Reinvestment supports improved safety at WSDA

 Enterprise Risk Management Services

Former program manager, Cindy Cooper, center, 
leading a Plant Services log inspection. 

June is National Safety Month. It offers an opportunity to consider the importance of workplace safety, and spotlight how WSDA’s Enterprise Risk Management Services (ERMS) are working and investing to better protect agency employees.

During 2021 and thus far in 2022, ERMS has invested $205,000 in equipment and training aimed at improving safety and health. 

These funds were made available through the Department of Labor & Industries Retrospective Rating safety incentive program. Agencies earn partial refunds of workers’ compensation premiums by reducing workplace injuries and lowering associated claims costs. 

In other words, the more we reduce injuries and costs, the more we can invest in boosting that cycle of improvement. This blog post presents examples.

Ergonomics

In recent state Safety Surveys, WSDA employees cited ergonomics and sedentary work as the top safety hazards that most affect them. 

State Veterinarian Dr. Amber Itle testing for avian influenza.  

As a result, ERMS established a contract with Ergofit, a consulting company that provides education, webinar presentations, physical conditioning programs, and workplace ergonomic assessments. 

Ergofit has presented several training sessions for WSDA employees that have covered workstation adjustment, home-office ergonomics, loop-band core conditioning, and even best ergonomic practices while driving. Recordings of these sessions, as well as other videos and educational material are available on the Ergonomics page on the agency intranet. 

In addition, WSDA’s safety officers and Ergofit are available to conduct individual ergonomic assessments to identify potential work-related musculoskeletal disorders, which are a leading cause of injury and workers’ compensation claims. Three specialized ergonomics laboratory assessments have been completed for agency lab staff. 

Injury prevention and treatment

Other types of workplace risks that can lead to injury include vehicle collisions, slips, trips and falls, and hazards present in private facilities and outdoors. WSDA staff work in a wide range of conditions, from driving and field inspections, to water sampling and animal contact. 

Jadey Ryan collecting water samples for the Natural Resources
Assessment Section. 

The agency’s Safety Program and safety officers work daily to address the full range of risks, through consulting and support on specific worksite, job, and hazard concerns. 

For example, ERMS has provided back-up cameras and deer whistles for agency vehicles, ice cleats for safer winter walking, and neck-cooling gaiters, wide-brimmed hats and water bottles during hot weather. 

The office has also purchased thousands of N95 masks and other personal protective equipment to protect against COVID-19 infection and to meet specific program requests. 

If a medical emergency does occur, nearly 200 agency staff have been trained in CPR and First Aid since 2020, thanks to online training provided at no cost to their programs. 

Mental health, stress and de-escalation

Learning about the causes and responses to conflict and stress not only increases wellbeing, but also reduces distractions and fatigue that can lead to accidents on the job. 

ERMS has used Retro funds to invest in a series of employee trainings that cover mental health first aid, verbal de-escalation, helping those who are struggling, and mindfulness practice. 

About 400 agency employees have taken advantage of these virtual training sessions at no cost to their programs. 

To improve employee health and address stress, ERMS also promotes participation in the state’s SmartHealth voluntary incentive, diabetes prevention, and Employee Assistance Program resources. 

Smoke and air quality

WSDA continues to follow the wildfire smoke rules issued by L&I last year. Wildfire smoke is a major threat to human health. Breathing in smoke causes wheezing and coughing, heart and lung disease, and can even cause death.

Art Rodriguez lifting a bag of onions for 
the Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program.

ERMS promotes awareness and training on this issue and supervisors’ responsibilities to monitor air quality and take actions to limit workers’ exposure to harmful smoke. In addition, ERMS purchased 30 hand-held air quality monitors and 22 office air purifiers. 

And more……

Along with these actions and investments, ERMS has worked to make WSDA’s work facilities safer. For instance, working with the leadership team in the Yakima building, two permanent contracted security officers are now stationed at the building in shifts from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

And the ERMS team is committed to robust communication and education to the WSDA workforce to promote safety and wellness. They continued presenting the annual Safety Fair in conjunction with the Great Shakeout event in October, moving it to the Teams virtual platform during COVID-19. Last year, 135 agency employees participated in this day-long event. 

