September 2005
The Beanpot
Newsletter of the American Society of Safety Engineers
Greater Boston Massachusetts Chapter
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Margie Lobaton
Welcome to September! Fall is around the corner and what a great time of year. The leaves
are turning bright colors, the hot muggy summer
weather is replaced by nice cool, crisp air, and
my two favorite teams the Pats and the Red Sox
are playing to win it all again!
There is exciting business ahead as we commence the Chapter’s new fiscal year. First, we
have an outstanding, experienced, and well prepared Executive Committee and Board of Directors for the upcoming year. Our membership
meetings officially begin this month. We have
several technical meetings and professional development opportunities that I’m sure you will
find both informative and thought-provoking.
The Chapter will again participate in the Region
VIII New England Area Professional Development Conference (PDC), November 29-30 at
the Holiday Inn in Boxborough, MA. The PDC is
an outstanding opportunity to receive training,
to network with fellow professionals, and to enjoy the unique opportunities provided by the
Boxborough, MA, area. You can find more information
about
this
conference
at
http://region8.asse.org/newenglandarea.
During the winter months, we will be holding a
winter social which will provide another opportunity to share best practices and networking
between among local professionals.
Once again, the Greater Boston Chapter will
host our annual ASP/CSP review class during this
program year. The class will be taught by nationally
renowned
instructor’s
Langlois,
Weigand, & Associates will be offered in the
spring.
I want to personally thank Dave Crowley, our
immediate past President, for his work in the
Greater Boston Chapter. Dave demonstrated
leadership, passion and continued dedication.
Not only did Dave do an incredible job, he has
this way about him that makes others want to
get involved in ASSE and make a difference for
our membership. I continue to look to Dave for
his guidance and support. I only hope I can
build upon the foundation of our past presidents
to keep the Chapter strong.
Our primary goals and focus areas for this year
include:
 Increase membership participation and improve communication between the chapter
and its members. We need to do a better job
at communicating the chapter’s activities
and recognizing the good work of our members. We are reactivating the Phone –AMember Campaign to help reconnect with
members who may not be receiving our newsletter and other communications electronically. The campaign will focus on contacting
members with whom we’ve been unable to
connect electronically to ask their cooperation in updating their email address with National and with the Greater Boston Chapter.
Although The Beanpot newsletter will continue to be one of the primary vehicles through
which we will remain in contact with our
membership, we will continue to enhance our
Chapter website (www.asseboston.com) and
other electronic communication applications
to deliver timely information in a cost effective manner.
 Encourage new member participation by
waiving technical meeting dues for their first
meeting.
Continued goals from last year include:
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 Strengthen attendance at our technical programs by providing early notice of upcoming
meetings and events. We are most successful
when we have a great turn-out at our Chapter meetings and I hope you’ll be able to join
us this program year.
 Expand our relationship with professsional
groups (like ASSE) by participating in membership drivers with professional groups like
RIMS, RN’s (COHN’s) and HR professionals.
 Continue with the chapter succession plan
and get more “new blood” involved in chapter activities, positions, and events.
While we have a great Board in place we need
you as well! We are always looking for new ideas, as well as locations capable of hosting meetings and/or provide plant tours and speakers. It
is truly amazing when you consider that our entire Chapter, including Executive Committee and
the Board of Directors and all volunteers! We
want and need all the help we can get to keep
the Chapter strong.
If you would like more information about how
you can help your Chapter and simultaneously
expand your professional horizons, please contact me, President elect – Remi Fleuette, or any
member of the Executive Committee (please see
the Committee list on the Chapter website and
at the end of the newsletter for contact information). With your support, we have the capacity to accomplish substantial improvements in
meeting our members’ needs this year and beyond. Again if you ever want to chat about an
idea or if you have a suggestion on how we can
improve the chapter, please call me at 617/4886545.
Sincerely,
Margie Lobaton
Greater Boston Chapter President
ASSE OFFERS BUSINESS
RESUMPTION CHECKLIST
IN THE AFTERMATH OF KATRINA
DES PLAINES, IL (August 31, 2005) -- There is
no one-size-fits-all solution for business resumption following a disaster. However, the American
Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) offers this
disaster safety checklist to assist businesses before, during and after a disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina.
Following a disaster, all businesses should do a
hazard evaluation and assessment performed by
an occupational safety professional which would
include the following:
STRUCTURAL SECURITY
SAFE ENTRY
CLEAN-UP SAFETY
AIR QUALITY ASSESSMENTVENTILATION
INTERIOR, EXTERIOR EXPOSURES
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
USE EXISTING FEDERAL GUIDELINES
HEALTH/SANITATION ISSUES
OFFICE FURNITURE
LIGHTING
EMERGENCY PLANNING
SOLID/HAZARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL
POWER CHECKS
CHECK MAINFRAMESEMERGENCY PROCEDURES
MACHINE INSPECTIONS
SURFACES
For more information and key emergency resources check ASSE national’s website at
www.asse.org/newsroom under National Preparedness Month.
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ASSE MEMBERS ASKED TO
HELP WITH HURRICANE
KATRINA RESPONSE
From Dave Heidorn
ASSE National, Government Affairs
I'm sure there are a lot of ASSE members wondering what they can do to help out the situation in the aftermath of Katrina. Here are a
couple ideas.
A Louisiana member has let ASSE know that anyone with time and skills to help as a volunteer
can send their name, area of expertise and credentials to FEMA EOC - Fax: 225/925-7501.
