WCchapter.asse.org - Western Carolina Chapter

The Western Carolina Chapter was pleased to have Barry Arch from Keystone Labs and Wolfe Data to talk to the Chapter about drug testing in the workplace.

Barry began by talking about their core values:

Keystone and Wolfe Data discussed several methods for testing and the strength and weakness of each. One new method discussed at length was Oral Fluid Based testing. The window of use for the Oral Fluids is not as long as for Urine based testing. Studies indicated that 24-36 hours was the window for detection with Oral where 34-72 or even 1-5 days was the window for Urine based.

Keystone and Wolfe offer instant use products. The “RealtyCheck” drug screening device is one of those product giving instant results of a drug screen for employment.

Keystone and Wolfe offer web access and medical review services. We want to thank Barry, Jim, and Angela for presenting this program.

Chapter Elects New Officers for 2006-2007

Chapter Officers for 2006-2007. Pictured are right to left:
Rick Alexander, John Nain, Jim Nickel, John Saunders, Scott
Hager, Nancy Hall-Davis and Gary Barger. Wayne Bumgardner
was not in the picture.

The Western Carolina Chapter recently elected New Officers for the 2006-2007 year. The New Officers have volunteered this time to oversee the continued growth and programming of the Chapter. Outgoing Chapter President, Rick Alexander, held an inauguration for the New Officers during the June Chapter meeting. Please welcome these Chapter Officers for the July 2006 to June 2007 year:

As Past President, Rick will represent the Chapter and serve as a Delegate to the National ASSE Convention in 2007.

Cross Automation Provides Information About Guarding at Chapter Meeting

Lynn Crump and Greg Taylor, Cross Automation, made a presentation to the Chapter during the June Chapter meeting about machine safeguarding. Cross Automation is a division of Cross Company and handles the STI products line of machine guarding.

Cross Automation is a machine automation distributor and they offer technical assistance as a focus of the company. Cross Automation can conduct authorized OSHA training and perform safety surveys as a service to companies. One of their ways to deliver the message about machine guarding is during a “Lunch and Learn”.

Greg Taylor reviewed the OSHA Standard 1910.212 covering machine guarding and the employer’s responsibility to make machines safe in 1910.217. While reviewing the NFPA 79 standard, Greg indicated that each machine must have at least 1 emergency stop and it must be a Category 0. Category 0 means that it must be hard wired.

Greg discussed the use of light curtains and the need to conduct the safe distance calculation. It is also important to have a Risk Assessment of the machine. He mentioned the ANSI Robotic Standard R15.06.

Greg and Lynn ended the presentation with a demonstration of the STI light curtains and STI OptoShield which is a new single rotating beam laser. Each providing an effective measure of protection from machine hazards.

We appreciate Greg or Lynn for making the presentation to the Chapter on machine safeguarding.

Hickory Safety School Successful in Showing Safety at Work and at Home. These photos were taken at the School

Carl Collins talks to Chapter about Carolina Star

Carl Collins, NCDOL Occupational Safety Consultant, made a presentation to the Chapter during the March Chapter meeting. Carl is a Professional Member of the Triad Chapter of ASSE.

Carl informed the Chapter that there are 82 Star companies in NC with 109 Star sites. There are several categories of classification for Star; Carolina Star, Rising Star, Building Star, and Sharp.

There are several key elements for Star recognition. Those include: Management Commitment, Employee Involvement, Responsibility, and Accountability. Also, 1/2 of the Star sights have a wellness program.

For the Star sight there is a pride of accomplishment in meeting the requirements. There are 18 essential elements of the Star process.

We appreciate Carl taking time to come and present the Star process to the Chapter and encourage members to contact NCDOL to find out more about becoming a Carolina Star Site.

