3M US Back to Work (BTW) National Webinars

The world and the workplace have changed due to Covid-19. As workers and employers adjust to the “new normal” they are confronting new demands: a workplace that is managing the complexities of a global pandemic while keeping employees safe, healthy, and efficient. For hearing conservation programs, how can workers be protected from the hazardous noise, work at least 6-feet apart from one another and still be able to communicate? How can enabling critical communication from a distance help reduce the number of workers who are exposed to occupational hazards? This webinar focuses on addressing these challenges through advanced hearing protection and communication technologies. Technical information and audio demonstrations will explore key concepts such as level-dependent hearing protection, environmental listening, and the importance of controlling the signal-to-noise ratio. Practical guidance regarding how to enhance communication-at a-distance and cleaning and disinfecting advanced hearing protectors will be shared.

Date: Sept. 29, 2020 at 10:00 AM CST
Trainer: Pegeen Smith
Moderator: Benton Miller

Pegeen Smith is a board-certified occupational health nurse working as an Application Engineer with 3M Company’s Personal Safety Division. Pegeen has over 16 years of experience in hearing conservation. She has conducted research on hearing protector fit testing systems used in hearing conservation programs. Pegeen has written several articles for the AAOHN journal and has presented numerous times at the AAOHN National Conference as well as at regional conferences, National Hearing Conservation Association, and at AIHce. She is the co-author of the soon to be published 6th Edition of the Noise Manual Chapter on Fit Testing Systems. Pegeen has assisted with multiple events emphasizing the use of advanced hearing protection for workers.

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Personal protective equipment (PPE) use during a pandemic poses new challenges for workers and employers. This session will review cleaning and disinfection considerations for welding helmets, fall protection, and other PPE that may be assigned to individual workers or shared among workers, and review available options for cleaning and disinfecting PPE.

Date: Oct. 6, 2020 at 10:00 AM CST
Trainer: Scott Shinn
Moderator: Benton Miller

Scott Shinn is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Application Engineering Specialist with 3M’s Personal Safety Division. With more than 25 years of health and safety program management experience in the consulting, chemical manufacturing, and personal protective equipment manufacturing industries, Scott has strong knowledge of health and safety compliance requirements as well as diverse practical experience in health and safety program management. For the past fourteen years Scott has supported the development, selection and use of 3M’s personal protective equipment, with current primary focus on support of customers in the primary metal and heavy manufacturing industries. Scott holds a B.S. degree in biology, and M.S. degree in industrial safety and hygiene from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have recommended the use of eye protection and face shields to help protect against the SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of workers wearing eye and face protection has increased dramatically. Use of eye and face protection in new applications, may result in new concerns such as eyewear fogging, and decontamination. Proper selection of eye and face protection for the task and understanding the various anti-fog technologies can help. Watch this interactive webinar to learn more about the following: Latest OSHA/CDC recommendations for eye and face protection and COVID-19 Criteria for consideration in selection of eyewear, goggles or faces shields for various industries for COVID-19

• The science behind various anti-fog coatings frequently used in eye protection
• Tips for helping reduce fogging in eye and face protection
• Product options, including anti-fog eye & face protection, and respirators

Date: Oct. 13, 2020 at 10:00 AM CST
Trainer: Shari Smith
Moderator: Benton Miller

Shari Franklin Smith, CIH, CSP has 20+ years of experience helping to keep workers healthy and safe. She has worked with protective clothing including high visibility safety apparel and protective coveralls, and 9+ years of experience managing an organization of safety and health professionals supporting 3M’s PPE products such as hearing and respiratory protection, protective clothing, and fall protection and 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Material. She has sponsored human factors research in visibility protective clothing and hearing conservation. She is also a member of the ISEA High Visibility Committee responsible for creating the ISEA/ANSI 107 standard. Shari is currently supporting the health and safety needs for the downstream oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, construction and the food and beverage industry. She has helped several companies implement hearing protection fit testing, hosted multiple health and safety symposiums for the chemical, food and construction industries, and spoken on emerging health and safety concerns such as COVID-19, diacetyl in coffee processing, manganese hazards in welding, concerns for workers in legal cannabis growing, and changing regulations such as silica and beryllium.

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This webinar will focus on the use of respiratory protection while returning to work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, we will address Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance, risk assessment, hierarchy of control measures, masks vs. respirators, respirator selection and implementing a respiratory protection program.

Date: Oct. 20, 2020 at 10:00 AM CST
Trainer: Erik Johnson
Moderator: Benton Miller

Erik Johnson is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Certified Safety Professional (CSP). He has a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in public health / industrial hygiene. He has worked for the 3M Personal Safety Division for over 25 years as an Application Engineer where he provides technical support for 3M respiratory protection

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Implementing an effective respiratory protection program involves many elements, one of which is developing procedures and schedules for cleaning, disinfecting and storing respiratory protection equipment. This awareness-level training is intended for industrial workplaces and will discuss considerations in establishing site-specific cleaning, disinfecting and storage procedures for 3M filtering facepiece respirators and 3M reusable elastomeric respirators.

Date: Oct. 27, 2020 at 10:00 AM CST
Trainers: Jessica Hauge & Megan Fillmore
Moderator: Benton Miller

Jessica Hauge, MPH, CIH, CSP, is an Application Engineer for 3M’s Personal Safety Division, where she conducts respirator-related research, helps design respiratory protection solutions, and provides education and support to respirator wearers, selectors, and fit testers. Prior to joining 3M’s Personal Safety Division, Ms. Hauge worked as an industrial hygienist with 3M Corporate Industrial Hygiene, managing projects related to conducting hazard evaluations, field exposure assessments, hazard characterization, and PPE assignment and fit testing. Ms. Hauge is currently serving as Secretary and Treasurer of the International Society for Respiratory Protection.

Megan Fillmore, CIH, CSP, MPH, has been an Application Engineer for 3M’s Personal Safety Division for 6 years, where she currently provides technical support to 3M’s Reusable Respirator portfolio. In this role, Ms. Fillmore creates technical documentation, conducts training, and helps provide guidance on new product design. Prior to joining 3M’s Personal Safety Division, Ms. Fillmore worked at the Minnesota Department of Health performing healthcare-acquired disease surveillance.

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