The Drinking Water Treatment, Distribution and Wastewater Treatment Operator Certification Online Exams will no longer be given at the Wallace Building on the Capitol Complex in Des Moines, but will be offered at the DMACC Southridge Testing Center (1111 East Army Post Rd, Des Moines IA 50315), starting March 11, 2019. 
 
Exams will still be offered, by appointment, at Field Office 1 in Manchester, Field Office 2 in Mason City, Field Office 3 in Spencer, Field Office 4 in Atlantic and Field Office 6 in Washington. However, if you wish to take your exam at the DMACC Southridge Testing Center, after receiving your exam eligibility letter, call Elizabeth at (515) 725-0463, and she will set you up with DMACC.
 
The advantages of using the DMACC Southridge Testing Center include:

• Extended hours of availability
• Convenient location availability and parking

 
Plus, once you indicate you want to use the DMACC testing center, you will be given a four-week window in which you can go take an exam. There will be no specific appointment date or time; you can just walk in with your eligibility letter and valid ID and take the exam. Although there are multiple workstations available, DMACC asks that you call the day before you are thinking about testing to assure an available testing station. You may call (515) 287-8720.
 
DMACC Southridge Testing Center: 1111 East Army Post Rd, Des Moines IA 
Southridge Testing Lab Hours are as follows:

• Monday – 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday – 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. 
• Wednesday – 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Thursday – 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday – 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday – 8 a.m. to Noon (All tests must be started by 9:30 a.m.) 

 
Please call Southridge Testing Center 24 hours in advance to make sure spots are available. The contact number is (515) 287-8720. Please call Elizabeth at the IDNR at (515) 725-0463 with any questions.

In 2019, EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water will host a series of quarterly webinars highlighting challenges and successes in lead service line identification and replacement. The webinar series will showcase how states and public water systems have successfully identified lead service lines and shared that information with the public to raise awareness about the presence of lead service lines in their communities. The series will also focus on the challenges faced by states and public water systems and how they addressed those challenges. 

The first webinar, “Introduction to the Series,” is scheduled for March 7, from 1-2:30 p.m. CT.

The first webinar will include an update from EPA OGWDW on EPA’s lead service line replacement story map, and presentations from Washington State Department of Health – “The Quest for 100% Lead Free – Listening for Lead in Washington State,” and from DC Water - “DC Water’s Service Line Map and Methods to Improve Service Line Inventory”

To register, visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8122532595856828929

EMC claims data shows these five categories with the most claims in 2018, with losses tallied through early October 2018.

1. Falls, which includes slips and falls on the same level and falls from heights
2. Fleet, with rear-end collisions and accidents in intersections topping the list
3. Overexertion, with injuries caused by awkward postures, repetition, lifting or carrying too much, reaching, bending and twisting 
4. Struck-by accidents, including being hit by mobile equipment, tools, moving parts, falling items from hoists, debris, or an animal
5. Crime occurring from internal or external sources, including fraud or theft of equipment, inventory or intellectual property

For more on 2018 losses and how to further reduce risks this year, check out the entire EMC Loss Control Insights article.

Last month, the U.S .Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released the following statement:

“To protect worker privacy, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is amending the recordkeeping regulation by rescinding the requirement for establishments with 250 or more employees to electronically submit information from OSHA Forms 300 and 301. These establishments will continue to be required to maintain those records on-site, and OSHA will continue to obtain them as needed through inspections and enforcement actions. In addition to reporting required after severe injuries, establishments will continue to submit information from their Form 300A. Such submissions provide OSHA with ample data that it will continue seeking to fully utilize. In addition, OSHA is amending the recordkeeping regulation to require covered employers to submit their Employer Identification Number electronically along with their injury and illness data submission, which will facilitate use of the data and may help reduce duplicative employer reporting. Nothing in the final rule revokes an employer's duty to maintain OSHA Forms 300 and 301 for OSHA inspection. These actions together will allow OSHA to improve enforcement targeting and compliance assistance, decrease burden on employers, and protect worker privacy and safety.

By preventing routine government collection of information that may be quite sensitive, including descriptions of workers’ injuries and body parts affected, OSHA is avoiding the risk that such information might be publicly disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This rule will better protect personally identifiable information or data that could be re-identified with a particular worker by removing the requirement for covered employers to submit their information from Forms 300 and 301. The final rule does not alter an employer’s duty to maintain OSHA Forms 300 and 301 on-site, and OSHA will continue to obtain these forms as needed through inspections and enforcement actions."

The rule is only applicable to employers with 250 or more employees and only applies to the information gathered and recorded on the 300 log and the 301 form (Illness and Injury Incident Form) that accompanies each entry on the log.

