Message fromChris HaslingerDirector of TrainingAs we come to the close of 2015, I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire UA Training Department staff for ev-

erything you do all year long. I believe this year was the busiest year our department has ever experienced. I have listed what you have all accomplished below, and you can be very, very proud.

Training Directors/Coordinators Meet-ing in February

Pipe Trades Training Conference in February

New Training Directors Meeting in March

Office Professionals Seminar in August that had a record number of attendees.

Instructor Training Program in August that also had a record number of at-tendees and first-time participants.

Welding Industry Conference in October Site-Specific Training An extremely large number of Region-

al Courses offered in 2015 We tripled the number of online re-

sources available and saw our online usage increase by almost 300 percent!

The number of grants distributed ex-ceeded what we have done in the past.

I cannot ask anything more from the Train-ing Department staff—you bring your A-game every single day. You believe in what you are doing, and the welfare of the UA’s

I N T E R N A T I O N A L T R A I N I N G F U N D

t r a i n i n gnewsU A T R A I N I N G D E PA R T M E N T

“Training for the Future”

International Training Fund • Three Park Place • Annapolis, Maryland 21401 • Telephone: (410) 269-2000 • Fax: (410) 267-0382

mission statementThe mission of the UA Training Department is to equip United Association locals with educational resources for developing the skills of their apprentices and journeypersons. By thus facilitating the training needs of the membership, we maximize their employability and prepare them for changes in the industry. We are committed to making training opportunities available across North America, allowing members to acquire new skills and remain competitive in the industry regardless of geography. In this way, we are determined to meet the needs of the piping industry and enhance employment opportunities for our members, while remaining fiscally responsible to the beneficiaries of the fund.

DECEMBER 2015 ISSUE 18

UA GENERAL OFFICERSGENERAL PRESIdENtWilliam P. HiteGENERAL SECREtARy-tREASURERMark McManusASSIStANt GENERAL PRESIdENtMichael A. PleasantExECUtIvE vICE PRESIdENtRick TerventRAINING dEPARtMENtdIRECtOR OF tRAININGChris HaslingerUA SPECIAL REPRESENtAtIvESLarry SlaneyAnne A. St. EloiASSIStANt dIRECtOR OF tRAININGJim PavesicItF AdMINIStRAtOREric L. PackardtRAINING SPECIALIStSRich BenkowskiPhil CampbellBruce DantleyRandy GandyMike HazardRod JaraPhil MartinKen SchneiderItF BOARd OF tRUStEESLABOR tRUStEESChristopher Haslinger, ChairmanShawn Broadrick, Local Union 669Wendell Hibdon, Local Union 136Aaron L. Butler, Local Union 469Pedro Nicacio III, Local Union 598Kurt Steenhoek, Local Union 3MANAGEMENt tRUStEESMichael R. Cables, (MCAA), Co-ChairmanRobert T. Armistead, (MCAA)Cornelius J. Cahill, (NFSA)Mark Kerney, (MSCA)Robert Melko, (UAC-NAPHCC)Frank Norton, (MSCA)

this issueThe Accreditation Process .................... p3

New Technology in Orbital

Welding Training Classes ................... p3

Hazard Alerts ........................................ p5

Hearing on Workforce Productivity ..... p5

2 UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT December 2015 Training News December 2015 Training News UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT 3

UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT

Director of Training Chris Haslinger Speaks at MSCA ConferenceIn October, the Mechanical Service Contractors Association (MSCA) held its annual 2015 Educational Con-ference in Colorado Springs, CO. Director of Training Chris Haslinger was one of the business speakers featured at the conference. He gave a very successful presentation on the UA’s new Interactive Curriculum Engagement program, which offers new apprentices a variety of ways to learn and acquire skills.

membership is always your number-one priority. It is evident—all yearlong—that you are committed to the betterment of each UA member, so that they are pre-pared and ready to go to work each day. Your mission of helping the UA be the most highly skilled workforce in the industry is duly noted.

Vince Lombardi once said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” This quote is a great example of what the Training Depart-ment works towards every day, and as the head of the Training Department, I could not be more proud or ask for anything more. I hope that each and everyone of you has a very happy holiday!

NEWS BRIEF

Editor’s Note: The following is a letter received on 8/30/2015 by Phil Martin. He has asked to have this letter shared.

