REVISED: November 16, 2023 UPCOMING SAFETY TRAINING CLASSES ATTENTION: Safety/Human Resource Manager/Training Director!   November 2023  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! We give thanks to all of our Students, Family and Friends!!!             27              EPA/NYS O&M/Worker-Handler Refresher                ($110/185)       7:30-11:30/3             28              EPA/NYS Asbestos Supervisor Refresher                  ($185.00)         7:30-3 pm             29              EPA/NYS Inspector/Management Plan Refresher      ($110/185)       7:30-11:30/3             30              EPA/NYS Asbestos Project Monitor Refresher           ($185.00)         7:30-3 pm December 2023             1                EPA/NYS Asbestos Project Designer Refresher         ($185.00)         7:30-3 pm NEW   4-6             EPA/NYS Asbestos Project Designer Initial            ($495.00)         7:30-3 pm             11-15         NYS Asbestos Project Monitor Initial                          ($795.00)         7:30- 3 pm             18-22         EPA/NYS Asbestos Supervisor Initial                         ($795.00)         7:30-3 pm MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!             27              EPA/NYS Inspector/Management Plan Refresher      ($110/185)       7:30-11:30/3             28              EPA/NYS Asbestos Project Monitor Refresher           ($185.00)         7:30-3 pm             29              EPA/NYS Project Designer Refresher                        ($185.00)         7:30-3 pm January 2024             4-5             EPA/NYS Operations & Maintenance Initial              ($350.00)         7:30-3 pm             9-12           EPA/NYS Asbestos Worker/Handler Initial                ($645.00)         7:30-3 pm             16-18         EPA/NYS Asbestos Inspector Initial                          ($495.00)         7:30-3 pm             22-26         EPA/NYS Asbestos Supervisor Initial                       ($795.00)           7:30-3 pm (November 16, 2023) PAYMENT OF TUITION If you or your company are current customers of The Safety and Health Training Center, Inc., we can invoice your company for your students attending any of our on-line and in-person classes.  This will result in a normal tuition cost.  As a current customer, you may also choose to pay by using the PayPal button on our Asbestos page.  If you choose this method, you will be paying a little higher tuition fee to help offset the PayPal fees associated with on-line payment services. If you are not a current customer of The Safety and Health Training Center, Inc., you and/or your company must pay for the classes in one of two ways.   The first would be to issue a company check and submitting it to us prior to the class or to have the student bring it on the first day of the class.  Using this method will result in the standard tuition cost.   The second option is to pay the tuition using the PayPal options located below.  Using this option will result in an additional charge added to the tuition to offset the PayPal charges. Thank you! O & M/Inspector Refresher (half day) class $110.00 REFRESHERS: Worker/Handler or Supervisor or Inspector & Management Planner or Project Monitor or Project Designer (Full day) courses $190.00 INITIAL THREE DAY COURSES: Inspector or Project Designer $505.00 INITIAL FOUR DAY COURSE: Worker/Handler $660.00 INITIAL FIVE DAY COURSES: Supervisor or Project Monitor or Management Planner (with Inspector) $815.00 Photos Courtesy of © www.earldotter.com ON-LINE ASBESTOS REFRESHERS The Safety and Health Training Center has been approved to provide on-line training for all Asbestos Refresher classes. Classes will be performed using Zoom meeting platform and requires the following criteria:  All participants must register prior to the class by calling (716) 838-6850 and providing their email address  All participants must provide a legible ID (New York Driver's License or ID) prior to the class  All participants must have a good internet connection  Each student must sign into the platform individually  Each student must have a computer with camera and video capability  Each student must attend the class in its entirety.  They cannot arrive late and must return from breaks/lunch on time.  Failure to do so will result in the student not completing the course properly.  No makeup time will be allowed.  There can be no distractions while taking the course.  Each student cannot engage in any activity that is not related to the class.  Paperwork/handouts and course materials will be provided to the student prior to the class.  Such documentation must be downloaded and/or printed in order to actively participate in the class.  Each student must provide photo ID prior to the class by email. CURRENTLY we are running all of our classes live and in-person.  Should we get enough requests for virtual classes, we will schedule them and list the dates and times below.  Thank you!! BREAKING NEWS (July 19, 2021) The New York State Department of Labor Engineering Services has issued the following statement, which we have obtained, regarding their Pilot "Fast Track Variance (FTV)" program: Good afternoon, As the results of an increasing number of questions concerning relief granted by some Fast Track Variances (FTVs), ESU has decided to temporarily stop the FTV program. ESU will go back and review each FTV to ensure that the relief granted, and conditions listed in the FTV are consistent with ICR 56 and appliable Federal requirements. ESU will also try to better define when and how each FTV can be utilized. There seems to be some confusion about how some FTV's are to be used. When ESU completes its review of an FTV, we will reissue that FTV for use moving forward. It is ESU's hope that this review will not take long. ASBESTOS USE IN THE UNITED STATES IS NOT BANNED!!! At the height of asbestos use in the United States (from 1950 – 1980), over 3,500 products contained asbestos (Asbestos Containing Materials - ACM). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned asbestos use in 1973.  