New OSHA Guidelines for Slings
October 03, 2007
OSHA has issued new guidance to help employers select and use the appropriate slings when handling and moving materials.
"OSHA's current general industry standard is more than 30 years old," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "This guidance document will aid users in the safe selection and use of slings, including synthetic round slings, which are not covered in OSHA's standard, as well as the newer grades of materials being used in alloy steel chain and wire rope slings."
OSHA adopted its general industry sling standard on June 27, 1975, based on ANSI B30.9-1971 Slings standard. OSHA has since made only minor corrections. OSHA issued its construction industry sling standard on February 9, 1979, and its sling standard for shipyards on April 20, 1982.
Improper selection or use of slings can result in sling failure or load slippage, which in turn can lead to injuries or death. OSHA accident data for the years 1994 to 1996 show that there were four fatalities in general industry involving the misuse or failure of slings.
For more information, visit the OSHA Web site by clicking on the link, Guidance on Safe Sling Use.
Environmental Stewardship Seminar - Sept 26th
September 27, 2007
The Virginia Ship Repair Association, in partnership with the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, is organizing an important seminar on the environment. "Environmental Stewardship: The Leadership Role of Businesses" will take place at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and Conference Center on Wednesday, September 26th, from 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM.
VSRA members BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair and Earl Industries, both leaders in their environmental programs in the ship repair industry, particularly in their successes in cleaning up the Elizabeth River, will be participating. Another leading manufacturing company with environmental success stories, Stihl, will participate.
Please review the Environmental Stewardship flyer for more details on this important and timely seminar. The Environmental Stewardship Seminar Agenda can also be viewed to see what will be addressed in the half day semiar. To sign up for the seminar, go to the Environmental Stewardship Registration Page.
Disease Management for Employees - Toolkit for Wellness
September 19, 2007
07-231
CONTACTS:
HANK COX (202) 637-3090
KAT SNODGRASS (202) 637-3094
DMAA, NAM RELEASE TOOLKIT ON WELLNESS,
DISEASE MANAGEMENT FOR EMPLOYERS
New Toolkit Aimed Primarily at Small and Medium-Sized Employers
LAS VEGAS, NV, September 19, 2007 -- DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) have this week released a toolkit for employers to help them navigate the many choices for wellness and chronic disease management programs in the workplace.
"Wellness, Disease and Care Management: Background for Developing a Business Strategy," offers comprehensive information, in CD-ROM format, on approaches to helping employees maintain and improve health, avoid disease and successfully manage existing chronic conditions.
DMAA and the NAM released the toolkit to coincide with their joint Integrated Care Summit, Sept. 17 - 19, in Las Vegas. NAM President and CEO John Engler opened the Summit with a keynote speech focused on the contributions of manufacturers to innovative wellness and care management strategies. “Creating a more efficient system of health care through innovation, ‘lean’ processing and health IT – provides both improved quality and affordability,” Engler said. “And when it comes to innovation, technology and efficiency, that’s what American manufacturers do best.”
"The growing prevalence of chronic disease nationally is especially hard on our nation’s employers, who need timely and relevant information about strategies to improve workforce health and lower health care costs," DMAA President and CEO Tracey Moorhead said. "This toolkit provides critical information, case studies of successful wellness and care management strategies and other resources to guide employers."
NAM Vice President of Human Resources Policy Jeri Gillespie said the toolkit will be of particular benefit to the nation’s small- and mid-sized employers, for whom rapidly escalating health care costs present a particular burden.
"Personnel costs and health benefits spending constitute a major portion of budgets for these companies, who urgently need innovative solutions," Gillespie said. "The NAM strongly supports innovation and cost containment in health care, and this toolkit provides a sound foundation for achieving both."
Rapidly escalating health care costs nationally over the past decade have proved particularly burdensome on employers and their workers and dependents. By some estimates, employee benefit costs represent the typical company’s third largest expense, and health insurance is the fastest-growing component.
