Introduction/Administrative News The TRADE Industrial Hygiene/Occupational Safety Special Interest Group (IH/OS SIG) Steering Committee met on May 25, 2004 through a conference call meeting. IH/OS SIG Steering Committee Chair Bob Kapolka, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), facilitated the meeting in which the following Steering Committee members participated:
Phil Grogin , Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
Ralph Hinterman, Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E), IH/OS SIG Chair-Elect
Lowell Howard, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Bob Kapolka, ORISE, IH/OS SIG Chair
Deborah McFalls, ORISE, IH/OS SIG Coordinator
Rob Nicholas , LANL
The following Steering Committee members notified the IH/OS SIG Chair/Coordinator that they could not participate in the meeting:
Harvey Grasso, DOE National Nuclear Security Administration, Livermore Site Office
Bruce Lippy, Michael D. Baker, Inc.
Effective this meeting, Committee Chair Bob Kapolka chaired his final Steering Committee meeting. The committee thanked him for the wonderful job he has done as the Chair for the past 2 years. Effective June 1, Bob will become the Advisory Chair and Ralph Hinterman will move from the Chair-Elect position to the Chair position. Ralph was welcomed into this new position.
LANL’s TA-16 Stepladder Accident Investigation Video As noted in previous meeting highlights, Rob Nicholas had reported that a video had been completed about a 2003 accident that occurred at LANL involving a subcontractor employee cutting a pipe while standing on ladder. LANL demonstrated how the accident occurred by making a video to include in the accident investigation report for DOE.
The video was sent to Steering Committee members to review for potential distribution in the future as an IH/OS SIG product. Upon review, committee members had asked previously if some accompanying materials could be developed for the video to include:
More details about the work being done when the accident happen
Discussion guide to use as a training tool
During this conference call, Rob noted he had just emailed to the committee selected selection of the Executive Summary from the TA-16 Accident Investigation Report. Rob asked for suggested discussion questions for the accident video that could be put into a 1-2 page document that is similar to what has been completed for the “Walk-Around” safety video. Committee members asked for basic information about the accident. They also suggested there could be multiple uses of the video and asked for information to be put into a discussion guide that focused on:
Case study of what went wrong in this accident
An analyses of the root causes of the accident
What action was taken at LANL to correct the situation to prevent future similar accidents
Bob and Ralph agreed to take the lead on developing some questions for the discussion guide as well as encouraged other committee members to submit questions to Rob for an initial draft to be completed by the end of June. It was agreed any accompanying materials would be posted on a Web site and the Web site address would be noted on the back cover of the video tape box.
LANL’s “Walk-Around” Safety Process Videos Rob Nicholas previously reported that he was working on 4 videos that focus on a walk-around safety process which is a means in which manager watch workers doing their task and engage in related safety discussions with them. The videos include general instructions about the safety process and examples of three different work environments in which the trainer models and leads the walk-around process. The 4 videos would be put on 1 VHS tape that would be about 70 minutes in length.
The video was sent to committee members to review for consideration for a potential future SIG product. Ralph Hinterman noted overall he received very positive comments on the video from people who viewed it at his site which included:
Length of time for instructions on the process was just right
Contained very good basic information
Disagreed with the information about items being stored in a hallway since ANL-E does not permit storage of anything in hallways
Need to provide the points of the process in writing that were shown on a card in the video. Rob noted the card could be posted on a Web site to download as a template and PowerPoint slides could be provided to use for training purposes.
ANL-E plans to show the first section of the video at a safety coordinators meeting. They would like copies of the guidance sheets for lab hood, etc. that is part of the walk-around process. They would also like a DVD version which should permit insertion of an introductory message from someone at ANL-E at the beginning of the materials as well as allow insertion of additional site-specific information as needed. Rob agreed to check with LANL’s Legal Department to see if they were comfortable with ANL-E site-specific changes being inserted into the DVD for ANL-E’s use only. The committee will decide during the June conference call meeting if they want to distribute the video as a SIG product.
AIHce 2004 Conference Sections Briefing Bob Kapolka reported he attended the AIHce 2004 Conference which included the DOE and DOE Contractors’ Industrial Hygiene Meeting. About 70 people attended the DOE meeting which he presented at about the role of the SIG and the DOE Technology Support Learning ( TSL ) Index within the DOE community. He noted several people attended the meeting were aware of the SIG and the TSL but several were not aware of them. Bob presentation overheads have been posted on the opening page of the SIG’s Web site. Bob noted a presentation was made about a dimethyl mercury incident at the Savannah River Site that involved unknown exposes. Instrumentation appropriateness was discussed during that presentation. A presentation was made about beryllium workers in the former Soviet Union and their exposure levels to the metal. Due to different detection measurements/methods use in the Soviet Union , the number of beryllium disease cases may be greatly understated.
2004 IH/OS SIG Steering Committee Workshop The committee has suggested two possible locations for a 2004 Steering Committee workshop of which the following events of interest are occurring:
Meet in conjunction with the PCIH 2004 Conference (sponsored by AIHA's Academy of Industrial Hygiene ) October 2–5, 2004 , Montréal , Canada (http://www.aiha.org/TheAcademy/html/pcih.htm)
It was agreed the committee should make a decision by July about which one to link a meeting to in 2004.
2004 IH/OS SIG Steering Committee Election Process Deborah McFalls reported she hoped to have the IH/OS SIG Steering Committee election in June if new sponsorship funding arrived the same month. As noted previously, Ralph Hinterman will become the new Chair effective June 1 and Bob Kapolka will move to the Advisory Chair position. Bill Frede will complete his term as the Advisory Chair. During the June election process, a new Chair-Elect position and 9 Steering Committee positions will be available to fill. The following Steering Committee Members’ terms will be completed:
Bill Frede
Phil Grogin
Michael Hurshman
Bruce Lippy
Rob Nicholas
Linda Taylor
These 6 committee members are encouraged to submit ballots to be considered for an additional term. There are also 3 vacant positions to be filled.
Future Steering Committee Meeting The next Steering Committee Conference Call Meeting is scheduled for June 29, 1:15 – 2:45 EST , conference call number is 202/287-1301. The May meeting highlights and the June meeting agenda will be sent to committee members prior to the 29th.
For additional information, please contact: Deborah McFalls, IH/OS SIG Coordinator
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
P. O. Box 117, MS 10
Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117
