Workplace Violence & Security: Are Your Employees Safe?

Is your office, shop, or plant prepared to deal with a workplace violence incident?  Are your field workers?  If you aren’t sure or think it is unlikely to occur, consider this: According to OSHA, some 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence every year.  Workplace violence can strike anywhere and anytime, and no one is immune.

Workplace violence can take place at or outside of work. It is defined as violence or the threat of violence against workers. Violence in the work environment can range from threats, verbal abuse, harassment, to physical assault and homicide.

Certain workers are at higher risk according to OSHA.  These include, but are not limited to, workers who exchange money with the public, who work alone or in small groups, and who work early in the morning or late at night. Also, workers in certain industries (healthcare, social services, municipal utilities, law enforcement, retail, and in-home installations) are at increased risk.

It is important to acknowledge workplace violence as a real threat and take it seriously. The best protection employers can offer is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence against or by employees. OSHA advises employers to create a Workplace Violence Prevention Program (OSHA/PEOSH standards) and ensure all employees are trained on it and thoroughly understand policies and procedures concerning it.

Here are some other tips for keeping workers safe:

• Provide safety education for employees so they know what behavior is and isn’t acceptable in the workplace environment.

• Consider installing video surveillance, extra lighting, and alarm systems.

• Minimize access by outsiders to your facilities by using ID badges, electronic keys, and if necessary, security guards.

• Recommend field staff and employees working alone have cell phones and handheld alarms, requiring them to check in regularly.

• Instruct workers to never enter a location that they feel may be unsafe.

• Train employees on your workplace violence procedures annually and remind them frequently to keep their eyes and ears open and report anything that makes them feel awkward, uncomfortable, or unsafe. Even if they don’t experience it but saw or heard it they must report it!

Workers need to know employers have a system in place for their protection. It is critical to ensure all employees know the policy and understand that all claims of workplace violence will be investigated and dealt with promptly.

The Changing Role of Law Enforcement

De-escalation is the PROCESS of using STRATEGIES and TECHNIQUES intended to decrease the intensity of an escalating situation.

Keeping communities safe and enhancing officer skills and safety is of paramount importance for law enforcement, thus there is an ever-growing emphasis on the continued need to leverage de-escalation tactics. How law enforcement officers perform this obligation and how their actions are perceived by the community sets the foundation of their legitimacy in the eyes of the public. Focusing on this need for de-escalation will help facilitate trust within the community and reduce violent physical encounters.

De-escalation is not new, and officers have used it in its many forms since policing started. De-escalation saves lives and careers every year, but with complex and ever-changing societal conditions, law enforcement must evolve, grow and adapt to do it better today than they did yesterday.

OMAG has two Law Enforcement Specialist that have been Providing De-Escalation Training since 2008 with the use of a Shooting Simulator.  In 2018 they expanded De-Escalation training by adding ICAT (Integrating Communications Assessment and Tactics) training.   Since 2018 after providing ICAT training we have seen a positive change in how officers react to handling subjects who may have a mental disorder or subjects in crises when using the Shooting Simulator.

If your police department is interested in hosting the ICAT De-Escalation Training or the shooting simulator at your department or in your region please contact Billy Carter at wcarter@omag.org or Kevin McCullough at kmccullough@omag.org for additional information.

Reducing Inflow and Infiltration in Wastewater Systems

Stormwater flowing into a municipality’s sewer system through low gully traps, illegal connections, broken pipes, and unsealed manholes can cause overflows, system strains, and interruptions in your sewer operations. This is known as Inflow and Infiltration; aka I&I.

Why bother to fix Inflow & Infiltration?

By identifying I&I early and reducing their levels, municipalities can benefit from:

1. Reduced localized overflows: Through the management of overflows from manholes during rainfall, controlled overflow points, pump stations, and treatment plants.

2. Improve operational efficiencies: I&I reduces the sewer system capacity, limiting the potential for growth within a specific catchment.

