NEWS for October, 2003
NEWS for October, 2003
“Safety and Security
in the Transportation Industry”
Dinner Meeting: Thursday, October 9, 2003 at 6:00 PM
What new transportation regulations affect your organization? What do professional drivers know that could help your safety and security program? What role does transportation management play in protecting the public from accidents. Find out the answers to these questions and much more.
SPEAKER:
 | James Renforth |
| West Region Safety Manager |
| First Transit, Inc. |
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Jim began his transportation career as a driver with Greyhound; and has been in the industry for over 20 years. |
WHEN:
| Thursday, October 9, 2003 |
| 5:30 PM Gather and Networking |
| 6:15 PM Dinner and Programs |
| 7:00 PM Presentation |
WHERE:
| Taix French Restaurant |
| 1911 Sunset Boulevard (at Alvarado) |
| Los Angeles, CA 90026 |
| (213) 484-1265 |
COST:
$20 Dinner, ice tea/coffee and dessert.
Or, new this year, $5 for a seat and drink without dinner.
RESERVATIONS:
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Not required, but we’d like to know that |
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you’re coming……(626) 914-7275 |
President’s Message
by Don Kramer, ARMToo busy to Vote? Too busy for Jury Duty? Too busy to attend an ASSE Meeting?
I once read where the voter turnout for an LA City election was only 9%. I read another article where only 25% of jury duty summons get a response in LA County. Less than 3% of LA ASSE members turn out for the Chapter meetings.
I wonder if LA ASSE members are any different from an average citizen who ignores to vote or throws away the jury summons. Have “other things” replaced ASSE member attendance? Are the vast majority of LA ASSE members lazy? Do LA ASSE members care? Has E-mail and the Internet replaced the need to attend a meeting? Is attending a meeting passé?
An interesting statistical challenge is the fact that if just each of the 300 members of LA ASSE attended just ONE of the Chapter meetings this year there would be 30 members at any given meeting. Will you attend just ONE LA ASSE Chapter meeting in 2003-2004? In the U. S. A. we have the constitutional rights of speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly. The LA ASSE Chapter meetings express all five of these rights. We have great speakers. I can freely express my views in this article. We are passionate (“religious”) about our profession. We publish the monthly newsletter that you’re reading right now. We petition our members for involvement and feedback. We do assemble every month for Chapter meetings. Despite all the rights we have, we stand to lose Chapter meeting interest if the vast majority of the Chapter members don’t show up for any of the meetings.
You might be asking yourself, “What’s in it for me?” “Why should I come to a meeting? Well, the meeting locations are rotating around the LA area so that they are closer to where you live or work. You can come late to the meetings just to hear the speaker for only a $5 nominal room cost. We meet every month at the dinner hour so you don’t have to “rush” to get back to work. We continue to have great speakers on the topics you really want to hear. We have the VIP Program, too. So, where are you? We don’t ask any of our members to go the extra mile. Just the miles it takes to get to the meeting.
Last Month’s Meeting
Last month, a lively and informative four-member panel of experts shared their experiences and gave their advice on the future of the safety profession, career alternatives and how to stay employed.
Jill Caron, Recruiter discussed interviewing strategies and employer wants.
Bob Nolan, President, Safety Solutions Plus discussed being your own boss as a safety consultant versus the safety net of employment.
Caroline Lacsamana and Linda Homan, Consultants with LabSupport discussed temp-to-hire positions and employment opportunities.
UPCOMING SEMINAR:
Cal/OSHA Compliance Review
Luncheon Speaker
Len Welsh, Chief of Cal/OSHA
Thursday, November 13, 2003
8:30 AM to 1:30 PM
STEVENS STEAK HOUSE
Seating is Limited -
Pre-registration required
This special seminar has been developed to assist anyone who has the responsibility for safety to learn how to implement an effective safety program as required by Cal/OSHA. This includes the key elements of SB198 and Cal/OSHA Sec. 3203 (Written Program, safety training, inspections, and recordkeeping) plus the other requirements normally expected by the Cal/OSHA inspector when they visit an employer. This program will help prepare you for a possible Cal/OSHA inspection. With fines of up to $25,000.00 for a ASerious@ citation, we will help you to know what Cal/OSHA will be looking to review.
COST: $95.00 for the seminar - includes lunch and continental breakfast
(Lunch Presentation Only = $20.00)
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To register, contact Bob D’Amato, Professional Development Chairman |
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(562) 248-0230 |
October Honorees:
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO OUR MEMBERS!
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| 5 Year Membership in LA ASSE as of September 2003:
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| 5 Year Membership in LA ASSE as of October 2003:
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New Members
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Let’s give a hearty welcome to our new members:
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Congratulations on joining a winning chapter! | ||||||
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See you at an upcoming meeting! |
AP From Washington:
Job Safety Posts All-Time Record
AP summarizes the information available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm.
Working got safer last year, according to the government's annual tally of workplace deaths, released Sept. 17.
Nationally, 5,524 workers died on the job in 2002 - a significant decrease from the 5,915 who died in 2001, a number that did not include those killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
That decline extended a downward trend since 1997, when 6,238 workers died. Workplace homicides also declined, down to 609 last year from a 1994 peak of 1,080.
The numbers declined even among Hispanics, who are more likely to work in riskier farm, factory and construction jobs. Even so, Hispanic workers died at a higher rate than whites or blacks.
The numbers were compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Federal officials track rates so they can compare various sectors of the work force. The occupations with the highest death rates included farming, mining and trucking.
Overall death rates fell from 4.3 per 100,000 workers in 2001 to 4 workers last year. Blacks were the safest at work: They died at a rate of 3.5 per 100,000 workers, down from 3.8 in 2001. White death rates declined from to 3.9 per 100,000 workers from 4.2 in 2001.
The rate for Hispanics tumbled from 6 per 100,000 workers to 5 last year, though the number of deaths among foreign-born Hispanics increased.
The decline in Hispanic deaths was especially encouraging to federal officials, because those numbers had been steadily increasing since the mid-1990s.
Labor Secretary Elaine Chao credited the government's efforts to reach
Spanish-speaking workers. Those efforts include a Spanish-language Web site and the hiring of more Spanish-speaking workers at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Large states including California, Texas and Pennsylvania saw the number of deaths decline between 2001 and 2002; several smaller states, including Oregon, Arkansas and Nebraska, saw their numbers increase.
Chapter Celebrates 55TH Birthday in October
Roll out the birthday cake! ASSE LA is 55 years old this October. Come see our 1948 Charter at the meeting. Meet one of the founding members of the Chapter!
Job Placement
| Ask our Job Placement Chairman, Mike Marshall, about the latest openings. |
| (310) 331-7684 |
| MS.Marshall@ngc.com |
SPECIAL “VIP” EVENT
T
hose LA ASSE members who attend any four meetings now through June 2004 will be invited to a special VIP event to be announced. Plan now to attend the October meeting so that you can pick up your Passport folder and first (or second) validation sticker. You’ll be on your way to the reward of a great big event. The VIP Passport program is the Chapter’s way to say “thanks” for coming to the meetings.