NC Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center

Julie Maness, NCOSHERC Program Coordinator Occupational Health Nursing, made a presentation to the Chapter during the January meeting. Julie explained that the Center is one of 16 regional educational centers and is part of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

The Center offers programs in many areas of Safety and Health. Some of the programs include: Academic programs such as Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health Nursing; Continuing Education programs for Technician Certificates; and the Center can provide training at the company locations. In addition to Technician Certificate Programs offered through the Center there are Graduate School NIOSH Traineeships for Masters Degrees.

The contact for more information and to schedule training is: Vicki smith@unc.edu.

Update From Region VI

Jim Morris, III, Region VI Vice President, met with the Western Carolina Chapter on February 10, 2006 to give an update. Jim reported to the Chapter on activities in Region VI and for National ASSE. Jim serves as Assistant Director for School Plant Services, Environmental and Energy Management for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Jim has agreed to fill the position of Regional Vice President when Fred Miller was unable to continue as RVP.

Jim explained the value that he sees in working with ASSE is working together. Jim has worked with the Tidewater chapter, Past President, in improving membership and meeting attendance. They also worked on improving the Newsletter and feels that communication is very important in the chapter.

The activities in Region VI were discussed. The Region VI PDC supports the operating costs of the Region. Our PDC is the only region that is using the PDC to pay these costs. Jim wants to see an increase in student membership. He feels it important to bring in more students members to continue the Society. The Star Valley Chapter is a new chapter that has been added and hope for another in Northern Virginia .

To keep up with the National activities, Jim suggested going to the Press Room on the ASSE website. All the News Releases about activities on the National level can be found here. He indicated that Motor Vehicle Safety is an emphasis by the current President Jack Dobson, Jr. Jim mentioned that there is discussion about virtual chapters which could use electronic means to have meetings.

Jim shared with the Chapter a summary of the 3 year Strategic Plan for ASSE. A copy of the summary can be found at the end of this article. Jim referred members to go to the ASSE website to review the entire Strategic Plan.

We appreciate Jim visiting with us during our Chapter meeting and wish him success this year serving as Regional Vice President.

The vision of ASSE is to be the premier organization and resource for those engaged in the practice of protecting people and the environment, and to lead the profession globally.

ASSE is a global association providing professional development and representation for those engaged in the practice of safety, health and the environment and those providing services to the private and public sectors to protect people, property and the environment.

ASSE maintains the highest level of professional ethics, with mutual trust, treating all with dignity and respect. It provides the highest quality service for members and customers. The Society leaders, members and staff value and protect the Society and the profession while making responsible use of resources.

“Making Your Hearing Conservation Program Better”

Chris Smith, Territory Manager with Moldex-Metric, Inc., made the December presentation

to the Western Carolina Chapter. Chris brought to the Chapter a fresh look at Hearing Conservation and offered members ways to increase employee interest in protecting their hearing. During the presentation, Chris demonstrated some wall-mounted ear plug dispensers that would only dispense one pair at a time. The new plugs were very colorful, comfortable, and easy to dispense making them attractive to employees.

Chris explained and demonstrated samples of hearing protection from Moldex and indicated that he could send free

safety posters and samples to evaluate. One of the newer products offered by Moldex is the “Traffic Cone” and provides a lower attenuation ear plug (NRR 23) for employees needing protection is less noisy areas. He indicated that it is very important to have the right NRR for the job. Moldex offers a wide selection of plugs, muffs, and bands.

He told the members that Moldex hearing protectors are 3rd party tested. Moldex offers a free service to come in and evaluate the hearing conservation program. Chris can be contacted by calling: 800-421-0668, ext. 354, or email: chriss@moldex.com.

Update to Fire Sprinkler Maintenance License

This article is written as an update regarding the process of qualifying for and maintaining the Fire Sprinkler Maintenance (FSM) License in North Carolina. The FSM license is required by the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. The license is required for any person performing fire sprinkler system maintenance which includes: operating and lubricating hydrants and control valves, adjusting valves and pump packing glands, bleeding moisture from dry pipe systems, replacing sprinkler heads and pipe hangers, resetting dry pipe valves, and periodic maintenance and tests of the fire sprinkler system. There is no exemption allowing minor repairs of the fire sprinkler system.

