The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities Safety Services department will be holding mobile crane certification and examination classes for digger derrick, service truck, and mobile crane operators.  OSHA’s updated crane standard REQUIRES that operators of lifting equipment be trained, evaluated and tested in order to obtain certification.

Background Information:
Although the new standard, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, specifically exempts the digger derrick and the operator from meeting the requirements of the standard, the exemption applies only when it is used for work within the provisions of the power generation, transmission and distribution standards, or for construction work within the telecommunications standard.  The exemption does not apply if the digger derrick is used for lifting materials or to operate in working environments outside the scope of the standard because the equipment is essentially being used as a mobile crane.  For example, unloading materials from a truck, lifting a motor from a pump house to assist your water department, or providing assistance to any other city department will mean that the exemption no longer applies.  When equipment is used as a mobile crane, all provisions of the standard apply, including the operator certification rule.  OSHA also now requires that an operator be certified in specific areas when they operate equipment outfitted with a boom and winch and able to lift at least 2,000 pounds.  This includes service trucks in your public works, or water departments.

The new standard has very specific operator requirements, one being to obtain operator certification from an independent testing organization accredited by a nationally recognized organization.  OSHA’s updated crane standard, 1926.1427 in Subpart CC, requires that for a testing organization to be considered accredited to certify operators, it must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency based on that agency’s determination that industry recognized criteria for written testing materials, practical examinations, test administration, grading, facilities/equipment and personnel have been met.  IAMU is an Accredited Assessment Center through the National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER).  We are authorized to conduct both hands-on assessments and practical examinations which are part of our Mobile Crane Operator Certification Program.  Additionally, we are offering Qualified Hand Signal Person and Qualified Rigger programs (available at a future date).

Who Should Attend:
Digger derrick and service truck crane operators who do not currently hold a mobile crane operator’s certification.

What Do These Classes and Certification Consist Of:
Classes will be a week long, requiring classroom instruction, an on-line exam that has a 80% pass requirement, a practical exam for certification of mobile crane, and then finally a short class and practical exam for the signalperson and rigging qualifications. Students who pass the written and practical exams receive nationally recognized certification from the National Center for Construction Education Research (NCCER).

Where Do These Classes Take Place:
IAMU Training and Office Complex
1735 NE 70th Avenue
Ankeny, IA  50021

When Will Classes Be Held:
Dates have been scheduled for 2019 at the IAMU complex (unless otherwise noted).  Please click HERE or visit the IAMU website for available dates.

August 19-23
October 7-11
December 9-13

Mobile Crane Operator Certification/Examination Class Schedule:
 
Class Day
Times
Classroom/Exam

Monday & Tuesday
9:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Classroom

Wednesday
8:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Classroom/Exams

Thursday
8:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Practical Exams

Friday (if needed)
8:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Retake Exams
Class/Exam
Examination retakes are $100 and may be taken during any scheduled exam date.
Additional Notes:

• Registration for all dates is open
• There is a maximum of 12 participants per class session.
• Lunch will be provided Monday through Thursday.
• All participants will attend classroom days. Exams will take place on the Thursday of each class session. Depending on the number of participants, Wednesday evening and Friday may also be used for exams.
• Each participant will need to create an account with NCCER before class; step-by-step instructions are included with the study guide.  Please bring your account number with you to class.

For additional information about the classes and online registration for each event, click HERE.

Cancellation Policy:
IAMU will issue a full refund for a registration cancellation up to 30 days prior to class date.  Cancellations within 30 days of class date will result in a refund less a $50 cancellation charge per registration.

If unable to attend, IAMU will allow a registration to be transferred within the same organization for the registered class date at no additional charge.

Questions?
If you have any questions in regards to the classes, or requirements, please contact:
Margret Meade, IAMU Safety Specialist ([email protected])
Phone:  (800) 810-4268

This two-day workshop, to be held July 31 and Aug. 1 at the IAMU office, is designed for city and utility clerks, as well as other utility and municipal administrative staff to better understand municipal law requirements, particularly those related to water and electric utilities, as well as dealing with customers. Individuals may attend one or both days.

