be over the aging brain: Activity, atrophy, and white Herbert, R., Cumming, R., & Close, J. (2008). the age of 55. In order for employers to truly matter integrity. Neurology, 79(17), 1802–1808. Effective Exercise for the Prevention of Falls: prepare for this shift, it’s critical to understand A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. that work ability is dynamic in relation to the Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society, aging process. Weakened mobility and other 56(12), 2234-2243. functional limitations are far from inevitable, and the workplace setting carries great potential 9. Silverstein, M. (2008). Meeting the challenges for proactively addressing these challenges. of an aging workforce. American Journal Of Industrial Medicine, 51(4), 269–280. Throughout over a decade of implementing preventive exercise programs, we have seen direct and quantifiable reductions in lost time—a key measure of injury severity—particularly in organizations with larger aging populations. A recent example is our partnership with Nautique Boat Company, where engaging the workgroups in warming up on a daily basis, combined with individualized support from athletic trainers, ended up bringing a 74 percent reduction in DART (days away, restricted or transferred) injury frequency. We’ve also found the benefits of on-site exercise are further sustainable when delivered as part of a multifaceted intervention, alongside personal programs and evidence-based health and well-being education. Not only is this proven to ameliorate lagging indicators, the potential for enhancing quality of life is strongly supported and advocated for within the medical community. Ultimately, the goal is to create a work environment that not only accommodates vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 21

conscious Communication Understanding the Generations 22 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

BY LAUREL FLYNN AND JARED DAVIS BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE— IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY (INL) This is an exciting time. It is the first time that we have five generations working together. With this diversity exists many challenges, one being interpersonal communication. Interactions have transformed over the years with new technologies, experiences and differing expectations. Thus, communicating clearly in today’s workplace is complicated. The potential for conflict and miscommunication poses barriers to conducting work safely. L et’s take a journey through the past and It is important to realize that through present to help recognize the differences this article we are generalizing—believing in generations. With this insight, we can that many people in a group share things in practice better interactions through conscious common—we are not stereotyping. Humans communication. “As a VPP Star site, INL is are unique; therefore, we can never predict working toward continuous improvements in all exact behavior. facets of safety. Effective communication among co-workers is the most important defense in the What is the Definition prevention of human error leading to a safer of Generation? work environment for employees,” says Curtis Reece, INL VPP Manager. Merriam-Webster defines generation as a group of people born and living during the same time. vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 23

1945 or earlier If you research generation dates, you will Baby Boomers find discrepancies. For the purposes of this (1946 to 1964) TRADITIONALISTS article, we define the generations per the 2017 Pew Research Center. As of 2017, baby boomers made up 25 percent of (Silent Generation) 1. Traditionalists (Silent Generation): the workforce. They range in age from 53 to 71. 1946 to 1964 1945 or earlier A common idiom describing baby boomers 2. Baby Boomers: 1946 to 1964 (18 years) is “do your own thing,” meaning to live in BABY BOOMERS 3. Generation X: 1965 to 1980 (15 years) the way you want, and not pay attention to 4. Millennials: 1981 to 1996 (15 years) others’ opinions. (18 years) 5. Post-Millennial (Gen Z): 1997 and later. Common characteristics: 1965 to 1980 Understanding what shapes the generations will • Strong work ethic—self-worth may come help to understand why they behave the way they GENERATION X do and have specific communication preferences. from professional achievements • Self-assured—responsible and are not afraid (15 years) Traditionalists (1945 or earlier) to question authority 1981 to 1996 • Competitive—surpass co-workers in As of 2017, traditionalists made up two percent MILLENNIALS of the workforce. They are at least 72 years old. climbing the corporate ladder • Goal setters with follow-through (15 years) “A penny saved is a penny earned” is one • Focused/disciplined—great attention spans adage that defines this generation, meaning 1997 and later by saving a penny, you have one more penny. to stay on task and remember details Traditionalists are labeled the silent generation POST-MILLENNIAL because children of this era were expected to be Shaping events: seen and not heard. • Surge of births after WWII (Gen Z) • Television 24 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 Common characteristics: • Civil Rights Movement • Hardworking • Woodstock • Loyal—less likely to change employers • Watergate • Respect authority • Technologically challenged Entertainment examples: • Gunsmoke Shaping events: • The Andy Griffith Show • Prohibition • Marcus Welby, M.D. • The Great Depression • All in the Family • World War II (WWII) • Game shows: Jeopardy/Wheel of Fortune • Atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima Boomers went to work in the era of typed, Entertainment examples: formal memos. They were trained in formal • Social gatherings writing skills and watched the world on • Baseball television. Phones were always in existence and • Radio communication was predominantly from one source, story-based, depicted visually and in Phones became commonplace after WWII, but short, concrete pieces. traditionalists relied heavily on print media and trusted experts to tell the facts. They were taught Communication preferences include: proper penmanship and formal writing skills. • Face-to-face • Phone calls Communication preferences include: • Memos with distribution lists • Communicating face-to-face • Meetings • Writing memos • Mailing a letter If you identify with this generation, you may • Listening to a speech work best holding conversations over the phone. • Holding meetings Generation X If you identify with this generation, you (1965 to 1980) may work best carrying on a conversation with eye contact. As of 2017, Gen X made up 33 percent of the workforce. They range in age from 37 to 52. vpppa.org

A common phrase familiar to Gen X is “get and text messaging. They negotiated rules like hands-on training and experience, and are real” meaning understand the true facts and with their parents. They learned from their less likely to value formal education. Post- not hope for the impossible. These were the parents, but they also taught their parents and millennials want to make a difference and are latchkey children, many a product of divorce. grandparents new technologies. interested in working for companies they are Their friends were their family. They learned passionate about, even if the pay is less. to reinvent their lives and grew up with the Common characteristics: worldwide web. • Juggle responsibilities—have lots going on Shaping events: • The Great Recession Common characteristics: and can switch from one task to another • Death of Osama bin Laden • Individualistic—embrace hands- • Connected—the world is at their fingertips • Sandy Hook school shooting • Instant gratification (1-click off management through smart devices • Technologically adept—comfortable with • Technologically savvy Amazon purchases) • Instant gratification/recognition • Airbnb and Uber current/new technology • Work-life balance—expect a flexible • Flexible—eager to learn and willing to Entertainment examples: work environment • Virtual reality change jobs • Collaborative/transparent—team-oriented • Gaming • Value work-life balance—work to live and • Livestreaming building open and honest friendships with • Spotify and Apple Music appreciate humor in the workplace managers/co-workers Post-millennials are new to the workforce. Shaping events: Shaping events: Gen Z grew up typing slang. They appreciate • Iranian hostage crisis • Columbine High School shooting freedom in their work, but like to touch base • The Sony Walkman • 9/11 terrorist attacks often with management (whom they see as • HIV/AIDS • Creation of the Department of equals) and appreciate praise, thoughtful • Explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger critique, and validation as a team member. • The fall of the Berlin Wall Homeland Security • President Barack Obama Communication preferences include: Entertainment examples: • Peer information in lieu of experts • Dallas Entertainment examples: • Be concise—according to Forbes, an • MTV • Nickelodeon/Disney Channel • Nintendo • Reality TV (e.g., American Idol and attention span of around eight seconds • Seinfeld • Hybrid—unified communication system Survivor) This generation grew up in a global world • Console games (e.g., Xbox) (i.e., cloud-based storing/sharing) using computers, email and cellphones. They • Harry Potter • Videoconferencing were the first generation to question sources • Beyond email—services not prone for and research/skim for relevant information. This generation is more informal with Generation X is comfortable with web- communication and dress. Their interactions network malfunctioning based communication and the social-media have friendlier, more casual tones and they like movement. to use emojis. Interactions with millennials If you identify with this generation, should be simple and to the point. you prefer to communicate in a variety of Communication preferences include: ways, but like face-to-face interactions over • Email Communication preferences include: written communication. • Instant message • Text message (vowels optional) • Search the internet • Instant message Summary: • Virtual meetings • Online streaming • Connect on social networking site Now that we know more about the attributes If you identify with this generation, you of the current workforce generations, we may work best communicating via email. If you identify with this generation, you can better identify communication styles by prefer web-based meetings over face-to- striving to listen, understand, and adjust our Millennials face, but have the ability to adapt your interactions so we all work safely together. (1981 to 1996) communication style with older generations; however, you dislike voice messages. Resource information obtained from Shaw, As of 2017, millennials made up 35 percent Haydn, “Sticking Points,” Tyndale House (the largest) of the workforce. They range in Post-Millennial—Gen Z Publishers, Inc., 2013, Fry, Richard “Millennials age from 21 to 36. (1997 and later) are the largest generation in the U.S. labor force,” Pew Research Center, 2018, and BCM Group, A common phrase for millennials is “the As of 2017, Gen Z made up 5 percent of the “How to Communicate with Gen Z,” 2015. struggle is real” meaning there is a tough workforce. They range in age from 16 to 20 problem to overcome. Millennials grew up with smartphones, wireless video games A common phrase for Gen Z is “it’s lit” meaning something is very exciting. This generation grew up with mass disruption. They vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 25

