May 18, 2012
Minutes of WUCA Safety and
Insurance Committee Meeting,
Friday May 18, 2012
WUCA Office, 2835 N. Mayfair
Road, Suite 22, Wauwatosa, WI
Call to Order – Chairman Josh Retzleff
called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. with
an introduction of all present. A motion was
made and seconded to approve the minutes
dated April 13, 2012. Motion carried.
Presentation - Dr. Andy Seter, Sensia
Healthcare spoke on the topic “Fitness for
Duty for Employers.” Also present was
attorney Chuck Palmer, Michael, Best, &
Friedrich.
Dr. Seter, Sensia Healthcare, 16505 W. National
Avenue, New Berlin, WI 262/641-2300.
Dr. Seter went through a slide presentation
and provided handouts on the topic.
 His clinic provides fitness for duty
evaluations; drug & alcohol testing; DOT
compliance; physical therapy and more.
 They can help with health risk
assessments; wellness programs;
tobacco cessation; weight management;
personal nutrition; and more.
He also spoke about duty modifications,
legal concerns, and physical limitations.
Some comments were as follows:
 When some people receive worker comp
after an injury, there is less pressure to
come back to work.
 Employers are not required to modify a
job to accommodate an injured
employee.
 Spoke of the need for existing medical
records before evaluating an employee
(MRI, Xrays, etc.). These records are
better than verbal reports.
 There was discussion of the Americans
with Disability Act of the 1990’s and how
that impacted fitness for duty.
 Can an employee perform an essential
job? Can the pipelayer lift heavy pipe on
a frequent basis? Everything is a caseby-case review.
 There was discussion of Wisconsin
Department of Transporation rules and
their medical card.
 Is there a safety threat with a certain
employee?
 California does not allow a preemployment drug test except as required
by the federal government.
Availability of Safety Seminars
Competent Person, First Aid, and Confined
Space safety seminars are available as
follows: 8-Hour competent person class;
HAZWOPER 8 hr. or 40-hr. class; and 20hr. Trench Rescue classes.
 An 8-hour competent person class for
trenching and excavation with instructor
Harry Butler is available on request.
Usually classes are suspended during
the summer construction work months,
but a class could be scheduled if
needed.
 Instructors from Platt Safety Services
are available to conduct confined space,
CPR-First Aid and other safety-related
seminars at your office throughout the
state. Contact Jared Owen @
414/349-9325.
 Instructor Wayne Simmons is available
for 20-hour trench rescue safety
seminars. Numerous classes have
been conducted to date throughout
Wisconsin.
 Wisconsin Safety Services is also
available to conduct classes in upstate
Wisconsin with Louis Jungbluth. Call
him at 920/954-9689.
 The WUCA office has 80 safety
videos/DVD’s available for free loan to
members for tool box talks.
Wisconsin Common Ground Alliance
for Damage Prevention Update
The last meeting of the Wisconsin Common
Ground Alliance was April 25, 2012 at the
Wisconsin Laborers District Council training
site, De Forest, Wisconsin. The meeting
was to view their facility and encourage
utility damage prevention people to lecture
students. Although the turnout was low,
those that attended found great value in the
tour. Wisconsin CGA is also working on
development of an Internet website.
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May 18, 2012
The Wisconsin Common Ground Alliance
meets often throughout the year in various
Wisconsin communities to seek input by
utilities, contractors, locators, design
engineers, and excavators on how to reduce
damages to underground service lines.
WUCA members, plumbers, electricians,
and earthmovers are strongly encouraged to
attend these frequent CGA meetings
throughout the state. Ralph Miller, Michels
Corporation is co-chairman of the Wisconsin
CGA. The other co-chairman is Brain
Dreesen, USIC, 262/613-2131.
City of Milwaukee Confined Space
Training Simulator
City of Milwaukee Battalion Chief Aaron
Lipski was present seeking advice on
acquiring materials and building a confined
space training simulator for use by
firefighters. He explained Milwaukee
recently received a federal grant to help
build the simulator. He then circulated a
sketch of the proposed layout for comment.
