This workshop, scheduled for March 30 through April 3, at the IAMU Training and Office Complex, is designed to give personnel new to the natural gas industry all of the basic fundamentals needed to aid in daily 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 and address problems, concerns, techniques, etc.
 
For more information or to register, click here.

Registration is now open for the 2020 Gas Pipeline Welder Qualification Workshop at Iowa Lakes Community College - Emmetsburg Campus. The four-day workshop will be held March 16 through the 19. 
 
This workshop is geared toward gas distribution system welders who work for municipal utilities or as welding contractors. The four-day training includes the opportunity to perform one or more of the pipeline welding procedures included in the IAMU procedures manual. Instructions on current welding techniques will be given.
 
For more information or to register, click here.

Registration is open for the IAMU Advanced Water Treatment & Advanced Water Distribution Workshops scheduled for March 4th & 5th.
 
Each day is good for 0.5 CEUs towards renewal/certification.
 
Register early and save!
 
Registration Fees (per person):
Early Registration (through February 28, 2020)
IAMU Members
$85/day or $160 for both days

Non-Members
$125/day or $240 for both days
 
Late/At-the-Door Registration
IAMU Members
$105/day or $200 for both days

Non-Members
$145/day or $280 for both days

To view the full agenda, and to register, click here.
 
Questions?  Contact Steve Marsh (smarsh@iamu.org) at 800-810-4268.

• IAMU Hands-On Pumps & Mechanical Maintenance Workshops – March 25 & April 8

 
Mark your calendars for the Hands-On Pumps & Maintenance Workshops presented by Larry Trout.  Two dates/locations will be offered.
 
Location 1 (Spencer) – March 25, 2020
Location 2 (Marquette) – April 8, 2020

*Space is limited to the first 20 registrations at each location.*
 
Registration
Registration is open.  You may register and find additional information at the links below.
 
Registration fee is $115 per person for IAMU Members; $160 per person for Non-Members.  Lunch will be provided.

• Location 1 (Spencer) – March 25, 2020

• Location 2 (Marquette) – April 8, 2020

 
For more information, contact Steve Marsh (smarsh@iamu.org) at 800-810-4268.

The latest edition of IAMU's Toolbox Talks - Hand Torch Safety 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.

Between March 12 and 20, every U.S. household will receive a census invitation in the mail. It is crucial that everyone completes the census, and utilities
 
The U.S. Census is a critical event that takes place every 10 years. Much depends on it:

• Our federal representatives are apportioned according to the count. The more people we have as a state, the more power in Congress.
• Our state legislative districts and local precincts are determined using census data.
• For every 1% of Iowans who go uncounted in the census, it costs the state as much as $53 million in federal funds.

 
Be sure to encourage your customers to complete the census. Every household will have the option of responding online, by mail, or by phone. The census only takes a few minutes to complete. Households are encouraged to complete the census by April 1 to avoid a follow-up knock at the door from a census worker. 
 
IAMU has bill inserts and flyers available for members to use. You may find them on our website – www.iamu.org. Click on Resources > Communication Tools & Resources > 2020 Census. You must be signed in as a member to see the Communication Tools & Resources page.
 
Please contact us if you have any questions.

By: Pamela Rosa, CIH
Safety Manager, Des Moines Metropolitan Water Reclamation Authority

In our daily lives, including our workplace, we hear common phrases such as: occupational safety, homeland security, home-security systems, safe and secure, and active shooters. According to Merriam-Webster, safety and security are synonyms. Safety and security are so often used with each other, it can often put safety managers into a difficult situation of having to redefine what it means to implement a safety program in the workplace.

What seems like a lifetime ago, I was an Industrial Hygienist with Iowa OSHA. When I left Iowa OSHA and started with the Des Moines Public Schools as a safety specialist, I thought I knew what it meant to be a safety manager. The first time that someone asked me about how to protect the school from an active shooter, they said to me, “you’re the expert.” At that moment, I literally looked behind me to see if they were speaking to someone else. Yes, I was a Certified Industrial Hygienist and an expert in occupational safety and health; but I was not, at that point in time, an expert in physical security. I quickly learned physical security was just as important to the perception of safety as addressing occupational safety and health hazards. I have taken that experience with me into the next chapter of my safety career with the Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Authority.

During my time as a safety manager for a school district, I learned the phrase “See Something, Say Something.” This is a campaign that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is using for terrorist activities. However, this message is important in the realm of safety and security in the workplace as well.

The current culture of our country requires all workplaces to remain vigilant. According to Wikipedia, the U.S. saw an unprecedented 435 mass shootings in 2019. These shootings occurred in workplaces, schools, malls, neighborhoods, bars, and the list goes on. The need for employees to remain alert to their surroundings only increased when the U.S. used a drone to kill an Iranian leader.

However, as important as it is, the need to stay attentive to our workplace does not solely relate to the physical security of our facility or worksites. It also relates to the hazards that we face every day. These hazards are even more real and ever-present dangers. We work in very dangerous environments and being aware of what is happening around us is especially critical. We cannot afford to become complacent in our normal, everyday settings simply because they are familiar to us.