PASSING the Baton Knowledge Transfer Through the Generations 26 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 As any skilled relay runner will attest, the baton pass must happen with precision. If timing and accuracy are off, the fumbling of the baton can add precious seconds to the team’s performance and ultimately, risk their success. vpppa.org

BY ANGIE BENFIELD, RICHARD HUDSON, JENNIFER SCOTT AND PETE BOLIG SAVANNAH RIVER NUCLEAR SOLUTIONS T he baton pass is equally as vital in the In a fast-paced digital age, younger employees video tutorial library does not require a fancy workplace—albeit much more complex. are accustomed to information at their fingertips studio and expensive video equipment. Our And, there is no baton. through visual and user-friendly mediums. training department uses a video camera, but Knowledge gained over decades, critical to Luckily for them, research supports this learning cell phone videos could even be used. All you operational success, resides in the minds of style as being the most effective means to achieve need is the ability to capture video and upload seasoned employees. Extracting that important knowledge retention. With minimal investment it into your chosen software. information, packaging it and passing it in software and the creative talents of existing on to the next leg of the generational-relay company team members, SRNS implemented Moreover, one of the first organizations ensures a seamless and safe transition from one an electronic video library of key skills, taught within SRNS to beta-test the company’s video generation to the next. by those who know the ropes the best—the tutorial system was able to realize $15,950 in employees who have done the work for years. soft cost avoidances during their first year of use, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), in comparison to traditional training practices the management and operations contractor at The tutorials give new employees an exact like classroom instruction and the time invested the Department of Energy’s, Savannah River visual representation of the seasoned employee’s in reviewing lengthy training manuals. Site (SRS) has developed a process for capturing experience during the task evolution. Going the valuable knowledge of its employees for further, the tutorials include tacit knowledge All told, establishing a knowledge management future generations. interviews that are designed to capture the program has improved SRNS’ productivity, various nuances of the work that have been quality, employee empowerment and has Located at SRS, along the South Carolina gained over time and through experience. fostered an environment rich in teamwork. and Georgia border, SRNS employs more than 5,700 people who are spread across 310-square If video delivery is not a new employee’s “Implementing this system has afforded our miles of federal land. SRS specializes in best method of learning, the tutorials allow employees a sense of autonomy, giving them environmental stewardship, nuclear materials for additional resources to be attached, greater confidence in the educational process,” management and production for national including: hyperlinks, Microsoft Word or Excel said MacVean. “By providing them a system defense. Established by a directive from documents, as well as comment boxes for notes to learn from subject matter experts coupled President Truman, the sprawling remote site or special emphasis from the more experienced with the ability to repeat the lessons as has served the nation since the Cold War, team members. needed, we have addressed many significant and many of its employees experienced SRS’ challenges associated with training and original mission firsthand—until recently. Additional benefits of creating an online sustaining the safety performance of a multi- video library of key job skills includes the generational workforce.” “As new missions emerged at the Savannah ability to deliver much needed repetition of key River Site, knowledge transfer became information long after seasoned employees have Angie Benfield is the senior public imperative,” said Stuart MacVean, SRNS moved on to the next chapter of their lives. Cross President and CEO. “We, like so many training is also simplified, minimizing the risk relations/public information specialist for companies, were approaching a generational associated with one-deep positions. These results cliff. At one point, the average age of our also make the knowledge transfer library a helpful Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), workforce was 52 years old and many employees solution to training challenges associated with a filling critical roles were working by choice, not mobile workforce, considering the average time Environmental, Safety, Security, Health and as much for necessity. We knew we needed to a millennial remains in one job is approximately act fast to collect their vital knowledge for future three years, according to Forbes. Quality Assurance Division. Richard Hudson, generations and to minimize risk associated with employee safety and mission success.” Post implementation, SRNS realized Jennifer Scott, and Pete Bolig also collaborated additional process improvements stemming SRNS stood-up a diverse task team to from the formal capture of employee on this article. identify methods of mining the knowledge from knowledge. According to MacVean, “through their workforce that could only come from our efforts we have not only succeeded at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is a Fluor- experience. What resulted was a multi-faceted collecting critical knowledge, but we have been approach to knowledge retention and transfer able to streamline and improve many processes led company whose members are Fluor through a partnership with various support by harnessing the experience of veteran organizations. But, one common challenge employees and leveraging it with the fresh Federal Services, Newport News Nuclear and remained consistent—communicating across perspective of our newer employees.” generations has complexities. Honeywell, responsible for the management Solutions are only effective when they are affordable. As SRNS has proven, building a and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, including the Savannah River National Laboratory, located near Aiken, South Carolina. Reference 1. www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/ 2012/08/14/the-future-of-work-job-hopping- is-the-new-normal-for-millennials/ #38808e0c13b8 vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 27

for all ages vpppa.org BY T.J. SCIMONE SLICE, INC. 28 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

Cutting tools like utility knives, folding knives, blade tips form a dangerously sharp point, so pen cutters and box cutters are common in the they become a puncture hazard. workplace. Unfortunately, so are lacerations: they’re consistently one of the most common workplace A safer blade and a blunted tip can greatly injuries. When figuring out how to mitigate the risks reduce the chance of lacerations and punctures. posed by cutting tools, safety managers need to This is safer for all employees and is especially consider people’s changing abilities and needs. important for workers who have difficulties What may work well for a younger employee may with auto-retraction and prefer to use manual not work well for an older one. retraction tools. The Importance of The manual model allows the user to fix Slice, Inc. makes safety blades featuring a Reducing Lacerations the blade in place. With auto-retraction, the patent-pending blade edge that’s safe enough to user must keep the slider engaged to keep the touch. These blades are available with a pointed Lacerations from hand tools may be common, blade exposed. or a rounded tip. The rounded-tip models are but they’re also preventable with the right safe enough that they don’t require a sharps box training, tools and attention—so it makes sense The added level of safety offered with auto- for disposal. to focus on eliminating them. retraction has made it popular with health and safety managers. So much so that it’s required Ergonomic Design Cuts hurt, and they’re costly: OSHA estimates at many companies. This is an excellent Reduces Fatigue and Strain that a single laceration costs a company on approach for many employees, but it doesn’t average $41,000 in direct and indirect costs. work for everyone. Fatigue is a major contributor to workplace It also doesn’t take much for a laceration to injuries. Muscle strains are another common qualify as an OSHA Recordable Incident, which Traditional Cutting Tool category of injuries. This is true with workers increases your Total Recordable Incident Rate Safety Design: Not for All Ages of any age and can become more of a concern (TRIR) and has lasting consequences of its own. as we age. Some safety mechanisms, like auto-retraction Traditional Approaches on cutting tools, turn out to be problematic for Look for manufacturers that develop new to Reducing Lacerations older workers, who can find them difficult to technologies and utilize innovative ergonomic use and tiring. Keeping the slider engaged on an design. Choose tools that feature quality materials There are three primary areas of focus for auto-retractable tool can cause hand, wrist and that increase comfort and are easier to use. cutting safety: technique, environment and the forearm fatigue. For anyone with reduced hand cutting tool. All aspects are important to cover and finger dexterity, repeatedly engaging the Another important consideration for when developing and teaching safety protocols. slider may prove difficult, and for these workers, workers who tire more quickly, as can be the Everyone should know how to handle a tool and the manual retraction model is a better fit. But case with aging workers, is ergonomic design. perform a cut safely. The area where someone is then how do we keep these workers safe? Tools that are ergonomic are designed to be cutting should be free of clutter, not put others easy to handle and to allow for natural, efficient in danger, allow for a stable stance and provide A Safer Blade movement. A tool’s grip should be firm and a stable cutting surface. comfortable. When you use the tool, it should While limiting blade exposure helps keep workers feel like an extension of your body. Ergonomic But, in the end, what cuts you is the tool. safe, it’s the blade that ultimately causes the tools reduce fatigue and the risk of strain. A safer tool will go a long way to reducing injury. A safer blade helps solve this problem. laceration injuries. Safety: Changing with the Times There are two aspects of traditional blades What Makes a Safer Cutting Tool? that cause injury: the blade edge and the tip. This is an exciting time. Getting older isn’t as Metal, the traditional blade material, is relatively closely tied to slowing down as it used to be. We Traditionally, cutting tool manufacturers focus soft; metal blades dull quickly. To make metal regularly hear that sixty is the new thirty, or the safety efforts on redesigning the handle to blades last longer, manufacturers make them like. But there are some physical realities that reduce blade exposure. The retractable handle overly sharp, which also makes them very are important to consider in order to keep older has become the go-to design for safety, and dangerous. Ceramic blades usually mimic this workers as safe as their younger counterparts. there are generally two types: manual and auto. razor-sharp blade design. Additionally, most When it comes to cutting tools, finding safer tools that feature ergonomic handle design and safety blades will be increasingly important. T.J. Scimone founded Slice, Inc. in 2008. Since then he’s made safety his top priority, creating a unique line of safer tools, from box cutters to utility knives, all of which feature patent-pending finger-friendly® blades. The Slice website features a Workplace Safety blog. Visit Slice at www.sliceproducts.com. vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 29

