The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair's (CCAR) "S/P2" e-learning program for Safety and Pollution Prevention will have a role in the SkillsUSA Championships again this year. Students participating in the Automotive Service Technology competition will be tested in their knowledge of safety and environmental issues.

The SkillsUSA Championships are sponsored annually by SkillsUSA, a national non-profit organization serving more than 280,000 high school and college students, as well as professional members enrolled in training programs in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. The Championships, taking place June 25-29 in conjunction with the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, Mo., will draw more than 4,600 contestants in 80 separate events, including Automotive Service Technology and Collision Repair Technology.

To learn more about S/P2, visit www.sp2.org.

The automotive industry has again stepped forward with generous donations that will allow the Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCARŽ) to present special "S/P2 Safety Kits" to participants of SkillsUSA Automotive Service Technology Championship in 2007.

The kits, distributed prior to the competition, each contain Nitrile and Nitrile-Coated Gloves, Impact Gloves, PVC-Dotted Gloves, Indoor and Outdoor Safety Glasses, Ear Plugs, a Dust Mask, and a copy of the Emergency Response Guidebook.

CCAR thanks the following companies for their donations to both the Safety Kits and the S/P2 testing area of the Automotive Service Technology Championship:

• SAS Safety Corp.
• 3M
• Lab Safety Supply-LSS
• Kansas Emergency Management
• Mechanix WearŽ

Their donations will help students get off to a safe start in the 2007 competition.

June marks the 11th anniversary of "National Safety Month" sponsored by the National Safety Council (NSC). The NSC urges businesses from all sectors to set high standards for safety within their organizations. 2007 National Safety Month activities address safety risks and include injury prevention tips applicable to the workplace, driving and the home and community.

The NSC has designated a specific safety focus for each week of the month. Visit the web site link below, and make this week's focus a topic of discussion at your next employee meeting.

Show your support for National Safety Month - it's the right thing to do!

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) purpose is to protect Minnesota's environment through monitoring environmental quality and enforcing environmental regulations.

Among the MPCA's programs for the automotive repair industry is the Technical Assistance Program for Vehicle Maintenance (MnTAP) operated in conjunction with the University of Minnesota.

The MnTAP's "A to Z Waste Topics" page includes information on:

• Managing Waste Antifreeze
• Collision Repair: Reducing Waste and Costs
• Motor Vehicle Air Conditioner Servicing
• Floor Drain Systems
• Managing Spent Lead-Acid Batteries
• Alternative Solvent Degreasers
• Underground Storage Tank Systems

by Robert G. Stewart
CCAR President

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently published a report on occupational fatalities, injuries and illnesses among auto mechanics. The report is based on data gathered from 2003-2005.

The posted information on the report begins with this paragraph:

"Mechanics are more likely than the average worker to be injured or killed on the job, as evidenced by higher rates of fatalities and injuries and illnesses. For both fatal and nonfatal injuries, contact with objects and equipment, such as parts and materials and vehicles, represents a significant hazard. Many of the remaining nonfatal cases are due to overexertion and sprains and strains; assaults and violent acts are a leading cause of workplace fatalities."

If that paragraph doesn't grab your attention, I don't know what will.

CCAR - together with thousands of businesses and schools that have adopted the S/P2 e-learning program - works every day to increase the industry's awareness of safety and environmental issues. But what does this report tell us? Among other things, there is a clear message that there is more work to be done.

We all want to see better news for the industry when the next report from the BLS comes around. What will you do today to make a difference?

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing to revise the personal protective equipment (PPE) sections of its general industry, shipyard employment, longshoring and marine terminals standards regarding the use of eye and face protective devices, and head and foot protection. A notice of proposed rulemaking has been published in the Federal Register, and the agency is seeking public comments until July 16, 2007.

"PPE must be strong enough to protect employees from the hazards they face in the workplace. It also must be constructed and tested in accordance with sound and accepted principles that will ensure the safety of employees," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.

Click here to read complete information on the proposed revisions to the PPE standards.

Oregon DEQ Announces Consent Order to Investigate and Cleanup Petroleum Releases at Service Station Site
Source:Oregon DEQ

New Hampshire Oil Storage Facility Faces EPA Fine for Failing to Comply with Oil Spill Prevention Requirements
Source: US EPA

California State Water Resources Control Board Imposes $125,000 in Penalties for Violations of UST Testing
Source: California EPA

BP Penalized for Failing to Address Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
Source: Michigan DEQ

email: newsletter@ccar-greenlink.org

phone: 888-772-3535 (toll-free)

web: http://www.sp2.org