Chris GeeSteamfitters Local 439 East St. Louis, ILGood morning Mr. Martin,

It was a pleasure talking with you during the UA Instructor training week. Per your request here’s a little background on how the UA has shaped my life and career. First I’m a 2nd generation UA fitter/welder, and when my grandfather asked me to tack that piece of old metal for him while he held it, I was hooked. The UA and my local, Steamfitters Local 439, have given me so many different opportunities to learn as much as possible in this unbelievable changing trade. I’m currently a project manager for GRP Mechanical; the owner is a UA member that was taught through the UA apprenticeship.

I have worn many different hats within the trade; I have accomplished so much because of the great men and women of the UA that have passed down so much knowledge. Because of them I have an incredible resume. The following are some of my accomplishments–Welder/Fitter, Foreman, General Foreman, Superin-tendent, nine-year CWI, college graduate, and project management, but my most fulfilling job of all has to be teacher.

I have been teaching now for over 8 years, and along with a lot of other good teachers in my local, we are training some of the best craftsmen in the UA. I believe we can’t just say we’re union, so that makes us better–not true. We are only better because of training and our willingness to learn and teach new technology. We have to continue to encourage these important things. We as UA members have to intelligently engage the ones that know nothing of our trade, and or unions.

When brother and sister members move up into leadership roles, we must be supportive, why wouldn’t we want a brother and or sister in those roles? When young men and women–hell, any UA member–shows that they want to go the su-pervision and or inspection way we must be supportive. This is how we gain market share; we must think outside the ever shrinking box.

In my small but industrial local, we are going after the CWI jobs and get-ting them; we must continue to explore other avenues as well. Our vision is to flood every corner of the construction industry, from CAD, CWI, Project Management, and Owner–why not? I truly love the trade and look forward every morning to what this great trade has in store for me, and my brothers and sisters.

Best Regards,

Chris GeeUA Steamfitters Local 439East St. Louis, IL.

December 2015 Training News UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT 3

TRAINING FOR THE FUTURE

The Accreditation ProcessBy Anne A. St. Eloi, Training Specialist

The UA Training Accreditation, a self-ac-creditation, was started in 1997 and was completed in 2000. The process had been ongoing every five years since then, and the current UA Training Center Audit will reflect the period 2017 to 2022. The initial purpose of the accreditation process was to facilitate the growth of our accredita-tions, including the third-party certifica-tions, such as our welding certifications and the awarding of college credits for UA Apprenticeship Training through organiza-tions such as the American Council on Edu-cation (ACE).

According to the U.S. Department of Edu-cation: “The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institu-tions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.”

Some Functions of Accreditation

• Verifying that an institution or pro-gram meets established standards;

• Assisting prospective students in identifying acceptable institutions;

• Assisting institutions in determining the acceptability of transfer credits;

• Helping to identify institutions and programs for the investment of pub-lic and private funds;

• Protecting an institution against harmful internal and external pres-sure;

• Creating goals for self-improvement of weaker programs and stimulat-ing a general raising of standards among educational institutions;

• Involving the faculty and staff com-prehensively in institutional evalua-tion and planning;

• Establishing criteria for professional certification and licensure and for upgrading courses offering such preparation, and;

• Providing one of several consider-ations used as a basis for determin-ing eligibility for federal assistance.

The benefits of the Accreditation Process have been numerous and include sharing local resources; promoting new and bet-ter instruction methods; formalizing our educational plans; furthering and creating partnerships with industry, higher educa-tion, and government; and ensuring com-plete and accurate student records, while maintaining consistency to our high stan-dard of training across the UA.

This Accreditation Survey with 100 percent on-site evaluations has been very successful to date, and when required, the UA Train-ing Department has provided assistance with updating outdated Apprenticeship Standards and other governing documents critical to the ongoing success of our train-ing programs. The process has allowed us to share the best and most-successful resourc-es with sister training programs and created a local online document library for your use.

Many surveys and site visits have been completed, but before we can approve your local training center’s accreditation, we require the necessary up-to-date docu-ments be uploaded to the document sec-tion of the survey site. These documents include your updated Apprenticeship Stan-dards, current Audited Financial State-ment, Training Plan, Training Center Pho-tos, Training Budget, Curriculum Outline and current Articulation Agreements.

I look forward to working with you on this important process, and if you have ques-tions, or if you require assistance com-pleting the survey, or with updating your documents, please feel free to contact me at annes@uanet.org.

New Technology in Orbital Welding Training Classes By Phil Martin, Administrator of UA Certification Programs

The following is a letter of support that the E. H. Wachs Company sent to the UA in or-der to provide orbital training assistance to our Local Unions.