Applicants for the FSM license must have 4000 hour experience or have 2000 hours experience and take 6 hours of classroom instruction from an approved trainer. The license holder must attend a 6 hour class each year to maintain the license. The American Fire Sprinkler Association, Carolinas Chapter, has been providing classes and someone from the Chapter can be reached at this number: 919-624-3977.

You can contact me if I can answer any questions about the article. Call Gary Barger at 828-758-3164.

Also, an article “Understanding Your Renewal” from the State Board of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors can be found by opening the link.

Newton Fire Department – Fire Safety

Dale Coffey, Fire Marshall, and Adam Cloninger, Fire Inspector, presented a program on Fire safety during the October Chapter Meeting. Adam played a video taken at The Station Fire in Rhode Island. The fire occurred on February 20, 2003 in the night club when a pyrotechnics display, that was used by the band Great White, ignited flammable foam that was used in the club for sound proofing.

The fire was the 3rd deadliest fire in our nation’s history in which 100 people were killed and 200 injured. The video and Adam’s comments illustrated how this bad fire occurred. There were many fire code violations that included blocked exits, use of fireworks in the club, and the flammable wall covering that added up to a bad situation. Adam also indicated that the club was overcrowded and due to the configuration of the rooms and limited exits people could not get out when the fire started.

The video vividly illustrated how quickly the club filled with black smoke and how patrons of the club reacted and tried to get out. A news reported was already in the club with a camera rolling that captured the event and gave us a first hand look at what happens during a sudden fire.

Adam and Dale reported on the activities of the Newton Fire Department in fire prevention. A lot of resources have been made available to the community.

Hickory Chair Recognized at Safety Awards Banquet

Hickory Chair Company, a Furniture Brands International Company, was recognized at the NCDOL Safety Awards Banquet in Hickory for reaching 6 Million Hours Without a Lost Time Injury. Commissioner Cherie Berry presented this remarkable Award to Chris Watters from Hickory Chair.

As of June 18, 2005 the Hickory Chair Company has reached 6,809,759 hours worked without a lost time injury which passes the highest level recorded by the American Home Furnishings Alliance of 6,404,388.

The Hickory Chair Company had only 21 recordable injuries for 2004. We congratulate Hickory Chair Company for the combined effort of all their employees to work safely in reaching this goal.

Flame Resistant Clothing for NFPA 70E

Kevin Wiedman, CINTAS, made a presentation during the June Chapter meeting on flame resistant (FR) clothing used to meet the requirements of NFPA 70E. Kevin explained that CINTAS got into flame

resistant clothing in 1991 following an incident at a Shell Facility. Today, over 300,000 people are in FR clothing. Most burns are from non-FR clothing.

There are several Standards involving the use of FR clothing for electrical work. NFPA 70E, “Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces.” NFPA 70E is designed to protect workers from an electrical arc flash and applies to personnel working at 1000 volts and below. OSHA Standard 1910.335(a)(1)(i) requires the use of PPE where electrical hazards exist. OSHA can use NFPA 70E as a “voluntary consensus standard” and can cite companies for being out of compliance with NFPA 70E.

Another NFPA Standard, 2113.01, describes the care and systematic inspection of FR clothing that is required.

Because of the level of inspection and care required for FR clothing, Kevin indicated that home washing and repair of the clothing may not satisfy the requirements.

Kevin explained the benefits of using a rental program from CINTAS to meet FR clothing needs. CINTAS will allow a wear trial program for companies to evaluate the FR clothing at no cost. Courtney Tate, CINTAS, was also available to discuss uniform rentals after the presentation. The website for CINTAS is www.cintas.com.