3. Reduced ongoing costs: I&I results in clear water being pumped and treated along with wastewater, contributing to increased costs.

How to identify whether you have an I&I problem

Councils and water authorities can identify whether they have existing I&I issues within their system by looking for these indicators:

• Pumps run for hours and inflows increase significantly during storm events

• The hydraulic loading of wastewater treatment plants increases significantly after a rain event

• Localized overflows occur within a collection system during a heavy storm event

• An increase in inflow during dry weather conditions compared to previous months

Steps to reduce I&I within your wastewater system

First, identify the general vicinity of the issue through flow monitoring. Then identify the exact problem, locate the area(s) where it is occurring, and introduce measures to improve the situation.

The following steps provide a simple overview of an I&I reduction plan that can assist in identifying various stages associated with reducing I&I in a wastewater system:

1. Targeted monitoring – monitoring wastewater flows within the system

2. Identifying the problem – is it inflow or infiltration?

3. Source detection – where is it occurring within the system?

4. Rehabilitation – what can be done to reduce or eliminate the problem(s)?

Source detection

A few ways to detect the sources of I&I include:

Private Inspections – after receiving and documenting permission from property owners, inspecting private properties consists of visual assessments of the stormwater and wastewater networks within a property. Illegal connections could mean that a stormwater down pipe is directly connected to a wastewater gully trap.

Manhole Inspection – Manhole inspections can identify leaks from broken pipes, and joints due to tree root intrusion or design issues. Manholes can contribute to significant I&I through leaky covers as well.

Smoke Testing – Smoke testing locates I&I sources by identifying stormwater drain cross connections, broken pipes, and laterals, or unsealed manholes.

Dye Testing – Dye testing can be used to identify leaks and confirm smoke test results. The method uses water mixed with a non-toxic dye. The colored water Is pumped through the ground and storm water system and appears in the sanitary sewer collection system where leaks and illegal connections occur.

CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras – CCTV allows authorities to visualize the inside of pipes by using a small camera that travels down the length of a pipe to produce a visual representation of its condition. CCTV inspections can reveal the need for rehabilitating leaky pipes, facilitate grease or root removal, identify improper taps into the municipal lines, or find broken lateral connections.

Rehabilitation of Wastewater systems

Rehabilitation can include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Seal manholes and replace leaky covers

• Use cured-in-place piping (CIPP), trenchless rehabilitation or chemical grouting to seal leaks, and open cut replacement pipes

• Raise gully traps and disconnect stormwater downpipes from the gully trap and redirect into stormwater systems

• Fix broken laterals (reline or replace); fix any other private connections which might be improperly or illegally tapped into the municipal system

OMAG Risk Management Services wants to assist our municipalities in providing a safer and more efficient sanitary sewer system for their constituents. We offer several grants and programs to help you get started. Contact William Sheppard (wsheppard@omag.org) for more information if you are interested in improving your sanitary sewer system by reducing Inflow and Infiltration.

Reducing Firefighters’ Chemical Exposures from Contaminated Skin or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Through direct contact to the skin or off-gassing from PPE, firefighters can be exposed to potentially hazardous chemicals both during and after firefighting activities.  

OMAG is issuing this alert to Oklahoma Fire Departments to raise awareness of this type of chemical exposure and encourage them to train firefighters in ways to minimize it.  

Minimize breathing contaminants:  

• Maintain and test SCBAs routinely to ensure their proper function  

• Use proper respiratory protection from initial attack, overhaul, and investigation  

• Remain upwind of the fire if not directly involved in the response  

• Provide as much natural ventilation as feasible to burned structures before starting investigations and when responders are not wearing respiratory protection  

Minimize skin absorption:  

• Wear long hoods that are unlikely to come untucked during response  

• Keep protective ensembles on during overhaul  

• Do gross field decontamination of PPE to remove as much soot and particulate matter as possible  

• Wash hands immediately and shower as soon as possible after a fire response  

• Use moistened wipes to remove as much soot as possible from head, neck, jaw, throat, underarms, and hands immediately while still on the scene  

• Clean PPE, gloves, hood, and helmet immediately after a fire response  

• Have turnout gear cleaned routinely in accordance with NFPA 1851 or the latest version. 