However the only products that were banned from manufacturing, use or importation were Sprayed-on Fireproofing, Pre-fabricated Pipe Insulation and certain types of Felts. The EPA ban of 1989, to eliminate approximately 1, 500 asbestos products was overturned and never implemented. A labeling requirement was instituted requiring all ACM’s to be labeled with asbestos content. Currently in the U.S., it is estimated that over 1,800 ACM are manufactured, used or imported. ACM is defined by the EPA as materials that contain more than 1% asbestos by Polarized Light Microscope (PLM).  Polarized Light Microscopy is an analytical technique that identifies larger asbestos fibers or bundled (multiple) fibers in a bulk sample.  The magnification factor of a PLM is 400 times.  This magnification factor is not capable of identifying smaller asbestos fibers or non-bundled asbestos fibers.  The analytical technique that does identify all types of asbestos is known as Transmission Electron Microscopy or TEM.  The TEM analysis is capable of a magnification factor of 25,000X, which allows this method to identify asbestos specifically. Additionally, the current regulated analysis for asbestos air samples is known as Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM).  PCM is similar to PLM in that it has a magnification factor of 400 times and is not specific for asbestos fiber.  In fact, in many instances, PCM cannot identify the smaller or non-bundled asbestos fiber.  The only analytical technique that is specific for asbestos fiber is TEM. At this time in the U.S., TEM analysis is only required for asbestos work done in schools (K-12th grade, public and private). All other asbestos work done in the U.S. requires air samples to be analyzed by PCM. We urge you to join us in our efforts to: have ALL asbestos products banned from manufacturing, use or importation into the United States; to support the Congressional Bill H.R. 6903 to ban ALL Asbestos Containing Products (ACP) and to stop this known killer from affecting any more American workers and families by signing our petition located at the following link: www.banasbestos.us ASBESTOS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS All asbestos classes are certified and approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and/or New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).  Initial Class                             Duration               Description Allied Trades                            12 hours                Intended for carpenters, electricians,                                                                                     plumbers or other trades who will                                                                                     work ancillary to the asbestos project                                                                                     but will not remove asbestos Operations & Maintenance   16 hours                Employees who will conduct                                                                                       repair/maintenance activities                                                                                     where asbestos may be disturbed                                                                                     (not removal).                                                         Air Sampling Technician      16 hours                 Employees who will conduct                                                                                      environmental air sampling.                                               Inspector                                   24 hours                 Employees who will conduct                                                                                     inspections or surveys and collect                                                                                      bulk samples to identify the presence,                                                                                      location and quantity of asbestos  Management Planner             16 hours                Employees who will develop a (must complete an                                                   Management Plan to manage asbestos Inspector course)                                                    in a facility (primarily schools – K-12th grade). Project Designer                     24 hours                Employees who will design the scope,                                                                                     timing, phasing and remediation                                                                                      methods for an asbestos project. Worker                                     32 hours                Employees who will remove,                                                                                    encapsulate, enclose or otherwise                                                                                    disturb asbestos materials. Supervisor                                40 hours                Employees who will supervise                                                                                    workers during an asbestos                                                                                    project and act as the OSHA                                                                                    “competent person”. Project Monitor                        40 hours               Employees who will oversee the                                                                                     timing, scope, phasing and                                                                                    remediation methods to be used on an                                                                                    asbestos project. Refresher Classes Each of the above courses requires an annual refresher course to be taken to maintain certification. All Allied Trades, Operations & Maintenance, Air Sampling Technician and Inspector courses require a four (4) hour annual training program.   All other disciplines require an eight (8) hour annual training course. Awareness Classes New York State Apprenticeship Program requires a four (4) hour Asbestos Awareness course for all apprentice training.  OSHA requires a two (2) hour Awareness course for compliance.