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Quick Links
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April
Open Enrollment
Training Dates
April 7-11, 2014
40-Hour Hazardous Waste Site Health and Safety Course
April 16, 2014
8-Hour Site Worker Refresher
April 16, 2014
8-Hour Emergency Responder Refresher
April 21, 2014
Boston Marathon
Patriots Day
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TNEC Receives Supplemental Funding for Disaster Training
|  The New England Consortium (TNEC) is a hazardous waste worker/emergency responder health and safety training program funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' Worker Education and Training Program (NIEHS WETP). The consortium is led by Professor Craig Slatin (PI) and Paul Morse (Project Director - co-PI, staff). TNEC has a group at UML that directs the program's training and administrative efforts. Other consortium members include five coalitions for occupational safety and health (COSH organizations) from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire and the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) of New York - Local 1000 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
TNEC received supplemental funding for the period of 8/2014 - 7/2016 to develop and deliver health and safety training for workers who remain engaged in recovery and rebuilding operations in New York related to Superstorm Sandy. The training will also be developed to support workers engaged in response, recovery and rebuilding efforts related to future extreme weather events that result in disaster scale destruction of human infrastructures. The training will also be developed to support workers engaged in response, recovery and rebuilding efforts related to future extreme weather events that result in disaster scale destruction of human infrastructures. The project has three core efforts.
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| Workers' Memorial Day
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Governor Maggie Hassan Workers' Memorial Day
NH COSH, 2013
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Workers' Memorial Day is observed every year on April 28. It is a day to honor those workers who have died on the job, to acknowledge the grievous suffering experienced by families and communities, and to recommit ourselves to the fight for safe and healthful workplaces for all workers. It is also the day OSHA was established in 1971. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their workers. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing for training, education and assistance. (US DOL)
To honor those whose lives were lost in Massachusetts, MassCOSH will have an event at the State House on April 28, 2014 beginning at 12 PM.
masscosh.org
In Connecticut the AFL-CIO will hold their event on Monday, April 28, 2014 in Washington Park, City of Groton at 6:00 AM (rain or shine).
connecticosh.org/
NH COSH will hold their event on April 28 at their offices 161 Londonderry Turnpike, Hookset, NH.
NH COSH
Western MassCOSH will hold their event on Friday, 1:00 PM April 25, 2014 at the Local 404 Teamsters' Hall, 115 Progress Avenue, Springfield, MA. For further information contact 413.731.6688.
WesternMassCOSH
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Climate Change and Worker Safety
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Providence, RI - There is a solid scientific consensus the earth's climate is changing due to emissions from human activity. These changes include rising surface temperatures, melting ice caps, rising sea levels and increasing weather variability. Each of these events is expected to have dramatic impact on human health, directly and indirectly.
There is evidence some already have. In 1998, a hurricane dropped six feet of rain in three days in Central America. In its wake, the incidence of malaria, dengue fever, and cholera soared. A summer heat wave in Europe in 2003 led to the deaths of tens of thousands, withered crops, and melted 10% of the Alpine glacial mass. The 2006 California heat wave was responsible for 655 excess heat fatalities, 140 coroner -confirmed heat deaths and more than 12,000 emergency hospitalizations. Climate models predict North American heat waves will increase in frequency, intensity, and duration as global mean temperatures rise throughout the century. (Some models suggest European style heat waves may be common by 2040).
(Source: Rhode Island Committee Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, 2014)
Read More |
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| Executive Order 511 - Safety First: State Employee Health & Safety Achievements and Recommendations Report
|  Boston - This landmark report details the work and accomplishments that have been achieved towards meeting the EO 511 goal: reducing workplace injuries and illnesses - and the significant associated costs - through fostering comprehensive, successful and fiscally smart health and safety management in our state agencies.
Key achievements include establishing joint labor-management
committees covering all employees in the Executive Branch, as well as a comprehensive assessment of current agency health safety management efforts conducted by these committees.
The report also provides recommendations from the Advisory
Committee to the Administration on central level policies and
actions to improve safety and health for the Massachusetts workforce,
informed by the work of the health and safety committees as
well as the knowledge of committee members.
The Advisory Committee includes officials from the Executive Office of
Administration and Finance, Human Resources Department, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Department of Labor Standards, Department of Industrial Accidents, Department of Public Health, as well as representatives from MassCOSH, UMass Lowell and public sector labor unions.
In addition to MassCOSH Executive Director Marcy Goldstein-Gelb, the Advisory Committee included TNEC Project Director Paul Morse (2009-2012) as a representative of the Massachusetts Teachers Association EH&S Committee and David Wegman, Professor Emeritus, UMass Lowell Department of Work Environment and former dean, School of Health and Environment.
For a copy of the report visit: MassCOSH
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The Consortium Welcomes Two Trainers
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Dave Knops MassCOSH
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Lowell, MA - TNEC is pleased to announce the hiring of two exceptional trainers to our TNEC family.