Minimize inhalation of chemicals released from contaminated gear:  

• Remove SCBA and hood last when doffing gear during decontamination  

• Doff gear before entering the rehab area  

• Consider bagging contaminated PPE and securing it in an apparatus compartment  

• Do not take contaminated clothes or PPE home or store them in your vehicle  

• Decontaminate the interior of fire vehicles after fires 

Training firefighters to adhere to these precautions can save lives, prolong careers, and save thousands of dollars in workers’ compensation claims. 

Fire Extinguisher Basics

View fullsize

It’s important to help employees understand that with proper training and education, fire extinguishers can save lives and property. Many adults may not know how or when to use fire extinguishers. OMAG encourages our municipalities to hold fire safety training, teaching employees how to use a fire extinguisher, when to use one, and what a particular fire extinguisher’s limit are.  

There are five primary classes of fire extinguishers, each designed to put out different kinds of fires. Class A is for use on ordinary materials like cloth, wood, and paper. Class B is for use on combustible and flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, oil, and oil-based paints. Class C is used on electrical equipment like appliances, tools, computers, or other equipment that is plugged in. Class D extinguishers are for use on flammable metals and are specialized extinguishers usually for factories. Any time an SDS (Safety Data Sheet) recommends a product requiring a Class D extinguisher, there should be one present in the facility. Finally, there are Class K fire extinguishers, which are used for vegetable oils and animal fats used in cooking appliances. Most offices, vehicles, shops, and homes now use multipurpose fire extinguishers that are labeled Classes A, B, & C and can handle almost any type of fire. 

Help employees decide when to use a fire extinguisher: 

Fire extinguishers can be helpful on a small fire that hasn’t left its point of origin. Consider providing a checklist to help people prepare to use a fire extinguisher on a fire. 

• Have I alerted others in the facility that there is a fire? 

• Has someone called the fire department? 

• Am I physically able to use a fire extinguisher? 

• Is the fire small and contained in a single object (frying pan, wastebasket)? 

• Do I have a clear escape route, should my efforts fail? 

Use a fire extinguisher when all these questions are answered “Yes.” If you are unsure about whether or not it is safe to use an extinguisher, alert others, leave the building, and call 911 from a mobile phone. 

Teach employees how to use a fire extinguisher: 

When operating a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym PASS – 

Pull the pin. Hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you, don’t grip the squeeze handles, and pull the pin preventing the squeeze handles from closing on themselves. 

Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire where the fuel is. 

Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly to disperse the fire repelling agent. Squeeze the lever intermittently to give you more control and fire fighting time. Avoid holding the trigger down and dispersing the agent all at once. 

Sweep the nozzle from side to side, covering the fuel area, and move in on the fire as it recedes. 

Educate employees on the importance of fire extinguisher maintenance: 

Remind employees to inspect fire extinguishers at least monthly. We don’t use them often, but when we need them, we need to be able to get to them and they must be reliable. 

• Easy access in an emergency – nothing is blocking or limiting our ability to get to it. The fire extinguishers are mounted and clearly marked with signage denoting where they are. 

• Inspect the extinguishers monthly – make sure the gauge arrow is in the green showing it is properly pressurized. Make sure all parts (can, hoses, nozzles) are free from damage and not clogged. Shake the extinguisher thoroughly to keep the retardant powder from compacting. 

• Make sure the extinguisher is clean and that there is no dust, oil, or grease on the outside of the extinguisher. 

• Make sure there are basic instructions on the use of the fire extinguisher on the label and that they are legible. 

Hands-on training by a qualified instructor is the best way to teach employees how to properly use a fire extinguisher. The experience will help employees better understand the procedures and processes in fighting a fire and the instructor can point out any concerns, field questions by the participants, and provide encouragement to anyone who doesn’t feel confident in their ability to use the extinguisher. 