In the face of rising costs, a growing proportion of employers are turning to integrated wellness, prevention and disease management programs that promote healthful lifestyle choices and identify workers with disease and those at risk of developing chronic conditions. The DMAA-NAM toolkit, which reflects the collective expertise of leaders in employee health and benefits, outlines in detail common approaches to preventing and managing disease in the workplace.
Toolkit components include issue briefs on:
* common strategies for employee wellness and disease management programs;
* an overview of common tools and methods, such as predictive modeling and health risk assessments;
* a discussion of typical delivery model;
* employee education and engagement strategies;
* measuring return on investment; and
* legal and compliance issues in employee health promotion programs.
The toolkit also offers guidance on the RFP process for finding and contracting with disease management and other health promotion services, whether through a health plan or from a third-party vendor. This section arms employers with valuable questions to consider in the RFP and contract development process.
OSHA Draft Guidance for Shipyard Ergonomics
September 17, 2007
OSHA Issues Draft Ergonomics Guidelines on Preventing Musculoskeletal Injuries in Shipyards
WASHINGTON -- New ergonomics guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) could help employers and their employees in the shipyard industry prevent musculoskeletal injuries. The draft guideline, Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Shipyards, was released today by the agency. The public is invited to submit comments to the draft guidelines until Nov. 13, 2007.
"These new guidelines, when finalized, will help us continue to meet OSHA's commitment to publish industry-specific ergonomics guidelines." said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "Many shipyards have made substantial proactive efforts in recent years to address work-related musculoskeletal injuries. These guidelines will be another resource to help them succeed in those efforts."
Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that in 2005, the injury and illness rate for the shipyard industry was 10.9 per 100 employees compared to an injury and illness rate of 4.6 per 100 employees for all private industry. In 2005, 31 percent of injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work for shipyard employees involved musculoskeletal disorders.
When finalized, the new guidelines will provide practical recommendations for employers to reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries in their facilities by identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards and using best practices that have been successful in shipyards.
In April 2002, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced a comprehensive plan to reduce ergonomics-related injuries through a combination of industry or task-specific guidelines, enforcement, outreach and assistance, and research. The new guidelines will be the fourth in a series. In 2003 and 2004, OSHA published the final ergonomics guidelines for nursing homes, retail grocery stores and poultry processing industries.
The public is invited to submit comments on the draft guidelines until Nov. 13, 2007. They may submit comments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal; send three copies to the OSHA Docket Office, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC, 20210, telephone (202) 693-2350; or FAX to (202) 693-1648. Comments must include the Agency name and the Docket Number for this draft guideline, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0030. See the Federal Register for more information on submitting comments.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Click the link for OSHA's newly released draft guidance,
Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Shipyards. The draft provides practical recommendations for employers to reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries in their facilities by identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards and using best practices that have been successful in shipyards.
FY-09 NAVSEA Standard Items Comments Due Sept 28th
September 17, 2007
Reminder - Milestone for submitting comments is 28 September 2007
The preliminary FY-09 NAVSEA Standard Items, SSRAC-responsible Standard Work Templates, and Appendix 4-E to the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual (JFMM) Volume VII, Chapter 4, have been posted on the SSRAC web site for review and comment in accordance with SSRAC milestones. Visit http://www.supship.navy.mil/ssrac4/whatsnew.htm
<http://www.supship.navy.mil/ssrac4/whatsnew.htm>
Changes or additions are identified by showing added or changed verbiage in bold Italics. Deletions are identified by a vertical line in the right-hand margin beside the deletion. New or completely revised SIs are identified by a vertical line in the right-hand margin beside the ITEM NO, DATE, and CATEGORY lines. Note: An item with a 19 JUL 2007 date but no visible changes indicates that the item was reviewed but no changes were made.
These results are PRELIMINARY and are not intended for immediate distribution or invocation.
Please review these products carefully and provide any comments you may have NLT 28 SEP 2007 (Milestone has been extended 2 weeks), using the form on the web site. Comments relating to subjects that were not reviewed by the subcommittees at the 2007 SSRAC Meeting will be deferred for consideration at the 2008 SSRAC Meeting.