Dave Knops is the TNEC trainer for MassCOSH. After graduating from the University of South Florida, David became a broadcast meteorologist in Sarasota, Florida. When he moved his family to the Boston area in late 2009 for his daughter's medical care, he decided it was time for a change in career paths. He enrolled in a graduate program at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and graduated with a 3.912 GPA (Summa Cum Laude) with Highest Honors in 2013 and a Masters Degree in Emergency Management. During a 10-month internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, David worked within the Division of Emergency Preparedness with his primary focus as a member of the MGH HAZMAT Response Team. He trained extensively with the MGH HAZMAT team, the DelValle Institute for Emergency Preparedness, the Boston Fire Department Special Operations HAZMAT Team, Boston EMS, MEMA, and attended specialized HAZMAT training at FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. His goal as a meteorologist was always to quickly and accurately spread information to the public that would help save lives and property. Now he intends to provide training that educates, informs and strengthens the existing skills of workers in ways that increase safety and prevent injuries on the job. Most importantly, he wants to ensure that this work inspires workers to share this education with their colleagues back on the job.
NH COSH added to their staff Bob Zalewski. Bob is a career firefighter in his 40th year of service. In addition, he is a hazardous materials technician/specialist and a member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Hazardous Materials Regional Response Division. Bob is also a Hazardous Materials/WMD Specialist with the Department of Homeland Security's FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force (MA-TF-1), based out of Beverly, MA.
 | | Bob Zalewski NH COSH |
Bob is an Assistant Coordinator for the Hazardous Materials Counterterrorism Training Branch in addition to being an Instructor for the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and an adjunct Instructor for the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Bob is also an Instructor for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. Bob's experience includes response to major incidents of varied types and complexities.
Dave and Bob are a great addition to TNEC and our current group of trainers. Continuing to provide quality training with the program are, Mike Fitts (ConnectCOSH), Paddy Dennehy (RI COSH), Neil Hawley (Western MassCOSH), Steve Corbett, Adjunct Trainer and Bridget McGuiness and Tom Estabrook (UMass Lowell).
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TNEC Training Highlights
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Lowell, MA - In January, 2014 TNEC held its monthly 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Site Worker Course. Attending the week long course were students from UM
 | Students attending January, 2014 40-Hour Course.
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ass Lowell. In addition to professionals and workers in the public and private sectors, 19 students from UMass Lowell attended this week-long course. The students come from undergraduate to graduate programs from throughout the University, including Environmental Health, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Environmental Geoscience. Trainers Tom Estabrook, UMass Lowell, Steve Corbett, Adjunct Trainer UMass Lowell, and Neil Hawley, Western MassCOSH led the students through hands-on participatory health and safety training. One student commented on their evaluation, "All the instructors were great and answered all our questions. They were engaging and accommodating. I would recommend this course to anyone who was interested in learning about HAZWOPER."
With this training the students become better prepared in their respective areas and knowledge and certification are helpful in terms of job prospects upon graduation.
________________________________________________________  | | Antonio Bigatello '14 Environmental Health, UMass Lowell |
UMass Lowell student's Antonio Bigatello '14 and Carolina Espinosa-Gil '16 participated in the March, 2014 week-
 | Carolina Espinosa-Gil '16 Environmental Geoscience, UMass Lowell
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long 40-Hour Course.
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Taunton, Lowell and Holbrook Teens Win State-Wide Safety Poster Contest
|  Boston - State data indicates that Massachusetts teens average over 700 work-related emergency room visits each year. Boston teens and state officials working to change these statistics announced the winners of the statewide 4th annual statewide Safe Jobs for Youth poster contest today at the Massachusetts State House. 16-year-old Liz Otero of Worcester won first place, taking home a cash prize of $500. Second place went to Nicholas Horvath of Norfolk and third place to Evelyne Lourie of Newburyport, who took home prizes of $300 and $100 respectively. Read More
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TNEC Partners
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Civil Service Employee Association
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME
Occupational Safety and Health
New York's Leading Union
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12210
Phone: 516.257.1465
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MassCOSH
Standing Together for Safe and Healthy Work
1532B Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02122
Phone: 617.825.7233
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NH COSH
20 Years of working to keep NH workers safe!
NH Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health
161 Londonderry Turnpike
Hooksett, NH 03106
Phone: 603.232.4406 Fax: 603.232.4461
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ConnectiCOSH
An injury to one is an injury to all
683 North Mountain Road
Newington, CT 06111
Phone: 860.953.2674
Fax: 860.953.1038
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RI COSH
741 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401.751.2015
Fax: 401.751.7520
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Western Mass COSH
640 Page Blvd, Suite 104
Springfield, MA 01104
Phone: 413.731.0760
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