New Chapter Officers for 2005-2006

Chapter President - Rick Alexander
President Elect - Jim Nickels
VP Programs - Gary Barger
Treasurer - Scott Hager
Secretary - Nancy Davis-Hall
Membership - Kim Stoudenmire
Government Affairs - John Saunders
Awards and Honors - Wayne Bumgardner

Wayne Bumgardner Recognized

Wayne Bumgardner was recently recognized at the North Carolina Department of Labor Safety Awards Banquet in Hickory, NC. Wayne was presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Cherie Berry, Commissioner of Labor for North Carolina, during the Awards

Presentation. Commissioner Berry awarded Wayne the Order of the Long Leaf Pine because of his tremendous contribution to safety in North Carolina. Other recipients of the esteemed award include Rev. Billy Graham and Charles Kuralt.

Wayne has just entered retirement in May 2005 after serving for 31 years in the position of Corporate Safety Director for Bernhardt Furniture Company. Wayne accepted the position in February 1974. He is on the Board of Directors for the Western Piedmont Safety Council and served two years as Chairman. He is a Professional Member of the Western Carolina Chapter of ASSE and has served as President of the Chapter. Wayne has been a member of ASSE since 1976.

Wayne has also served on the Planning Committee for the NC Statewide Safety Conference for 25 years and was Chairman of the Safety Committee for the

American Furniture Manufacturer’s Association from 1991 to 2002.

We are blessed to have Wayne as part of the Safety Community in North Carolina. He has influenced others to participate in making the workplace safer. We appreciate you and the countless hours you have spent serving in a leadership position in Safety and hope you can continue to share your knowledge and understanding of Safety for many years to come.

Leading and Lagging Indicators, Achieving a Balance

Drake Evans, CSP, CHMM, made a presentation on “Leading and Lagging Indicators, Achieving a Balance” during the August Chapter Meeting. Drake's company, EHS Solutions, Inc., is involved in helping companies with training, inspections, auditing, program development, and safety culture development.

Drake pointed out to the Chapter that if is important how we measure safety, do we just look at lagging indicators. Lagging indicators are historical measurements which include loss work day cases, incidence rates, and other failures in the safety system. Attempts to improve the accident frequency, such as incentive programs, can cause safety to go “underground”.

To see real improvement in safety, Drake explained that we should measure positive, planned safety activities. Leading indicators are pro-active and performance based. Some examples given of leading indicators are: training completed, corrective action taken, inspections held, near miss reporting, and safety meetings held.

After changing your measure to Leading indicators, you need to measure the success of your safety systems. You need to compare your safety systems to lagging indicators to measure success. You need to be able to show management that the cost of implementation of the safety systems has shown a reduction in the hard numbers, or a cost benefit analysis.

If you would like to find out more from Drake, he can be contacted at EHS Solutions, Inc. Phone: (336) 402-4530, email: drake@ehssol.com , or www.ehssol.com .

The Western Carolina Chapter of ASSE appreciates Drake taking time to share this message with the members.

Participants in the 2005 Western Carolina Area Safety School were treated to several presentations telling us how to keep from being a victim.

The nominations for the new chapter officers are in. These candidates are willing to serve the 2005-2006 year for the Western Carolina Chapter. Kim Stoudenmire and Rick Alexander led the March Chapter Meeting to accept the nominations. The nominations for new officers are: Rick Alexander-Chapter President, Jim Nickels-President-Elect, Gary Barger-VP Programs, Jean Norman-Treasurer, Nancy Hall-Davis-Secretary, Kim Stoudenmire-Membership Chair, John Saunders-Governmental Affairs, and Wayne Bumgarner-Awards and Honors.

Update from North Carolina OSHA

The Western Carolina Chapter had the opportunity to hear a update from Tim Childers, Western Bureau Chief, and from Russell McCue, OSHA Compliance Officer, during the January Chapter Meeting.

Tim Childers began the presentation by stating that the injury rates in NC are some of the lowest in the US. The injury rates are trending downward in the State. He indicated that Construction has 16% of the workforce and has 40% of the fatalities. Tim also stated that the number of Hispanics killed in construction accidents is high.