BY ANITA HAWKINS SAFETY PROS PREPARING THE WORKPLACE for Older American Workers You’ve heard the phrase, “age is just a number.” Older generations have been embracing this mentality, and keeping themselves active, long after traditional retirement years. Age has started to matter less as more workers are delaying retirement and staying in the workforce. But what does this mean for business owners? It’s great that older employees are maintaining their employment and staying active, but does having an aging workforce create new demands for businesses? What challenges do employers face as their workers begin to age? For many companies, the age of their employees is more than just a number. It’s a call to action that requires employers to comply with the Older Americans Act. 30 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 31

Organizations would be T he Older Americans Act (OAA), passed in prompting someone to check in on the senior making a mistake if they 1965, established the Administration on at their home or contacting family to check on were to ignore older workers, Aging (AoA). This legislation has worked them. Having this network of caring people in not properly adapt their toward providing seniors and caregivers with their lives may help them to avoid accidents and work sites, and not utilize health and nutrition programs, community illness in and out of the workplace. the years of knowledge service programs, employment and elder rights and intellectual capital they protection. It also trains personnel in the field Now that more and more seniors are bring to the table. of aging so that they can better serve seniors. choosing to remain employed into traditional (Older Americans Act, 2018). retirement years, employers must comply with the OAA. It is their job to ensure the safety of The AoA is now part of the Administration for their employees no matter what age. Community Living (ACL) and receives funding from the OAA. Funding is distributed to 56 Several organizations throughout the United state agencies, 200 tribal organizations, 600 area States have been formed in order to educate agencies and 20,000 local services providers. employers on the OAA and what it means for These organizations are designed to manage them. Organizations like the National Institute public health, public access to information, and for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) public assistance in finding employment, food have become part of the CDC in order to security, and other economic needs. (Older continue the mission of creating safe, healthy Americans Act, 2018). Many of the these workers and develop new knowledge in the organizations are housed and operated through field of occupational safety and health. (The local health departments and the Centers for National Institute for Occupational Safety and Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health, 2018). The AoA believes employment is a crucial While NIOSH focuses on many diverse part of community inclusion for aging workers. groups of workers, some of its goals are Gainful employment enables older workers to focused on providing training and workforce remain independent. The benefits of continuing development so that employers and workers to work after a certain age can sometimes exceed can adopt the practices required to meet the the basic need for income. Senior workers can needs of the OAA. benefit from the social aspects of the workplace. Often, retirees fall into a state of depression, Businesses, especially those that are loneliness, and poor health when they are not community service organizations, can partner social or productive. Having a workplace that with programs such as the Senior Community supports and welcomes older workers can have Service Employment Program (SCSEP) in order a direct impact on the senior’s mental and to hire qualified senior workers. The program emotional health. Employees who are properly is the oldest employment program in the U.S. trained to watch for signs of stroke or other designed to help low-income, unemployed illness can watch each other for signs and may seniors find gainful employment. (Senior be the first line of help for an older worker who Community Service Employment Program, is at risk. Should an accident happen off the 2018). By working with the National Council jobsite, coworkers may be the first to notice on Aging, employers can learn more about the if a senior worker has not made it into the SCSEP and how they can participate. workplace or is not answering phone calls, thus These programs have created a big change in the length of time employees choose to stay active in the workforce. Twenty five percent of American workers will be over age 55 by 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of these workers and those who may be older than 55 will not be retiring from their current positions. As employees age, they may be faced with challenges unique to older generations of worker. According to NIOSH, older workers tend to experience fewer workplace injuries than their younger colleagues. However, when accidents do happen, older workers typically require more time to heal. Accidents involving older workers are more likely to be fatal. 32 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

What does this mean for businesses? Although Some things businesses Employers should make efforts to understand there is no consensus on the age at which can do to adapt for aging the normal physiological and biological changes workers are considered “older workers,” the employees include: that occur with aging and not prejudge an older aging workforce phenomenon is real. These worker’s abilities and willingness to work. With demographic shifts have made the issue of 1. Allow for flexible hours. Allow a few simple adaptations to the workplace, older healthier workers, especially those of advanced age, workers to have an input on their workers should be able to continue performing much more pressing. Chronic disorders such as work schedule. Allow them to choose their work tasks. The older workers themselves hypertension and arthritis can affect an employee’s the hours, work conditions, work should initiate the use of the accommodations health and safety. Slip, trip, and fall incidents also organization, work location and and take action to protect themselves from become more common among older workers. work tasks whenever possible. workplace incidents. Employers will find that when given the tools and equipment needed, For businesses, this could be damaging to 2. Match tasks to abilities. Use self- workers of any age make strides to be safe. Some production and employee morale. It can also paced work, self-directed rest breaks even produce at higher levels when they are more mean higher payouts in worker’s compensation. and less-repetitive tasks. confident that they are safe in the workplace. However, businesses should not be deterred from hiring older workers. Instead, businesses are 3. Avoid prolonged sedentary work. In the end, a safe and healthy workplace is encouraged to make adaptions in the workplace Prolonged sedentary work is bad for the benefit of all workers at any age. When to accommodate older workers. Making the for workers at every age. Consider employers foster the continued employment of changes necessary to keep them safe can be implementing workstations that aging workers, they will find that their dedication beneficial to the company in many ways. allow workers to sit or stand to do to the job and their years of experience bring computer and other desktop tasks. a wealth of knowledge and encouragement Why Should Business Adapt to to the workplace. Younger workers can learn Accommodate Older Workers? 4. Manage noise, slip/trip and other new skills and get much needed advice from physical hazards. employees who feel their age is just a number Older workers have developed years of and not an indication that their years in the experience and can help guide new and younger 5. Provide and design ergo-friendly workplace have come to an end. hires. Older workers are also able to explain work environments, including and train younger predecessors more efficiently adapted tools, nonslip floor Anita is the Digital Marketing Specialist and than training videos or teaching methods that coverings, better illumination where are not as hands on. Younger workers can work needed, and computer screens that can Blogger for Safety Pros located in Tampa, FL. alongside the older employees and learn all the be adjusted for less glare. “tricks of the trade” from someone who has been Under the direction of company owner, Michele doing the job for decades. 6. Use teamwork strategies or the buddy system for tasks when Adams, Safety Pros develops comprehensive Mature workers offer several economic benefits workers are offsite or working to the business as well. They are dedicated and in an environment that is especially online safety incentive programs for companies produce a higher quality of work. Because of their hazardous. years of experience, they are less likely to make of all sizes. As part of the Safety Pros team, mistakes or rush a project. They are punctual and 7. Provide health promotion and look forward to going to work each day. For them, lifestyle interventions including Anita educates clients on the importance it is an opportunity to give back, socialize and be physical activity, healthy meal part of a bigger picture. They are eager to learn options, tobacco cessation assistance, of safety while also helping them discover and possess a desire to be involved. Older workers risk-factor reduction and screenings, could also mean reduced labor costs. Many older coaching and onsite medical care. effective safety recognition solutions for their workers find part-time jobs so they can remain Creating health and safety programs active and social, or simply because they enjoy encourages workers of all ages to take workplace. As members of VPPPA for 30 years, contributing. They likely already have health better care of themselves and thus, insurance benefits through other programs and prevent many common illnesses that Safety Pros has established a strong reputation benefits. They may also have an additional source could lead to workplace accidents. of income and are willing to be paid a little less for as experts in the safety incentive industry. the job they want. These workers are the type who 8. Invest in training and building understand that being a dedicated employee is worker skills and competencies at all References sometimes about more than just the paycheck. age levels. 1. Older Americans Act. (2018, October 3). Organizations would be making a mistake if 9. Proactively manage reasonable Retrieved from National Committee to Preserve they were to ignore older workers, not properly accommodations and the return- Social Security and Medicare: https://www. adapt their work sites, and not utilize the years to-work process after illness or injury ncpssm.org/documents/older-americans- of knowledge and intellectual capital they bring absences. policy-papers/older-americans-act/ to the table. 10. Require aging workforce 2. Older Americans Act. (2018, December 03). management skills training for Retrieved from National Council on Aging: supervisors. Include a focus on the https://www.ncoa.org/public-policy-action/ most effective ways to manage a older-americans-act/ multigenerational workplace. 3. Senior Community Service Employment Program. (2018, December 03). Retrieved from National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa. org/economic-security/matureworkers/scsep/ 4. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (2018, December 03). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ about/default.html vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 33

