What a year it has been. For me personally it has been an up and down year, and other than starting a new job that I enjoy, most of the year will not be remembered as a winner. But now is the time to put it behind me and start the New Year fresh which is something we all can do.
This is the time of year we look back at past accomplishments and look forward to new endeavors. New Year resolutions are made, such as: losing weight, exercising regularly, communicating better with friends and relatives or even finding a new job.
Many times we start with the best of intentions but soon those intentions fade to indecision and procrastination. Maybe this year's resolutions are a repeat of previous New Year's resolutions. If so, you may need to do more planning than just writing them down and posting them on your refrigerator.
Do you know how to set goals? Short term or long term? Home, business or financial? Are you where you want to be in your life?
Consider the results of studies on goal setting as reported by Edwin A. Locke of the University of Maryland and Gary P. Latham of the University of Washington:
Now is the time to think seriously about your future goals. Where do you want to be as industrial hygienist, a year from now, two years from now, 5 years from now? Do you want a management position; do you want to work in a certain industry; do you want to make a certain salary? Put it down on paper.
Goal setting requires planning. Write down each step on paper with related short term accomplishments and the time frame to reach those objectives. Make your short term goals achievable. Those steps should lead to your overall goal. Then follow it. If you are really bold and want some outside help in keeping you focused, share your plan with a colleague, friend or spouse; someone who will keep asking about your goal.
Don't let your goals flounder in your mind. Write them down. Make some plans and go beyond your dreams. Have a great 2002. Make it your best and build on it.
In the last year mold has become "toxic mold" and the newest player in the remediation field. In response, some states are looking at regulations that would require owner disclosure, remediation and the development of standards. Below is information gathered from several IAQ sources found on the Internet related to this new phenomenon.
California:
California has become the first state in
the nation to enact legislation to develop exposure standards for mold exposure.
The bill requires the state to set up a task force of health and medical experts,
education and county representatives, and corporate executives to make recommendations
for standards in indoor environments including hospitals, nursing homes and
childcare facilities. The task force is also responsible for advising the Department
on standards for the identification and remediation of mold by July 2003. The
bill also requires homeowners and landlords to disclose the presence of toxic
mold when selling buildings.
Texas:
In response to the mold crisis in Texas ($32 million
judgment against Farmers Insurance on a home owner claim and other related large
payouts), three indoor air quality bills were introduced in the legislator this
past spring. Two of them failed to make it out of committee. Bills 2006 and
2007 would have newly constructed schools or those with major renovation to
perform IAQ testing and comply with mandatory IAQ guidelines that would have
to be developed. Bill 2008 did pass the senate and will require the development
of voluntary indoor air quality guidelines
Mold continues to be a hot topic in Texas. The Texas Insurance Commission has developed new regulations on the issuance of home owners insurance after most insurance companies discontinued issuing policies.
Maryland:
Senate Bill 283 was signed by the Governor
to establish a Task Force on Indoor Air Quality, which will provide a report
by July 2002. The report must examine the nature, location, and extent of health
and environmental risks posed to workers as a result of molds, spores and toxic
organisms located in the HVAC systems of office buildings. At the same time,
a bill was signed into law that will give tax credits for "green buildings".
Green buildings are those that meet applicable energy efficiency and environmental
standards established by the Maryland Energy Administration.
Last summer the Georgia Local Section (GLS) Executive Committee considered donating up to $1000 to the ACGIH Legal Defense Fund. At the time, ten other AIHA Local Sections had contributed. Based on results from an informal straw poll of participants at the GLS Summer Seminar held in July, the Executive Committee believed most members would support making this donation. We also posted an electronic response form on our Web site soliciting members to let us know if they wanted the GLS to contribute to the fund.
The results from our electronic poll were discussed at the Fall meeting and are summarized below:
The ACGIH Legal Defense Fund was established in response to three separate lawsuits received by ACGIH one year ago this month. Two of those cases were settled but the ACGIH continues to defend against the third. A trial date is scheduled for February 2002. In October of this year, the AIHA Board of Directors agreed to contribute $100,000 to this fund of behalf of AIHA. For details, please visit the ACGIH Web site at http://www.acgih.org.