The DART rate is becoming the new measuring tool for OSHA. We will start seeing the DART rate replace the LWDI. Another change in OSHA is the converting of the SIC codes to the NAICS codes for grouping industry.

NC OSHA has a Strategic Plan to continue in the reduction of injury rates. Some of the areas of focus are in Construction, Tree Felling, Loggers, Municipalities, DOT, and Public Sector.

Russell McCue was introduced by Tim as a team member of the Strategic Plan for reducing the injury rate in Wood Products which includes Furniture Manufacturing (SIC codes 24 and 25). Tim and Russell explained that the State Wide DART rate for 2002 was used to determine that there as a need for a SEP (Special Emphasis Program) in Wood Products. The State wide DART rate was 2.2 and Wood Products was higher.

The biggest problems with the higher DART rates are in Sawmills, Mobile Home Mfg., and in Truss Mfg. The SEP will begin these areas first. The Strategic Plan is for 5 years.

For locations having a DART rate of less that 2.2, the Inspection will change from a Comprehensive to a Focused Inspection. OSHA is currently working on developing training tools and trying to find ways for Consultative Services to help larger companies that manufacture furniture.

News page article: “Guiding Principles”

During the December meeting of the Western Carolina Chapter, Chapter members were treated to lunch at the Golden Corral and an informative presentation by Parks Nesbit from Duke Power. Parks is from Rough Edge, NC and works with the safety of linemen in one of the service regions of Duke Power in North Carolina.

Parks described the “Guiding Principles” that are part of the safety culture at Duke Power. These are some of those “Guiding Principles”:

Parks expressed the importance of safety as Duke Power sent employees on 8 different trips to restore power following the hurricanes during the Fall 0f 2004. Even though there were many obstacles with working safely in the hurricane disaster areas, there were no fatalities of Duke Power employees during these recovery efforts.

During 2004 there were 27 fatalities involving Duke Energy employees last year, many were common everyday things and simple jobs for the workers. None of the fatalities were from storm recovery efforts. Park emphasized that complacency can be a problem, workers get too comfortable and don't work safely. This can be a problem on any job. One of the fatalities was due to co-workers not looking out for each other. Another fatality was due to a supervisor not stopping an unsafe practice that they were aware off before the accident.

We appreciate the presentation made by Parks and understand the need for “guiding principles” regarding working safely. We also need to watch out for the safety of our co-workers.

Les Igoe, TE21, made a presentation at the Chapter Meeting in September. TE21 provides interactive safety training programs that can be accessed online, intranet, or on CD. The interactive capability of the training incorporates live action with written information that is on the 4th grade reading

level.

Employees are tested during the interactive sessions and the scores maintained by the program. TE21 includes a management component that enables companies to track each employees progress and completion of training. Each training program is designed to meet the training requirements of OSHA.

Mike travels throughout the country working with companies to incorporate BBS, Lean Manufacturing, and other programs.

Mike discussed the traditional focus of safety programs of making safety a priority and compared to the Behavior Based Safety model.

Mike outlined these components of the BBS program:

Mike pointed out that Upper Management Involvement and a High Level of Participation are criteria for success.

Ed Engle, Health Compliance Officer with the North Carolina Department of Labor, presented a program about Respirator Safety during the August Chapter meeting. The Chapter meeting was held following lunch at the Golden Corral Steak house in Hickory. Ed's presentation highlighted essential elements of a respiratory program and some of the mistakes made by companies.

