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New OSHA Covid-19 Guidance

Posted By IAMU, Tuesday, February 2, 2021

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued revised COVID-19 worker safety guidance, which is available for reading and download HERE.  This guidance is designed to help employers identify exposure and contraction risks for COVID-19 in the workplace, and to help you determine the appropriate control measures to implement. The revised OSHA guidance details key measures for limiting coronavirus spread, including providing information on the use of personal protective equipment, improving ventilation, good hygiene and routine cleaning.

Covid-19 does not have a specific regulation under OSHA; the new guidance does give descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards that do apply to keep employees safe, i.e. PPE, 300 logs, reporting requirements, respiratory protection, sanitation, and bloodborne pathogens.  OSHA also has the General Duty Clause requiring employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace.  Most of you have already implemented many of these recommendations and have the mandatory programs in place. What is new in this guidance is the recommendation to conduct hazard assessments as it relates to Covid-19.

As a final reminder, the recommendations found in the guidance are noted by OSHA to be advisory in nature.

Tags:  COVID-19  DOL  OSHA 

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Safe + Sound 2020 Year in Review

Posted By IAMU, Monday, January 4, 2021

During the week of August 10-16, 2020, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities was one of 38 partners in Iowa and 3452 partners nationwide that participated in OSHA’s Safe and Sound Campaign. This annual event is held to raise safety awareness among employees and to encourage every workplace to develop and implement a safety and health program. A safety and health program is a proactive way to manage hazards in the workplace to prevent illnesses and injuries and includes management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards.

Click here for more information on the Safe + Sound 2020 Year in Review

Tags:  DOL  OSHA  Safe + Sound 

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Putting on and Taking off a Mask Correctly

Posted By IAMU, Tuesday, May 12, 2020

The Department of Labor has a new two minute video addressing proper donning, user seal check and doffing of a filtering facepiece.

Watch the video here.

Tags:  COVID-19  DOL  Mask 

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Ready for the FLSA Overtime Rule?

Posted By IAMU, Wednesday, March 27, 2019

The rule will make significant changes to classification

On March 7, 2019, the Department of Labor issued the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Final FLSA Overtime Rule. It was put on hold in December 2016 by a nationwide injunction.

The Final Rule makes significant changes to which employees will now qualify as “exempt.” Many employees who were previously treated as exempt will now be converted to non-exempt employees who are entitled to overtime.

What changes to “white-collar exemptions” will apply?
  • What do the Final Rule revisions mean for employers?
  • How will the Final Rule change classification for your current employees?
  • What impact will the changes have on overtime expenses?
  • What are the proper methods for classifying employees?

Discover answers to these questions and additional information at an upcoming webinar:

 

Final FLSA Overtime Rule Issued by DOL:
What You Need to Know

 

Wednesday, April 10

1 PM Eastern; 12 PM Central; 11 AM Mountain; 10 AM Pacific

 

Register Now

Who should attend?

  • HR
  • In-house counsel
  • Financial officers
  • CEOs

Credits: 1.5 general recertification credit hours toward PHR, SPHR, and GPHR recertification through the HR Certification Institute; 1.5 PDCs for the SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP

Tags:  DOL  FLSA 

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ApprenticeshipUSA: Building a Skilled American Workforce - IAMU Participates

Posted By IAMU, Wednesday, September 2, 2015

 

Apprenticeships are a tried and true workforce development strategy that has paid dividends for companies who use the program. Employers that utilize apprentices report higher productivity, higher retention rates and a substantial return on investment. There is a critical need to replace the retiring workforce with skilled workers.  Apprenticeships serve as an opportunity to grow your own, developing the right kind of talent for companies and utility across the United States (U.S.).

In order for the country to meet its workforce needs and to help U.S. companies maintain a competitive advantage in the global economy, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) is committed to expanding the availability of apprenticeship to more businesses and workers across the country.

The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) has been asked by the USDOL to be a national leader and to join the USDOL in a campaign to expand apprenticeships across the U.S. This is due to the IAMU Electric Line Mechanic Apprenticeship Program.  The department’s ApprenticeshipUSA initiative will engage businesses across all industries to discuss the value of apprenticeships and to encourage greater adoption of the workforce strategy.  IAMU has agreed to be 1 of 3 Iowa companies and 1 of only 135 companies in the U.S. to become an ApprenticeshipUSA Leader.

Key goals of ApprenticeshipUSA include:

• Transforming the image of Apprenticeship
• Recruiting Leaders and Champions to promote Apprenticeship in new industries and advance innovative Apprenticeship models
• Creating mechanisms and infrastructure to support industry-based expansion efforts
• Building public-private partnerships and other mechanisms to accelerate apprenticeship adoption and innovation

How does IAMU benefit from being an ApprenticeshipUSA Leader?

• Receiving national recognition as a leader in addressing the national and industry challenges of developing a skilled workforce
• Shaping the direction of apprenticeship expansion in our industry and local area
• Learning from peer networks, advice and best practices from other employer Leaders across our industry and across the country
• Receiving customized technical assistance and support from a network of apprenticeship staff and consultants

Apprenticeship programs are an employer-driven training model that combines on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction to increase an apprentice’s skill level, opportunities, and wages.  There has never been a better time for a utility to start developing their staffs education and skills in the IAMU Electric Apprenticeship Program.   Graduates of IAMU apprenticeship program earn a national, industry-recognized credential.  This means your employee has met a national and independent standard for quality and rigor.  Participation in the apprenticeship program tells your customers and suppliers that you invest in your workforce and that you believe your employees are your most important asset!

IAMU has been invited by the Secretary of Labor, Thomas E. Perez, as a critical stakeholder and leader for Registered Apprenticeship, to an invitation-only ApprenticeshipUSA Summit at the White House on September 8th then a separate Capitol Hill Congressional Event on September 9th in continued support of the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship in the U.S.  IAMU is extremely proud of our apprenticeship program and will be participating at the Summit and Congressional event.

Tags:  ApprenticeshipUSA  DOL  Electric 

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