Safety committee members present
suggested that he discuss the topic with
various WUCA member material and
suppliers. WUCA staff will also provide
contact information on We Energies as they
may have some building materials.
Milwaukee Battalion Chief Aaron Lipski, 118 W.
Virginia Street, Milwaukee. Telephone 414/4064192 or 414/286-8975.
Should you have suggestions for Chief
Lipski on how to make this training simulator
a reality, please call him at the above
telephone number.
WUCA Handouts - Articles or
informational flyers were distributed on the
following topics:
 Shoring Things Up dated May 2012.
 OSHA Issues Willful Citations to
Wisconsin Pump Service dated May 4,
2012. Issues $312,000 in fines due to
the death of a 19-year old worker in a
trench collapse.
 OSHA Up-To-Date Newsletter dated
May 2012.
 Illinois Commerce Commission Notice of
Pipeline Safety Program July 18-19,
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2012 Effingham, Illinois.
Notice of Wisconsin Utilities Association
Gas Operating Conference June 5-6,
2012 Wilderness Territory in Wisconsin
Dells. (WUCA staff recommends your
participation at this conference).
Underground Focus magazine dated
May 2012.
Understanding Locators 101 dated
December 2011.
Web-based Portal for Inspection and
Rehabilitation of Sewer Laterals dated
December 2011.
Other Discussion
1. WUCA is 75-years old this year and
scheduled a special recognition family
dinner June 20, 2012 @ 6 p.m.,
Milwaukee County Museum Streets of
Old Milwaukee/European Village
exhibits. A promotional flyer is our
website www.wuca.org.
2. Jim Lutz encouraged WUCA to apply for
a federal Susan Harwood Grant for
trench rescue.
3. Once again John Peschong, UWMilwaukee encouraged WUCA utility
contractors to attend a train-the–trainer
seminar conducted by CARGI. For
additional information call Sruthi Boda at
414/229-4550.
4. Bruce Morton made mention of the Ninth
Annual Training Day, Reaching Out
2012 at Waukesha County Technical
College June 14, 2012, 7:45 a.m. to
3:45 p.m. For a copy of the promotional
handout, call WUCA @ 414/778-1050.
5. WUCA scheduled the Annual Golf
Outing for July 30, 2012 at Westmoor
Country Club in Brookfield.
6. The city of West Allis scheduled their
annual Open House June 20, 2012.
7. Josh Retzleff sought additional golfers
for the 29th Annual Delaney Open to
benefit the Lupus Foundation of
Wisconsin June 2, 2012 in Wisconsin
Dells.
In attendance at the
May 18, 2012 meeting…
Brad Stehno, R & R Insurance
Kitty Slama, Marquette University
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May 18, 2012
Cliff Jacobson, Super Excavators
Rob Towey, Great Lakes Power Vac
Mike Yonkers, Sensia Healthcare
Josh Retzleff, KS Energy Services
Dr. Andrew Seter, Sensia Healthcare
Jim Lutz, Milwaukee OSHA
Aaron Lipski, Milwaukee Fire department
Jared Owen, Platt Safety Services
Chuck Palmer, Michael Best & Friedrich
Tim Knaup, Intercon Construction
John Peschong, UW-Milwaukee
Mike McCormick, RJ Underground
Jeff Block, Platt Safety Services
Richard W. Wanta, WUCA
Jim Bauernfeind, Kelbe Brothers
Bruce Morton, Security Insurance Services
Wisconsin Underground Contractors
Association…75th Anniversary Year!
The meeting adjourned at 11:15 a.m.
The next meeting is tentatively
scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday
June 29, 2012 WUCA office, 2835
N. Mayfair Road, Suite 22,
Wauwatosa, WI. One prospective
speaker is Mark Wilcox on the
topic on non-slip matting. There will
be no meeting in July 2012.
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