Keynote Address - Kina Hart

OSHA Whistleblower Protection Program 

The presentation will discuss whistleblowers (in general), the statutes that fall under the jurisdiction of OSHA’s Whistleblower Program, how whistleblower complaints are evaluated, process by which whistleblower complaints are handled within OSHA, the prima facie elements of a whistleblower complaint, work refusals under the OSH Act, and how to file a whistleblower complaint with OSHA. 

Learning Objectives: 

• General knowledge about whistleblowers.
• A better understanding of the laws that OSHA enforces.
• How cases filed in accordance with OSHA’s whistleblower laws are processed and evaluated.
• Best practices for filing a whistleblower complaint with OSHA.

OSHA UPDATE: ETS, Heat Stress, Recordkeeping, Enhanced Enforcement and More: An Employer’s Guide to Workplace Safety & Health Post-Pandemic 

During the pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) introduced a rule in the form of an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which allows OSHA to enact regulations it can enforce immediately if a “grave danger” to worker safety is present. This presentation will break down the requirements, legally and practically, regarding OSHA’s ETS. Additionally, during the pandemic OSHA had limited inspections to fatalities, catastrophic accidents, and certain Coronavirus issues. However, OSHA is now taking actions that have and will continue to impact employers. This presentation will provide a discussion of workplace health and safety lessons learned as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes that OSHA is taking (and is expected to take) to increase enforcement and regulatory compliance. Some topics will include injury and illness recordkeeping, heat stress, OSHA’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program, whistleblower complaints, and more. 

Learning Objectives:

This presentation will provide employers with a discussion of workplace health and safety lessons learned as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes that OSHA is taking (and is expected to take) to increase enforcement and regulatory compliance. 

Allegheny County Airport Authority Terminal Modernization Program Environmental, Health and Safety Overview

1. This presentation will give an overview of the 1.4 billion dollar ACAA Terminal Modernization Program.
2. Discuss the ACAA TMP Culture of Caring.
3. Learn from the past - Learn from incidents that occurred building the Pittsburgh Airport 30 years ago.
4. Have open discussions on how the ACAA TMP protects its number one core value of Safety and Security.
5. Have dialogue the TMP being "Project of Choice" in the Pittsburgh region.

Learning Objectives:

• How to build a Culture of Caring on a large scale construction project.
• How to manage Environmental, Health and Safety on large project
• How to establish leading indicators.
• How to use data to make your EHS programs better.

Cyber Safe & Cyber Secure:  It's the Little Things that Help Keep You Safe  

This presentation will focus on a high level overview of what we're seeing in the industry (Top attack types, industry targets, why phishing is so successful, and an overview of ransomware). In addition, we will focus on human targets and some simple things you can do to avoid becoming the next victim.

Learning Objectives:

• Have an understanding of what they can do to protect themselves at work and at home from cyber incidents.

The PA OSHA Consultation Program Hot Topics:  30,000 Pennsylvania employers, and counting, can't be wrong

Free Safety Consultations Make Big Impact on Businesses: Employers can get a free workplace safety evaluation by signing up for a program run by IUP’s Safety Sciences Department. Here is how it works.

A focus of OSHA Consultation for 2023 is heat emphasis program. We will talk about the reasons for the OSHA heat emphasis program and strategies for managing heat stress.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain an understanding of the no-cost benefits available through IUP’s OSHA Consultation Program.
• How the program works.
• How to access the benefits. 
• Learn about the Heat Stress Emphasis Program, and strategies for managing heat stress.

Fundamentals of Industrial Ventilation

Industrial ventilation is one of the top choices for chemical hazards control in the workplace. This presentation covers the operating principles of the three different types of industrial ventilation systems present in industry (local exhaust, dilution, and displacement ventilation systems), the major components in each type of system, their general application, benefits, and their limitations. A general explanation of the design parameters (flow rate, minimum transport velocity, static pressure, velocity pressure and total

pressure) is provided, and a final review of the topics covered is presented. 

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this presentation, the audience will be able to:

• List the major components in every industrial ventilation system.
• Understand the operating principles of each type of industrial ventilation system present in the industry.
• Identify the most efficient type of industrial ventilation system for a given application.
• Understand the difference between static and velocity pressures and their uses in assessing an industrial ventilation system.