The construction of micro electronics man-ufacturing facilities relies heavily on the orbital welding process. As the demand for increased chip yield at a higher quality level and lower cost grows in the market, the orbital welding process must “step up” as well. Microchip plant construction is driving demand for the highest quality orbital welds coupled with the need for greater productivity. The Orbitalum (for-merly +GF+ Georg Fischer RVT) OM 165CA orbital welding systems incorporates the latest technological advances designed to simplify operation, produce higher weld quality with full traceability and record ability, while delivering dramatically im-proved productivity.

To help ensure the newest technologi-cal advances are integrated into the UA training system, Orbitalum (a unit of E.H. Wachs) is pleased to offer a free, orbital cutting/facing/welding class for UA mem-bers. This training will focus on the Orbita-lum OM 165CA and related OW enclosed weld heads.

Time allocation is about 30% classroom with a full 70% hands-on in the weld lab. In addition, the participants will also learn and utilize the industry leading Orbitalum GF series tube saws, and the RPG facing tools working with 2” and .75” (the UA 18A standard) OD tubes. All machines, consum-ables and workpieces are supplied at no cost by Orbitalum.

4 UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT December 2015 Training News December 2015 Training News UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT 5

UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT

The UA Training Course will cover the fol-lowing topics and procedures:

• GF saw tube cutting and RPG facing intro and safe operation

• OM 165CA introduction, setup and safe operation

• New technology orbital welding soft-ware navigation

• Simplified position based weld pro-gram development and modification

• New technology ID purge pressure control through the OM 165CA

• ZL and Step welding, improved weld quality simplified

• Oxygen monitoring and logging with the ORBmax

• Orbitwin increased productivity, (2) cali-brated weld heads operated from (1) OM 165CA

• Testing and certifica-tion by Orbitalum

The new Orbitalum train-ing facility is located at E.H. Wachs in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire, IL, less than 30 minutes north of O’Hare International Airport. Open class dates are typically held on the first Tuesday of each month (subject to availabil-ity). Classes in 2016 include:

• January 5• February 2• March 1• April 5• May 3• June 7• July 6 (Wednesday)• August 2

• September 6• October 4• November 1• December 6

This is a great opportunity to enhance your orbital welding training skills with the lat-est offering in orbital welding technology. UA members and their affiliates wishing to attend this complimentary program are re-quired to preregister with Orbitalum/E.H. Wachs. While every effort will be made to accommodate last minute requests, we suggest booking in advance to lock in your spot. Complimentary lunch will be served on both days, but please note that participants will need to make their own travel and hotel arrangements. The reg-

istration is simple, just email your name, UA local number, class date you would like to attend, email and phone number to bbonow@ehwachs.com

Should you have any questions or are look-ing for other info related to Orbitalum products & services, please contact:

Bill Bonow, Orbitalum Product Manager – AmericasE.H. Wachs600 Knightsbridge ParkwayLincolnshire, IL 60069847.484.2517 office815.715.3253 cellbbonow@ehwachs.com

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TRAINING FOR THE FUTURE

Are nanomaterials regulated? OSHA does not have a regulation or Permissible Exposure Limit for any specific nanomaterial, but there are many existing OSHA standards, like the respirator standard, that would still apply. NIOSH has set Recommended Exposure Limits for carbon nanotubes and nano-sized titanium dioxide that employers should follow. EPA has reporting requirements for nanoparticles under TSCA.

Learn more OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1926.103): http://tinyurl.com/OSHA1926-103

OSHA Nanotechnology: http://tinyurl.com/OSHAnano

NIOSH Nanotechnology: http://tinyurl.com/NIOSHnano

EPA TSCA Regulations for Nanoscale Materials: http://tinyurl.com/EPAnanoTSCA

HAZARD ALERT

©2015, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training. All rights reserved. CPWR is the research, training, and service arm of North America’s Building Trades Unions, and works to reduce or eliminate safety and health hazards construction workers face on the job. Production of this card was supported by Grant OH009762 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH. www.cpwr.com

What are Nanomaterials? Learn about nanomaterials in your trade CPWR maintains a website called eLCOSH Nano that features over 450 products that may be nano-enabled.

Construction products that may contain nanomaterials include:

Protect yourselfThere are many kinds of nanomaterials, but they all share a remarkably small size (roughly 100,000 times thinner than a human hair). At this size, they can add new properties to many construction products.

Nanoparticles exist in nature and in man-made combustion sources, but this alert is about manufactured nanomaterials that are added to products. These products are called nano-enabled.

NANOMATERIALS

Wear a respirator Testing shows that nanoparticles do NOt get through high efficiency respirator filters. Reduce dust first with a dust collection system or water. If dust levels are still high, use a respirator.