Also, you or your company might be interested
in checking out what I received from the Department of Homeland Security today. If you go
to www.nwwarn.gov/ or www.swern.gov,
www.ian.in.gov and www.seern.gov, you'll see
the message below and prompts that will allow
you to list the resources you might have to help
out in this situation. Obviously, they are looking
for help.
If you do follow up on this, please let me know
how things go if you can, especially your results
in hooking up with these resources. It would be
helpful to other members and be good to be
able to share any experiences you have with
other ASSE members.
Some Ways to Help
in the Katrina Aftermath
Larry Swindel, President of ASSE's president of
the Acadiana Chapter, in Lafayette, Louisiana,
has asked for the following specific help:
Lafayette and Baton Rouge seem to be staging
areas for much of what is going on in New Orleans. Housing is really short here right now, including mobile homes, campers, apartments,
homes, etc. Perhaps you could poll ASSE members and see if they have any housing available.
This would not be for free, but would be for
probably a month or longer. I know this is a
problem in Baton Rouge and Houma too. As you
know ASSE has chapters there too.
Although it would seem to be a local issue, there
are many people who have vacation homes
(camps) in our area, including many corporate
locations. If we could get a way to open these
to emergency response personnel or those
coming for training, I think it would be very
helpful. I have a student staying with my family
tonight, in order to accommodate the timing
schedule for his training.
Let me know, or Larry's contact info is
Larry Swindle, REM, CEA, CIPS
Global Training & Environmental, Inc.
319 Mecca Drive, Lafayette, La. 70508
(337) 593-8693 Telefax (337) 593-9693
lswindle@globaltande.com
ASSE received the following message from OSHA.
It asks you to sign on at www.nerr.gov to volunteer the items needed. This is the same site the
entire government appears to be saying is the
way to volunteer. We've had one member say
he never got a response when he did offer help
at this site.
Has anyone had a response? Have others not
heard anything? Let me know, if you can at
dheidorn@asse.org.
From OSHA -The Red Cross is in need of the following items:
Pallet Hand Trucks
Water Buffalos
Steam Genies
Fork Lifts
Dumpsters
Floodlights
If you are able to register any of these resources
for the relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina,
please log on to the National Emergency Resource Registry at www.nerr.gov and register.
Thank you for your continued support.
August 28, 2005 -- The Department of Homeland
Security, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is coordinating response
efforts to provide necessary assistance to communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.
The Homeland Security Operations Center
(HSOC) serves as the nation’s nerve center for
information sharing and domestic incident man-
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agement. At the request of the HSOC the National Emergency Resource Registry has been activated. The NERR via the HSIN-CI Program
stands ready to assist the coordination efforts
between the resources that are needed and the
resources that may be available both from the
HSIN-CI Membership and the public.
ASSE GBC, c/o Eric Stager, OccuHealth, Inc., 44
Wood Avenue, Mansfield, MA 02048. Or call
with any questions: 508-339-9119.
If you or your organization / agency / corporation have resources that may be made available
to the response agencies, please list them in the
Resource Registry.
NEW ENGLAND AREA
PDC & EXPO
UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE
GREATER BOSTON AREA
November 29-30, 2005
Holiday Inn Boxborough Woods,
Boxborough, MA
Please visit the Chapter website for the latest
information about events, meetings, and seminars held in the area (www.asseboston.com).
BOSGO VI….FORE!!!
Join us for the Sixth Annual Beanpot Golf
Scholarship Outing!!!!
Please mark your calendars and plan to attend
the 2005 New England Area Professional Development Conference & Exposition. The New England Chapters of ASSE, including the Greater
Boston Chapter, invite you to join us for an excellent opportunity to:



When: September 22, 2005
Where: At the New England Country Club
(N.E.C.C), Bellingham, MA. Limited
to the first 144 golfers.
Included in the package: Three Ball sleeves of
golf balls, 18 holes of golf, including cart
equipped with GPS yardage system, lunch (banquet to follow) and plenty of prizes!
Cost: Registration fee until August 19th 2005:
$125.00 for individuals, $500.00 for foursomes.
Registration fee after August 20th 2005: $135.00
for individuals, $550.00 for foursomes.
Make checks payable to:

Build upon your professional skills and
knowledge
Learn about practical solutions to the
challenges you regularly face
Prepare for new challenges in the Safety,
Health and Environmental fields
Network with other Safety professionals
We are fortunate to be hosting the 2005 Area PDC
in a location so convenient to Greater Boston
Chapter members. We hope you will join us for
this exciting event! Watch your mailbox for additional information, or visit the ASSE Region 8 website at http://Region8.asse.org/newenglandarea
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on how to conduct a facility vulnerability assessment.
He provides homeland securityrelated expertise in threat-based vulnerability
assessments and risk evaluations of bulk fuel oil
terminals, natural gas storage facilities and
transmission pipelines, power plants and transmission lines throughout the Northeast.
BROWN BAG LUNCH TALK
MA Division of Occupational Safety
Tuesday, Sept. 27
The Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety has extended an invitation to ASSE Greater
Boston Chapter members to join their upcoming
Brown Bag Lunch Talk. The talk will be conducted by Dr. Abbas Virgi from TURI at UMass
Lowell. Dr. Virgi will discuss "Control Banding ~
What is it and how does it affect the safety and
IH professional?” Dr. Virgi is educated on Control Banding trends in the UK and has spoken extensively on this topic throughout the US and
Mexico. Bring your lunch and questions for Dr.
Virgi. To learn more, please call 617-969-7177.
