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Showing posts with label Winter storm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter storm. Show all posts

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Winter Storm Impacts PACNY Conference, Part One.

Turning Stone Lodge before the Storm
This year was the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) 22nd Annual Environmental Conference.  This year's conference was overshadowed by Winter Storm Riley which turned into a Nor'easter and hit Turning Stone Casino between Thursday night & Friday Morning, March 1-2, 2018 with about 7 inches of snow.  Which put a dampener on attendance with only a few Long Islanders making the conference this year.  However, the Vendor Display/Exhibit Hall seemed to have the usual amount of vendors, maybe we even had more than the usual.  This year's schedule was a little different from past years in that presenters were given a little more time for their presentations and more time was given between presentations to spend in the Vendor Display/Exhibit Hall.  As usual the PACNY Board did an excellent job of putting everything together, which special accolades to Ms. Deborah Sanscrainte of Aramsco, the conference chairperson and Ms. Lisa Brown of Summit Environmental, Administrator.

Mr. Meacham discussing the Enforcement Process

The first day, known as Proficiency Workshop day consisted of two presentations the first was Mr. James Meacham, PE, program manager for New York State Department of Labor' (NYSDOL)'s Asbestos Control Bureau (ACB), discussing "Solving the Mysteries of the Asbestos Control Bureau".  Mr. Meacham's presentation went through the process of an inspection, the issuance of a Notice of Violation (NOV), and then continued with the process of resolving the NOV.  His presentation did an excellent job of bringing transparency to the enforcement process.  A key point of Mr. Meacham's presentation, was the response from the contractor (violator) issued the NOV.  Contractors have two opportunities to address a violation, onsite during the inspection and the second time, is when responding to the written violation.  Onsite, if their is no dispute contractors should stop work, fix the discrepancy(ies) and document the actions in the logbook.  If there is a discrepancy, contractors should work towards complying with what can be done, document your position on the deficiency, and document your corrective actions in the logbook.  When a violator receives a violation,  the contractor should review the project with their staff, gather the compliance documentation, and submit a response to the NOV.  This is important part of the process and could go a long way in mitigating violations.

Mr. Meacham discussing the Violation Review Process
The second presenter was Mr. Kevin Hutton, of Cornerstone Training Institute, discussing "Complexities of NYSDOL, OSHA, and EPA".  Mr. Hutton provided a handout called a "Guide to NYS CR56-11.1 In-Plant Operations", this guide provided basic information regarding how Industrial Code Rule 56 handles the requirements for in-plant operations and what Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 1926.1101 work practices would apply under in-plant operations.  In addition, Mr. Hutton's presentation, discussed NYSDOL Engineering Service Unit's addition of full-time project monitoring to many variance applications.  The additions have included wording of what the responsibilities of the project monitor are for these variances (since Industrial Code Rule 56, itself, does not provide much information regarding that).  Which brings up the question whether project monitors realize the scope of their responsibilities on such projects.  We suspect not, since we've already seen some project monitors being issued violations for not following the variance requirements.


Mr. Hutton discussing full-time Project Monitoring added to Variances
That ended the first day of presentations, with later that evening the PACNY President's (Joseph Cantone, of Colden Corporation) reception was held, where many of us gathered and discussed concerns regarding the pending storm.  Stay tuned for Part Two the Technical Sessions and the Vendor Reception!

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

New OSHA Website For Winter Storms

Just before the holidays, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a new website regarding Winter Storms.  Even though the northeast got snow on halloween, so far this year it has been tame regarding winter storms.  Last winter was a different story, which is probably the reason OSHA has published this informational site to assist employers in proteecting workers from the anticipated hazards associated with winter storm response and recovery operations that workers are likely to conduct.


The site provides information in preparing for a winter storm, response and recovery, and additional resources.  Preparation includes such things as listening to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio or going to the NOAA Watch website for information on the storm, winterizing your car, preparing and carrying an emergency kit.  Response and recovery includes information regarding the different hazards workers may face, such as driving/vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and frostbite, exhaustion, dehydration, back injuries and heart attack, slips and falls, electrocution, burns, being struck by falling objects, roof collapse, and lacerations or amputations.
The site is a very good source of information for preventing the hazards discussed above.  In particular the winterizing your car part is very helpful in getting yourself ready for the winter storms that are only a matter of time before they get here.
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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

CDC Website Has Indoor Safety Tips Regarding Winter Weather

Snow at Brewery Ommegang
With another winter storm on the way for Long Island, it is important to remember these safety tips from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for staying safe inside:
  • Use fireplace, wood stoves, or other combustion heaters only if they are properly vented to the outside and do not leak flue gas into the indoor air space.
  • Never use a charcoal or gas grill indoors—the fumes are deadly.
  • Never leave lit candles unattended.
  • Keep as much heat as possible inside your home.
  • Check the temperature in your home often during severely cold weather.
  • Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
  • Eat well-balanced meals to help you stay warmer.
Visit the CDC website linked to the title of this post for more information.

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That Time of Year! Conferences, Posting Requirements, and OSHA Violations Increased!

It's that time of year again. We're between conferences.  February 15-16, 2024 was the Professional Abatement Contractors of New Yor...