• July 31 – 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. with reception to follow Topics include: general municipal law, state government 101, open meetings/records, public bidding & procurement, customer complaints

• August 1 – 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Morning will focus on water utilities. Topics include: water system 101, disconnections, payment agreements, liens, offsets, rate making, and bonding Afternoon will focus on electric utilities. Topics include: electric system 101, disconnections, payment agreements, rate making, service territory, and landlord tenant issues

Space is limited so get signed up early. To register, click here.

Manganese is a naturally-occurring element in the earth’s geology and is found in the surface and groundwaters of the state at various concentrations. Elevated levels of manganese have long been considered to be an aesthetic problem in drinking water, causing taste, odor, and staining problems. EPA has had an unenforceable, secondary standard of 0.05 mg/L (parts per million) for many years, below which adverse aesthetic effects are not expected to occur. 
 
Manganese is an essential nutrient in our diet, and too much or too little both have adverse human health effects. There are newer studies that indicate elevated manganese levels can cause adverse human health effects, so EPA has included manganese in the testing required to determine if national regulation as a primary drinking water standard is needed.
 
This testing, called the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule #4 (UCMR4), is in its second of three years of national testing. All Iowa public water supply systems serving at least 10,000 people, and a selection of smaller systems, are required to monitor for the contaminants listed in the rule. Manganese is included and must be monitored in the finished drinking water. Once the data is collected and analyzed, EPA will determine whether to regulate any of the listed contaminants as a primary drinking water standard. The data for each specific system required to monitor under UCMR is included in that year’s Consumer Confidence Report, which is available to their customers by July 1st each year.
 
EPA has developed health advisories for manganese, which includes both acute (immediate) and non-acute (chronic) levels. 

• For bottle-fed infants six months of age and younger, the acute level is 0.3 mg/L, while the acute level for the rest of the population is 1 mg/L, both of which are 10-day advisories. Typically, manganese concentrations in the groundwater are fairly constant, so there isn’t much variation over time. 
• For the entire population, the lifetime health advisory is 0.3 mg/L. 

 
Health advisories are not enforceable drinking water standards but public notice can be required when levels exceed the health advisory.
 
For more information on the UCMR, adverse health effects of manganese, and other information, please visit the DNR’s Drinking Water Health Advisories webpage, which includes links to DNR’s Frequently Asked Questions about Manganese in Drinking Water, DNR’s Manganese in Drinking Water Fact Sheet, and other reference material.
 
In Iowa, the groundwater aquifers are known to contain manganese, with those in the western half of the state testing at higher concentrations in the raw well water monitoring that has been done. Staff in the DNR’s water supply program have been working on developing a response to this emerging contaminant since the UCMR4 testing started, and have been presenting the issues during operator training events. While to-date there have been no samples over the 0.3 mg/L health advisory level in the UCMR4 testing in Iowa, there have been other samples from Iowa PWS that have had elevated manganese levels. Some of these have been in response to colored water complaint investigations. Prior to UCMR4, there has been no required certified lab testing for manganese in finished drinking water, and there is very little data available about Iowa’s systems. 
 
To obtain more data and get an accurate picture of manganese levels in Iowa’s more than 1,800 public water supply systems, a sampling effort will soon begin.  From July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2022, the DNR inspector will collect a water sample from each source/entry point at each public water supply system during the system’s next sanitary survey.  he source/entry point is a point which is after any treatment and before entering the distribution system, and the sanitary survey is an on-site inspection of the public water supply system that happens at least every three years. For the smallest systems, where certain county sanitarians conduct an annual visit of those systems, the sampling project will start in July 2020.
 
The sample will be analyzed for manganese through a contract with the State Hygienic Laboratory. Depending upon the analytical result, the system may have no further action, may have additional samples required on a quarterly or annual basis, and, if the health advisory levels are exceeded, will be required to conduct public notification.
 
On a national basis, 22 states have had systems with manganese levels over 0.3 mg/L in the first 16 months of the UCMR4 testing. 

IAMU currently has a career opening for anyone looking to join our talented staff.  For more information and to apply, click the link or submit cover letter, resume and references to:

Dawn Hyler, Business Manager
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities
1735 NE 70th Ave.
Ankeny, IA  50021-9353
(515) 289-1999 or [email protected]

Electric Services Coordinator

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) is seeking a knowledgeable professional to provide training, support, education and serve as a resource to its 136 municipal electric utility members.

IAMU Safety Specialists hear about work-related injuries and near misses all the time. Often, injuries could have been or were avoided by following specific safety procedures and/or having the proper equipment.

