Future Environment Designs Training Center specializes in asbestos, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, and occupational safety training programs. We offer New York State asbestos and mold certification courses. We design, develop, and maintain the various indoor air quality, asbestos, and safety programs that are Keeping Your Employees Safe.
It's that time of year again. We're between conferences. February 15-16, 2024 was the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) Environmental Conference and the Environmental Information Association (EIA) National Conference & Exhibition is March 18 - 21, 2024. This year we have the honor of speaking at both conferences. We are speaking on the "Fallacy of PCM Clearance" in other words 5 reasons PCM should not be used for clearance. We are speaking on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 1:00 PST if you happen to be in San Diego, California come down and say hello! We're looking forward to arriving early and seeing the San Diego Wildlife Park and the Zoo, two different areas. Our speech was very well received at the PACNY Environmental Conference. If you would like to see the posts from the PACNY Conference visit PACNY's Linkedin page.
FEDTC's Booth at PACNY Conference
There are other things also happening at the beginning of the year. For example, remember to post your Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)300A if you have 10 or more employees, see last month's post for more information. The 300A, which is the summation of injuries and illnesses your company had in 2023, should be posted from February 1st, 2024 to April 30, 2024. Also, remember certain employers must electronically submit the OSHA 300A information directly to OSHA by March 2, 2024.
300a Must Be Posted & For Some Must be Submitted
On January 16, 2024, the OSHA maximum penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations increased from $15,625 per violation to $16,131 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations also increased from $156,259 per violation to $161,323 per violation. These increases happen every January 15th. This year's increase was delayed because January 15th was a Federal holiday (Martin Luther King Day).
Looking Forward to EIA's Conference in San Diego & Visiting the Wildlife Park
Every year at this time the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers with 10 or more employees to post the OSHA 300A form from February 1 to April 30th, 2024. Each year certain employers must electronically submit the OSHA 300A information directly to OSHA by March 2, 2024. If you remember, the 300A form summarizes the injury and illness information that was kept on the OSHA 300 log form. In addition, remember COVID-19 is a recordable and reportable illness if confirmed, work-related, and led to a loss of workdays (see below for a further discussion). It would be recorded as a respiratory illness on the OSHA 300 form. Because this is an illness, if an employee voluntarily requests that his name not be entered on the log, the employer must comply as specified under 29 CFR 1904.29(b)(7)(vi) and list it as a privacy case.
OSHA 300A Form - Posting/Reporting Form
If you need assistance in completing the OSHA 300A form we did a webinar together with Keevily Spero & Whitelaw on completing the OSHA 300 & 300A form. You can find the webinar here or watch it below. Remember covered employers are required to prepare and maintain records of serious occupational injuries and illnesses that occur at a workplace on the OSHA 300 log form. At the end of the year, covered employers are required to tally the totals on each column and enter the totals on the OSHA 300A form. The information should be used by employers to evaluate safety in the workplace and determine ways to eliminate or reduce hazards in the workplace. OSHA's 300A form is required to be posted until April 30, 2024, and must be retained for 5 years. During the retention period, you are required to update the log to add new information regarding the occupational injuries and illnesses recorded on it. OSHA has a brief tutorial to help you complete the forms.
A final rule was issued and went into effect on January 1, 2017, requiring certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness data to OSHA. OSHA has provided an online secure website (click here for the website) for submitting this information. Remember there is a new login procedure that became effective in October 2022. The OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) transitioned its login procedure to the public's one account access to government applications, Login.gov. All current and new account holders must connect their ITA account to a Login.gov account with the same email address to access the application for the 2024 collection of Calendar Year 2023 Form 300A data. You can watch the video on creating this account here. You must submit this information by March 2, 2024, OSHA started collecting the information on January 2, 2024. If you meet the following criteria you DO NOT have to electronically submit your 300A information to OSHA:
OSHA 300 Log Form
The establishment's peak employment during the previous calendar year was 19 or fewer, regardless of the establishment's industry.
The establishment's industry is on this list, regardless of the size of the establishment.
The establishment had peak employment between 20 and 249 employees during the previous calendar year and the establishment's industry is not on this list. Construction and remediation and other waste management services are both on this list, so if you are in those industries and meet the size requirements you must electronically report your OSHA 300A information.
SARS-CoV2
In addition, COVID-19 can be a reportable and a recordable illness if a worker is infected as a result of performing their work-related duties. If your work-related confirmed COVID-19 case results in a hospitalization you must report it within 24 hours of exposure to COVID-19 at work or if it results in a fatality you must report it if it occurred within 30 days of exposure to COVID-19 at work (see OSHA coronavirus reporting for more information). However, employers are only responsible for reporting or recording cases of COVID-19 if all of the following are true:
The case is a confirmed case of COVID-19 (see Centers for Disease Control (CDC) information on persons under investigation and presumptive positive and laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19);
The case is work-related (as defined by 29 CFR 1904.5); and
The case involves one or more of the general recording criteria set forth in 29 CFR 1904.7 (e.g., medical treatment beyond first aid, days away from work).