The American Board of Industrial hygiene has awarded certification maintenance (CM) points for the following Georgia AIHA Local Section (GLS) meetings:
Activity: Winter Meeting 2001
Date: 1/2/2001
CM Points
Awarded: 1 CM point
CM # 14792
Activity: ASSE/AIHA PDC
Date: 4/23-24/2001
CM Points Awarded: 1 CM
point
CM # 15619
Activity: Summer Seminar
Date: 7/20/2001
CM Points Awarded: 0.5 CM
point
CM # 16045
Activity: Fall Meeting
Date: 10/22/2001
CM Points Awarded: 1 CM point
CM
# 01-420
To find approval numbers for other past meetings, please visit the GLS Web site's Calendar page at http://www.georgiaaiha.org/calendar.html.
The Georgia Local Section Executive Committee met on December 10, 2001 at Georgia Power. Attending members included Stan Salisbury, Ed Grunwald, Kevin Gara, Grover Higgins and Leah Oglesby. Ed Grunwald gave the Treasurer's report noting that we received a very positive response from members after the e-mail reminder to pay 2001 dues. We remain in excellent financial standing.
We discussed our Fall meeting and felt that the meeting was a success. We had encouraging comments from several members, and attendance was right on target.
Grover Higgins discussed the details of the UGA scholarship. We will be presenting the scholarship to a UGA Masters student at the annual EHS banquet in May. We plan to interview candidates to make the final selection.
We are all looking forward to our vendor meeting in January. Kevin and Ed have put together an excellent agenda, and we are expecting participation from lots of vendors. We've also started planning for our joint AIHA/ASSE spring meeting in March in Augusta, GA. As always, please don't hesitate to contact a board member if you have meeting topic ideas or would like to host a meeting at your facility. We are looking forward to an outstanding 2002! Happy New Year!
Georgia AIHA is an all-volunteer organization. Our success depends on the willingness of each member to contribute their time and talents for the common good. Now, more than ever, we need you to serve in a leadership position with Georgia AIHA. Our Spring elections are just around the corner and we must find talented individuals to fill the following positions:
* Candidate for this position must also be an active member of the National AIHA.
In addition to the personal satisfaction you get from filling an important role in AIHA, this is a great way to network and get to know your colleagues. It also looks great on your resume. For your convenience we have posted a form on the GLS Web site at:
http://www.georgiaaiha.org/officercan.html
We encourage you to fill out and submit this form telling us which position is best suited to your interests. The form is linked from the Site's "Membership" page and is titled "Candidate Submittal Form." If you are thinking about a position but want further information before making a decision, please contact Dave Beem at 770-521-3023.
GLS Membership Dues!
As we start the new year, our Treasurer, Ed Grunwald is ready to receive your Georgia Local Section annual membership dues for 2002. Because of your participation and the wonderful support from our vendors and sponsors, we are able to hold our annual dues to only $15 per year. If you plan to attend the January 28 Vendor's Day meeting, you can pay your dues then. If not, please send your $15 check, payable to the Georgia Local Section, AIHA to: Ed Grunwald, Treasurer
Georgia Local Section, AIHA
c/o Parsons Engineering SCI
5390 Triangle
Parkway, Suite 100
Norcross, Georgia 30092
On September 12, a new link to emergency response resources was posted to the NIOSH Web site. These emergency response resources provide practical information including respirator use and maintenance, disaster response, asbestos hazards, eye safety, work in confined spaces, and many others. The NIOSH Web site can be found at:
The emergency response resources can be reached directly at:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres01.html.
OSHA Announces Short Regulatory Agenda
In announcing the semi-annual regulatory agenda for OSHA in early December, OSHA surprised no one with an agenda that is somewhat "short" compared to previous agendas. However, while some stakeholders have criticized the agency for not taking a serious look at health and safety issues, others have stated that this is exactly the kind of agenda new OSHA administrator John Henshaw said would be forthcoming.
At the recent NACOSH meeting, John hinted that the agenda would be somewhat shorter. However, John stated that the reason for this was that this administration would only place items on the agenda that were "doable". He mentioned that it did no good for OSHA to publish an agenda littered with issues and ideas that would never actually be proposed or adopted. It was his intent to list only those things that would seriously be considered.
While the full agenda is available by reviewing the December 3 Federal Register, here is a look at some of the issues of interest to AIHA:
Pre-rule Stage
Proposed Rule Stage
Final Rule Stage
Long-Term Actions
[The previous article was provided by the AIHA Government Affairs Staff. To read additional and future news items please click on the link titled Recent Happenings on the Hill, listed on the GLS Web site's News page.]