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OSH Spotlight

CNA Insurance donates $5,000 for Scholarships and a Tribometer to the department. (2012)

Hoar Construction donates a Fall Arrest Demonstration System to the department. (2012)

Spring 2012 NIOSH Grant Recipients

Land O' Frost donates a Lockout/Tagout Demonstration Model to the department. (2012)

L to R: Shawn Lynn, EHS Manager-Land O' Frost (Madisonville, KY) and Dr. David Kraemer, Chair-OSH

The Department of Occupational Safety and Health establishes a Student Mentor Group.

OSH Student, Amber Miller, represents the MSU/AIHA Student Section at the AIHA Future Leaders Conference, November 4-6, 2011, in Baltimore, MD. Held in conjunction with the Professional Conference of Industrial Hygiene (PCIH), the Future Leaders Institute provided industry professionals with networking and volunteer opportunities and the tools and resources essential to continued success.

OSH students represent the MSU/ASSE Student Section at ASSE’s 7th Annual Future Safety Leaders Conference, November 3-4, 2011, Crowne Plaza Chicago – O’Hare, Rosemont, IL.The two-day conference, designed exclusively for ASSE student members, was created to prepare the future safety professional for the transition from student life to employment as a safety, health, and environmental employee.

The Occupational Safety and Health program at Murray State University is currently the only program in the United States with both its Bachelor and Master of Science degree programs in Occupational Safety and Health accredited by ASAC/ABET, www.abet.org. A successful reaccreditation site-visit was conducted in fall 2010 and official reaccreditation was approved by the ASAC/ABET Commissioners in summer 2011. The program has been accredited since 1988.

Dr. Randal Keller, Professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, serves on the Committee on Chemical Demilitarization, a standing committee of the National Research Council’s Board on Army Science and Technology and co-authored the Assessment of Approaches for Using Process Safety Metrics at the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Pilot Plant (2011).

The Department of Defense, through the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program, is currently in the process of constructing two full-scale pilot plants at the Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado and the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky to destroy the last two remaining inventories of chemical weapons in the U.S. stockpile. These two storage sites together account for about 10 percent of the original U.S. chemical agentstockpile that is in the process of being destroyed in accordance with the international Chemical Weapons Convention treaty. Unlike their predecessors, these facilities will use neutralization technologies to destroy agents contained within rockets, projectiles, and mortar rounds, requiring the use of specially designed equipment.

As part of its focus on safe operation of the planned facilities, the Program Manager for Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives asked the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a study to offer guidance on the application of process safety metrics at the Pueblo Chemical Depot and Blue Grass Army Depot. Process safety is a disciplined framework for managing the integrity of operating systems, processes and personnel handling hazardous substances, and operations by applying good design principles, engineering, and operating practices. The Assessment of Approaches for Using Process Safety Metrics at the Blue Grass and Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plants discusses the use of leading and lagging process safety metrics that could provide feedback on the effectiveness of controls to mitigate risks and minimize consequences of potential incidents. The book makes several recommendations that will facilitate the development and application of process safety metrics at both sites.

Dr. Tracey Wortham received the 2011 Board of Regents Award for Teaching Excellence for the College of Health Sciences and Human Services.

Thank you Chevron

for donating $15,000 to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health Scholarships and Department Support. (2011)

Thank you Georgia-Pacific

for donating $5,000 to MSU’s American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Student Chapter for Scholarships and MSU/AIHA Support. (2011)

Thank you CNA

for donating $8,000 to the Department of Occupational Safety & Health for Scholarships. (2011)

Thank you Marathon

for donating $2,000 to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health for Scholarships and Department Support. (2011)

At the Annual Department of Occupational Safety and Health’s Awards & Recognition Reception OSH students were recognized for receiving over $75,000 in scholarships from companies and professional organizations for the upcoming 2011-2012 academic year.

National Floor Safety Walkway Auditor Certification Training

A National Floor Safety Institute’s (NFSI) Walkway Auditor Certification Training was hosted by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health November 18-19, 2010. Trainers included Russell J. Kendzior, founder, Chairman, and President of the NFSI and the President of Traction Experts, Inc.; Steve Spencer, Facilities Specialist of State Farm Insurance; and Brent Johnson, Chief Auditor of Traction Auditing.