In a recent study conducted by the American Society of Safety Professionals, 97% of workers surveyed said they were given the authority to stop unsafe work at their company, but only 39% did anything about what they saw. It can be difficult to say something out of fear of being called difficult, paranoid, etc. Sometimes, people just don’t know what to say. Simply asking something like, “do you need help?” could start the conversation in a non-confrontational manner. Employees should be trained that if they are in harms-way, remove themselves from the situation and go to their supervisor.

Sometimes, we think something may be a hazard, but we are not certain. In those circumstances, talk to a supervisor or safety manager about the situation to help determine if, in fact, it is a hazard. If you are the safety manager, call a mentor or trusted member of the safety community to get some perspective and insight. Encourage employees that if they see something unsafe, and can fix it then and there, do so and report it as a near miss.

A common misperception is that safety is the responsibility of the safety manager, supervisor, or safety committee members. In reality, safety is the responsibility of every person in the facility to work safely, including contractors. Many facilities are very large, and it is difficult for one or two people to see every hazard. Just as physical security threatens our safety, so do the very real physical and chemical hazards in our workplace. So, I encourage you to ask yourself and your employees to get out of your comfort zone; and if you see something unsafe, say something.

The Hilton room block cutoff is this Friday for the discounted rate.
 
IAMU is organizing a Municipal Utility Day on the Hill (state capitol) for Tuesday, March 17 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
 
If your utility or agency would like to have a display table for the event, please contact Jill Soenen at jsoenen@iamu.org.
 
The IAMU Legislative Reception will follow from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Iowa Hall of Pride in the Iowa Events Center (330 Park St, Des Moines, IA 50309).
 
IAMU has room blocks at two downtown hotels for those wishing to stay over. The Hilton room block cutoff is Wednesday, February 26th, for the discounted rate.
 
Hilton Des Moines Downtown
435 Park Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
Tel: 515-241-1456
Group Name: Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities
Rate: From $143.00+tax/fees per night
Room Block cutoff date: February 21, 2020
To book, click HERE
 
Residence Inn Des Moines Downtown
100 SW Water Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
Tel: 515-288-4500
Group Name: Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities
Rate: $129+tax/fees per night
Room Block cutoff date: March 2, 2020
To book, click HERE.
 
We look forward to seeing as many members as possible at these events. This is your opportunity to meet with legislators and let them know your views on important matters concerning municipal utilities.

IAMU Members Receive Special Pricing When Using Promo Code
 
MEA Energy Association will hold its “2020 In Focus” Electric Operations Technical & Leadership Summit on May 6 – 8 in Iowa City. You can register at meaenergy.org/electric-summit. Use code IAMU2020 to get special pricing.
 
MEA Energy Association is a trade association that serves the people who deliver electricity and natural gas to homes and businesses. MEA’s mission is to empower the energy industry through education, leadership development, and industry connections. Energy delivery companies, contractors, and suppliers from around the country benefit from our 55 summits, roundtables, and webinars.
MEA has been offering content focused on electric operations since 1999.
 
Summit Highlights

• More than 50 learning sessions led by industry experts
• Technical, hands-on and leadership sessions
• Thought leaders and industry authorities
• 60-plus innovative exhibits
• Dedicated time for building connections and relationships
• 325-plus supervisors, managers, directors, crew leads, engineers, and technicians

 
Educational Focus Areas

• Codes & Standards
• Metering
• Overhead
• Reliability
• Safety & Training
• Substation
• System Operator/System Dispatch
• Underground

Prescription drug use can benefit workers when used properly, but employers still have concerns. An employee on certain medications, such as pain meds or anything that causes drowsiness, might not be able to safely perform all job duties. To make that determination, you first need to know if the employee is on a potentially impairing medication. For more on this issue, check out the EMC Loss Control Insights article.

The Iowa Energy Center (IEC) Board and the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has announced the opening of the second round of the IEC Grant program.
 
Designed to facilitate energy-related economic development in Iowa, the program will begin accepting pre-applications February 20. Submissions, which must support projects and initiatives that align with the Iowa Energy Plan and IEC’s activities, will be accepted through iowagrants.gov until March 19. 
 
The IEC Grant Program is funded by gas and electric utilities across Iowa and open to Iowa businesses, colleges, universities and private nonprofit agencies and foundations. The program supports projects that provide a benefit to Iowa’s residential and commercial customers. Projects must also aid in the implementation of at least one of the seven key focus areas of the Iowa Energy Plan: technology-based research and development, workforce development, support for rural and underserved areas, biomass, natural gas expansion in underserved areas, electric grid modernization and alternative fuel vehicles.
 
Grant awards will range from $10,000 to $1,000,000; however, most grants awarded will be in the $150,000 - $300,000 range. The IEC Board will make at least one funding announcement per fiscal year, and the application process will include both a pre-application and application phase. An updated Policies and Procedures Handbook and Pre-Application guide will be available online February 20.
 
For additional information, please visit iowaeda.com/energy.