In summary: June is National Safety Month. It offers an opportunity to consider the importance of workplace safety, and spotlight how WSDA’s Enterprise Risk Management Services (ERMS) are working and investing to better protect agency employees. ERMS has invested $205,000 in equipment and training aimed at improving safety and health. The more we reduce injuries and costs, the more we can invest in boosting that cycle of improvement. This blog post presents examples.

Wildfire smoke season; stay informed, be prepared

 Brenda Davis, WSDA Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

Department of Natural Resources photo

Spring in the Pacific Northwest has been cooler and wetter than average. We may all be impatient for hot, dry summery days. But those conditions increase the risk of wildfires that cause destruction and choking smoke in the air. 

Fires are already raging through southwestern states, particularly New Mexico with nearly a half-million acres ablaze – a cautionary reminder to get prepared now for Washington’s wildfire season. 

Wildfire smoke is a major threat to human health, and the biggest source of particle pollution in Washington. Breathing in smoke causes wheezing and coughing, heart and lung disease, and can even cause death. 

The state Department of Ecology predicts the number of acres burned by wildfires is increasing as climate change reduces winter snowpack, and produces hotter and drier summers. 

L&I rules

The health risks from wildfire smoke prompted the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) last year to file emergency rules spelling out responsibilities for employers, including state agencies like WSDA, to identify harmful smoke risks, notify employees, and eliminate or reduce workers’ exposure. 

The emergency rules expired in November, but L&I is in the process of making the rules permanent. The agency has indicated that they would again adopt the rules on an emergency basis, if permanent rules are not in place by the start of this year’s fire season.

WSDA will continue to follow the wildfire smoke rules to promote education and awareness of these health hazards to employees. 

These L&I rules, which apply specifically to people working outdoors, give clarify when staff is most at risk and specific steps we as an employer need to take. They exempt worksites within enclosed buildings and vehicles with windows and doors mostly kept closed (except for entry and exit) and air-filtration systems. 

The rules set the standard for dangerously poor air quality at 2.5 PM (particulate matter), which means suspended solid or liquid particles are at or below 2.5 micrometers in diameter. The fine particles at this level are the most concerning hazard, because they get deep into the lungs, worsening conditions like asthma, and affecting heart health.

Employer responsibilities 

WSDA managers and supervisors are responsible for monitoring air quality conditions in the areas where employees are working outdoors. They can check websites such as the EPA's AirNow website or state Department of Ecology's Air Monitoring Network and download mobile apps like "EPA AirNow" or "Air Quality WA." 

In addition, I will be emailing wildfire smoke alerts to staff in areas where air quality ranges from concerning to very unhealthy levels, as determined by the national Air Quality Forecast System. 

When workers are at risk of exposure to hazardous levels of wildfire smoke, employers must take actions to eliminate or reduce their exposure. These measures may include:

• Moving work to enclosed buildings, structures, or vehicles where the air is adequately filtered.
• Moving employees to areas with lower smoke exposure.
• Reducing work intensity.
• Providing additional rest periods.

Providing employees with respirators, such as an N95 or a KN95 disposal mask, at no cost for voluntary use when levels of particulate matter are high.

As WSDA’s emergency preparedness coordinator, I have been working with my Safety Office colleagues and agency leaders to review job hazards and help programs obtain the supplies they need to keep workers safe from smoke exposure. Use of respirators for this purpose is voluntary, so no medical exam or fit test is required.

Although it’s not required, WSDA and L&I recommend taking action to reduce employee exposure to dangerous air at even lower levels of particulate matter, especially for workers with asthma or other lung conditions.

We also recommend training employees and supervisors about wildfire smoke. WSDA staff should view the 15-minute wildfire smoke training video on L&I’s website.  

In summary: The health risks from wildfire smoke prompted the state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) last year to file emergency rules spelling out responsibilities for employers, including state agencies like WSDA, to identify harmful smoke risks, notify employees, and eliminate or reduce workers’ exposure. WSDA will continue to follow the wildfire smoke rules to promote education and awareness of these health hazards to employees. Read this Insider blog post for updates on agency responsibilities. 

Four win prizes in latest QUICK Award drawing

 Kathy Davis, Communications

Jacob Gilbreath

Four WSDA employees became eligible to select a prize because their names were randomly selected from the full list of those receiving a QUICK Award during the first quarter of 2022. 

Agencywide that quarter, employees handed out 41 awards to their coworkers, with 31 awarded in Western Washington and 10 in Eastern Washington.