3

Control dust NIOSH and CPWR have demonstrated that dust collection systems attached to tools will reduce the number of nanoparticles along with normal dust. Wet methods will work too.

2Photo: Worker with full protective gear conducting CPWR test inside a special chamber using a dust collection system

www.nano.elcosh.org

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What are the risks?Some nanomaterials may be safe, but others have been shown to be toxic in the lab. Of particular concern are respiratory exposures to long, thin fibers, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Certain types of CNTs cause lung problems in rodents, similar to asbestos. Nanoparticles don’t seem to penetrate healthy skin but may get through damaged skin. Nanomaterials can be released from nano-enabled products, but the risks are not well understood. the key is to limit exposure.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube penetrating the lung

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Find out more about construction hazards.To receive copies of this Hazard Alert and cards on other topics

Call 301-578-8500

If you think you are in danger:Contact your supervisor. Contact your union.

Cal l OSHA 1-800-321-6742

The MCAA and UA Participate at Hearing on Workforce ProductivityThe following is taken from NIBS “Guidelines and Procedures for Submitting Comments to the Representative Hearing on Productivity and the Workforce.” This document was offered to participants prior to the hearing.

The U.S. building industry is under increasing pressure to deliver high performance buildings to meet the needs of owners, occupants, and government. Owners and contractors are looking for opportunities to improve certainty in schedule, performance, and cost while managing risks. At the same time, there is an increasing concern from multiple segments of the industry on the availability of a skilled workforce, as well as the productivity of the buildings workforce today and into the future. Efforts are underway on a variety of fronts to address pro-

ductivity challenges, including the expansion of off-site techniques; development of enhanced tools and processes, such as building in-formation modeling (BIM); enhancing mid- to long-term forecasts of workforce needs; and attracting new, technology-savvy entrants to the workforce through development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education programs.

In recognition of the impact the productivity and availability of a strong workforce has on all aspects of the building industry, the National Insti-tute of Building Sciences (NIBS) conducted a representative hearing on productivity and the workforce on September 25, 2015. The MCAA and UA participated in the hearing, because it provided an opportunity for representatives from the planning, design, construction, operations, ownership, finance, insurance, regulatory, manufacturing, academia and other segments of the U.S. building industry to speak about the challenges they face and offer potential solutions.

Find out more about construction hazards.To receive copies of this Hazard Alert and cards on other topics

Call 301-578-8500

HAZARD ALERT

©2015, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training. All rights reserved. CPWR is the research, training, and service arm of North America’s Building Trades Unions, and works to reduce or eliminate safety and health hazards construction workers face on the job. Production of this card was supported by Grant OH009762 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH. www.cpwr.com

What is RF Radiation? Ask questions Ask your supervisor if cellular antennas or other RF radiation generating antennas are present. At a minimum, do your own visual assessment. The building owner or property manager should have, or know whom to contact for, information on the antennas, their locations, and the RF radiation levels.

Know the basics…Radiofrequency (RF) radiation, a type of non-ionizing radiation, is the energy used to transmit wireless information. At low levels it is not considered a hazard. But at the levels produced by telecommunications equipment, including radio, television, and cellular antennas, RF radiation can “pose a considerable health risk”1 for workers. As demand for cellular and wireless services grows, more of these antennas are being placed on rooftops and sides of buildings. Many are disguised to hide their presence.

RF RAdiAtionAn invisible dAnger

What to look for…Antennas that generate RF radiation come in different shapes and sizes and emit RF radiation in different directions. Rectangular panel antennas or dish-shaped transmitting antennas* generally send out RF radiation in one direction. Cylindrical or rod-shaped antennas emit RF radiation in more than one direction up to 360 degrees. Hidden antennas are designed to blend into their surroundings. They can be stand-alone (e.g. a flag pole) or a panel that blends into the side of a building, chimney, rooftop, or sign. These antennas are harder to identify and make it difficult to determine the RF radiation emitting direction.

Keep your distance Avoid standing right in front of or close to antennas. If there are antennas where you are working

or on buildings close by, make sure the antennas are not pointed directly toward your work area. At a minimum, stay 6 feet away from a single antenna or 10 feet away from a group of antennas. A personal RF monitor and/or RF protective clothing may be needed. A monitor should sound an alarm if you are in an area where RF radiation is at a dangerous level. Protective clothing will shield you up to 1,000% of the FCC’s maximum permissible exposure limit (MPE). It will not protect you from electrical shocks or arc flash.