Happy New Year!Future Environment Designs, Inc. wishes that all of you had a Merry Holidays and will have a Happy New Year! This year was a little of a roller coaster ride for us starting with some ups at the beginning of the year, some downs at the middle of the year, and then back to some ups at the end! We like that we ended on a high note and it looks to continue into the new year. With us entering our 36th year in business we continue to adjust our offerings to meet your training requirements.
Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center
Starting in September 2024, individuals who have Site Safety Training (SST) cards that will expire in September of 2025 must take a refresher course to renew the SST cards (which expire after five years), That refresher course consists of a 4-hour fall prevention course and 4-hour supported scaffold user course that we are bundling together and will be part of our regular schedule. To read more about these training requirements for New York City construction workers read our blog post "Final Phase of New York City Training Requirements for Construction Workers Arrives on March 1, 2021". We have teamed with All New York City Training to offer the SST refresher course and the SST initial course at our facility in Syosset or their facility in Ridgewood. We are also working with them to start offering the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead Renovator, Remodeler, and Painting (RRP) Course at both facilities, too.
Bergdorf Goodman Window Display
We continue to offer training throughout Long Island (we have a mold worker and remediation/supervisor initial course coming up in East Hampton), Plattsburgh, Rochester (we are planning a mold worker/remediation/supervisor/assessor in the future), Queens, and Manhattan. In other words, we will provide training and our other services at your convenience anywhere your workers are located. We look forward to meeting your training requirements! May your new year be happy and we look forward to seeing you in 2024!
The Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) have announced the dates for next year's Annual Environmental Conference. The Environmental Conference will be held on February 15th & 16th, 2024 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. We are looking forward to attending the premier conference for the New York asbestos abatement industry.
Dale Chihuly's sculpture "Tree of Peace"
This year we have been part of the Conference Committee and it has been working hard (as in past years) to make this conference better than last year! The Keynote Speaker of the conference this year is:
Michael Rubin
OSHA Attorney at Ogletree
He is a shareholder and OSHA lawyer at Ogletree Deakins, a premier labor and employment defense firm with offices worldwide. He has over 20 years of experience and focuses his practice exclusively on handling OSHA matters nationwide in federal and state-plan jurisdictions. He has handled OSHA matters in over 30 states, including construction and environmental contractors. He is also a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), demonstrating his knowledge and commitment to occupational safety and health.
"My mission is to help employers protect their workers, their businesses, and their reputations from OSHA inspections, citations, and enforcement actions. I guide employers through the OSHA inspection process, from the opening conference to the closing conference, and assert their rights and interests at every stage. I also contest and litigate OSHA citations, including through trial, and develop and audit safety programs and policies. I counsel employers on risk-management strategies and best practices to ensure compliance and prevent accidents. I am passionate about delivering effective and efficient OSHA defense solutions to my clients and staying updated on the latest OSHA developments and trends."
The conference will start at 8:00 AM on Thursday, February 15, 2024, with multiple sessions by Industry Leaders. The Vendor Happy Hour will run from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM that same day. Friday will be the Keynote Speaker, and the New York State Department of Labor Roundtable with a question and answer session with the regulators. Ending the conference with a networking lunch. Aramsco, Dival Safety, Lovell Safety Management Co., LLC, Lozier Environmental Consulting, Inc., and Paradigm Environmental Services are some of the sponsors of this year's conference, to join these sponsors click here. As usual, Future Environment Designs will be one of the sponsors of the conference and will have a table in the Exhibit Hall. Reserve your spot at the conference here. We hope to see you there!
This month we celebrate Future Environment Designs, Inc. being in business for 35 years. We must say the last 5 years have been harder than the first 30 years. Of course, it doesn't help that we're getting older and we had to deal with all the COVID training requirements, too. We want to thank all of you who have helped us these past years by continuing to attend training with us. We couldn't have survived without you. We are honored that many of you enjoy our training by rating us at a 4.8 rating out of 5 with over 2,000 reviews on CourseCheck, thank you!
Thank you for helping us stay in business for 35 years
In 2022, we were elected to the board of the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY). We are honored and thank those who elected us to the Board. We look forward to helping the organization achieve its goals. Future Environment Designs will be sponsoring the 2024 Environmental Conference (as we usually do) that will be held on February 15 - 16, 2024. So save the date, if you would like to sponsor the conference and/or reserve your place in the Exhibition Hall click here!
2023 PACNY Environmental Conference.
Last year, we worked withFermionX, Ltd.a United Kingdom (UK) electronics manufacturer of industrial product brands including theAirbox Sampling Pumps. We were requested to review their product and determine if their product would be a good fit for the USA market. Our working with them led to our blog post and the video "Two Guys Talking About Pumps". This then led to FermionX, Ltd. taking a booth at the 2023 PACNY Environmental and the American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference. In addition, two of our clients ended up with free pumps to test in the field.