CM points from ABIH have been applied for. The
MA Division of Occupational Safety is located at
1001 Watertown Street in West Newton, MA.
The second speaker was Ellen Clas, Director and
owner of Clas Consulting LLC. Ellen has been a
participating volunteer with the Greater Boston
Chapter of ASSE and is a CSP and a CIH. As a
professional, she serves as a Safety Officer for
the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). As part of her role at FEMA, she was
the Chief Safety Officer at “TopOff III”, a field
exercise that was run for the Top Officers in the
federal government. As part of her presentation
Ellen discussed the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and other key safety issues
from her perspective as a participant at many
national level events. Ellen also reviewed NFPA
1600: Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs.
JUNE TECHNICAL
MEETING RECAP
By David Crowley
The Greater Boston Chapter of ASSE held a joint
meeting with the New England Chapter of the
Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (NEACHMM) on Tuesday, June 21st at the
Best Western in Waltham. The subject was titled “What You Need to Know about Safety and
Security for Today, Tomorrow and Beyond.”
The meeting focused on key security issues impacting those working in the EHS arena.
The first speaker was John Mitchell, Project
Manager from Shaw Environmental. John is a
long time member of the New England Chapter
of ACHMM and is the current Vice-President for
ACHMM National. He is an experienced facility
security plan writer with a strong industrial consulting services background and shared his views
John Mitchell (Vice President of ACHMM National) kicked off the recent joint meeting as
the 1st speaker at the meeting held by ASSE
and ACHMM.
Ken McGovern, President of Global Security Professionals LLC, was the third speaker. Ken, like
Ellen, is a participating volunteer with ASSE’s
Greater Boston Chapter and has recently taken
the role as Chair of the Standards and Technology Committee. Ken gave a moving presentation
on security from an international standpoint.
His presentation on international terrorism issues ranged from what the definition of what a
soft target is to how many threats have occurred
in recent years since 9/11 to the difference be-
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tween a terror cell and what a member of a cell
is versus a sympathizer. Ken also gave some examples of how explosives and incendiary devices
have been disguised and smuggled through security - - he is a contract agent to the US government and trains security professionals to detect
this type of contraband. Overall, a very interesting presentation!
This was a great meeting! Almost 60 people attended the event. In addition to the three
speakers, attendees also heard from David
Crowley, outgoing President of ASSE’s Greater
Boston Chapter, as well as Zehra Schneider Graham, current Chapter President of NEACHMM.
They provided updates on activities for each organization and reviewed upcoming meetings and
other announcements.
Remi Fluette (GBC Vice President of Finance
on left) and John Mitchell (ACHMM Vice President on right) listen intently to the speakers
at the recent joint meeting between ASSE and
ACHMM at the Best Western in Waltham.
Lu Yuan also received a $750 scholarship award
from the Greater Boston Chapter. Like Ephraim,
Lu also has several degrees, specifically, BS in
Safety Engineering and a MS in Occupational Ergonomics. He is currently a Doctoral Student in
Occupational Ergonomics at the Department of
Work Environment at UMass Lowell.
The evening was topped off by handing out $25
gift cards to the recipients of the ASSE Member
of the Month (MOM) Awards. The recipients that
were present included Bob Daisy, Mike Amster,
Mark Loiselle and Ken McGovern. Shirts were
presented to each of the three speakers and
NEACHMM provided plaques for their time and
effort with the presentation. The New England
ACHMM chapter has teamed with the Greater
Boston Chapter of ASSE to put together a joint
meeting for the past several years and both
groups pledge to do it again next year!
Ephraim receives his scholarship award from
Mike Sample.
The highlight of the evening was the numerous
awards that were handed out, specifically, Bob
Daisy received the North American Occupational
Safety and Health (NAOSH) Champion Award
from ASSE National. Bob was among 9 other individuals that received this award.
Also, Mike Sample, Chair of the Student Advisor
Committee, handed out scholarship awards to
two individuals that are members of the ASSE
Student Section at the UMass Lowell Campus.
Ephraim Massawe, candidate for Master of Science Degree in Industrial Hygiene from the Department of Work Environment at the University, received a $750 scholarship award. Ephraim
also has a BS in Chemical Engineering and a MS
in Environmental Science and Technology.
Lu receives his scholarship award from
Mike Sample.
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TOUR SUMMARY ~
LIBERTY MUTUAL
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
By David Crowley
The Greater Boston Chapter of ASSE held their
last technical meeting on Friday, June 24 th at
Liberty Mutual’s Research Institute in Hopkinton
MA. The meeting included a presentation given
by Karl Jacobson, Senior Vice President of Liberty’s Commercial Products and Services Group.
Karl reviewed the history of the facility and discussed the Research Institute’s accomplishments
along with the tools and publications that are
available in Hopkinton. These are peer reviewed scientific journals, no self-serving to
Liberty Mutual - - more so, serving the entire insurance industry as well as all employers. From
an international view, the research center has
several international collaboration centers dedicated to safety research, in particular, Aberdeen, Scotland; Beijing, China; Shanghai and locally – at Harvard University and Johns Hopkins
University in MD. Many of the papers are available
on
their
web
site
www.libertymutual.com/researchinstitute.
The presentation also included David Money,
CDT and Director of Training Services for the
Decision Driving program at the facility. Immediately after the classroom presentation, all attendees were given an exciting hands on demonstration of the “skid pad” featuring emergency
reaction driving skills (uncontrolled skidding)
Mr. Money, along with long time volunteer Mark
Bresnahan (VP of Government Affairs) used two
automobiles outfitted with switch controls that
activate the use of anti-lock brakes (ABS) and
without ABS.