QUICK Awards are presented by employees who see their peers demonstrating good work and service to others – either inside or outside the agency. Below are the prize recipients from the most recent drawing.

Jacob Gilbreath -- Animal Services – Livestock Inspection, Olympia
Jacob started just a month ago as the new brand recorder during a renewal cycle. Jacob processed about 3000 brands and jumped in with both feet since starting. He has worked hard to get things caught up at that desk and he has done an amazing job. We could not have asked for a better team member to join our staff in Olympia. He is always happy to help and has a smile on his face. Thank You Jacob for all of your hard work! - Brennan Kimbel  

Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson -- Administrative Services, Financial Services, Olympia
Thank You Nick for facilitating our FSCS Division Enterprise Report Training! We appreciate you taking the time to share your expertise, and for being available to us for assistance as we manage our budgets. - Angela Starr 

Jaime Villa -- Plant Protection, Chemical & Hop Laboratory, Yakima
Jaime made some wood dollies on his own time and with his own resources to help move the hop equipment in the hop inspection laboratory. Every year the sorting & compositing tables, along with the desks, shakers, and divider have to be moved from one side of the room to the next and back again in order for the floor to be stripped and waxed due to the hop resin buildup over the season. This can be a very labor intensive task that at times has involved 3-4 people. With these new dollies, moving the equipment made the task easier, quicker and safer. – Chris Wiseman

Lyndsie Wilson

Lyndsie Wilson -- Produce Safety (now with Food Assistance), Olympia
Lyndsie does so much in the background that makes my job as a Program Manager easier and I credit her strengths of responsibility and attention to detail for keeping the Produce Safety Program running smoothly through multiple recent staffing changes. In particular, I appreciate how she has helped increase out team’s knowledge and understanding of how to best use the FoodPro database so we can continue to build our farm inventory and extract reliable numbers for FDA reporting purposes. - Connie Fisk

Congratulations to all WSDA employees, listed below, who were recognized with a QUICK Award from a colleague between Jan. 31 and March 31, 2022. 

Eastern Washington 

Linda Brown, Hector Casique, Caleb James, Darla Lindemeier, Casey Litt, Paula Moore, Noel Munoz, Joshua Smith, Brandy Thompson 

Western Washington

Susie Allen, Natasha Ames, Sidney Black, Sandy Changala, Caleb Cole, Katie Dao, Amanda Davis, Lacey Dendy, Amy Donahue, Ashlee-Rose Ferguson, Jason Gambill, Amber Justis, Curtis Kester, Erin Kester, Kim King, Yong Liu, Reanna McNamara, Vianca Philpotts, Robin Schaffer, Carol Schmidt, Victoria Shaffer, Ben Smith, David Smith, Chi Tran, Kim Truett, Lisa White  

June 30 next drawing deadline

When you catch one of your coworkers doing something special for staff or customers, why not let them know with a QUICK Award? You can find the award form on the intranet. The QUICK awards intranet page has been updated to send a copy of the award to the recipient if their email address is provided.

Forms are also available from your division coordinator or agency receptionists.

In summary: Four WSDA employees became eligible to select a prize because their names were randomly selected from the full list of those receiving a QUICK Award during the first quarter of 2022. See who they are and why they were recognized by their colleagues. Insider now also lists all employees who received QUICK Awards during the previous quarter. 

Agency drone project building foundation for work use

 Kathy Davis, Communications

Imagine dairy nutrient inspectors getting an aerial view of farms and manure lagoon conditions without riding up in an airplane. 

Imagine our entomologists tracking radio-tagged pests like the Asian giant hornet to its nest without having to navigate difficult, dangerous terrain on foot. Or, pesticide compliance inspectors using chemical sensors to detect an off-target drift. 

These types of work could be more precise and efficient with the use of drones, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). 

WSDA launched a formal project about five months ago to explore how the agency could use this tool. The project team is building the infrastructure needed to assure that our drone use is legal, secure, and coordinated. 

The project has approved pilot use of drones by three WSDA programs – Dairy Nutrient Management, Pesticide Compliance, and the Pest Program, based on the proposed uses described above. 

Project goals

Among the project team’s goals is to create a main agency policy. Divisions or programs will develop their own operations manual as guidance on specifics. In addition, each program will appoint a UAS coordinator. 

The project will also produce operating procedure guidance, as well as orientation and training for staff and administrators responsible for drone programs. 

