Professional Training Center Updates for 2013

REMINDER: Starting January 1, 2013 there will be a 20 dollar fee for all online renewal classes.

DEQ Open Test Information

Testing location will be the Professional Training Center on Hudibug Drive at Rose State College

Exam start time is 8:00 am on all dates except for Oct 4 and there will be two exam times, 8:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Feb 15, 2013

April 19, 2013

May 17, 2013

July 19, 2013

Sept 6, 2013

Oct 4, 2013 (Short School)

Dec 13, 2013

 

Corrected Dates for OWPCA School

OWPCA Short School and Conference is Sept 30 – Oct 4, 2013 not Oct 7 – 11, 2013

 

Professional Training Center Updates

Effective January 1, 2013 online renewal classes will cost 20 dollars.

Tribal Water and Wastewater Management Institute of Rose State College will be offering a FREE Wastewater (Septic System) Training.  This is offered to tribal communities and for more information go to www.rose.edu/epa-septic-training.

Oklahoma Water Pollution Control Association (OWPCA) conference will be held October 1-4.

Goodwill Going Green

       Oklahoma Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma (GICO) is “going green.”  Goodwill has been recycling and repurposing donated goods since 1936, but in 2004 Goodwill joined with Dell to create a technology recycling program called “Reconnect.”  This program takes items that are considered e-waste and takes the valuable components apart to reuse or recycle.  Proceeds are then returned to Goodwill to help put individuals to work. 

      GICO has furthered it’s commitment to “going green” and to the community by partnering with It’s My Community, a non-profit organization that supports and expands existing efforts to build a strong community.   With this partnership, there is a recycling tech training course that is available for people who want a career in the grefouren industry.   This paid  week training teaches job readiness skills and specific environmental issues that impact our planet.  GICO also offers another course in Environmental Tech Training that focuses on the importance of recycling procedures and the positive effects it can have on the environment.

      With programs like these, GICO has recycled approximately ten million pounds of donated goods last year and was decorated with the “Top Non-Profit Recycling Program” award for 2011.  You can help the environment and your local community by donating products to local Goodwill facilities. For more information, go to itsmycommunity.org/greenjobs or okgoodwill.org for more information.

London’s Green Olympics

     The 2008 Beijing Olympics was a spectacular display of human strength and ingenuity.  The effects of the games on China’s environment were a different story.  With an influx of people and need for raw supplies, water resources plummeted leading to the closing of factories and a rush to build new water systems to redistribute water accordingly.  The London Olympics planning committee learned from the mistakes of the 2008 games. 

     London is proudly claiming to be the “Greenest Games” in history with water supply and distribution being a huge contributor to their declaration.  London applied green principles to water consumption using recycled water to water plants and flush toilets.  A special system was also built on-site to change sewage into “Blackwater”, a form of water used for toilet flushing.  With about 80,000 toilet flushes a day, it actually saved over half of the fresh water which could then be used where necessary. 

     There was plenty of worry months before the games started because London had experienced one of the worst droughts in history.  With careful planning and public participation the London Olympics have been a success with minimal impact on the environment.  Hopefully future Olympic committees will learn and take the green process to the next level for future games.

Resources:

www.standard.co.uk/drought-fear-olympics-water-supply

Written February 12, 2012

http://aquatecuk.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/london-2012-olympics-are-greenest-games-ever/

Written July 31, 2012

Seven Energy Saving Tips for Winter

     With winter fast approaching here are some things you can do to help stay warm and lower your heating costs.

1.  Sealant goes a long way.  Look for any cracks or gaps around doors, windows and other surfaces in your home. 
2. After making sure your home is properly sealed, consider investing in energy saving curtains.  They are now offered in a variety of colors and styles that can match any décor.  Also, they will help in the summer as well.
3. If your windows and doors are aged and need repair contemplate replacing them.  While it can be a large expense initially, the savings over time can be huge!  Not to mention it can increase the value of your home.
4. Have your furnace cleaned to increase efficiency and effectiveness.  Also, if you have a fireplace make sure to have it swept yearly to prevent fires.
5. Check your attic and see how well it is insulated.  A majority of heat can be contained in your home if it is not escaping through your attic.  The savings are two-fold and will keep costs down in the summer as well.
6. If you have a much older heating unit and cannot afford to replace it, look into purchasing infrared heaters to place around your home.  Not only are they very low cost to run, they are portable and they are safe for children and animals.
7. When all else fails wear more layers and stock up on blankets.  Close doors and vents in unused areas in your home.  