Pictured (from left to right) are ASSE members
Jim Norton (Gibson Engineering), Mark Bresnahan (Liberty Mutual) and Wayne Alba (Cingular Wireless), who point to the exclusive license plate “SAFETY” which is mounted to
one of the demo cars used at the Research Institute. In the right rear background, David
Money of Liberty Mutual exits another demo
car.
Members that attended drove onto the skid pad
to get the feel and direct experience on how to
react to an uncontrolled skid. Simulations included the scenario of jamming on brakes to
avoid a young child on a bike as well as the scenario on how to maneuver through a slick road
wet with rain and/or snow. A good time was
had by all. This was the second time in recent
years that Liberty Mutual has hosted a technical
meeting at the facility - - a great experience for
all those that attended.
Besides the skid pad and explanations about
their emergency reaction driving and the Liberty
Mutual “Decision Driving” program, David Money
also demonstrated the effectiveness of ABS with
tractor trailers. Quite impressive!
The staff at the facility also gave a tour of the
research center. The departments that were
visited ranged from industrial hygiene to material handling to their ergonomic research labs.
Attendees were invited to take copies of written
papers that have been published in various journals such as ASSE’s Professional Safety magazine
and the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, Applied Ergonomics and Spine Magazine.
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One of the skidding autos spins out of control on
at the Liberty Mutual “skid pad” in Hopkinton.
From a history lesson standpoint, the tour was
rich in history. The research center is 50 years
old. From a broader prospective, Liberty Mutual
is an insurance company that is 93 years old, being founded in 1912. Their purpose as a company is “to help people live safer, more secure
lives”. Described as the Global Leader in Loss
Prevention Consulting, they employ 150 employees in the US, 50 of which are based at the research institute in Hopkinton. They have $20
billion dollars in annual revenue and operate in
26 countries. They are listed as the #1 automobile insurance provider, #2 insurer for workers’
compensation coverage and the #5 commercial
auto insurer. They respond to over 1 million insurance claims per year which is equal to 10% of
the working population in the United States.
David Money cruises by the grand stand going
35 miles per hour to demonstrate the stopping
distance difference with ABS.
Many thanks to Karl, David and Mark as well as
the entire Liberty Mutual team at the Research
Institute for an informative tour. It goes without saying - - Liberty Mutual has dedicated much
to the profession. It is important to note that
Karl Jacobson, besides being a Senior Vice President for Liberty Mutual, he is also the Past Chair
of the ASSE Foundation, an entity of ASSE National that is dedicated to the advancement of
the profession and serves as a pivotal arm by
providing funding for research grants and student scholarships. Once again, many thanks!
WELCOME TO NEW
ASSE GBC MEMBERS!
John Banks
Matthew Heafey
David Jenkins
Dawn Kelley
Suzanne Swanson
Mark Bresnahan (Liberty Mutual) explains the
differences with the skid pad as far as tractor
trailer trucks are concerned.
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Photos from
GBC ANNUAL
CHANGE-OVER MEETING
Meeting” as Mark Bresnahan (former VP of
Government Affairs for the GBC) and Bryan
Murray (VP of By-Laws and Long Range Planning) sit near by.
Photographer David Crowley
Left to right, Margie Lobaton (ASSE GBC President), Rich DiBona (ASSE GBC Secretary) and
Eric Stager (ASSE Past President) smile for the
camera at the recent “Change Over Meeting”.
Left to right, Walter Lockhart (ASSE GBC
Foundation Chair), Jim Rowlings (ASSE GBC
Past President and Public Relations Chair) and
Steve Maffetone (ASSE GBC Job Placement
Chair) pose for the camera. All three men are
long time volunteers for the chapter, their
dedication to the chapter has enabled tremendous stability to the organization in recent years - - hats off to the three musketeers!
Snapshot of the full page announcement regarding the ASSE incoming officers for this
year, as it appeared in a recent issue of Real
Estate Journal.
Left to right, Ken McGovern (ASSE GBC Standards and Technology Chair) and Brian Kantarowski (Publisher of the Real Estate Journal)
share a laugh at the recent “Change Over
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.
EDITOR’S SOAPBOX
Submitted By Ed Dorgan & David Paine
News and Notes
UConn to Offer First in US Homeland
Security Degree
-From the Associated Press
STORRS, CT – Two dozen students at the University of Connecticut will be among the first in the
nation to study for a master’s degree in homeland security, the school says. UConn is working
with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey,
CA to offer the program in its College of Continuing Studies this fall.
Students will spend five weeks of the 20 month
program at UConn’s Storrs campus. The rest of
the program will be done on-line. The program
is aimed at working adults. They would be
taught how to develop and oversee homeland
security systems to prevent, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism.
Dishwasher Explodes
-From Ron Cook of the FL National Guard
A fire department received a call last winter
from a base-housing inspector indicating that a
dishwasher had exploded. The inspector had
been doing normal bi-monthly checks of vacant
units when this happened. The inspector's usual procedure was to run the cold water in the
kitchen sink, turn on the dishwasher, go upstairs
to flush the commode, and run the water in the
bathroom. About three minutes after she started
the dishwasher, it exploded. The blast propelled
the dishwasher (which was installed under the
kitchen counter) across the kitchen. The cabinets, plumbing and walls were damaged.
The concussion splintered the face of the rear
door to the housing unit and blew it open, destroying the lock. Pieces of the dishwasher and
cabinets were scattered over 20 feet. The ac-
cess panel to the attic on the second floor was
dislodged, and the front door was blown open
and damaged. At first, investigators thought
water in the "s" trap had evaporated, allowing
sewer gas to seep into the dishwasher and explode. The next day, Navy Occupational Safety
and Health (NAVOSH) technicians tested all
kitchen-sink drains in vacant units for signs of
sewer gas. The results were negative.