Some important points regarding a respiratory protection include:Respiratory Protection:

A written respiratory protection program is required when respirators are required to be worn. Some elements of a written program are required for voluntary respirator wearing to ensure that the employee is medically able to use the respirator and that the respirator is cleaned, stored and maintained.
Voluntary respirator use must be included in a program unless the only respirator used is a filtering facepiece (dustmask). It is a good practice to include all voluntary respirator use in a written program.
Respirator wearers must have a medical evaluation prior to wearing a respirator when respirator use is required.
Required Respirator wearers must be trained and know how to use a respirator. Voluntary respirator wearers must be provided with Appendix D.
Required Respirator wearers must have fit testing
The correct respirator must be selected for the contaminant present if respirator use is required. Voluntary respirator wearers should use a respirator that matches the contaminants in their work area.
Voluntary respirator wearers should have a medical evaluation.
Respirators must be stored properly
Facial hair will affect the proper fitting of a respirator and fit testing cannot be conducted if there is facial hair
Respirators must be provided and required when the level of airborne contaminants is over the PEL
Dust masks are respirators and wearers must have medical clearance and fit testing if use is required
Pulmonary function testing is not required for a medical evaluation by doctors but is a test that is frequently ordered by doctors conducting medical evaluations.

The day-long school is held each year in Hickory to benefit people involved in safety who work in our Chapter's area. NC Commissioner of Labor, Cherie Berry, started the school with encouraging words on efforts to improve Safety in North Carolina. Presenter topics this year included not becoming a victim outside of work and how to make your home more fire safe. Vendors always help the School by showing the latest in safety equipment, first aid, fire equipment, and training.

The North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire Sprinkler Contractors recently announced the opportunity for a new license for Fire Sprinkler Maintenance. Maintenance personnel engaged in fire sprinkler maintenance would be able to apply for the limited license. The application may be obtained from the State Board of Examiners Office. The address is:

               State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating, and Fire
               Sprinkler Contractors
               1109 Dresser Court
               Raleigh, NC 27609
               919-875-3612
               www.nclicensing.org

There is a $20 fee for the application and then a $100 fee for the license for each employee. There is also a $100 fee for annual renewal of the license.

The application packet has some information regarding the tasks covered under the license. Those tasks are:

1. Operate and lubricate hydrants and control valves.
2. Adjust valve and pump packing glands.
3. Bleed moisture and condensation from air compressors, air lines, and dry pipe system auxiliary drains.
4. Clean strainers.
5. Check for painted, damaged, or corroded sprinklers, corroded or leaking piping, and verifies control valves are open.
6. Replace painted, corroded, or damaged sprinkler heads, using identical serial
numbers.
7. Replace missing or loose hangers.
8. Replace gauges.
9. Clean water motor gong.
10. Perform air compressor maintenance.
11. Reset dry pipe valves.
12. Exercise fire pumps (no flow).

Note: There is no exemption to allowing minor repairs of fire sprinkler systems without license.

"Applicants for license in the limited fire sprinkler maintenance classification must submit evidence of 4000 hours experience in facility maintenance with actual experience in maintenance of fire protection systems, including such things as replacement of heads, lubrication of control valves, resetting dry pipe valves or various repairs. Persons who obtain a license will work on the system at the locations where their experience has been certified and the license will only be good while working for the employer at that location. A new license will be obtained if there is a job change."

Meeting opened 12:05PM by President-Elect Kim Stoudenmire
Attendance: 4 Members, 6 Pending Members and 1 Guest

Invocation by Gary Barger. President-Elect Kim Stoudenmire recognized our guest.
President Curtis Daniels was attending a work-related meeting.

The past minutes were read by Secretary Jim Nickel. A correction was made by Kim Stoudenmire concerning the name of our Safety School: Going for the Gold. It was mis-reported as Safety Around the Clock.

Jean Norman provided the members with a detailed Treasurer's report and solicited questions.

Gary Barger announced our membership totaled 74. He mentioned an ASSE chapter baseball game would possibly be held again in the future. For the time being the chapter would continue to meet at the Golden Corral. He posed this question: "How do we increase membership?"

Kim Stoudenmire said that the Western Carolina Industries might offer a source for new membership. Kim provided an update on our safety school and its list of speakers: Cass Ballenger, Ron Hayes and Erwin Carmichael. Gary Barger would moderate the Round Table.

