Industry News

Mokena, Ill. — The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), in conjunction with Special Pathogens Laboratory (SPL), is offering an ASSE 12080 LegionellaWater Safety and Management Specialist Certification Training program, Aug. 17-19.

SPL President Janet Stout, Ph.D., a clinical and environmental biologist with more than 30 years of pioneering research in Legionella, will teach the three-day course. The speakers will include David Pierre, vice president of SPL Consulting Services, and Michael Castro, MPH, SPL’s director of Healthcare Services.

“This training provides the critical knowledge that industry professionals need to prevent this life-threatening disease,” Stout said. “At completion, attendees meet the knowledge requirements for the very first Legionella professional qualifications standard [ASSE 12080]. IAPMO’s expertise in education and training, together with Special Pathogens Laboratory, provides participants with the knowledge they need to become an ASSE certified professional for Legionella water safety and management, getting us closer to ending Legionnaires’ disease!”

Attendees will gain the requisite knowledge, understanding, and competency to serve as a member of a facilities water safety team to help protect against Legionella outbreaks and react to one appropriately should it occur. The program will focus on the development of a risk assessment analysis, and water management and sampling plan, for protection from Legionella and other waterborne pathogens. The training will also cover the codes, and the resources, understanding, and skills needed to conduct a facility risk assessment and implement a water safety and management program to reduce the risk of infections due to Legionella.

“By partnering with Special Pathogens Laboratory, both organizations have been able to complement each other’s strengths in order to create a much-needed training and certification program,” said Tony Marcello, IAPMO’s vice president of Training and Credential Services. “We are very excited about the difference this program can make in protecting the health and safety of building occupants as well as helping those who own and manage facilities lower their liability risks.”

The ASSE 12080 certification exam will be administered at the end. Attendees who pass the exam will become certified as Legionella Water Safety and Management Specialists.

The training program is scheduled for 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 17-19 at the UA Local 130 Training Center, 1400 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago. The registration fee includes the ASSE exam, the SPL workbook Puzzled by Legionella? A Guide to Understanding Detection, Prevention, and Water Management, and lunch. To register, visit https://www.iapmolearn.org/topclass/searchCatalog.do?catId=129117.

For information about the ASSE 12080 standard, visit https://bit.ly/31dzNoQ.

McLean, Va. –  Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) delivered important insights to its members on federal infrastructure legislation and critical housing and trade issues during yesterday’s PMI Virtual Legislative Forum.

“Our members gained access to valuable information from experts with remarkable knowledge and insights into issues affecting our industry,” said Kerry Stackpole, PMI CEO/executive director. “PMI members who could not attend will still have access to the forum’s recording and presentations, as well as to materials they can use to advocate on behalf of their companies to members of Congress.”

The two-hour forum was divided into four sessions. The first session, “Eye on Housing,” provided an economic analysis and forecast of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on home and apartment building from Robert Dietz, chief economist and senior vice president for economics and housing policy, National Association of Home Builders. He discussed the current construction and housing industry outlook and how housing will be a leading element for the nation’s overall recovery.

Ed Mortimer, vice president of transportation and infrastructure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, provided an update during the second session on various transportation and water infrastructure legislation designed to retain or create jobs, repair old systems, and stimulate consumer spending. He covered some of the key elements necessary to pass this vital legislation, including bipartisan solutions and the need for organizations, such as PMI, to continue their advocacy efforts.

During her presentation on the “Future of Trade in the Wake of COVID-19” during the forum’s third session, trade lawyer Nicole Bivens Collinson reviewed the dynamics of the United States-China tariff negotiations, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) effective on July 1, and the impact the pandemic is having on supply chains. Bivens is president of the international trade, customs and export law practice at Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.

Collinson discussed the short windows that PMI member companies have to ask the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for extensions to some previously approved China tariff exclusions. Depending on the plumbing product or component, the deadlines to request an extension range from July 7 to July 31, 2020. The extensions would last for one year and are being offered in an apparent bow to concerns about the tariffs’ impact on companies struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. The move would apply to some products excluded from the 25 percent tariffs that the Trump administration imposed on Chinese goods.

The final session, “Outreach to Congress: Take Action and Urge Lawmakers to Support Robust Infrastructure Package,” provided tools and information to assist PMI members in their advocacy efforts for the plumbing manufacturing industry. The tools include a customizable letter that members can use to urge local lawmakers to pass important infrastructure legislation and a directory of Congressional members.

The forum was hosted by Stackpole, as well as by the co-chairs of PMI’s Advocacy/Government Affairs Committee, Troy Benavidez, vice president of public affairs for LIXIL, and Lowell Lampen, engineering director, K&B NA sanitary products, Kohler Co., and Stephanie Salmon, PMI’s government affairs consultant.

MADISON, Wis. In a new study conducted by Wisconsin Safety Council (WSC) and Rural Mutual Insurance Company, 85% of respondents said they “sometimes” or “often” see a coworker come to work sick even though he/she should have stayed home. In the current environment, exposure to sick coworkers is the leading safety concern for workers in Wisconsin.

In an effort to identify top workplace safety concerns and provide solutions during National Safety Month in June, WSC and Rural Mutual polled more than 180 WSC members, the majority of whom are safety professionals working in Wisconsin trades, including contractors, manufacturers and construction workers. The study was completed in April.

“Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we know businesses and organizations across the state are looking to create safer work environments now more than ever,” said Aaron Huebner, WSC executive director. “This study revealed safety professionals should focus on establishing initiatives that prevent the spread of infection and reduce exposure to employees who are sick.”

The respondents indicated several other top safety risks in the workplace:

• Interacting with hazardous materials (80%)
• Driving for work-related activities (80%)
• Standing for more than two hours in a row (79%)
• Working in high noise levels where a raised voice is needed to talk to people less than four feet away (76%)

A new, free e-book from Rural Mutual and WSC is now available to help safety professionals and trade workers in Wisconsin address these leading safety concerns. The ‘Work Safe in Wisconsin’ e-book offers easy to implement solutions for a safer and healthier workplace.

“Helping Wisconsin businesses lower their safety risks is a big part of Rural’s mission,” said Chris Schlechta, safety and loss control manager at Rural Mutual. “We’re excited to work with WSC to introduce the ‘Work Safe in Wisconsin’ e-book in hopes to inspire workers to jumpstart safety initiatives during National Safety Month and throughout the year.”

The e-book includes tips for those looking to create a safer workplace, including:

• Foster a safety culture. Ensure all employees feel comfortable reporting a safety concern when they see it. See something, say something, do something.
• Give employees a voice at the table. Before implementing a new safety initiative or when elevating existing safety programs, engage the frontlines and ask employees for their feedback.
• Adopt a proactive, not reactive approach. If we wait until an accident happens to address a safety concern, we will never get ahead of the issue.

To download a free copy of the e-book, visit www.ruralmutual.com/insurance/business/work-safe/.