During the course of the investigation, a
maintenance worker in the housing department
pointed out a paragraph in the dishwasherowner's manual to the NAVOSH specialist. It
read, "...under certain conditions, hydrogen gas
may be produced in a hot water system that has
not been used for two weeks or more. If the hotwater system has not been used for such a period, before using the dishwasher, turn on all hotwater faucets and let the water flow." The
safety specialist returned to three of the vacant
housing units and ran the hot water to test for
emission of hydrogen gas. The meter readings
went off scale in these units. Then he ran hot
water in three occupied units and got zero readings. When he ran hot water in an upstairs bathroom in the unit where the dishwasher exploded, he got an extremely high reading.
After NAVOSH personnel made several calls to
the Frigidaire Company about the incident, a
person from their legal department returned his
call and told him that Frigidaire was sending two
engineers to investigate the exploding dishwasher. The engineers and NAVOSH personnel tested
hot water in two vacant units. They placed clear
garbage bags over the faucets to sample for gas
contents. The first test resulted in the bag filling with about one to two quarts of water and a
cubic foot of gas. They suspected the bulk of the
gas was a combination of hydrogen and oxygen,
which was generated by electrolysis in the hotwater heating systems.
One of the engineers explained that there is no
way to stop hydrogen gas from forming in hotwater heaters because of the metals used in
constructing the tanks. Hydrogen gas isn't soluble in water, so it remains in the water-heater
plumbing system as a gas under pressure. In
most homes, the gas will migrate to the upper
levels of the house, where it harmlessly is expelled from water faucets there. However, occasionally, it can end up trapped in the plumbing lines. In that case, when a lower level faucet
(or dishwasher) is turned on, the gas is pushed
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through the outlet rather than finding its way to
the upper level.
Hydrogen gas has one of the broadest flammable
ranges of any gas. Just about any mixture will
be enough to result in an explosion. The engineer theorized that the gas was forced through
the dishwasher, and the timer or starter relay
had enough heat to ignite the gas. However, the
dishwasher was destroyed, which made it impossible to determine the exact source of ignition.
The engineer said this was the first time he had
heard of a dishwasher exploding, but he had
heard stories of small fires at faucets because
people had cigarettes in their hands when they
opened a hot-water faucet that had not been
opened for some time. Later, in a telephone
conversation, he told the NAVOSH person that
he had talked to a few old-timers in the waterheating industry, and one of them had reviewed
a mishap about a washing machine blowing up in
the '60s.
What This Means to You
When you move into a house or apartment that
has been vacant, hydrogen gas may have built
up in hot water lines, which could cause an explosion. The same is true when you return home
from a vacation or open up a vacation home that
has been shut. Appliance manufacturers can do
nothing to prevent this type of thing from happening again, but you, as a resident or housing
inspector, can do a short ORM assessment to
prevent such a recurrence. You need to know
that hydrogen gas can accumulate in hot-water
systems that have not been operated for a period of time. You figure the risk of something going wrong when you turn on a dishwasher to either check it or operate. If you have been using
it daily, there is hardly any risk.
When you go to start the dishwasher, ask yourself how long the unit has been vacant. If it's
more than a couple of weeks, you need to think
about getting rid of the gas before you turn on
the dishwasher. If you suspect hydrogen gas may
have built up in the hot-water system, flush it
by turning on all hot-water faucets in the building and letting them run for several minutes.
And don't smoke while you're doing it. Make it
a habit of doing this every time you inspect a
building. If you live in the home and are away
for a vacation, do this every time you return
home.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
UPDATE
Sling Safety on Construction Sites
By Aaron Thompson, CT OSHA Safety Compliance officer
There was a recent injury on a construction
site. It occurred at a 75-car parking lot where a
construction project was under way. This project consisted of clearing out a vacant lot and
installing pre-cast concrete dry wells for drainage. These wells measured 8 feet in diameter
by 6 feet in height and weighed 7, 550 pounds.
At approximately 12:53 p.m., 2 employees and
the construction site supervisor were rigging a
backhoe excavator with 2 inch chain slings to lift
one of the dry wells. The construction site supervisor ran the chain slings through an opening
approximately 8 inches wide and located approximately 18 inches down from the top edge
of the pre-cast concrete dry well. While rigging
the load, the construction site supervisor was
assisted by one employee. After the load was
securely attached to the bucket on the backhoe,
a test lift of the load was performed. During the
test lift, the site supervisor was not comfortable
with the rigging of the chain slings on the load.
He felt that the chain slings were creating too
much pressure on the top edges of the pre-cast
concrete dry well. To relieve the pressure on
the edges of the pre-cast concrete dry well, the
construction site supervisor decided to use an
old street signpost as a spreader bar between
the two chain slings.
The old street signpost was approximately 2 3/4
inches in diameter and was cut to a length of
12
approximately 8 feet, 3 inches long. It was
notched on both ends so that the 2 inch chain
slings would keep the old street sign post in
place. Once everything was ready, the construction site supervisor gave the “ok” to the operator of the backhoe excavator to test lift the load
again. The operator lifted the pre-cast concrete
dry well approximately 3 to 6 inches from the
ground. The employee, who was assisting the
construction site supervisor rig the load, noticed
that the signpost was twisting. According to the
construction site supervisor, before he could react to this situation, the signpost gave way and
became a flying projectile. It traveled past the
head of the construction site supervisor and
struck the employee who was standing approximately 12 to 13 feet away in the chest.