Counterfeit Respirators

Be Careful When Purchasing Respirators 

Some supply distributors are selling counterfeit respirators that are falsely being sold as NIOSH- approved and may not be capable of providing appropriate respiratory protection to workers.  

NIOSH-approved respirators have an approval label on or within the packaging of the respirator (i.e. on the box or within the user instructions). Additionally, an abbreviated approval is on the FFR (filtering facepiece respirator) itself. You can verify the approval number on the NIOSH Certified Equipment List or the NIOSH Trusted-Source page to determine if the respirators you are intending to purchase have been approved by NIOSH. NIOSH-approved FFRs will always have one of the following designations: N95, N99, N100, R95, R99, R100, P95, P99, or P100.  

Signs a respirator may be counterfeit:  

• No markings at all on the filtering facepiece respirator  

• No approval number on the filtering facepiece respirator or headband  

• No NIOSH markings  

• NIOSH spelled incorrectly  

• Presence of decorative fabric or other decorative add-ons (e.g. sequins)  

• Claims for the approval for children (NIOSH does not approve any type of respiratory protection for children)  

• Filtering facepiece respirator has ear loops instead of headbands  

Before buying large quantities of respirators from a third-party marketplace or unfamiliar website, look for the following possible warning signs:  

• Third-party marketplaces 

• If a listing claims to be “legitimate” or “genuine,” it probably isn’t  

• Examine transactions history and feedback/comments section if possible  

• Are there fluctuations of items traded over time (high and low periods of transactions)?  

• Are there price deviations and fluctuations (is it too good to be true)?  

• Look at the quantity a seller has in stock (advertising unlimited stock could be an indication the respirators are not approved)  

• Does the seller break marketplace policy and hide their contact information within images to circumvent filters?  

• On websites  

• Is the primary contact email address connected to the website or is it a free email account?  

• Look for bad grammar, typos, and other errors  

• Watch for cookie-cutter websites, where sellers interchange several websites, making mistakes (mixed up logos, site partially unfinished, blank pages, a nonsense privacy policy, misspelling the domain)  

If you are purchasing safety equipment for your employees (like respirators) and you find an incredible deal, do some further research before buying. Don’t put your limited resources and your employees at risk. Make sure the equipment has a proper NIOSH approval. 

First Recipient of the OMAG Sanitary Sewer Equipment Grant (Lone Wolf)

Congratulations to the Town of Lone Wolf! They are the first municipality to receive OMAG’s new Sanitary Sewer Equipment (SSE) grant.  The grant was used to purchase a refurbished Sewer Equipment Co. of America Model 747 jetter unit. Prior to making use of the SSE grant, Lone Wolf didn’t have a jetter. Now, with the addition of this jetter along with their sewer push camera, Lone Wolf will be able to better identify problem areas and maintain their sewer collection system.  

OMAG recognizes there are few if any grant opportunities for the purchase of sanitary sewer equipment. In response, the SSE grant was introduced in July 2020.  The SSE grant is a 1:1 matching funds, post-purchase grant with a maximum benefit of $10,000, and is available to all OMAG members.  

Fire Safety Procedures for the Workplace

A fire in the workplace can be one of the most devastating hazards for not only workers but for the public as well. It can result in numerous serious injuries or even fatalities, not to mention extensive property damage. Fire safety is very important! Be sure to train employees on your municipality’s fire procedures. If procedures are being ignored or are unclear, then schedule a fire safety meeting to train new employees, retrain veteran employees, and give knowledge and confidence to them all.  

Basic fire safety you must know for every worksite:  

• Know the location of fire extinguishers and/or fire alarm pull stations in your work environment. You should always know where the closest extinguisher is.  

• Know where the nearest emergency exit is and where alternate exits are located.  

