It’s that time of year again! Time to review, and correct if necessary, your OSHA 300 log entries and post the completed and certified 300A form. Make sure that each 300 log entry has a corresponding 301 form that has the required information entered.

This year, we are providing free and unlimited access to the OSHA 29 CFR 1904 Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses webinar. You may view that webinar at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh-M4wKq7UA . Please contact Margret Meade at 515.210.6617 or at [email protected] with any recordkeeping questions that you may have.

To find continuing education opportunities, please view the “Training Calendar” at programs.iowadnr.gov/opcertweb/    Training events where Iowa DNR staff will make presentations are listed below.  See the listing on the appropriate date on the Training Calendar for registration instructions.  Look at the calendar often, as there are new opportunities posted throughout the week.

• December 9, DNR Surface Water Operator Training, virtual. 6 hours CEU WT.  Registration. 
  
  
• December 16, DNR/IAMU/EPA Drought Workshop, virtual. 3 hours CEU, WT or WD.  Registration. 
  
  
• December 17, DNR/IAMU/EPA Water Loss Workshop, virtual. 3 hours CEU, WT or WD.  Registration. 

Even with all of the electronic communication options out there these days, email can be as effective as ever, as long as you follow best practices.
 
Thanks to the fact that email has been around for more than two decades now, researchers have had plenty of time to study how people use and respond to email and have identify certain factors that influence its success (success meaning that people open the emails and do with it what the sender intended).
 
Here are some considerations that many communication experts accept as best practices.
 
Subject Lines

• Keep character counts to a minimum – 50 characters or less.
• Use between six and 10 words.
• Capitalize The First Letter In Every Word.
• Personalize the subject line with the recipient’s name if you can.
• Don’t reuse the same subject line. Even if you resend the same email as a follow-up, use a fresh subject line.
• Punctuation isn’t necessary. (Don’t worry about it.)

 
Content

• Keep content to 100 to 200 words, with a strong call to action to click through to more content (on a landing page or website or in an attachment).
• Make sure the message is consistent with what’s included in the subject line.
• Use one idea per paragraph.
• Break up blocks of copy with headlines and images.
• Rely on bulleted list to summarize, but make sure bullets are short. Each bullet should be only one line.
• Use an easy-to-read font such as Arial or another sans serif option in 10- to 11-point size.
• Don’t simply copy and paste content from Microsoft Word or Google Docs into an email. Word and Docs are rich-text editors and contain hidden code that could cause formatting issues. Import the content as plain text and/or write the text directly into the email. On important emails or ones that you send to many people, always send a test message to yourself and a few others before sending the email to everyone so you can make sure it is properly formatted.

Deadline for Mortgage, Rent and Utility Assistance: December 4th

Governor Reynolds announced an additional allocation of CARES Act funds to support Iowa renters and homeowners at-risk of eviction or foreclosure due to a COVID-19-related loss of income. The Iowa Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention program has now been allocated a total of $37.4 million, with approximately $8 million remaining available. The deadline to apply for rent and mortgage assistance as well as utility assistance through the Iowa Residential Utility Disruption Prevention program is Dec. 4, 2020. 

“At no fault of their own, many Iowans are struggling to pay their bills as a result of lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Today’s announcement bolsters the Iowa Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention program, which is helping Iowa homeowners and renters make their rent or mortgage payments. Our team will continue to assist Iowans in accessing this critical assistance as the Dec. 4th deadline approaches.” 

“Nearly 11,000 renters and 500 homeowners have received assistance with their rent or mortgage payments and another 2,800 have applied for utility assistance to date,” said IEDA and IFA Executive Director Debi Durham. “Our goal is to assist as many Iowans that have been impacted by COVID-19 and are at-risk of eviction, foreclosure or utility disruption as possible.”

The programs are funded through federal CARES Act funds, which requires that all funds be expended by Dec. 30, 2020. 

To be eligible for either program: 

• Must have a documented COVID-19-related loss of income on or after March 17, 2020. 
• Household income at the time of application may not exceed 80% median family income, which varies by county and household size and is included in the applications.
  
  Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Program
  The program provides current renters and homeowners who are at-risk of eviction or foreclosure due to a COVID-19 loss of income with rent or mortgage assistance for up to four months. The total maximum in assistance per household is the lesser of $3,200 for rental assistance and $3,600 for mortgage assistance or four months actual rent/mortgage payment amounts. Payments are made directly to landlords and mortgage servicers and applied to the applicant’s account.  
  
  The state has allocated $37.4 million of federal CARES Act funds to the Iowa Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention program to date.  
  
  Residential Utility Disruption Prevention Program
  The program provides eligible households with up to $2,000 towards electric, natural gas and water bills if they are at risk of disconnection due to an inability to pay due to a COVID-19 related loss of income. Payments are made directly to utility providers and applied to the applicant’s account. 
  
  The state allocated approximately $14.5 million of federal CARES Act funds for utility assistance programs.
  
  For a full list of eligibility requirements and to apply for either program, visit iowahousingrecovery.com through Dec. 4, 2020.
  

You want your customers to read, understand, and put into action the information that you provide them. If you only put out the message once, though, the likelihood that many people will see it – let alone read it and do something with it – may be wishful thinking.

To better guarantee that your communications are effective, put them out there again and again – in different ways and in different places.

How does this work?

Take one 150- to 200-word article on any given topic.

• Use the article in its entirety in a newsletter and/or on your website.
• Create a poster or flyer using a portion of the content. Hang up the poster in your office and ask other community gathering places to do the same (e.g., the library, the rec center, grocery stores and restaurants that have community bulletin boards, etc.).
• Use a snippet (such as one tip or piece of information) in an email and link to more information about the topic online.
• Post a piece of advice from the article or a topic-related question (to spur discussion) on your social media sites.
• Find a topic-related testimonial from a customer and weave in facts from the original article. People love to read about others and can see themselves in the article, making it more relevant to their lives.

If you use one article in these five ways, your chances of reaching more of your customers, and making the message stick with them, are much greater. You may want to try this strategy with national observances and important seasonal topics (e.g., using space heaters or carbon monoxide issues).

Iowa households experiencing a loss of income related to COVID-19 may be eligible for utility debt relief under the Iowa Residential Utility Disruption Prevention Program. The program, funded by the federal CARES Act, was announced October 9, 2020, by Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority and provides eligible households up to $2,000 toward unpaid electric, natural gas, and water bills between March 17 and October 31, 2020.

The deadline to apply has been extended to Friday, December 4, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Payments through the program will be made directly to utility providers and applied to the approved applicant's account.

Learn more about the available assistance, eligibility guidelines, how to apply, and required documentation, along with program frequently asked questions.

IAMU welcomed a new staff member on November 16, Sandra Jordan, (Sandy), is a Safety Professional with over 15 years of experience in construction and manufacturing. She grew up in Iowa and attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a BA in English accompanied by a Teaching Certification for secondary education. She also attended Kirkwood Community College in their Agricultural department, and then earned her COSS (Certified Occupational Safety Specialist) through the same educational institution. She is currently working on her MBA, which will have a concentration in Human Resources when she finishes in 2021. Sandra is also an Outreach Trainer for OSHA in Construction, facilitating both 10 & 30 hour courses. She holds extensive experience in writing and implementing safety programs, classroom and hands-on safety training, performing on-site risk assessments and behavioral safety audits, as well as safety data and accident investigation/root cause analysis in her passionate endeavor to reduce accidents and injuries for Iowa’s workers. Sandy met her husband at 13 years of age and they have been married for almost 35 years. They have no children of their own, but love and spoil 3 large dogs and “about” 6 cats! Sandy is committed to the safety profession and to excellent customer service. The excitement of being part of creating successful safety cultures and beginning a new chapter in her career is evident in her positive attitude.

Last month Nathan Stanford, an Instructor with Forest Safety Instruction in Wisconsin, taught a day-long chainsaw safety class for the Safety Specialists and Regional Coordinators. Part of the day was spent outside with Nathan teaching the basics of cutting techniques, planning the cut, assessing where and how the tree will fall, cutting through knots or with limbs under pressure and what to do if the tree starts to fall the wrong way.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has released a summary of the enhanced public health measures effective Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 12:01 a.m. until Monday, Nov. 30 at 11:59 p.m.