BY LEE VERNON CODE 3 MEDICAL SERVICES, LLC First Responder + Considerations for the Aging Workforce After 26 years of riding in a fire truck and ambulance, + Is the situation due to an accident only? I’ve learned that treating younger adults versus older Or did a medical emergency occur first adults (55+ years old) presents different challenges to which then led to an accident? patient care during trauma or medical emergencies. If certain key aspects are not taken into consideration, With any kind of major bleeding, the and quickly addressed in the field, there is a higher overall health and age of the patient risk of further damage, injury, or even death. can greatly affect patient outcome. During traumatic physical events, younger and healthier bodies A thorough and complete patient can compensate effectively, which in most cases allows for an assessment is crucial to guiding first increased chance of survival. Granted, there are several factors responders down the correct path that can influence an outcome, including the proficiency and of patient care. competency of the first responder, but overall, the body is an amazing system when it is operating normally. Younger, healthier vpppa.org patients with severe trauma and significant blood loss who should have died, can often beat the odds and walk out of the hospital with minimal negative deficits. However, the odds of surviving the same scenario with the same statistics for a patient over the age of 55 decrease significantly. Why is that? Simply put, our bodies are not able to handle the stresses put on it due to the aging process of the body. More significantly, medical problems could arise that require supplementation of pharmaceutical drugs to operate at a normal level. Let’s look at each of those and dive into why each one presents its own unique challenge and how these issues can be prevented, not only for the patients, but for the first responder. 34 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

The Aging Body Pharmaceuticals How to Prepare for Treating Older Patients As we age, our bodies undergo natural Medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, changes that result in a cumulative effect. diabetes, cardiac issues, erectile dysfunction As an emergency response team For example, hormone levels can affect and blood thinners are more often taken member, what can one do to better sleep and chemical compositions within by older adults. This signals two things to prepare themselves for treating older our cellular, vascular and muscular the first responder when they encounter patients? First, getting base line and characteristics. How we treat our bodies a patient currently on any of those follow up vitals is important. Those over more expansive periods of time can medications. One, they currently have some vitals build the foundational storybook also result in long-term internal damage. kind of underlying medical problem where of your patient’s state on initial arrival, Things like diet, exercise, alcohol, drugs, something is not operating as it should. and if they are getting better or worse as smoking and our work environment all Two, those medications can either accelerate time continues. Our goal on initial care play a role in this damage. These elements, or artificially mask a medical emergency is to mitigate all life-threatening injuries with time, can cause a multitude of issues in a patient. and stabilize until advanced care arrives. such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory issues, cancer and more. A perfect example would be a patient Second, it is imperative to get exhibiting dizziness/syncopal episode. an accurate and thorough patient High Blood Pressure Their pulse is at 88 bpm (regular) and assessment/history. Getting that head- their blood pressure is 90/58. During your to-toe exam and an in-depth medical If high blood pressure goes untreated, assessment, the patient informs you that history can help as it pertains to it can cause various systemic problems they took Viagra last night but are on no diagnosing and treating your patient. like kidney disease, vascular weakening other medications. This would be a prime If you have a patient with a significant and cardiac enlargement of the heart, to example of a potential medically-induced bleed and you know that they take a name a few. Putting a problem like this medical emergency which could be blood thinner, then it should be taken into a severe traumatic injury situation directly related to the sexual medication into consideration that their clotting results in the body not having the ability and nothing else. Or it could be that the ability is reduced due to the medication. to compensate as well because it has patient is dehydrated or possibly having Therefore, simple direct pressure may already been working at a high level, due a true cardiac event. Either way, that not be enough to stop their bleeding. to the high blood pressure. The body little bit of important information can You may have to resort to a pressure simply can’t handle it compared to a help us get a more accurate assessment bandage, hemostatic agent, or a normal healthy body. This doesn’t mean of the patient, and in turn, help the first tourniquet depending on location and that the injury is a guaranteed fatality, responder initiate the best care possible. the severity of the bleed. but it could possibly mean that the patient has complications, or long-term A Quick Review negative consequences, due to the injury When dealing with cases, be aware that age and/or medications that are not normally encountered. can pose difficulties when treating older patients. The first responder should always prioritize patient care by dealing with life-threatening Severe Bleeds emergencies first (hemorrhage, airway, breathing, circulation), then give a thorough and continuous patient assessment. For the patient, If you have an elderly patient that it is imperative to be honest and provide any known medical history, has uncontrolled hemorrhaging from including allergies and all medications. a large laceration, the body is going to compensate for hypoperfusion by All of this information acquired through a proper assessment can truly speeding up the heart rate. This will speed aid the responder in some cases and prevent the situation from going up respirations, which will in turn cause from bad to worse. After all, first responders want to make a positive them to lose blood faster. In the older difference in people’s lives when they need it most. patient, this stress could be too much for their body to handle and could result in Lee Vernon, owner of Code 3 Medical Services LLC, has over 26 years as a Retired/Active First potential myocardial infarction (due to Responder/Firefighter/EMT. Having spent the majority of his career in a large metropolitan city where their heart already being taxed as a result his immediate response area to industrial, manufacturing, warehouse, corporate and violence prone of poor cardiac health). So instead of the environments were routine, he has a perspective and knowledge base experienced by few in the patient having only one issue, they could industry. Code 3 Medical & Safety Services team of active first responders focuses on medical and end up with two possibly fatal issues if not safety training in the petrochemical, industrial and manufacturing arena. prepared and dealt with accordingly. vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 35

MEMBERSHIP CORNER Like us on Facebook & Follow us on Twitter: @VPPPA Meet the VPPPA Team Halloween Costume Contest As VPPPA members, you talk to National Office Staff on We had an amazing response to our the phone, chat with us via email and sometimes see us at Halloween Costume Contest back in October. regional and national events. But we want our members to Congratulations to our winner, Khatri, pictured be able to more easily put names with faces. Check back to the right. We would like to say a special here in future issues to see more VPPPA National Office thank you to Hunter Douglas for their dazzling staff member profiles. participation in the contest. We will be hosting several more contests this year, so be sure to “like” VPPPA on Facebook. Check out a few more of the VPPPA staff’s favorite costumes. Name: Sierra Johnson We are turning 35! Job Title: Special Projects Coordinator This year is the 35th anniversary of the VPPPA. We are celebrating this milestone with tons of prizes, giveaways and contests on social media throughout the year, as Length of Time with VPPPA: 1.5 years well as during the 2019 Safety+ Symposium in New Orleans, LA. You also won’t Favorite Part of Working for VPPPA: I love my crazy want to miss our 35th birthday party at Safety+ this year! co-workers and doing something different every day. vpppa.org Hometown: Galion, Ohio Alma Mater: George Mason University Fun Facts About Me: I have a BFA in Creative Writing, even though I’m dyslexic. I can play flute, piccolo and oboe. In college I played piccolo for the Green Machine Pep Band, which is ranked the number one pep band in college basketball. Nicknames at Work: The Little Elf and The Office Seamstress Favorite Movie: The NeverEnding Story Favorite Book Character: Basil Hallward from The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. Favorite Food: Buffalo chicken wings Least Favorite Food: Cheese and red meat Dream Vacation Spot: Melbourne, Australia Favorite Podcast: “Off Topic” 36 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019