Our Information Technology (IT) Office is involved to determine hardware and software requirements, data storage and backup needs, and security approvals from the state Office of Cybersecurity. The Contracts and Procurement Office will help with purchasing equipment. 

Several WSDA staff attended a drone demonstration presented by the Department of Fish and Wildlife in Prosser in September 2021. (Read the Ag Briefs blog post: WSDA considers taking field work to new heights.) Since then, interest in drone use within the agency has grown as staff ponders how the technology could help them do their work. 

Except for the three pilot initiatives mentioned above, no other agency drone use is authorized at this time. 

The project team is working through many complex considerations, such as:

• What privacy concerns might our stakeholders or residents have?
• What if one of our drones crashes?
• How will resulting data be organized, used, and kept secure?

Agency employees who operate drones must obtain an FAA pilot’s license and all flight plans must be logged. 

So, if you are excited about the prospect of using a drone to accomplish your WSDA work, hang in there! The drone project team is working through the steps and building the foundation. 

The project team is comprised of:

• Jason Ferrante – Administrative Services (executive sponsor)
• Ron Hussung, Jason Gambill – Enterprise Risk Management (program administrators)
• Susie Olsen, Curt Secker, Jay Delozier, Harold Boggs, Caroline Alper – IT Office
• Hannah Flournoy, Janet Waeschle, Pam Potwin – Administrative Regulations
• Greg Haubrich – Pest Program
• Gary Buckner – Pesticide Compliance Program
• Kyrre Flege – Dairy Nutrient Management Program
• Laura Lowe – Contracts and Purchasing
• Kristin Rondeau, Nicole Wolf – Performance and Planning (project management)

If you have questions or comments, contact Jason Gambill, the agency’s UAS program administrator, or Nicole Wolf for project information.  

In summary: WSDA launched a formal project about five months ago to explore how the agency could use drones, also known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The project team is building the infrastructure needed to assure that our drone use is legal, secure, and coordinated. Learn more about the project’s goals and potential use of drones in this Insider blog post. 

New Produce Safety Program inspection team for 2022

 Connie Fisk, Produce Safety Program Manager

In partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the WSDA Produce Safety Program promotes understanding of and compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. 

The inspection team plays a vital role in the program’s success by conducting inspections of farms and packing houses to verify compliance with the FSMA Produce Safety Rule, and educating Washington producers to identify and mitigate produce safety risks.

The program has added several new inspection team members in 2022. Read on to learn about their professional experience and outside interests.

Jerrid Higgins has been with the program since May 2018 as a produce safety field inspector, but he stepped into the inspection supervisor role on March 1. In addition to inspecting covered farms, he serves as a conduit of information between the FDA and inspectors. And continues to develop and implement our compliance and enforcement program.

Jerrid has a background in horticulture, vineyard, and tree fruit work. He graduated from University of California-Davis in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and food systems. He earned a master’s degree in sociology from Washington State University (WSU), with emphasis on local food system development. He is a subject matter exert in biological soil amendments of animal origin.

Outside of work, Jerrid enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife, son and two dogs.

Leah Grewal joined WSDA in March as our new inspection administrative coordinator. She is the inspection team’s front line of communication with farms covered by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. She also manages the database containing our farm inventory and details from each farm inspection.

Leah began her career with the state in 2013 with the Washington State Patrol, where she enjoyed the opportunity to support troopers and build an awesome team of secretaries. Leah has a Certificate in Enterprise Risk Management that she hopes to apply to her work with WSDA.

Leah lives on acreage in Snohomish County, which she hopes to turn into a farm. She enjoys spending time with her three young children and husband.

Thane Tupper joined the program in April as a produce safety field inspector in Eastern Washington where the majority of the state’s tree fruit and onion farms, and packing houses are located.

Thane’s previous position with WSDA was as an agricultural commodity inspector in Grant and Adams counties. Before joining WSDA, he gained in-depth knowledge and experience in large-scale production, packaging, and facility sanitation in the brewing industry. Thane previously owned and operated a company specializing in avian pest control for agricultural crops using falconry-based methods to mitigate crop loss and damage. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in environmental policy and management concentrated in natural resource management.

In his personal time, Thane is an avid outdoorsman, spending is time hunting, fishing, practicing falconry, and exploring the shrub steppe of Central Washington.

Travis Alexander joined the program in April as a produce safety field inspector in Western Washington. Much of the state’s berry production and packing occurs in the northwest corner of the state.