• Know the difference between alarm signals to quickly recognize the situation (fire, tornado, active shooter, etc.)  

If you discover a fire:  

• Alert all other individuals in the workplace by activating the nearest fire alarm, shouting clearly, or by using other procedures set in place by your municipality.  

• Use the nearest exit to evacuate the workplace and go to the appropriate rendezvous location.  

• Use a fire extinguisher to put the fire out if it has not left its point of origin, you have been trained to use a fire extinguisher, and you have a sufficient way to escape if your efforts don’t put the fire out.  

During an evacuation of a worksite:  

• Stay calm and evacuate immediately when you hear the alarm.  

• Along the escape route close (but don’t lock) all windows and doors you pass. This helps reduce fire, smoke, and fumes from spreading throughout the facility.  

• Go to the rendezvous or assembly area immediately and check in with your supervisor so he/she knows you are safe outside the building.  

• Follow all procedures put in place by your municipality. 

A safe workplace is crucial and ensures you have the correct safety procedures and policies in place for such things as first aid and CPR training of employees. Employees must understand their role in a fire emergency especially if they have been given a special task like assisting a disabled co-worker safely out of the building. Holding fire drills at least annually and providing employees the opportunity to practice the information provided in safety meetings is another important part of fire safety. Don’t leave it out of your training procedures. 

Advisory: Increased targeted phishing of OK municipalities

Recently, we have had a sudden rise in reports of phishing and scams from OMAG member cities and towns.

These have been more sophisticated than the attacks that we are typically used to seeing. These attacks have used spoofing techniques that make them more difficult to detect, and language that only gives off subtle hints that it might be a scam.

We are worried that this uptick in attacks may be organized, though we are still investigating.

OMAG wants our members to be especially vigilant during this time, since a disruption in municipal services due to malware or extortion could be especially difficult during an election cycle and when preparing for the upcoming holidays.

Key points of advice are:

1. always to be extremely careful when dealing with links in emails

2. check carefully for misspellings or “typos” in domain names or email addresses that you are familiar with.

3. if you aren’t expecting a file from someone, don’t open an attachment

4. if someone you know has sent you an email that you aren’t sure about, please contact them through a known phone number to ask them if the email is legitimate before opening the link or clicking the attachment.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of precautions.  As stated above, the attacks we have seen this week are more sophisticated, and I wanted to give an example of the pattern we saw.

Below I have excerpted a short template from an email that was maliciously sent out by an attacker who was able to spoof one of our cities this week:

Hello,

[CITY NAME] invites your firm to submit a proposal for the above-referenced services in accordance with this RFP package. 

See the attached document for detailed information : [MALICIOUS LINK GOING TO CANVA.COM ]

[…]Due to the size of some of the electronic RFP documents, Owner has uploaded them to the SharePoint” website.

Bidder can access the electronic RFP documents via this weblink: [SAME MALICIOUS LINK GOING TO CANVA.COM ]

(Please advise if there are any technical issues accessing these files)

The email this came from did not have any OBVIOUS signs of a spoofed email address, so we have to look carefully at the language used.  The email uses “above referenced” when there was nothing above that line, other than “Hello,”.  If this was received as a reply to an already existing email chain, it might be more convincing.  But it’s presence in a brand new email should be a dead giveaway that something is off.  The use of “Owner” as if it were a proper name is also a clue that a template may have been used to create this phishing email, and they didn’t know who to put as the boss. This phishing email was polite, which is unfortunate for us because usually, an urgent or threatening tone is an important clue that an email is phishing.  There are other things, like referring to an attachment when the email only has links.  That could be picked up as a clue that it came from a phishing template, yet it could also be written off as an honest mistake by someone writing a legitimate email to a large group. As we all learn the patterns better, the attackers are learning too.

So please be especially cautious as the calendar leads up to the end of this year.  Try to recognize the patterns and use your best judgment.

When in doubt, getting in touch with someone on the phone through a known main number is still a very good way to try to confirm the legitimacy of an email.