ASSOCIATION presentations concerning safety, health and sites and individuals that have made other issues in the industry. exceptional contributions to the mission of ANNOUNCEMENTS the VPPPA during the previous year. Discounted Rates Renew Your VPPPA Membership If you have any questions regarding your • Conferences—Receive discounted rates membership or dues, contact membership@ It’s membership renewal season! An email on VPPPA’s Safety+ Symposium, as well as on vpppa.org or call (703) 761-1146. containing your invoice was sent out in December, VPPPA regional conferences. as well as a hard copy in January. You can easily AMAZONSMILE renew your dues by clicking on the “renew” • Webinars—Receive discounted rates on VPPPA tab located on the left side of VPPPA’s home webinars, which are one-hour sessions that VPPPA has set up an AmazonSmile page at www.vpppa.org. If you have forgotten provide a convenient way for the workforce account. AmazonSmile is a website your password, simply click on the option that to continue learning while on the job. operated by Amazon that lets allows you to reset your password and follow the customers enjoy the same wide selection of directions. Once logged in you will be able to • Columbia Southern University—VPPPA products, low prices, and convenient shopping seamlessly renew your membership with VPPPA. Members, as well as their spouses and children, features as on Amazon.com. The difference is receive a 10 percent discount on tuition for that when our members shop on AmazonSmile We would like to thank our members for their Columbia Southern University. In addition, (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile support over the past year. We are making strides members do not have to pay the application fee Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of the toward progress for the association by providing and also receive free textbooks. price of eligible purchases to VPPPA. There is more safety and health resources for our members no price difference if our members choose to and building new partnerships with other Awards & Scholarships use AmazonSmile. To sign up for the VPPPA organizations. In 2018 we had a record-breaking AmazonSmile page, visit: bit.ly/AmSmVPPPA. annual event, the Safety+ Symposium, with over • Scholarships—The VPPPA Scholarship Program Be sure to start at Smile.Amazon.com when 3,500 attendees, and provided a wide variety of supports students who have demonstrated you begin shopping. networking and educational opportunities. leadership and commitment to safety and health in their schools and communities. We encourage you to re-dedicate your support to VPPPA and renew your membership today. • Industry Awards—VPPPA offers several With numerous benefits, VPPPA is a great resource awards to recognize those VPPPA member for today’s safety professional. Be sure you are taking advantage of everything VPPPA has to offer. A COMPREHENSIVE FALL PROTECTON PLAN Since it is a new year, we wanted to remind you ELIMINATES ACCIDENTS of our membership benefits, including: WE’LL HELP YOU TACKLE IT WITH EASE Free Publications ANALYZE • SPECIFY • MANUFACTURE • INSTALL • Access to the award-winning quarterly SAFETYRAILCOMPANY.COM I 888-434-2720 magazine, The Leader. • “On the Level”—VPPPA’s monthly e-newsletter that balances industry and association news. • Best Practices Directory—VPPPA member- submitted annual directory that highlights the new technologies and research that are changing the way safety professionals protect their workforce. Free Tools • Mentoring Program—A free member benefit that encourages, assists and develops companies that are striving to achieve safety and health excellence by pairing sites that have achieved Star status with sites just starting their VPP journey. • Job Board—A database of professional opportunities available throughout the EHS industry, regularly updated with new job openings. • Presentation Sharing—This page allows members to share information and vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 37

state-plan monitor COMPILED BY KATLYN PAGLIUCA, California In November 2018, three Regional Best MEMBERSHIP MANAGER, VPPPA, INC Practices Meetings were conducted in Santa Congratulations to the employees at these ten Claus at Holiday World, in Lafayette at Oscar Federal OSHA States sites who worked to achieve Cal/VPP status Winski Company Inc. and in St. Joe at Nucor State-Plan States in 2018: Fastener. At these meetings, sites presented Public Sector Only • United Airlines, San Francisco best practices and had networking group • Sierra Pacific Industries, Oroville discussions on various topics. The next round • Nova Group, Napa of Regional Best Practices Meetings will be in • Broadspectrum/Timec, Benicia November 2019. For more information about • Southwire, Rancho Cucamonga Regional Best Practices Meetings email Beth • SDG&E, Escondido Gonzalez at [email protected]. • Monsanto, San Juan Baptiste • Sherwin Williams, Moreno Valley Indiana’s largest safety conference, the Indiana • Phillips 66 Sacramento Terminal, Sacramento Safety and Health Conference and Expo, will • Cintas #630, Gilroy be held February 26–28. The conference is presented by the Central Indiana Chapter ASSP, Indiana Coalition for Construction Safety, and Indiana Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Indiana presently has 90 sites certified in the Indiana Department of Labor. You can find the Voluntary Protection Program. In 2018, more information at www.INSafetyConf.com. four new sites were certified at the Star level. Indiana’s three VPP leaders are already On the morning of February 26, at the Indiana working with several sites who will be ready for Safety and Health Conference, an INSHARP and evaluations in 2019. The goal for Indiana VPP VPP Workshop will be conducted to promote is to have 100 sites by the end of 2019. partnership programs available at the Indiana Cal/Star flag raising ceremony at Monsanto San Juan Baptiste. 38 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 The North Best Practices meeting took place in Indiana and featured presentations and small group discussions. vpppa.org

Department of Labor. Sites will be presenting Ferndale Generating Station (Ferndale) are general industry locations and two are resident best practices to help other sites improve their contractors at our MNSTAR certified refinery. safety and health programs and learn more about Champion & Associates (Auburn) INSHARP and VPP. There is no cost to attend Having a dedicated MNSTAR team the workshop. For more information about NuStar Energy (Tacoma) has allowed us to build strong working about this workshop, email Beth Gonzalez. relationships with our partners and has helped • MVPP/C Informational Workshop—date open lines of communication from site to In 2019, there will be a Special Government and location TBD site. Our MNSTAR sites share best practices Employee (SGE) Class on July 30–31 at “Like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter between sites, which allows all employers to Cintas #68F in Indianapolis. To attend this strive to be better. class, the deadline for SGE Application is and subscribe to our YouTube channel at www. April 15, 2019. On August 1–2, there will youtube.com/c/MIOSHA_MI. The following sites achieved MNSTAR be a free Basis Industrial Hygiene (IH) Class recertification status in 2018: at Cintas #68F in Indianapolis. For more For further details on the MVPP, contact Doug • Cintas Location 470 (Maple Grove) information about SGE Class or IH Class Kimmel, MVPP specialist at 517-719-7296, or • LP (Two Harbors) contact Beth Gonzalez. We are always looking visit the MIOSHA website at www.michigan. • CF Industries (Glenwood) for more SGEs to assist us with evaluations gov/miosha. • Flint Hills Refinery (Rosemount) and mentoring sites. Minnesota Michigan Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Workplace There are currently 29 sites in the Michigan Safety Consultation currently has 35 MNSTAR Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP), with sites participating in the Minnesota VPP 25 Star, one Rising Star (Merit), two MVPP/C (MNSTAR) program. Of the 35 STAR sites, 33 (construction), and one MVPP/C Rising Star site. Promotion A MVPP Mentors meeting was held in October of 2018. The meeting was well attended by members from MVPP sites. • MVPP Specialist, Doug Kimmel, met with representatives from the Lansing Board of Water & Light and Granger Construction to discuss the MVPP. • MVPP onsite reviews have been conducted at Cintas First Aid & Safety (Kentwood), Marathon TT&R (Lansing) and Cintas D26 (Troy). • An MVPP Star onsite reevaluation has been conducted at Walbridge (U of M Projects Ann Arbor). • MVPP site visit to Walbridge (Ford DCT Project Dearborn) was also conducted. Applications Currently Pending for the MVPP • Cintas First Aid & Safety (Kentwood) • Cintas Fire Protection—D26 (Troy) • Marathon TT&R, Lansing Terminal & Fleet (Lansing) • Honeywell (Muskegon) Upcoming Events • MVPP/C Mentors meeting—April 15 • MVPP/C Advisory group meeting—date TBD • MVPP SGE training—date and location TBD vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 39