Professional Safety Publication - Dr. David Fender

An Electric Vehicle (EV) Noise Study was performed by Dr. David Fender of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health and members of Murray State’s American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) student section to see if the safety could be improved for electric vehicles. The study measured the noise levels of the vehicles at different speeds and determined if individuals could recognize the electric vehicle as easily as the internal combustion engine vehicle. An article entitled “Electric Vehicle Noise: Are They Too Quiet?” was published in Professional Safety in January 2011(cover dedicated to a Murray State University electric vehicle).

The ASSE Foundation Recognizes Dr. David G. Kraemer of Murray State University as the Recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for 2010.

Des Plaines, IL (April 26, 2010) — The American Society of Safety Engineers’ Foundation (ASSEF) recently announced Dr. David G. Kraemer, Chair of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University (MSU) in Murray, KY, as the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Service Award. Kraemer’s leadership, dedication and commitment to students and the safety profession has been a winning combination for the students of Murray State, as well as the ASSE Foundation.

The ASSE Foundation Distinguished Service Award recipients are chosen by the Foundation Chair based on their outstanding achievement, commitment to and support of the ASSE Foundation. The award will be presented to Dr. Kraemer during ASSE’s House of Delegates (HOD) meeting at the ASSE Annual Professional Development Conference in Baltimore, MD, on June 13, 2010.

Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members lead, manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor, health care and education. For more information please go to www.asse.org. For more information about the ASSE Foundation please go to www.asse.org/foundation.

Dr. David Fender contributes part to new comprehensive book written for safety and health professionals.

Dr. David L. Fender, CSP, Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Safety and Health at Murray State University, contributed the chapter “Hazard Communication and Right-to-Know—Benchmarking and Performance Appraisal Criteria” to the highly celebrated and new two-volume American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) “The Safety Professional Handbook.” The book, after four years of development, involved more the 250 occupational safety, health and environmental professionals and includes information from more than 900 professional member survey responses on every key job safety topic.

The Safety Professional Handbook features 79 chapters on such topics as management of safety engineering work, risk assessment, workers’ compensation, hazard control, physical hazards from an industrial hygienist perspective, fire dynamics, ergonomics, personal protection equipment (PPE) and cost analysis and budgeting.

The contributing authors – ASSE members, practitioners, researchers and academics –each average roughly 20 years of experience in the field of occupational safety, health and the environment.

A percentage of the royalties for the new book will go to the “American Society of Safety Engineers and Joel M. Haight Scholarship in Penn State University’s College of earth and Mineral Sciences” to be administered by the Penn State University.

Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor and education. For more information go to www.asse.org.

The Board of Directors of the Institute for Safety and Health Management (ISHM) has recognized the Department of Occupational Safety & Health’s Bachelor and Master of Science degrees. Students graduating with a B.S. or M.S. in Occupational Safety & Health may immediately apply for the Associate Safety and Health Manager (ASHM) certification and with two years experience in the safety and health management field apply for and take the Certified Safety and Health Manager (CSHM) exam.

The Institute for Safety and Health Management is the credentialing organization founded by the National Safety Management Society (NSMS), to promote the establishment of professional standards. Through the ISHM certification program, the Institute promotes the advancement of safety management through the application of management principles and the integration of safety into all levels and activities of management. For more information go to www.ishm.org.

The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) has recognized the Department of Occupational Safety & Health’s Bachelor and Master of Science degrees. Students graduating with a B.S. or M.S. in Occupational Safety & Health from Murray State University may immediately apply for the Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) designation. The Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP) program is an additional path to the Certified Safety Professional (CSP). The GSP designation is available to safety degree graduates from degree programs which meet BCSP Qualified Academic Program (QAP) standards. A QAP is an academic degree program in safety which meets BCSP standards for participation in the GSP program. Currently, BCSP defines a QAP as a bachelor's or master's degree program holding program accreditation as a safety or similarly named program by the Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET (ABET-ASAC). The benefits for obtaining the GSP designation include recognition for bring in a path toward the CSP certification, recognition for the level of preparation for professional safety practice, a waiver of the application fee, a waiver of the Safety Fundamentals examination, and a certificate awarding the GSP designation.

The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) began in 1969 as a peer certification board. Its sole purpose is to certify practitioners in the safety profession. Since its inception, over 20,000 individuals have achieved the CSP certification and nearly 11,000 currently hold it. The value of the CSP continues to grow. In the U.S., numerous laws, regulations and standards cite it. More importantly, many companies include it in position standards, government agencies rely on it and contracts for safety services require it. The average person holding the CSP credential today earns nearly $20,000 more than others in the safety field who hold no certification. For more information go to www.bcsp.org.