Please attach and e-mail forms to linda.mayle@navy.mil or ssrac@supship.navy.mil.
Linda D. Mayle
Asst NAVSEA SSRAC Coordinator
SERMC Business Office Code 1220/Standards Coordinator
Ph: 904-270-5593
FAX: 904-270-5729
linda.mayle@navy.mil
http://www.supship.navy.mil/ssrac4/whatsnew.htm and follow the links to view the items. If you do not see the files, "refresh" your browser and try again.
12th Annual Health & Safety Seminar - September 13th
September 11, 2007
On Thursday, September 13th, VSRA will be presenting its 12th Annual Safety and Health Seminar. This year the seminar has been expanded and will be co-hosted by the Shipbuilders Council of America.
The partnership between VSRA and SCA brings a new dimension to the annual ship repair seminar. As ws the case last year, three specialized training tracks will be focused on front line supervisors and managers. One will be devoted to "Health in the Shipyard." The second will feature "Communication Training." And the third will be devoted to "Workplace Safety". There will be an additional specialized track this year that will be devoted to Safety Professionals that has been organized by SCA.
We have two exciting keynote addresses. The seminar will begin with an address by Joe Williams, Vice President of Operations for BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. Joe is an apprentice school gradute who has rapidly moved up the ranks to his current leadership position. He will be talking about "Deckplate Assessments - Looking Beyond Production."
Then at lunch, the attendees will have the privilege of hearing Rear Admiral Clarke Orzalli, the first Commander of Navy Regional Maintenance Centers, as he discusses "Working to Enhance Our Relationship With Our Customers."
In all, it is shaping up to be the best seminar in the twelve year history of our seminars. The complete Health & Safety Seminar Agenda Health & Safety Seminar Agenda is now available. For the first time, we are offering companies the chance to sponsor this important seminar. Please refer to the Safety Seminar Sponsorship Opportunities for the packages available, with the benefits of being able to market the company products to our attendees.
To register for the seminar, go to the Health & Safety Seminar Registration Page Health & Safety Seminar Registration Page.
Special thanks to our Gold Sponsor - Signal Administration, and our Silver Sponsor - Grainger.
Will another dry dock help or hurt port?
August 27, 2007
By JON W. GLASS, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 25, 2007
NORFOLK
Marine Hydraulics International is moving ahead with plans for a dry dock at its West Ghent shipyard, hoping to gain a competitive edge in Navy ship repair and expand its commercial business.
After talking about the possibility for several years, company officials say they have hired a national engineering firm to design a floating dry dock capable of lifting most cargo vessels and every Navy ship except aircraft carriers. It could be built and in use by summer or fall 2009, Marine Hydraulics executives said this week.
The shipyard’s move comes amid ongoing debate within the Navy and industry over whether private local shipyards already have more dry docks and piers than needed to maintain the Navy’s smaller post-Cold War fleet.
Some in the industry say Marine Hydraulics’ addition would come at the expense of shipyards that already have dry docks. Others say it could benefit the industry if the company is able to attract more commercial and non-Navy government work to the region.
Gary Brandt, Marine Hydraulics’ president and chief executive officer, said the company plans to aggressively seek work on Navy ships, Military Sealift Command vessels and the many commercial vessels that sail in and out of the port of Hampton Roads. Most local shipyards, Brandt said, aren’t courting commercial ships. It’s a tough market to crack because it’s done mostly overseas where labor is cheaper. But Brandt said Marine Hydraulics has developed relationships with commercial customers in China, Germany and Poland.
Executives said the company is losing out on Navy and Sealift Command contracts that require a dry dock to lift ships out of the water for work on hulls and below-water systems.
Currently, three Elizabeth River yards have dry docks: BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, which has two; Metro Machine Corp.; and Colonna’s Shipyard.
“If you want work, you have to compete for it and win it, and if we don’t expand we could actually take steps backward,” said Tom Epley, Marine Hydraulics’ chief operating officer and senior executive vice president.