state-plan monitor contacting each state >> In early 2019, we have four recertification visits planned. We recently completed two Alaska Michigan South Carolina pre-screening site visits for potential MNSTAR Christian Hendrickson Sherry Scott Sharon Dumit sites. We anticipate receiving two applications VPP Manager MVPP Manager VPP Coordinator in mid-2019. Christian.hendrickson@ [email protected] [email protected] alaska.gov Phone: (517) 322-5817 Phone: (803) 896-7788 If you would like further information about Phone: (907) 269-4946 the MNSTAR Program, please visit www.doli. Minnesota Tennessee state.mn.us/WSC/Mnstar.asp or contact Marnie Arizona Tyrone Taylor, MBA David Blessman Prochniak, MNSTAR VPP Coordinator, at Jessie Atencio Director of Workplace Safety VPP Manager [email protected]. Assistant Director Consultation MN [email protected] [email protected] Dept. of Labor & Industry Phone: (615) 253-6890 Washington Phone: (520) 220-4222 Occupational Safety & Health Division Utah Washington State VPP currently has 32 Star sites. California [email protected] Jerry Parkstone Iraj Pourmehraban Phone: (651) 284-5203 VPP Coordinator Recent Onsite Evaluations Cal/VPP & PSM Manager [email protected] • A recertification onsite was conducted with ipourmehraban@ Nevada Phone: (801) 530-6901 hq.dir.ca.gov Jimmy Andrews Jacobs at the Walla Walla site. Phone: (510) 622-1080 VPP Manager Vermont • An onsite certification was conducted with jimmy.andrews@ Daniel Whipple Hawaii business.nv.gov VPP Coordinator the Cintas laundry facility in Everett in Kristin Takaba Phone: (702) 486-9046 [email protected] October, 2018. OSH Program Specialist— Phone: (802) 828-5084 Compliance Assistance New Mexico Recent VPP Ceremonies [email protected] Melissa Barker Virginia • Trident Seafoods (Everett) Phone: (808) 586-9090 VPP Coordinator Milford Stern • Ferndale Generating Station (Ferndale) [email protected] VPP Manager • Champion & Associates (Auburn) Indiana Phone: (505) 222-9595 [email protected] • NuStar Energy (Tacoma) Beth A. Gonzalez Phone: (540) 562-3580 x 123 (See photos on page 39.) VPP Team Leader North Carolina [email protected] LaMont Smith Washington Applications have been received from Veolia Phone: (317) 607-6118 Recognition Program Manager John Geppert Environmental Services in Kent and Cintas [email protected] VPP Manager Puyallup. These are in review. Iowa Phone: (919) 807-2909 [email protected] Shashi Patel Phone: (360) 902-5496 Keri Davidson and her team at Honeywell VPP Coordinator Oregon Aerospace in Redmond hosted a networking [email protected] Mark E. Hurliman, CSHM Wyoming meeting in November of 2018. More than 30 Phone: (515) 725-5664 VPP/SHARP Program Clayton Gaunt people from VPP sites and others interested in Coordinator VPP Manager pursuing VPP attended. The meeting included Kentucky mark.e.hurliman@ [email protected] a tour of the facility, lectures and discussions. Brian Black oregon.gov Phone: (307) 777-7710 Matt Loesch, Acting Site Leader, provided an VPP Program Administrator Phone: (541) 776-6016 overview of the site and its products. Mary [email protected] Anderson, Senior HSE Engineer, presented on Phone: (502) 564-3320 Puerto Rico the Honeywell WellBeing Initiative and NuStar Judith M. Cruz Concepción Energy’s, Mike VanWyhe, presented on the Maryland Puerto Rico VPP Manager creative ways that NuStar Energy encourages Allen Stump P​ R OSHA Voluntary employee participation. VPP Manager Programs Division [email protected] [email protected] Upcoming Event Phone: (410) 527-4473 Phone: (787) 754-2172 ext 3343 The 2019 Voluntary Protection Program Seminar: Melvin E. James Honorary Lectures For additional information and up-to-date contacts, please visit on Safety will be held on March 19 in www.vpppa.org/chapters/contacts.cfm Tumwater. Sessions will include: Speaking Up for Safety, Why Do Accidents Happen, Fall 40 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 Protection, Developing an Industrial Hygiene Program, Improving Your Safety Culture through a Self-Evaluation and Using Safety Shares to Empower Your Workforce. vpppa.org



regional round-ups COMPILED BY JAMIE MITCHELL, Region I There are three scholarships the Region I COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, Board of Directors will be awarding just prior VPPPA, INC. www.vppregion1.com to the Region I Safety & Health Excellence The most important news about Region I is Conference & Expo this May. The three Region I that we’ve gained more SGEs through an SGE scholarships are the Eric Bartsch Memorial Region II training that happened back in September and Safety & Health Scholarship, awarded to a full- Region III that we are gearing up for the Region I Safety time student majoring in Occupational Safety Region IV & Health Excellence Conference & Expo or Occupational Health field; the Caswell Region V happening in May 2019. Plante Academic Excellence Scholarship, Region VI awarded to a full-time student in a major not Region VII Region I is holding its annual Safety & Health related to Occupational Safety or Occupational Region VIII Excellence Conference & Expo at the Holiday Inn Health field; and the Joe Gervais Memorial Region IX by the Bay in Portland, ME, on May 20–22, 2019. Community Service Scholarship, awarded to a Region X The Region I Board of Directors is always looking full-time student with an outstanding record of for sponsors of the event as well as for people community service. interested in speaking or businesses interested in exhibiting at the conference. For more information All interested applicants can find more about the conference and how to get more information and the detailed requirements involved please check out the Region I website. for submission on the Region I website. Region I held an SGE training Sept. 18–20, Region II 2018, at Hypertherm in Lebanon, NH. There were 12–15 students in the class. Now there www.vppregion2.com are close to 100 SGEs within Region I with The Region II VPPPA Safety Forum will take the biggest pool of SGEs coming from the place June 24–25. Visit our website for more Raytheon Company. information as it is posted. Region I again exhibited at the Annual There will be a SGE class held April 2–4 at Maine State Safety & Health Conference held Paulsboro Refining Company in Paulsboro, NJ. September 18–20 in Augusta, ME. At the conference two Region I VPP sites presented Region II AED Fund workshops: Cartamundi of East Longmeadow, In 2007, Norman Deitch retired from OSHA MA, and Raytheon. after 27 years of service. One of Norman’s passions is to foster the use of AEDs to help save Recent Mentor Match-Ups lives. In his honor, the Region II VPPPA Board of Directors established the Norman Deitch AED • Highliner Foods—Peabody, Ma and Portsmouth, NH is being mentored by 匀琀椀挀欀 漀甀琀 礀漀甀爀 眀爀椀猀琀 ℀ Darwin Irish from FLEXcon in Spencer, MA. 䄀渀搀 猀愀瘀攀 愀 氀椀昀攀 • Honeywell—Northford, CT is being mentored by Paul Ludington from 刀攀最椀漀渀 ㈀Ⰰ 漀昀  琀栀攀 嘀倀倀倀䄀Ⰰ 栀愀猀 猀瀀漀渀猀漀爀攀搀 愀渀 䄀䔀䐀 䘀唀一䐀 昀漀爀 猀攀瘀攀爀愀氀  Dominion Nuclear in Waterford, CT. 礀攀愀爀猀⸀  䈀礀 瀀甀爀挀栀愀猀椀渀最 漀甀爀 愀 戀爀愀挀攀氀攀琀Ⰰ 礀漀甀 栀攀氀瀀 瀀甀爀挀栀愀猀攀 愀渀 䄀䔀䐀   • New England Sheets—Devon, MA is being 匀攀攀洀猀 氀椀欀攀 愀 猀洀愀氀氀 琀栀椀渀最Ⰰ 戀甀琀 猀漀洀攀搀愀礀 椀琀 洀愀礀 洀攀愀渀 愀氀氀 琀栀攀 眀漀爀氀搀 琀漀 猀漀洀攀漀渀攀 mentored by Jim Caulfield of Raytheon • Harris Rebar, South Deerfield, Ma—is being mentored by Deb Bowie of Coca-Cola in Northampton, MA. The last flag raising ceremony in Region I took place on September 14, 2018, for a new VPP worksite—GE Healthcare in Westborough, MA. There will be elections at the upcoming Region I Safety & Health Excellence Conference & Expo. The following positions are up for re-election: Chair, Treasurer, three Director-at- Large positions. If anyone is interested in any of these positions more information can be found on the Region I website or by contacting one of the Region I Board of Directors. 42 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