The employee was taken by ambulance to the
hospital and admitted in stable condition. He
was suffering from pains to the sternum and a
possible collapsed lung due to his injury. This
easily could have resulted in a fatality.
Sling safety is key before, during and after each
use. Inspections of slings and certain manufactured components that can be used with slings,
such as spreader bars, should be performed to
ensure that there are no cracks, stretching,
twisting, nicks or rust that may interfere with
the safe use of this equipment. Employers
should ensure that if their employees are using
slings, a sling inspection program is put into
place and proper employee training in the use of
such equipment is performed prior to use.
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water for about 4,000 residents of Pascoag in
2001. MTBE has also affected private wells in
Gloucester, North Smithfield, Richmond, South
Kingstown and Tiverton.
MTBE is a chemical compound used as a fuel additive in gasoline. By adding oxygen to gasoline,
MTBE helps gasoline burn more completely and
thereby reduces air contamination by lowering
carbon monoxide levels. When spilled or leaked,
MTBE moves rapidly through the groundwater
and remains there for an indefinite period, the
governor's office stated. Even small quantities of
MTBE-added gasoline can render the water undrinkable due to its taste and color.
A Pennsylvania lawmaker seeks to advance legislation that would ban the sale of MTBE in his
state. State Sen. Joe Conti (R-Bucks) introduced
a measure (Senate Bill 824) on July 5 that calls
for a five-year phase-out of MTBE In liquid fuels.
"MTBE has contaminated the groundwater in at
least 19 counties across our state, with Bucks
and Montgomery Counties among the worst polluted.
The state House of Representatives has introduced two bills banning MTBE as well: House Bill
620 (Godshall, R-Montgomery) and House Bill
718 (George, D-Clearfield).
At most, the study concluded, there are $1.5
billion in costs that may not be accounted for
from established funds that are already cleaning
up MTBE from underground storage ground sites,
or in private or public water wells.
R.I. Governor Signs Bill to Eliminate
MTBE from Gasoline ~ Pennsylvania
Legislators Seek Ban
From – EPA; to view full article please visit:
www.epa.gov/mtbe
Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri (R) has
signed legislation that prohibits gasoline additive methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) from being added to gasoline sold in Rhode Island. The
new law will help to protect groundwater supplies from gasoline that spills or leaks from underground storage tanks, the governor's office
stated.
The elimination of MTBE from gasoline will take
effect on June 1, 2007. The gasoline additive is
suspected to have contaminated the drinking
MSHA Proposed Rule on Asbestos
Exposure Limit
MSHA is proposing to revise its existing health
standards for asbestos exposure at metal and
nonmetal mines, surface coal mines, and surface
areas of underground coal mines. MSHA states
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that the proposed rule would reduce the fullshift permissible exposure limit and the excursion limits for airborne asbestos fibers, and
make several no substantive changes to add
clarity to the standard. Comments are due September 20, 2005. The nearly 100-page rulemaking is available at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a0
50729c.html
FRA on Life Vests for Bridge Workers
On February 10, 2005, FRA published an interim
final rule amending regulations to clarify when
life vests or buoyant work vests are required for
bridge workers working over water. No comments were received, so the interim rule is now
final and became effective July 27, 2005. The
clarification comes out of a request from the
Norfolk Southern Railway Company to permit its
employees working on a bridge deck over water
to work without a life vest or buoyant work vest
when falls are effectively prevented. The employer provided fact situations where a bridge
worker located 12 feet or more over the ground
was prevented from falling by hand rails, walkways, or acceptable work procedures and was
therefore not required to use a personal fall arrest system. However, if the same circumstances prevailed on a bridge over water, the bridge
worker was required to wear a life vest or buoyant work vest even though the bridge worker
over water may have had the same safety hand
rails, walkways, or acceptable work procedures
in place as the bridge worker had over dry land.
FRA considered it advisable to provide an industry-wide resolution by issuing a technical
amendment to the regulation. Now, exceptions
that had only applied to the use of personal fall
arrest systems and safety nets over dry land, to
also apply to the use of life vests or buoyant
work vests while working over water.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a0
50727c.html
August 29, 2005
OSHA Extends Comment Period on
Lead in Construction
OSHA has extended the comment period for its
regulatory review of the lead in construction
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standard (29 CFR 1926.62) in response to requests for more time. Comments are due November 7, 2005. See OSHA's press release is at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a0
50829c.html
August 26, 2005 - The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) is extending until
Nov. 7, the comment period for its lead in construction standard that requires testing for lead
exposures, provisions to protect workers from
exposure where lead is present, and medical
monitoring of exposed workers. The comment
period extension will be announced in the Aug.
29, Federal Register.
OSHA is conducting its regulatory review of the
lead in construction standard under Section 610
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Section 5 of
Executive Order 12866. The 60-day extension
will allow the public more time to help the
agency determine if the standard is needed and
if it should be amended. The original deadline
for comments was Sept. 6.
The construction industry employs millions of
workers in jobs where lead exposures are most
likely to occur, like paint removal, building and
bridge renovation, plumbing, and water system
repair and replacement. Overexposure to lead
can cause serious damage to the body's bloodforming, nervous, urinary and reproductive systems. OSHA's lead in construction standard establishes procedures for minimizing the level of
exposure to lead for all workers covered.
People wishing to comment should submit written comments, postmarked no later than Nov. 7,
2005 to: Docket Office, Docket No. H023, Technical Data Center, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments may also be
faxed to 202-693-1648 or submitted online at
http://www.regulations.gov
or
http://ecomments.osha.gov. All comments and
submissions will be available for inspection and
copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above
address, and posted on OSHA's Web site.