Gathering Restrictions: Social, community, recreational, or leisure

• If more than 10 people:
  • 6 feet distancing between groups
  • Groups limited to 8 people, with the exception of households larger than 8
  • Take other reasonable measures to ensure social distancing, increase hygiene, etc.

• If more than 25 people and indoors, all participants over 2 years old must wear masks except when eating and drinking.
• If more than 100 people and outdoors, all participants over 2 years old must wear masks except when eating and drinking.
• All these restrictions apply to wedding receptions, including distancing, group limitations, and mask requirement if event is sufficiently large

Youth and High School Sports:

• If more than 25 people and indoors, all spectators over 2 years old must wear masks and maintain 6 feet distance from other spectators
• Only two spectators permitted for each youth athlete
• Athletes of any age can be closer than six feet and are not required to wear masks

Restaurants and Bars: Restaurant or bar, including a wedding reception venue, winery, brewery, distillery, country club, or other social or fraternal club

• Six feet distancing between groups
• Groups limited to 8 people unless larger group is all same household
• Seated when eating or drinking and limit congregating

Personal Service Establishments: Salons, barbershops, massage therapy establishments, tattoo establishments, and tanning facilities

• Ensure that all customers are six feet apart when performing services
• Mandated to wear masks, except when performing face services

Closer/Prolonged Contact Establishments: Bowling alleys, pool halls, bingo halls, arcades, indoor playgrounds, children’s play centers

• Ensure that groups and individuals are six feet apart at establishment
• Groups limited to eight people unless larger group is all same household

Remote Working/Other Employer Measures: All employers shall evaluate whether any more of their employees can feasibly work remotely and to the extent reasonable, shall take steps to enable such employees to work from home. Those remaining open shall take other reasonable precautions.

Download a copy of the enhanced public health measures here.

Companies have business plans. Sports teams have game plans. Military divisions have battle plans. Having a plan is crucial for success, yet many utilities lack communication plans. 

A communication plan can guide you through your efforts – making sure you cover needed messages in ways that will be most effective without anything being overlooked or forgotten about. 

Consider developing a plan for an entire year. By taking time to create a guiding document for 2021 now, you may save yourself time, energy, and stress throughout the next year. 

At a minimum, your yearly communication plan should include:

• What topics you’ll cover each month
• What media you’ll use — newsletter, e-mail, poster, video, etc. – to deliver your messages
• Who will be responsible for creating the communication – including writer, editor, designer, photographer, videographer, etc.
• When work on each communication needs to start
• When the final communication is due
• When you plan to distribute the communication

With a plan, you can work well in advance of when you will deliver your messages so they are well thought out and thorough instead of thrown together at the last minute.

This webinar will discuss the American Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) that requires community water systems serving a population greater than 3,300 persons (including all consecutive system population) to assess the risks to, and resilience of, their systems. The presentation will provide information on the tools and resources to assist utilities in the development of a Risk and Resilience Assessment and Emergency Response Plan in accordance with AWIA. Information will also be provided on how to certify completion of Risk and Resilience Assessments and Emergency Response Plans by the applicable deadlines.

Register now – we expect this will be a well-attended webinar.

Date: Tuesday, November 17

Time: 1:00 – 2:00 CST, with optional Q&A session from 2:00-2:30pm CST.

Registration  After registering for the webinar, you should receive an automatic reply with a link to test your computer’s compatibility with the webinar software. Please note that for this webinar, attendees can only listen with computer audio and will not be able to call into the webinar using a phone line. This change has been made to allow more people to attend the webinar.

Iowa CEU available, 1 hour.  If a CEU is desired, you will need to indicate that when registering, and then retain the participation form you will receive after the session to submit later for CEUs.

OSHA is committed to protecting the health and safety of America’s workers and workplaces during these unprecedented times. The agency will be issuing a series of alerts designed to keep workers safe.