We are looking forward to the next five years as we continue to serve the New York State region and the adjacent states by providing asbestos, mold, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance training. We will continue to offer in-person training on Long Island, Plattsburgh, Westchester, New York City, and Rochester, New York, and for those who can't make the in-person training, we will continue to offer virtual asbestos, mold, and OSHA compliance training courses. Don't forget we also offer e-learning courses in asbestos awareness (complies with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and the OSHA Class IV training requirements), New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) exam prep courses, OSHA respirator user, OSHA silica, OSHA lead, and OSHA mold in construction courses, bloodborne pathogens, EPA AHERA designated person course and hazard communication with or without the New York State Right-to-Know supplement (NYS Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) annual requirement). To ensure you have everything you need for work we also provide quantitative respirator fit testing and respirator medical evaluations to ensure you can wear a respirator and make sure it fits you. This will make you compliant with the OSHA respirator standard.
Quantitative Respirator Fit Testing (QNFT) at Future Environment Designs, Inc.
So we hope to see all of you for the next five years to celebrate 40 years in business. As for me personally, our plan is to make it to the 50-year mark which will put us at 79 years old (wow that will be old). That would be amazing for a person who thought he would not survive past 45 years old and the statistic that 50% of companies don't survive 5 years. We hope to see all of you for the next 15 years as we try to achieve 50 years in business.
Angelo Garcia, III training OSHA 10-Hour Construction Training Course
On Wednesday, July 12, 2023, the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York (PACNY) held its 10th Annual Salmon Fishing PROAM tournament in Point Breeze, New York. 19 Boats were part of this year's tournament, one more than last year's tournament. Unfortunately, Future Environment Design's boat this year was down two and only included Ms. Veronica Hansen-Garcia and Angelo Garcia, III but we were in the same boat as the previous year's "Catchin' Hell" piloted by Captain Tom Murray and First Mate Mike.
Sun coming up off Point Breeze
We would to send a great big "THANK YOU" to Darren Yehl of Cornerstone Training (CTI) and PACNY for organizing this event. This event allows us to catch up with many of the PACNY members and see how the year is doing. Here was this year's line-up of PACNY members and boats:
Cornerstone - Sunrise II
Cornerstone - Legacy
Lozier - Richmond II Salmon Doctor
United Rentals - Tomahawk
Paradigm Environmental - Shotgun
Paradigm Environmental - Gone Costal
Sessler Environmental Services - Intimidator
Republic - Double Trouble
Republic - Troutman
Future Environment Designs - Catchin’ Hell
Expert Environmental - Get Hooked
Abscope Environmental - Make the Turn
DiVal - Rally Killer
Aramsco - Mister
Aramsco- Lake Runner
AAC Contracting - Bite Me
First On-site - 3 Dogs
Metro Environmental - Rusty Lure
Cornerstone - Bait Master
Our catch was a bleeder.
A beautiful day on the lake it was actually a perfect temperature with a slight breeze. This was the first time we took a nap while fishing which was only possible because we only caught one fish the whole time from 6 am to noon. Though it seems we weren't the only ones. Thank you again Darren Yehl for making our trip worthwhile by giving us the fish you and your team caught. After the weigh-in, a catered buffet lunch was provided by the Black North Inn, delicious as always, and the trophies/prizes were awarded. This year's winners were:
First On-Site with Captain Jason Matthews of 3 Dogs Sportfishing
We enjoy our trip to Point Breeze every year, however, we have a little trepidation about next year. The fishing was really bad this year and it looks like we will be missing Sheryl & Matt, again next year. We will have to decide what Future will do next year. The event next year will be Wednesday, July 10, 2024. We hope to see you next year!
As an industrial hygienist, we found this book a fascinating read. So you can understand why we say "as an industrial hygienist" let's discuss what industrial hygiene is. "Industrial Hygiene (IH) is a science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control, and confirmation of protection from those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace which may cause sickness, impaired health, and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers or among citizens of the community." To learn more about IH click here.
Air Quality Sampling tools for the IH
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has been the most significant environmental factor of modern times it was interesting to read the number of meetings and the decisions made. The book goes through discussions with many of the people making the decisions during COVID and was interesting how then Vice President Mike Pence understood the need to let the scientists do their job. The section of the book covering how vaccinations work especially these newer mRNA vaccines and how they help the immune system repel invaders was informational and understandable.
Part 2 of the book, gives common sense recommendations for becoming pandemic-proof. Becoming pandemic P.R.O.O.F. is actually an acronym for:
P - Plan ahead.
R - Rethink and rewire risk in your brain.
O - Optimize health.
O - Organize Family
F - Fight for the future of us.
Obviously, part 2 goes into each of these giving recommendations. These recommendations came from the "hundreds of hours of the writer's conversations with experts from all disciplines of our society." Some of these recommendations are for our country but others are recommendations many of us could put into place for ourselves. One of our favorite chapters was the chapter on "Rethink and Rewire Risk in Your Brain." Obviously, at the beginning of this pandemic, very few of us had the knowledge of how to evaluate the risk involved. But now we do. The section specifically on avoiding traps was very interesting because of how many of us have these traps and how many friends and clients when discussing COVID had these traps.
If you're into reading readable scientific books we recommend reading this one.