This rule became effective on February 25, 2019. For more information or to determine whether this rule applies to you, call Margret Meade at 515.210.6617 or email her at [email protected].

The latest edition of IAMU's Toolbox Talks - Hand Washing is now available.  Click here to download it.

Other Toolbox Talk articles are available here.

If you have a Toolbox Talk idea, please send it to Margret Meade.

IAMU will hold a Trenching and Shoring Competent Person Workshop from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on March 21 at the IAMU Training and Office Complex.

OSHA requires a competent person be onsite at every excavation. The competent person is required to evaluate site safety and resolve existing and potential hazards. 

This workshop is designed for city and utility employees and outside contractors employed by a city, or anyone working in a trenching and shoring situation.  It is an excellent opportunity to become qualified as a competent person (or stay current with the responsibilities).

The DNR has approved 0.6 CEUs for WD and WW only.

The training received will cover the overall requirements of the law, including:

• Employee Safety
• Dealing with traffic
• Soil identification
• Emergency equipment
• Determining if shoring is needed
• Proper methods of trenching and shoring

Contact the contractors that work for your city/utility and encourage them to register and attend. For more information or to register, click here.

The 8th Annual IAMU Municipal Broadband Conference is scheduled for March 13 and 14 at the Holiday Inn & Suites – Des Moines-Northwest, 4800 Merle Hay Road. The annual event is filled with educational workshop sessions and networking opportunities.

NEW FOR 2019: The Customer Service Boot Camp – Pivot Group will conduct a day-long Customer Service Boot Camp for all customer contact personnel on March 13.

For more information about the event or to register, click here.

IAMU will be offering a Gas “Boot Camp” Operator Qualification Training Workshop April 1st-5th, 2019 at the IAMU Training & Office Complex.

This workshop is designed to give personnel new to the natural gas industry all of the basic fundamentals needed to aid in the day-to-day operations as well as the ability to perform certain "On-Call" tasks.

In addition, any office personnel who may receive a report of a natural gas leak (Dispatch personnel) should attend to obtain all the qualifications that are needed to perform their duties.

This workshop is also beneficial to natural gas operators who are looking to gain additional training, re-qualify on tasks offered, as well as providing a great opportunity to network with other operators from around the State addressing problems, concerns, techniques, etc.

Click here to register, and for additional information.

Mark your calendars and plan to attend the March 19 session of "The Bottom Line on Industrial Stormwater."  This workshop is a repeat of the one held in November 2018.  There was so much demand that not all the interested attendees could be accommodated.  If you missed the November workshop, now is your chance to register.

Industrial and commercial facilities with "stormwater discharge associated with industrial activity" are required to obtain permits, typically known as General Permits #1 and #3. This training opportunity has been developed to help those facilities understand their permitting requirements, develop pollution prevention plans, and implement best management practices with the goal of staying in compliance.
The workshop, scheduled for March 19, 2019, is presented by the Iowa Stormwater Education Partnership (ISWEP) (www.iowastormwater.org) and co-sponsored by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Who should attend?:  Company managers, site supervisors, environmental managers and staff, consultants, contractors, and others.  Presentations will feature experts on industrial stormwater permitting and compliance, including:

• Patti Cale-Finnegan (ISWEP):  "Why are you here?  Basics of industrial stormwater permitting"
• Joe Griffin, Iowa DNR:  "What is the IDNR process and implementation expectations?"
• Rebecca Svatos, Stanley Consultants:  "How to implement stormwater pollution prevention plans"
• Alison Manz, Iowa DNR Field Office 4:  "How to comply with your permit and keep DNR and the public happy"
• Allison Sambol, Felsburg, Holt, and Ullevig:  "Keeping it clean - best management practices to control runoff"
• Chuck Corell, Cargill Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers North Americ

Registration information is online at: http://iowastormwater.org/event/the-bottom-line-on-industrial-stormwater/?event_date=2019-03-19. 

For questions or more information, contact Patti Cale-Finnegan, [email protected] or 515-490-4684.

Amanda Hickman has joined the IAMU staff as a Regional Safety Coordinator and will be working on the new Northwest Iowa Safety Group (NWISG) contract. Amanda has a background in health, environment, and safety. Her most recent previous position was as a DOT & Safety Coordinator in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. With her background and personality, she is an ideal fit for IAMU and the cities of the NWISG. NWISG consists of Sioux Center, Sheldon, Orange City, Rock Rapids, Inwood, Akron, Hinton, and Remsen. The cities in the Northwest Iowa region will be her daily reporting locations, but other members may see her from time to time in the IAMU office for meetings.