Ensuring adequate ventilation throughout the work environment can help to maintain a safe and healthy workplace. Employers should work with a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professional to consider steps to optimize building ventilation. An HVAC professional can ensure that the ventilation system is operating as intended. The following tips can help reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus:

• Encourage workers to stay home if they are sick.
• Ensure all HVAC systems are fully functional, especially those shut down or operating at reduced capacity during the pandemic.
• Remove or redirect personal fans to prevent blowing air from one worker to another.
• Use HVAC system filters with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating of 13 or higher, where feasible.
• Increase the HVAC system’s outdoor air intake. Open windows or other sources of fresh air where possible.
• Be sure exhaust air is not pulled back into the building from HVAC air intakes or open windows.
• Consider using portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) fan/filtration systems to increase clean air, especially in higher-risk areas.
• When changing filters, wear appropriate personal protective equipment. ASHRAE recommends N95 respirators, eye protection (safety glasses, goggles, or face shields), and disposable gloves.
• Make sure exhaust fans in restrooms are fully functional, operating at maximum capacity, and are set to remain on.
• Encourage workers to report any safety and health concerns.

For more information, visit www.osha.gov/coronavirus or call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).

IAMU is pleased to offer public relations assistance to its members as a member benefit. IAMU has contracted with Jen Cronin, who has more than 24 years of experience in public relations and communications. Jen previously worked as a communications specialist for IAMU.
 
Jen is available to:

• Discuss issues and opportunities that could benefit from community outreach/public relations.
• Determine the most effective outreach/public relations tactics. Tactics include op-ed letters, media releases, press conferences, meetings and interviews with local media outlets, contacting media through email and by phone with story-idea pitches, and/or social media campaigns.
• Assist in creating/facilitating outreach/public relations tactics.

 
You may contact Jen directly:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 616-610-2546

 
The services outlined above are included as part of your IAMU membership. Additional communication services are available for additional fees.

Do you want your customers to pay attention to, trust, and act upon the communications that you provide? Of course, you do. Well then, you should strive to deliver clear, consistent, creative, and compelling messages and information.
 
Guarantee effective, engaging communications by designating a content manager to own your communication efforts.
 
What is a content manager?
A content manager is someone who oversees the content creation and dissemination process. The content manager ensures no tasks get overlooked and that content comes together and is delivered on time.
 
Job responsibilities:

• Works with your team to determine topics to cover, making sure to include a wide variety of areas that are relevant to your customers and other stakeholders.
• Creates a detailed editorial calendar that outlines topics, duties, and due dates.
• Assigns communication project tasks to writer(s), designers(s), photographer(s), and/or videographer(s).
• Monitors the workflow of the communications team.
• May or may not be responsible for various aspects of content creation (writing, editing, designing, proofing, taking photos, making social media posts, and/or shooting video).
• Oversees communication delivery to the intended audience.

 
If you don’t already have someone designated as the content manager, look into who would best be suited to handle the responsibilities. If you or your content manager needs any advice or direction, you can reach out to Jen Cronin, IAMU’s contracted communications support consultant. Jen can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 616-610-2546.

The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) will launch its new company and contact web application “IUB 24/7” on November 16. The web application will be available on all platforms at any time and will allow utilities, companies, and stakeholders to easily manage company contact information, access the electronic filing system (EFS), and communicate company updates to the IUB.

Rollout of IUB 24/7 will take place over several weeks, with registered users creating individual user accounts the first two weeks, followed by creation of company profiles during designated weeks starting December 7. Each company or utility’s regulatory contact will be preregistered and receive an email invitation with instructions on how to complete their IUB 24/7 user account.

Here is the planned rollout schedule by user group:

November 16-25: Registered Users (User Account Setup)
December 7-11: Investor-owned Utilities (Company Profile Setup)
December 14-18: Rural Electric Cooperatives (Company Profile Setup)
December 21-January 8: Municipalities (Company Profile Setup)
January 11-February 5: Telecommunications (Company Profile Setup)

In connection with the November 16 launch, all EFS users will need to update their username and password in IUB 24/7 to create a single sign-on that will work in both EFS and IUB 24/7.

We’re excited for the launch of IUB 24/7 and look forward to working with utilities, companies, and stakeholders on this transition.

For assistance with IUB 24/7 registration, please contact [email protected].