Rick Moseley discussed ASSE "practice specialties." He addressed the benefits of the additional $15.00 fee. Why weren't members taking advantage of this service? Bill Seitz said that the basic membership fee was enough of a burden.

A video was shown: "The Good Fight" detailing the F.I.G.H.T. program born by Mr. and Mrs. Hayes. The Hayes lost their 19-year-old son to a silo accident six years ago.

Meeting Opened at 12:17 PM by President Curtis Daniels. Rick Moseley led the invocation.
Attendance: 7 members, 1 guest

Treasurer's report of $14047.66 balance and expenditures was read and accepted. Jean Norman, Treasurer agreed to provide a proposed Chapter budget at next meeting for approval.

Curtis Daniels mentioned the next month speaker, Ron Hayes and discussed his foundation called FIGHT. He mentioned the next meeting would have free lunch and that officers would call all members to enhance attendance.

Kimberly STOUDENMIRE discussed the Safety School and the group agreed the tentative date as April 1, 2004.

The speaker discussed indoor air pollution, in particular the problems from mold. He discussed the 3 requirements for mold growth, which are temperature, moisture and food. He elaborated on the human health and sensitivities to certain molds. Detection and mitigation was also discussed.

Curtis Daniels reminded the chapter of the next meeting to be held 14 November, 12 noon, Golden Corral Restaurant, Hickory. The October speaker will be by Ron Hayes of FIGHT who will discuss the foundation work to assist families of occupational tragedies.

Attendance: Curtis has the attendance record.
Meeting was called to order by President Curtis Daniels.
Invocation given by Curtis and visitor recognition (2)

Curtis introduced Dale Dawson with the NC Licensing Board for Plumbers, Heating, and Fire Sprinklers.

Mr. Dawson said that the licensing requirement has been in effect since 1990 and has not been enforced. Enforcement is now beginning. Fire Marshals will work on enforcing.

He announced a public hearing to allow for comments for proposed changes to final draft on Monday 9/15 in Raleigh and encouraged participation and comments to be sent to the board for input.

Annual license for maintenance license requires employee to be in maintenance with 4000 hours experience and an annual fee with 6 hours of continuing education to keep license. If he leaves that facility and system, license expires. Allows general maintenance, no flow testing.

A certification with NICET is required to flow test. Called Inspection and Testing License Certification and requires testing. Requires level 2. NICET phone number is (919) 875-3612.

Discussion arose about not allowing safety managers, etc to be certified without having to change job description to include maintenance.

Mr. Dawson agreed to come back after January when everything the board is looking at has been finalized.
Next meeting will be October 9 and the topic will be Air Quality/Mold.

Gary Ramsey is a member of the Western Carolina Chapter and volunteers his time to teach the 8-hour Hazwoper certification/recertification each year. His experiences in hazmat, fire service, and rescue make the class very interesting and informative to participants. We thank Gary for helping our members and guests to satisfy their training requirements for Hazwoper. The class is offered each November in the Lenoir area. Photos are of Curtis Daniels-Chapter President welcoming participants and Gary Ramsey teaching class.

Ron Hayes, F.I.G.H.T. Project, met with the Western Carolina Chapter during the November Chapter meeting. Ron and his wife Dot began the F.I.G.H.T. Project, Families In Grief Hold Together, after loosing their son Patrick Hayes in 1993. Ron and Dot are trying

to raise public awareness of workplace safety issues.

Ron and Dot are helping families in grief to cope with the loss of a loved one in a workplace accident. They assist them by giving the families an opportunity to make a difference in promoting safety where they live. If you want more information about F.I.G.H.T., you can contact the Hayes at

this email address: fproject@att.net.

Curtis Daniels-Chapter President makes a presentation to Ron Hayes to help promote safety through F.I.G.H.T.

Keystone Labs and Wolfe Data Present of Drug Testing