IAMU currently has an opening for a regional safety coordinator.

More information about the position will be available on THIS page tomorrow, May 25th, 2023. If interested, please submit your resume to Laura at laurad@iamu.org

Join the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities' Safety Services for an engaging and informative Drug & Alcohol Employee/Supervisor Training webinar!

Date: 7/17/2023
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM

In today's world, it's crucial to prioritize the safety and well-being of your workforce. This webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to effectively address the challenges of substance abuse in the workplace. Led by Joedy Dennis, an esteemed IAMU Safety Specialist, this training will provide invaluable insights into the effects of drugs and alcohol on the body.

Here's what you can expect to learn during this webinar:

• Understand the impact: Dive into the effects that drugs and alcohol have on the human body, enabling you to make more informed decisions when it comes to workplace safety.
  
• Recognize the signs: Learn how to identify the signs, symptoms, and indicators of substance abuse within your organization. Early detection plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy and productive work environment.
• Comply with regulations: Discover how to stay in compliance with federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations that require 2-hour reasonable suspicion training for supervisors. Stay ahead of the curve and ensure your organization is meeting the necessary standards.
• Alcohol abuse insights: Spend 60 minutes delving into the symptoms of alcohol abuse. Understand the red flags and warning signs that may indicate an employee is struggling with alcohol-related issues.
• Drug and controlled substance abuse awareness: Another 60 minutes will be dedicated to exploring the symptoms of drug and controlled substance abuse. Equip yourself with the knowledge to spot potential problems and provide appropriate support.

By participating in this webinar, you're taking a proactive step towards creating a safer and healthier workplace for your team. Upon completion of the training, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, demonstrating your commitment to employee well-being.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and make a difference in your organization's safety culture. Register today by CLICKING HERE!

Are you a municipal utility in Iowa? Do you want to be prepared for the next disaster that could hit your community? Then join us on May 30th at 1pm for a FREE webinar on FEMA's Public Assistance Program!

Learn everything you need to know about applying for and receiving federal and state funding for disaster related repairs when a federal disaster declaration is approved for Iowa. Our presenter, Chris Spencer, Policy and Technical Assistance Officer, Iowa Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, will guide you through the process and answer all your questions.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn how FEMA's Public Assistance program can help your municipal utilities recover from disaster damages. Register now and be prepared for whatever comes your way!

This course will once again be presented by Skip Collier of Professional Training Systems, Inc. 
Skip is highly regarded and has an extensive background in electric utility design, construction, maintenance, and operation.

The EUSO Short Course is designed for any employee whose job performance will benefit from a basic understanding of the operations side of the business.  This includes those from legal, rates, engineering, purchasing, computer application, marketing, customer service, inventory control, finance, accounting, safety, risk analysis as well as those from generating plants.  One goal for this class is to have students leave with the ability to easily identify all of the electrical equipment they see in a substation as they walk by, along with all the equipment found on the poles in a residential area.  Non-electrical engineers are often at a disadvantage in the electric utility environment due to a lack of familiarity with technical issues.  The better you understand the utility’s product – electrical energy – and how it is created and distributed, the better you can serve the utility and your customers.  This course assumes no electrical background, and builds on the basics to provide a comprehensive understanding of the equipment and operations.

*** Line Maintainer apprentices will receive 21 Basic OJT hours for taking the EUSO Course ***

For additional information in regards to the workshop, including full agenda and registration, please click HERE.

Questions?
Contact Jared Masker at (800) 810-4268 or jmasker@iamu.org

IAMU has been awarded a research grant by the American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED) program. IAMU will receive $62,425 in DEED funding over 1.5 years. IAMU’s Transformer Toolkit is 1 of 5 projects across American to be funded in this grant cycle. To read APPA’s public funding announcement, click here.
 
IAMU has partnered with 6 municipal utility members to create a comprehensive toolkit to help utilities plan for the electrification of the transportation sector. The toolkit will build upon work done by IAMU’s previous APPA Grant (The EV Toolkit) to help utilities size transformers and forecast required future transformer upgrades. The toolkit will include tools for logging existing transformers and properly sizing residential/commercial/fleet transformers. The toolkit will also include an innovative predictive tool to forecast future required transformer upgrades. There will also be fleet vehicle customer engagement resources in the toolkit.
 
This project will provide important resources for municipal utilities in Iowa and across the country as they adapt to a period of great change in the electric utility industry. IAMU will present the results of the projects through webinars and conference presentations. If you would like to join the project team for this DEED grant and contribute to the transformer toolkit, please email Jeff Gorrie at jgorrie@iamu.org.

Join us for an exclusive information and Q&A Session on the tax implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)!

We are thrilled to announce our distinguished speakers:
Lucas Jenkins - Vice President: Public Finance - Utilities & Structured Finance at Wells Fargo
Jeffrey Schub - Senior Vice President, Sustainable Finance Integration at Wells Fargo

Discover the possibilities that have emerged since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act! Did you know that tax-exempt municipal utilities can now effectively monetize federal tax credits for renewable energy and various qualifying projects? Jeff and Lucas will dive into real-world examples, showcasing how munis can leverage these recent changes to the law. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the industry, this event is tailored for anyone seeking to stay ahead of the curve and capitalize on the IRA's potential.

Don't miss out on this must-attend event! Register today by clicking HERE!

On May 2, 2023 American Public Power Association (APPA) honored 166 utilities their Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2022.  283 utilities from across the country entered the annual Safety Awards. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker-hours and ranked based on the incident-free records and overall state of their safety programs and culture during 2022. A utility’s incidence rate is based on its number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2022, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  Congratulations to the Iowa recipients:
 
Group A (less than 15,000 worker-hours of exposure)
First Place
City of Sioux Center, IA
Second Place
Lenox Municipal Utilities, IA
Third Place
Orange City Municipal Utilities, IA
 
Group B (15,000 to 29,999 worker-hours of exposure)
First Place
Coon Rapids Municipal Utilities, IA
 
Group C (30,000 to 59,999 worker-hours of exposure)
First Place
Waverly Utilities, IA
 
Group F (250,000 to 999,999 worker-hours of exposure)
Third Place
Muscatine Power & Water, IA

One hundred nine of the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities earned the Reliable Public Power Provider designation from the American Public Power Association for providing reliable and safe electric service. Here is the list of Iowa public power utilities that have the RP3 recognition:
 
APPA RP3 Diamond Level:
Muscatine Power & Water, IA
 
Diamond Level:
Cedar Falls Utilities, IA
City of Ames Electric Services
Spencer Municipal Utilities
 
Gold Level:
Algona Municipal Utilities

Article created by EMC Insurance

Workplace injuries, such as repetitive strain injuries, back pain and eye strain, can result from poor ergonomics. Help provide your employees with a safe and healthy workplace by understanding ergonomics.
 
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