In an interview earlier this year, Rear Adm. Jeffrey Brooks, director of fleet maintenance for the Norfolk-based Fleet Forces Command, said he wanted to see shipyards diversify – partly to lower overhead costs being passed on to the Navy. He said he thought private shipyard infrastructure was “a little too large right now.”
“The industrial base infrastructure has not gone down to the same degree as the number of ships has gone down,” Brooks said. “My sense, through a lot of years of experience, is that there are too many companies out there with duplicative capabilities.”
Epley, however, said the shipyards have to make business decisions to sustain themselves. “It’s survival of the fittest,” he said.
Once Marine Hydraulics installs a dry dock, Earl Industries would be the largest Elizabeth River shipyard without one.
Jerry Miller, Earl’s president, said his company has no plans for a dry dock because it has teaming agreements with yards that do have them.
“I don’t think there’s enough business for another dry dock,” Miller said. “Every time I turn around I see another Navy ship leaving, and there’s not a lot of new ships coming in. Everyone’s got their plan, I guess.”
Tom Godfrey Jr., Colonna’s president and chief executive officer, said Marine Hydraulics’ entry into the dry dock market could put a squeeze on competitors. However, Godfrey said, the addition could benefit the local industry if the company is able to draw non-Navy work that otherwise would go to ports in Charleston, S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; or Boston.
“To the extent that they actually win market share on the East Coast or the Gulf Coast, that adds business to Hampton Roads,” Godfrey said. “There’s a lot of business that doesn’t necessarily come here now that they can compete for.”
The last dry dock added locally came in 2002, when Metro Machine installed its Speede facility as part of an estimated $60 million overhaul. Officials at Metro and BAE Systems declined to comment on Marine Hydraulics’ plans.
Marine Hydraulics International, based in Norfolk’s Campostella section, has been expanding. In 2004, the company built a $21 million, 1,220-foot-long pier at its West Ghent shipyard, near the Midtown Tunnel on the Elizabeth River.
Earlier this year, Marine Hydraulics received approval from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for dredging needed to install a dry dock. No other approval is required, Brandt said. Some West Ghent residents have opposed the shipyard’s growth, complaining of increased traffic, but Brandt said the company has worked to resolve conflicts.
Brandt said the company is paying Heger Dry Dock Inc., a Holliston, Mass., firm, $400,000 to design the facility. The company expects the price tag to build the custom dry dock will exceed $35 million. Epley said Marine Hydraulics is currently talking to three overseas firms about building it.
Jon W. Glass, (757) 446-2318, jon.glass@pilotonline.com
BAE Systems to be Featured on Discovery Channel
August 23, 2007
By JON W. GLASS, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 22, 2007
NORFOLK
They don't sing or dance, but workers at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair have what it takes for television.
The shipyard's workers and the Titan dry dock star on Discovery's Science Channel this week.
The "How Do They Do It?" program will feature the Elizabeth River shipyard's overhaul of the cruise liner Disney Wonder. The 10-minute segment, shot in October, looks at how the 80,000-ton, 964-foot-long ship was lifted by Titan, one of the East Coast's largest dry docks.
"I think it's great for this area and the industry to have this kind of national exposure," shipyard spokesman John Kowalcyzk said. "I think it's going to show the public it really takes a lot of effort and expertise to do this work."
The segment will air the first time Thursday (August 24th) at 10 p.m. on Cox cable channel 101.
Preliminary FY-09 Standatd Items and Appendix 4-E Posted
August 15, 2007
The results of the July 2007 SSRAC Meeting have been posted on the SSRAC website. Please visit http://www.supship.navy.mil/ssrac4/whatsnew.htm and follow the link to view the preliminary FY-09 Standard Items and Appendix 4-E package will be posted in accordance with SSRAC Milestones (13 Aug 07).
SENATORS LOBBY MULLEN FOR A NUCLEAR CARRIER
August 13, 2007
The following article appeared on line Navy Times. Note the remarks by Frank Roberts, Executive Director, Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilites Alliance.