Fund. The board is again soliciting donations Region IV Congratulations to Cintas (Evansville, IN) from members to purchase AEDs for worthwhile on their VPP Star. community groups in honor of Norman Deitch’s www.regionivvpp.org many years of service. Donations of any amount The Region IV Board of Directors are busy Afton Chemical, a VPP Star site in Sauget, IL, will be accepted and appreciated. planning the 2019 Safety and Health Excellence hosted Prairie State Generating Company Conference. The 2019 conference will be for a presentation. Checks should be made payable to Region II held June 18–20 in Chattanooga, TN, at the VPPPA and sent to: Chattanooga Marriot and Convention Center. Congratulations to the CF Industries Mount The opening Keynote speaker for the 2019 Vernon, IN, Distribution Facility, which was Kevin O’Brien, Treasurer, VPPPA Region II, conference will be Tennessee Occupational recently re-certified with Star status. 776a Watervliet-Shaker Rd, Safety and Health Administrator, Steve Latham, NY 12110 Hawkins. Steve has been a longtime supporter Conference planning is underway for the of VPP and we are excited for the message 2019 VPPPA Region V Conference “Crafting Region III he has to share with us. The closing keynote Your Safety Culture.” The 2019 conference will speaker will be The Safety Coach, David Sarkus. be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are www.vppparegion3.org David is an internationally recognized safety and looking forward to a terrific conference in the 2018 ended strong for Region III. The region health leader, speaker and author. David will be city of Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids is known hosted the 23rd Virginia Occupational Safety presenting on the subject of “Leading from the for its trend-setting beer, food, art, music and Health Conference in Williamsburg, VA, Heart.” In this presentation David will discuss scenes and family fun. Please join us for our and attended the Pennsylvania Governor’s the difficulties leaders face in understanding how VPP Application Workshop, Conference and Occupational Safety and Health Conference. The to truly help individuals and teams work safer SGE Course the third week in May. Check our board visited Dover Downs to finalize the event on a regular basis. David will discuss the 7C’s website for conference information. plans with the Dover Downs conference team. that will allow anyone, in any organization, to achieve their very best. These 7 principles have All 16 Cintas sites in Indiana have achieved The Region III website has been updated. been proven to help organizations move together VPP Star status. The company’s Evansville, IN, Some of enhancements include: in the same direction, through a common vision location is the most recent and final company • New updated board members page for world-class safety performance! The Board • VPPPA membership online application page of Directors would also like to welcome John • Updated pages on: What is VPP, SGE Pfeifer, from Valero Energy, to the position of Director-At-Large. program, VPP Resources • A fillable form for volunteering Contributed by Christopher Colburn, • A sponsorship thank you page Region IV Vice Chairperson • A fillable vendor form • Scholarship online application (supplemental Region V materials still need to be mailed) www.vppregionv.org • Region III awards page In 2018, the Region V VPPPA Board of • Upcoming events page Directors, and a few extremely helpful Special Government Employees (SGEs), The Region III Board of Directors is hard have completed over 20 VPP Pre-Onsite at work planning for the 2019 Region III Evaluations to assist with the overall readiness conference which will be held April 30–May 2, of sites looking to join VPP. This initiative has at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. There will been led and organized by our Chairman, Bill be a Region III conference mobile app that is Linneweh. To learn more about VPP Pre- being developed and enhanced for 2019 by Onsite Evaluations please reach out to Nancy board member, Rob Deery. Plans are in full Mugavero, Region V VPP Manager, at U.S. swing for another awesome jam-packed event. DOL-OSHA. Nancy can be reached by email We are excited to be planning for the 22nd at: [email protected]. annual event and can’t wait to see everyone there. If you or your company are interested Upcoming Events in volunteering, sponsoring or just helping • May 13–14, SGE Training out with VPP-related events within the region • May 14, VPP Application Workshop please check out the website and let us know. • May 15–16, Region V Conference: Thanks to the members of Region III for helping to make our region successful. “Crafting Your Safety Culture” Contributed by John Dyer, Region III Secretary vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 43

regional round-ups site to achieve this. Congratulations to the our keynote speakers. Like last year, we will We have a new website: www.vppparegion8. Evansville location and Cintas! be offering five conference speaker tracks: clubexpress.com. It is still a work in progress, VPP Best Practices, Safety Leadership, High but it should increase our ability to serve our Notre Dame University is in the early stages Impact, VPP Elements, and Highly Requested membership and spread the VPP message. of their VPP journey. Tim Malley (INOSHA) (like active shooter). This year we will be has paired Bill Linnewheh, Hendrickson, and offering a leadership certificate, in an effort Contributed by Christina Ross, Region VIII Shawn French (Region V Treasurer), Eli Lilly to add additional value for attendees. New and Company, to mentor them in the process. this year will be a pre-conference workshop Chairperson We are extremely excited that Notre Dame focusing on SGE leadership and how to add University has chosen VPP as their management value to the audit as well as enhance your own Region IX system to improve overall safety of their faculty, SGE experience. We are looking forward to employees, students, contractors and visitors. a great year, and invite all of you (regardless www.regionixvpppa.org of region) to attend, and enjoy beautiful Salt Wow...can you believe winter is almost gone! Outreach Lake City. As our lives get busier, the years go faster, and We would like to give a shout out to Afton we all continue to move forward (notice, I Chemical, a VPP Star site in Sauget, IL, for There will be a VPP application workshop didn’t say continue to age!). The collective body hosting Prairie State Generating Company on the first day of the Region VIII VPPPA known as the Region IX Board of Directors, (PSGC). On several different occasions Afton conference in Salt Lake City. We will hold a and their Regional partners/members, continue Chemical has opened their doors to PSGC for SGE training class at the Phillips 66 Refinery working to educate and inform stakeholders presentations and site tours. This is the true VPP Star site located in Billings, MT, from and others on the benefits of safety excellence, spirit of VPP in giving back through outreach, June 18–20. through the Voluntary Protection Program. As and this will be instrumental in helping PSGC winter wraps up, we prepare for spring, which on their path to VPP Star certification. In total Our most recent SGE training class in brings with it, the annual VPPPA conference. PSCG has been able to send 41 employees Region VIII was held at TIC training center in A gathering where ideas are born anew, actions to Afton Chemical. A huge thanks to both Henderson, CO, June 5–7, 2018. Twelve new and behaviors are refreshed, and stakeholders companies for making this happen! SGEs were sworn in during the event. remind themselves of their continued commitment to improvement, working in Congratulations to the CF Industries Mount Region VIII attended the University of Utah a safer, healthier manner while sharing the Vernon, IN, Distribution Facility, which was Safety and Industrial Hygiene conference in lessons learned along the way. recently re-certified at Star status in the Indiana Salt Lake City on October 10–12, 2018. We Voluntary Protection Program for its safety will be representing the region at the North Various teams and groups within Region programs and outstanding workplace safety Dakota Safety Council Conference in February, IX have remained active in the past year. and health culture. as well as the Utah Safety Council Conference In California, Iraj and his dedicated team in February. recognized 10 new sites; putting them to the Region V VPPPA has an open Director- test, if you will, all done in order to determine at-Large Position. If interested you can Hunter Douglas Window Fashions hosted if these sites could proudly fly, the VPP star reach out to Chairman, Bill Linneweh, at an OSHA Regional Manager’s meeting and flag. (The list of sites can be found in the State [email protected], or any of tour of their VPP Star facility in Broomfield, Plan Monitor update for CA on page 38). the current board members. Additional contact CO. The Regional Administrator, her information can be found on our website. Regional executive staff members, and the California VPP Program Manager, Iraj area directors and managers from the OSHA Pourmehraban, PE, CSP, continues to spread If this too much of a commitment, then enforcement offices throughout Region the word and encourage participants to share please consider volunteering for Region V VIII participated. their best practices with new sites at the VPPPA conference activities. regional conference. LPR Construction Company in Contributed by Jimmy Jacquez, Region V Loveland, CO, (VPP Mobile Workforce Star In Nevada, four participating sites, found participant) is currently the longest-tenured themselves undergoing renewal audits, to Director Ex-Officio VPP participant in OSHA Region VIII and determine if the commitment and quality, will celebrate 20 continuous years in VPP in initially demonstrated was still present, and Region VIII December of 2019. reflected the VPP philosophy of “continuous improvement.” Some of the sites included: www.vppparegion8.clubexpress.com Hunter Douglas had a flag raising ceremony • Sherwin Williams Distribution (Reno) The Region VIII Board of Directors spent a on July 20, 2018. Sturgeon Electric held a VPP • Copper Mountain Solar (Las Vegas) couple of days together in October to plan flag ceremony in June of 2018 for two divisions • Chevron Performance Pipe (Reno) for the 2019 conference. We are very excited that participated in the VPP Mobile Workforce • Cintas Corporation 67 (Reno) to host the Region VIII conference (for the program. MillerCoors in Monte Vista, CO, held first time) in Salt Lake City, UT, at the Salt a VPP Star ceremony on July 26, 2018. LPR The Nevada state program also added a Lake Sheraton, on April 23–26! This year, Bill Construction held a VPP Mobile Workforce new VPP Star participant to the family, and Sims and NBA Legend Mark Eaton will be Star celebration on July 25, 2018. at the time of this writing had four additional 44 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