     There are plenty of great tips you can find online at energysavers.gov/tips and going to local home improvement stores.  Winters are harsh and costly, but small adjustments and a little investment can go a long way.

4-hour renewal training offered

Visit the Oklahoma Environmental Training Center website at http://www.rose.edu/oklahoma-environmental-training-center. Click on “Enroll in 2012” classes.  Highlight the online renewal class, and fill out the rest of the registration form completely. Click submit.

You will receive a confirmation email confirming your enrollment. Disregard the rest of this email, it applies to our regular certifications classes.

In about two business days, you will receive an email with a password and log-in instructions so you can access the online renewal course. Watch for this email. You can’t access the online class without it.

Summer Heat Safety

Photo courtesy of http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov.

By Bill Clark

   The following information could save your life or your co-workers like if you work outside in the heat. 

   Pay attention to the following warning signs of heat related illnesses.

   To prevent heat related illnesses, take several breaks, rest in the shade and drink a lot of water.

   If you are working outside in the heat, it is recommended you drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. You can drink other fluids, but water is recommended because it will hydrate you faster. 

Heat cramp symptoms:

· Severe cramps that begin in the hands, calves or feet

· Hard, tense muscles

Heat exhaustion symptoms:

· Fatigue

· Nausea

· Headaches

· Excessive thirst

· Muscle aches and cramps

· Weakness

· Dizziness

· Fainting

Heat exhaustion requires immediate action but is usually not life-threatening. Move the person to the shade, and cool them down slowly. Give them small amounts of water. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke if action is not taken right away to cool the person down.

Heat stroke symptoms:

· Nausea and vomiting

· Severe headache

· Dizziness

· Fatigue

· Hot, flushed, dry skin

· Decreased or no sweating

· Shortness of breath

· Confusion

· Convulsions

· Loss of consciousness

CAUTION: heat stroke is life threatening, CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. 

   Again, call 9-1-1 immediately. Heat stroke is life threatening and move the individual in the shade. 

   Do not cool the person too quickly because the person could go into shock. Keep in the shade and wipe cool cloths over the forehead until paramedics arrive.

Some information provided by WebMD.com

OSHA Trenching and Excavation Requirements

Image courtesy of http://www.mo.nrcs. usda.gov.

Safety Information for Water and Wastewater System Operators

By Bill Clark

Trench cave-ins can happen in seconds without warning, with no time to escape in the majority of cases.

Soil is an extremely heavy mate- rial. A cubic yard of soil (3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet), which contains 27 cubic feet of material, may weigh more than 2,700 pounds. That is nearly one and a half tons (the equivalent weight of a car) in a space less than the size of the aver- age office desk.

Furthermore, wet soil, rocky soil or rock is usually heavier. The human body cannot support such heavy loads without being severely injured.

Let’s review OSHA regulations that cover Trenching and Excavation, 29 CFR, 1926.650, 651 and 652.

1. OSHA requirements state that if the trench is 5 feet or more in-depth some type of cave-in protection is absolutely required.

2. A person designated as qualified and competent to rec- ognize and evaluate hazards must be present.

3. If the excavation is 20 feet or more in depth a profes- sional engineer is required to evaluate the soil and determine cave-in protection before any- one enters the excavation, 29 CFR 1926.652 (b)(c).

These rules are there to save your life. Think about your family the next time you’re thinking about jumping into a trench without cave-in protection, even for a few minutes.

No water or wastewater line repair is worth your life.

Disinfectant Byproduct Control Class at Rose State

Are you having Disinfectant Byproduct problems? If so, then you need to attend the Disinfectant Byproduct Control class at Rose State College’s Professional Training Center on May 21.

Call (405) 733-7488 to sign up for this class or for pricing information.

Free Job Vacancy Postings Available from Rose State College Career Services

By Connie Myrick 

Do you need your job openings posted? You can for free with Rose State College Career Services.

Career Services will post job openings to a public job bank, share job openings with current trainees and Rose State College students, and send out emails to past trainees.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get your job notice out to many job seekers at no cost to you.

Call the Career Services Office of Rose State College at (405) 733-7488 or email your job notice tocareercoach@rose.edu for more information.