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August 25, 2005
FMCSA Final Rule on Driver Hours of
Service
FMCSA has published its final rule on hours of
service for commercial motor vehicle drivers.
The rule addresses requirements for driving, duty, and off-duty time; a recovery period, sleeper
berth, and new requirements for short-haul
drivers. The hours-of-service regulations published in April 2003, were vacated by the U.S.
Court of Appeals for DC in July 2004. Congress
then provided in the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2004 that the 2003 regulations
will remain in effect until the effective date of
a new final rule addressing the issues raised by
the court. FMCSA states this final rule meets
that requirement. It becomes effective October
1, 2005.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a0
50825c.html
August 30, 2005
OSHA Seeks Paperwork Comments on
Vehicle-Mounted
Elevating/Rotating
Work Platforms Standard
OSHA has asked for comments on its request for
an extension of the information collection requirements specified for aerial lifts by its Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms Standard (29 CFR 1910.67). Included is a
requirement for maintaining and disclosing the
manufacturers' certification records for modified
aerial lifts to ensure that aerial lifts are inspected and/or tested after modification to ensure they are in safe operating condition. Comments are due October 31, 2005.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a0
50830c.html
August 31, 2005
OSHA Seeks Comments on PermitRequired Confined Spaces Standard
OSHA has asked for comments on the paperwork
requirements of its Standard on Permit-Required
Confined Spaces (29 CFR 1910.146). Comments
are
due
October
31,
2005.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a0
50831c.html
UPDATE FROM BEACON HILL
Recent activities at the Massachusetts State
House include
Update on Melanie’s Bill ~ An Act to Protect
Citizens of the Commonwealth from Drunk
Drivers
Melanie’s Bill was overwhelmingly passed recently at the State House in Boston and has now
been sent to the House of Representatives. It
has raised some strife among Republicans and
Democrats as a result of Governor Mitt Romney’s
urging this to be adopted. Governor Mitt Romney filed legislation he dubbed “Melanie’s Bill,”
back in May of this year. It’s a tough new proposal that cracks down on repeat drunk driving
offenders. Romney said the legislation is necessary to preserve federal funding and protect the
lives and safety of Massachusetts citizens.
The bill increases penalties for drunken driving
related offenses, particularly with regard to individuals who repeatedly drink and drive. Romney was joined by Lt. Governor Kerry Healy and
Tod & Nancy Powell, the parents of Melanie
Powell, 13, of Marshfield, who was struck and
killed by a repeat drunk driver while walking to
the beach with her friends in July 2003. At the
initial press release when the legislation was introduced back in May, Romney said “two years
ago, Melanie Powell went out for a walk with
her friends and never came back. Her life was
taken by a repeat drunk driver. We can’t bring
Melanie back, but we can do everything in our
power to prevent this kind of tragedy from occurring again”. Melanie’s grandfather, Ron Bersani recently wrote in a letter to the Editor in
the Patriot Ledger newspaper, “Melanie was a
Girl Scout, a soccer player, a dancer, a cheerleader in the youth football program and a doer
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of good deeds. She was beautiful, inside and
out.”
Basically, this is a bill that has been passed
along to the House of Representatives that
needs the support of Greater Boston’s safety
professionals. The bill is scheduled for hearings
starting on September 13th at the State House in
Boston. Named after a young innocent teenager,
it is obvious that this legislation needs our support. ASSE members for the Greater Boston
Chapter are urged to contact their representative to voice support for this bill. For information on how to contact your State Representative,
please
surf
to
http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm.
Again, the Joint Committee on the Judiciary will
hold a public hearing on Melanie's Bill on September 13th. This is a call to arms to help pass
important legislation to keep our roadways safe.
Let your voice as a safety professional be heard
loud and clear!
H 1869 The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee accepted testimony on legislation
requiring anyone directing traffic on any local or
state road to wear red reflective gloves or a reversible sign containing the words “STOP” and
“GO”.
H 1877 Legislation was submitted for consideration prohibiting children from riding in shopping
carts except in the child seat.
H 3624/S 2152 Senate approved and sent to the
House, on a 35-1 vote, a bill requiring all residences in the Commonwealth to be equipped
with a carbon monoxide detector. Supporters
said that carbon monoxide is a colorless and
odorless “silent killer” and argued that lives
would be saved by the mandatory installation of
a reliable detector that costs only about $25.
They noted that the proposal is dubbed “Nicole’s Law” in memory of a seven year old
Plymouth resident, named Nicole Garofalo, who
died of carbon monoxide poisoning when a heating vent at her home was blocked by snow this
past winter. Opponents did not offer any arguments.
H 4139 Legislation was submitted for consideration that requires owners of all residential building equip each floor with a fire extinguisher
when they sell or transfer the building.
ASSE MEMBER PROFILE
The ASSE Boston Chapter has a wide variety of
members! This edition features the By-Laws and
Long Range Planning Chair - Bryan Murray and
student section member Joseph Fulliero. Let’s
get to know them a little better!
--------
Bryan Murray
Member Since: 2001
ASSE Roles: I started as the Awards and Honors
Chair in 2002. In my second year, I assumed an
additional role as Student Section Chair and
helped establish the UMass Lowell Student Section in 2004. I have assisted with the coordination of the last 2 BOSGO events. I have been a
volunteer at 2 Area PDCs. I am currently the
Registration chair for the 2005 Area PDC and the
VP of By-Laws and Long Range Planning.
Explain How You Joined ASSE: I attended a
BOSGO and met Michael Murray, who convinced
me that involvement in ASSE would be highly
beneficial for my career.