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Follow instructions When RF radiation is present, warning signs should be

posted that include information on the hazard and a point of contact for information on the antenna. If you need to work within the RF field, the antenna owner should move or temporarily power down the device.2 Ask your supervisor to confirm it’s been powered down before proceeding.

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1 OSHA: Non-Ionizing Radiation https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiation_nonionizing/ 2 “What is the fCC’s policy on radiofrequency warning signs?…” https://transition.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/rf-faqs.html

*Not dish-shaped TV receivers

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Are you in danger?Do you perform work where telecommunications antennas are present? If the answer is YES, then you could be exposed to hazardous levels of RF radiation.

Why it’s dangerous… RF radiation is invisible.

Power levels vary. The amount of RF radiation can be low when you start working and then spike to higher levels without warning.

Symptoms are often delayed. By the time you feel the symptoms, such as overheating, reddening of the skin, and burns, you have already been over-exposed.

Your risk increases the closer you are to the antenna and the longer you work in the RF radiation field.

RF radiation may interfere with medical devices (e.g. pacemakers), and concerns have been raised about possible non-thermal effects (e.g. nerve damage and psychological injuries).

if you think you are in danger:Contact your supervisor. Contact your union.

Call the antenna owner The contact information should be listed on the warning sign(s) or provided by the site owner/manager. Tell them you are a construction worker, describe the work you will be performing near the RF radiation generating antennas, and express your concern about an exposure hazard. Request a site power down for any work performed within the hazard area or written confirmation that it is safe to perform work as described without a power down. If there are multiple antennas, repeat this process with each antenna owner.

Call the FCC – Get on the Record1-888-225-5322 (press 5)

Tell them you are a construction worker performing work near RF radiation generating antennas and are concerned about an exposure hazard.

Call oSHA 1-800-321-6742

Faux chimmey conceals 15 panel antennas

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Hazard Alert Cards Are Available. To Receive Copies Call (301) 578-8500

UA TRAINING DEPARTMENT 6

Training DeparTmenT Office prOfessiOnals

Administrative AssistantsDebbie Walburn

Suzanne EllisAdministrative Assistant (VIP)

Nicole JeupPublishing

Noreen MoucheronCertification Department

Carrie King, Office ManagerKristyn Ivey

Angie SterlingToni Perry

Registrar’s OfficeCathy Merkel, Registrar

Tracey O’LearyKiva Straser

RecruitmentKiva Straser

Curriculum CoordinatorRachel Shuman

ITF Grants/AccountingJocelyn Crowder, Office Manager

Helen HolmboeTammie Parezo

Pat VallandinghamTracy Webster

IPTJTC BookstoreDianne Lash, Office Manager

Peggy JarrettDarlene Lee

Jay MeadowsDavid Parmenter

Productivity and the Workforce: Creating a “Think & Do” Mindset

Testimony was offered from a wide assortment of organizations: Autodesk, Construction Insti-tute, International Code Council, and the Uni-versity of Utah. The most compelling discussion centered on the recruiting of the millennial stu-dent and how to prepare them for the challenges of the modern construction site. Millennials are digital natives, while those of us who entered the workforce during the 1980s and ‘90s are digital immigrants. To attract the best talent, a couple of speakers urged training programs to connect the curriculum content to the millennial expectation of less lecture, collaboration with their peers, and more use of multimedia. Also, presented were opinions promoting the idea of virtual real-ity and augmented reality as supplemental tools to enrich the experience in the classroom. In ad-

dition, a demonstration in the use of building information modeling, robotic layout, and laser scan-ning was shown to the audience.

In October, a written statement was filed with the Pipe Fabrication Institute (PFI) for the hearing record to assist with the fact finding process. A subsequent NIBS report is planned by the end of 2015. The MCAA, UA, and PFI testimony was developed under the auspices of the UA/Employers Labor/Management Cooperative Committee, which was formed in 2014 and is funded under the PFI’s Yellow Label Pipe Fabrication Agreement. A copy of the report is available on the MCAA’s website. (Taken from MCAA web announcement from October 26.)

About NIBSThe following is taken from the NIBS website.

The National Institute of Building Sciences was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1974 because it rec-ognized the need for an organization that could serve as an interface between government and the private sector. The Institute’s public interest mission is to serve the nation by supporting advances in building science and technology to improve the built environment.

The Institute is a non-profit, non-governmental organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions, industry, and labor and consumer interests to focus on the

identification and resolution of problems and potential problems that hamper the construction of safe, affordable structures for housing, com-

merce and industry throughout the United States.