To help share these teachable moments, IAMU Safety Specialist Margret Meade has created a new publication called “Lessons Learned.” The goal is to provide real-life examples of what can happen and what should happen when it comes to workplace safety.

The “Lessons Learned” highlight sheets will be available as downloadable PDFs. Feel free to print and post the highlight sheets in employee gathering areas, hand them out during employee meetings, and/ or distribute them electronically to others.

If you ever have any questions about the highlight sheets or have lessons to share for publication, you may contact Margret at [email protected] or 515.289.1999. All individual and organization names will be removed before distribution.

View and download the latest "Lessons Learned" - Ground Rod Driver

IAMU Associate Member Clow Valve Co. invites you to a training and sales presentation for the Clow iHydrant pressure and temperature monitoring system developed by sister company Nighthawk.

This fun and educational class will take place on Thursday, June 20th from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the new Ames Water Plant, 1800 E. 13th Street, Ames, IA 50010.

The iHydrant system provides real time data for your distribution system without affecting the normal operation of the fire hydrant.  This can either be retrofitted to existing Clow Medallion fire hydrants in a matter of minutes, or purchased for new installation.

Benefits of the iHydrant system include:

• Optimizing pressure
• Reducing energy costs
• Assist in leak detection
• Reduce non-revenue water
• Identifying actual water temperature

Please pass along and bring any interested colleagues to this class.  Snacks and refreshments will be provided.  Please RSVP to Andy Kohler at [email protected].
 
Questions?  Contact Andy at Clow Valve.

If you have rigging hardware that has not passed inspection, please contact Safety Specialist Margret Meade. She would like to use it in training classes as an example of what not to use. You may contact Margret at [email protected] or at 515.289.5229.

IAMU Safety Services will be holding a Drug & Alcohol Employee/Supervisor Training Webinar. This webinar will address the following:

• The effects of drugs and alcohol on the body
• Recognize the signs, symptoms, and indicators of substance abuse at the workplace
• Comply with federal DOT regulations requiring 2-hour reasonable suspicion training for supervisors

60 minutes will be spent on symptoms of alcohol abuse; 60 minutes will be spent on the symptoms of drug/controlled substance abuse.

*A Certificate of Completion will be emailed to participants upon confirmation of participant’s full attendance to webinar.

Who Should Attend?
Employees and supervisors involved with CDLs and/or gas operations.
 
Webinar Time and Length:
Tuesday, July 9, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019 – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
 
Cost:
$45 per IAMU Member participant
$70 per Non-IAMU Member participant
 
Questions?
Contact Paul Kittelson at [email protected], or (800) 810-4268.

Registration is open.  For additional information and online registration, please click HERE.

*Webinar information will be sent upon registration.*

The Safety Group Insurance newsletters are designed to raise awareness about important exposures that you face every day. Jester Insurance Services also hope that they provide you with insight to the insurance and risk management solutions available through the IAMU Safety Group Insurance Program. The spring newsletter focuses on Employment Practices Liability. As you will see in the newsletter, this exposure is on the rise for safety group members. Please share this with others in your municipality/utility who may also find it beneficial. Feel free to contact Jester Insurance Services or your local agent with any feedback and/or questions.

Thank you for your continued support of the IAMU Safety Group Insurance Program.

The Consumer Confidence Report is required to be distributed by July 1st by all community public water supply systems (CWS).  Even if a system uses the template sent by DNR in March, a copy of what was actually distributed to the consumers must be submitted to DNR by July 1st.  There are still about 529 reports (almost 50%) not submitted with a week to go before the deadline.

Send a copy of the report to DNR by July 1st.  The certification must be sent to DNR after you’ve completed the distribution, no later than October 1, 2019, as directed in the letter sent to each CWS in March 2019. Many systems submit the copy of the report and the certification at the same time to DNR, before July 1st.

If a CWS needs an electronic copy of the CCR and/or Certification Form, please send your request to [email protected].  This is an email address that all of our environmental specialists can receive.

To submit the copy of the distributed CCR and certification by .pdf, send it to the [email protected] email address.

To submit the copy of the distributed CCR and certification by fax, send it to this number 515/725-8202, to the attention of Water Supply Operations.

Any questions, contact the person listed in your operation permit.