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Aug 13, 2007 5:38:20 EDT
For a sailor living in Norfolk, Va., a move to sunny Florida may have its own appeal. For the Navy, it may make strategic sense to disperse its most precious assets. But for lawmakers, ships and sailors also mean a steady stream of money into local economies, and they are loath to cut off the spigot.
During his confirmation hearing for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 31, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen was pressed by Florida senators about his support for moving a Norfolk-based nuclear carrier to Mayport, Fla., following the recent loss of the conventionally powered John F. Kennedy to decommissioning.
The removal of Kennedy from its Florida home port means millions in lost income to the local economy, but relief may be on the horizon.
An environmental study is underway to analyze the effect on moving an assortment of forces to Mayport, from a nuclear carrier to an amphibious assault ship to surface combatants. A draft of that study is due in the spring.
While the Navy may want to disperse its forces for strategic reasons, committee members from Florida, Sens. Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, like any elected officials, also have local interests in mind when it comes to where Navy assets and the associated payrolls are located.
Mullen told the lawmakers he agrees with his predecessor Adm. Vern Clark and former Navy Secretary Gordon England that it would be a “serious strategic mistake” to keep a concentration of carriers in one East Coast home port.
“Yes, sir. I was actually working for Adm. Clark when he said that. I agreed with what he said then. I agree with it now,” Mullen told the lawmakers.
His spokesman, Capt. John Kirby said later, “The CNO remains committed to the strategic dispersal of naval assets. He fully supports the Environmental Impact Study that is currently reviewing a range of homeporting options for Mayport. Prior to a final decision, the Navy must review the results of this study, the war-fighting requirement and the associated costs.”
But Norfolk will lose the aircraft carrier George Washington next year when it replaces Kitty Hawk in Japan, and Sen. John Warner, the ranking member of the committee and a former Navy secretary, stepped in during the hearing.
While pointing out that in the post-Sept. 11 era, new threats have emerged beyond the Cold War specter of a nuclear strike, moving a carrier will cost the Navy money.
“So let’s proceed in an open and clear way on that. There are enormous costs involved to equip a port with facilities to handle a nuclear carrier,” he said. “There are other ways to balance the dispersal of naval assets as opposed to moving large carriers.”
Warner’s spokesman, John Ullyot, said later that the senator thinks the Navy needs to complete an ongoing environmental study of moving more ships to Mayport, analyze the infrastructure costs in Mayport and analyze strategic priorities before any decisions are made about moving an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Mayport.
“Sen. Warner believes carrier basing decisions should be made not on politics but on a fact-driven analysis of military requirements,” Ullyot says. “He’s always maintained that decisions must be made based on what’s best for the military.”
Frank Roberts is a former naval aviator who now works as the executive director of the Hampton Roads Military-Federal Facilities Alliance, a group that was formed in 2005 to protect the military-heavy Norfolk area from base realignments and closures.
The idea of spreading around strategic assets may seem logical, he said, but it’s outdated and expensive. Building a pier at Mayport that can support a nuclear carrier will cost some $300 million according to some estimates, while some reports put the loss of the George Washington at $450 million in payroll and 8,200 military and civilian jobs in Norfolk.
“The concept of strategic dispersal vis-Ã -vis Dec. 7, 1941, certainly seems to make sense, but what’s the size of the fleet now? We are significantly smaller than when I was on active duty, and the concept of strategic dispersal, while it makes sense, it isn’t feasible,” Roberts said.
Roberts acknowledged the economic effects of moving an aircraft carrier, taking income away from its former home port and moving all its sailors and their families elsewhere. Aside from the economic effects, he said it’s just too expensive to build the nuclear infrastructure again.
Like Mullen, Navy Secretary Donald Winter remains open to the concepts and has met with Florida lawmakers to talk about shifting home ports.
“Secretary Winter has spoken publicly about his support of the concept of strategic dispersal of naval forces,” said his spokeswoman, Capt. Beci Brenton. “While supportive of the concept, the ongoing EIS is reviewing a range of options for Mayport and Secretary Winter cannot commit to any option until the EIS is complete.”