sites with applications pending. In speaking for the upcoming Safety Summit, in Tucson Federal OSHA VPP recertification celebration. to representatives from Nevada they plan Arizona. So, if you and your team want to try Jack Rector (left), Occupational Safety to continue expanding VPP participation “Shooting for a Starr” you better get busy; there and Health Administration deputy regional throughout the state. isn’t much time left! Remember, April 16–18 in administrator for Region X, presents Lt. Col. Tucson, AZ, at the beautiful JW Marriot Starr Gregory Durham (middle), 627th Logistics Meanwhile in Arizona, Jessie Atencio is Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson, AZ. Readiness Squadron commander, and transitioning into his new role as the Director Darrell McKinney (right), 404th Army Field of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety Contributed by Mark Norton, Ambassador Support Brigade material readiness division & Health. As someone who saw first-hand chief, the VPP Star site flag on November 1, the benefits of the VPP process, Jessie, in to the Region IX Board of Directors 2018, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. his new role as the Director of the Division, fully supports the mission and vision of the Region X Mark Hurliman would like to recognize the Voluntary Protection Program and looks to Oregon VPP companies for their leadership and grow the number of workplaces currently in www.regionxvpppa.org assistance helping the Oregon SHARP Alliance the program by 10 percent every year. Region X Board of Directors is hard at work to provide multiple mentoring and networking preparing for the 2019 Northwest Health & opportunities for Oregon employers. The Currently there is no Assistant Director Safety Summit that will be held at the Red Oregon SHARP Alliance now provides Oregon fulfilling the role of VPP Coordinator for the Lion on the River, Jantzen Beach, Portland, employers with eight training and networking program, however there is a new Compliance OR, from May 14–16. The conference opportunities each year. The VPP companies Assistance Specialist Supervisor to help oversee planning team has selected Brad Livingston are using the SHARP Alliance meetings as an the VPP program; continuing to serve the as the keynote speaker. In addition, the team opportunity to train and network with other stakeholders needs without interruption. That is in the process of identifying speakers for Oregon companies as well as providing multiple individual is Mr. Brandon Stowell who can workshop sessions. Currently Region X VPPPA mentoring opportunities for those companies be reached at 602-542-1636, or via email at is planning to host a Special Government who are interested. The SHARP Alliance [email protected]. Jessie hopes to Employee (SGE) class prior to the start of the model has been so successful that the VPPPA have an Assistant Director hired by the coming Safety Summit. is starting to work with the Alliance to benefit New Year. both groups, now Washington companies October was a busy month in the state of and consultants are joining and looking at ADOSH is currently examining the Washington with certifications, recertifications, that model as well. The Oregon SHARP submission of the annual reports, with the onsite reviews and celebrations to include a Alliance has recent training topics on their potential for employers to submit these recertification conducted at the Jacobs Walla web site, and future training topics are posted documents via an upload function to an Walla, Washington site. The approval report on the SHARP Alliance calendar at www. ADOSH landing page. Although not fully is in progress. A VPP celebration recognizing sharpalliance.org. The 2019 SHARP Alliance deployed, ADOSH is hoping for the service Champion & Associates in Auburn, WA, as a Board has 55 percent of the board who work to be functional in time for the next annual new Star facility. A certification at the Cintas at VPP sites. Since the Oregon VPP companies submissions. laundry facility in Everett WA. The approval joined the Oregon SHARP Alliance, the report is in progress. A recertification celebration group has made continuous improvements in Currently there are 47 VPP and C-VPP Star at NuStar Energy in Tacoma, WA. providing mentoring, networking and training sites in Arizona. The most recent additions include: opportunities to interested employers. • Brasfield and Gorrie Honeywell Aerospace in Redmond, WA, • Nucor Steel Kingman, LLC hosted a networking meeting in November with Contributed by Jack Griffith, Region X • Salt River Project Agua Fria Generating Station more than 30 attendees. The meeting included Communications Chair a tour of the facility. Presentations about the All three companies took advantage of the Honeywell WellBeing Initiative and NuStar expansive networking opportunities within Energy’s Employee Participation were given. Region IX and through the VPPPA, as well as classes offered at the annual conferences. Applications have been received from In addition, they participated in mentorship Veolia Environmental Services in Kent, WA, programs, worked through the VPPPA and Cintas Puyallup, WA, these are in review. Region IX Board members for additional benchmarking opportunities. In Arizona, the Oregon: Oregon held a VPP recognition footprint of VPP affords enhanced safety and ceremony at Cintas Location #172 in Eugene health practices through safety excellence to OR, where they were presented with the Oregon over 35,000 employees working on Star sites VPP Star plaque and flag, as well as Cintas’ within the state. internal Brass Ring award, the highest safety award Cintas has. Oregon completed another At the time of this article’s publication the audit in October 2018, and approved Owens Region IX VPPPA BOD and their Summit Corning’s Foam Insulation plant in SE Portland assistance teams will be finalizing the last details as a Merit site, the newest VPP site in Oregon. vpppa.org THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 45

infographic corner From 1970 until the According to the Bureau end of the 20th century, of Labor Statistics, older older workers made up the worker’s share of the labor force is anticipated smallest segment to increase from 21.7 percent in 2014 to nearly of the labor force. 25 percent By 2003, the older age group in 2024. no longer had the While accident frequency smallest share decreases in the labor force. with age, In 2015, Millennials injury severity and fatality outnumbered increase. Baby Boomers in the U.S. workforce for the first time. Slip, trip, and fall The Older Americans Act, more commonincidents also become passed in 1965, established the among older workers. Administration on Aging. 46 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 vpppa.org

calendar of events VPPPA Contacts February June To reach the VPPPA National Office, call (703) 761-1146 or visit February 26 June 18–20 www. vpppa.org. To reach a particular staff member, please refer to the Registration for the 2019 Safety+ Region IV contact information below. Symposium opens Chattanooga, TN Sara A. Taylor, CMP April June 24–25 [email protected] Director of Operations April 12 Region II Atlantic City, NJ Brielle Mroczko Deadline to receive early bird rate [email protected] for Safety+ Symposium July Conference Coordinator April 15–18 July 12 Kerri Carpenter [email protected] Region IX Last day to register at the regular Communications Tucson, AZ rate for Safety+ Symposium & Outreach Manager April 23–25 August Jamie Mitchell [email protected] Region VIII August 9 Communications Coordinator Salt Lake City, UT Cut off date for Safety+ Symposium Heidi Hill April 30–May 2 registration (onsite registration [email protected] available at the event) Senior Event Sales & Region III Advertising Coordinator Dover, DE August 12–18 Katlyn Pagliuca May OSHA Safe + Sound Week [email protected] Membership Manager May 6–9 August 27–30 Natasha Cole Region VI Safety+ Symposium [email protected] Oklahoma City, OK New Orleans, LA Member Services Coordinator May 14–15 More events to come! Sierra Johnson Check VPPPA regional [email protected] Region V websites for up-to-date Special Projects Coordinator Grand Rapids, MI information. Bryant Walker, CIOS, CSIS May 14–15 AN INTEGRATED SAFETY & [email protected] HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM Information & Data Region X Analyst Manager PRESENTED BY VPPPA Portland, OR Michael Khosrofian [email protected] May 20–22 Accountant Region I Courtney Malveaux, Esq Portland, ME [email protected] Government Relations Counsel May 20–22 THE LEADER / WINTER 2019 47 Region VII Wichita, KS vpppa.org

7600 Leesburg Pike, East Building, 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 • Keeps extension ladders from Ladder falls – slipping on slick surfaces such as 2nd leading cause of composite decking work-related • Unique design of foam creates tiny injur ie s! * suction cups that grip the surface, even when wet * https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ nioshtic-2/20034690.html • Light weight for easy use, weighs ~8 pounds Working Concepts, Inc. • Works on smooth surfaces, plastic, 888-456-3372 • www.softknees.com • [email protected] wood, concrete, etc., even when wet Patent Pending • Prevents marring and scratches to deck caused by ladder feet • Attaches to the bottom ladder rung, with adjustable strap, for easy movement of ladder along wall • Fits most extension ladders, up to 21” wide • Replaceable self-adhesive foam pad