Current Job: Safety and Training Supervisor for
Covanta SEMASS in West Wareham, MA.
About Your Employer: Covanta SEMASS Resource Recovery Facility provides southeastern
Massachusetts communities with an alternative
to land-filling their municipal solid waste. Since
opening in 1989, the facility has employed a
shred-and-burn process developed by Energy Answers Corporation (EAC), the SEMASS facility’s
developer, enabling the plant’s processing of
approximately one million tons of solid waste
each year. The resulting electricity meets the
needs of more than 75,000 homes. The facility
also recovers nearly 20,000 tons of recyclable
metals from bottom ash annually.
Covanta SEMASS has been an OSHA VPP Star site
since 2000. They have also received the Bronze
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“Star Among Stars” award from OSHA for safety
performance in 2003 and the Silver in 2004.
JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE
Education/Credentials: BS in Marine Safety and
Environmental Protection from Massachusetts
Maritime Academy and an MS in Industrial Hygiene from UMass Lowell.
ASSE has powerful employment tool called Nexsteps, designed for job seekers and for companies looking to fill EHS positions. Browse
through currently available positions or post a
job listing. Visit Nexsteps at www.nexsteps.org
Hobbies: Golf, snow skiing, boating and baseball.
Most Recent Book Read: Harry Potter and the
Half Blood Prince
Additionally, the Greater Boston Chapter posts
positions that may be of interest to members on
the Chapter’s website.
To place a posting, please contact Steve Maffetone at Steve_Maff@members.asse.org
Joseph Fulliero
Featured job opportunities posted on the GBC
website include:
Member Since: 2002
Asst. Env., Health and Safety Officer
ASSE Roles: Student member, founding officer
of the UMass Lowell student section (Secretary
and Treasurer), this year I will hold the position
of Secretary.
Env., Health and Safety Technician
Explain How You Joined ASSE: I became a
member while studying safety at Keene State
College in New Hampshire.
Current Job: I am a graduate student studying
Industrial Hygiene and I received a fellowship
from NIOSH.
About Your Employer: N/A
Education/Credentials: BS in Safety Studies
with a minor in English from Keene State College, Vice President of Rho Sigma Kappa Safety
Honor’s Society, authorized OSHA trainer for the
10 and 30 hour courses in general industry,
member of AIHA, currently completing MS in
Work Environment with concentration in Industrial Hygiene from UMass Lowell.
Hobbies: Golfing, sailing, skiing/snowboarding,
watching movies, reading books, debating politics, star gazing, traveling, philosophy and exploration.
Most Recent Book Read: Theory of Everything
by Stephen Hawking and I am currently reading
“Inferno” in The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.
Safety Manager
To view the full job descriptions and company
contact information of these opportunities and
others please visit the GBC job posting website
at the following web link:
http://www.asseboston.com/jobposting.htm
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT
INFORMATION WITH ASSE
The most efficient method of communication
with chapter members continues to be through
electronic mailings and the continually updated
GBC website - www.asseboston.com.
Please assist us in continuing to make contact
with you electronically by keeping your contact
information up-to-date with ASSE National, as
we rely on National's roster to connect with you!
To update your contact information, call ASSE
Customer Service, 847-699-2929 (8:30-5:00 CST),
or log on to the "Members Only" area of
www.asse.org and use the following steps:
1. Log onto www.asse.org. Click on the tab
“Members Only” located at the top of the
home page.
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2. Once the “Members Only” page loads, you’ll
be prompted to login using your User ID
(your member number) and Password (your
last name).
3. Once you login, go to the top left of the
screen and click on “ASSE Member Directory”.
4. Click on the “Update Your Address” and
once again enter your User ID and Password.
5. Proceed to fill out the change of address
form and then click submit!
NEWSLETTER ARTICLES
AND SUBMISSIONS
The Greater Boston Chapter welcomes members
to submit technical articles, committee updates
and information about upcoming events for inclusion in our newsletter, “The Beanpot”. Submissions for the October/November edition of
the newsletter are welcome through October
15th! Articles should be submitted to David
Paine at MrSafety1113@comcast.net. Please make
sure to include “ASSE GBC” in the subject box!
Fleuette@bu.edu
Past President
David Crowley, CSP, CET, CHMM
HP Hood LLC
617-877-2062
d_crowley@hphood.com
Chapter Vice Presidents:
By-Laws and Long Range Planning
Bryan Murray
Covanta SEMASS Resource and Recovery Facility
508-291-4432
Bryan.murray@ref-fuel.com
Chapter Communications
Kristin Hoffman
Honeywell
603-668-6747
Kristin.Hoffman@Honeywell.com
Chapter Development and Recognition
Melissa Merrill
Beacon Mutual Insurance
401-825-2792
MMerrill@beaconmutual.com
Finance
Kara Haley
RFP Associates
603-942-5432 x 18
karahaley@msn.com
2005-6
GBC OFFICERS
The GBC would like to welcome the new
Executive Committee for the
July 1, 2005-June 30, 2006 year!
Chapter President
Margie Lobaton
Atlantic Charter Insurance
617-488-6545
mlobaton@atlanticcharter.com
President-Elect
Remi Fleuette
Boston University
617-353-6762
Government Affairs
Kathleen Clair
EORM
617-638-8828
clairk@eorm.org
Member Services
Adam Sotirakopolous
Analog Devices
781-937-2262
Adam.Sotirakopoulos@analog.com
Chapter Secretary
Rich DiBona
Polaroid
781-386-0589
DIBONAR@polaroid.com