Travis's professional background includes a postdoctoral fellowship in horticulture at WSU and five years of teaching experience (food science, horticulture, and general biology) at several community colleges in the Pacific Northwest. He is a subject matter expert in biological soil amendments of animal origin and postharvest handling and sanitation. 

Travis speaks English and Spanish, enjoys working with individuals of diverse backgrounds, and loves to write. His hobbies include garden railroading and baking.

In summary: The WSDA Produce Safety Program promotes understanding of and compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. The inspection team plays a vital role in the program’s success and several new team members have been added in 2022. Read this Insider blog post to learn about their professional experience and outside interests. 

Intranet survey results offer initial input for new site

 Kathy Davis, Communications

As the agency’s project team tasked with creating a new WSDA intranet website for employees works through technical issues, they are also reaching out to staff, gathering input about the most important features and topics to build into a new site. 

To that end, the team encouraged all agency employees to complete a survey last month seeking input, and 141 (19%) WSDA employees responded. 

Most respondents indicated they had no difficulty accessing the site. Only three said it was too difficult to access or that it does not work on mobile devices. Although the survey was open to all employees, it may be that staff who are unfamiliar with the agency’s intranet, or those who do not access it due to network or other issues, did not take this survey. 

The project team plans to do more research into employee preferences, and will soon organize a series of focus groups to gain insight beyond the survey results. In particular, the team wants to know what would draw current non-users to the site and make it valuable to them. 

Results by the numbers

One-quarter of the survey respondents said they looked at the intranet every day, and 61% said they did so regularly. Just under a quarter said they seldom or never looked at the site. 

More than three-quarters (76%) said they used intranet resources either daily or regularly. 

Among the list of site resources currently featured on the homepage, these were the top ones survey respondents said they used most:

1. Forms and Publication (76%)
2. Human Resources (61%)
3. Policies and Procedures (58%)
4. Contacts and Org Charts (46%)
5. Information Technology (39%)
6. Travel (37%)
7. Divisions and Programs (37%)
8. Payroll (28%)

When asked to choose the top five resources they would likely use on a new intranet site, the results largely mirrored current usage. Forms, Human Resources, Policies and Procedures, IT, Contacts, and Travel topped the list. 

More than one-third (37%) said they currently use division (and program) pages on the intranet. The number of respondents who checked a “programs under X division” box as likely to use in the future ranged as follows:

• Food Safety – 19
• Commodity Inspection – 11
• Pesticide Management – 9
• Plant Protection – 5
• Animal Services – 1  

The primary barrier respondents cited to using the intranet was that information is too difficult to find, followed by information being out of date and not relevant to “me or my work.” 

Support was high for making improvements to the site. For instance, nearly three-quarters of respondents requested keeping information up to date. Ease of finding info (70%) and navigation (58%), as well as a search function (65%), were also top requests. 

In the comments, survey respondents reinforced many of the question choices. Several comments expressed frustration with confusing navigation and content being outdated. 

In general, these survey results point to making a new site: 

• Easier to navigate and search. 
• Featuring certain topics most prominently.
• Keeping all content current. 

If you have questions about the survey or additional input about a new intranet, send comments to Kathy Davis, internal communications coordinator.

To learn more about the intranet rebuild project, see earlier blog post titled “New agency intranet website being planned.”

In summary: As the agency’s project team tasked with creating a new WSDA intranet website for employees works through technical issues, they are also reaching out to staff, gathering input about the most important features and topics to build into a new site. To that end, the team encouraged all agency employees to complete a survey last month seeking input. Read about the survey results and next steps in this Insider blog post. 

Defensive driving reduces personal and financial costs

 Jason Gambill, Safety Program

More WSDA staff are traveling again than they have in the past two years. And more drivers in general are back out on the road. 

With travel come risks. In 2021, WSDA employees were involved in 13 car accidents or near misses. The individual costs of such incidents involve possible injury, as well as the stress and time spent dealing with the response. 

They are also expensive for WSDA. Those vehicle accidents in 2021 cost the agency $26,246.  

We are covered by a self-insurance policy that is set aside for third-party indemnity payouts. Because we do not carry commercial insurance, accident repair costs come from division and program budgets. 

Be on the defensive

Only you can control your own vehicle. We can’t predict what others around you will do. But you can drive defensively, which means being alert and prepared to react to other drivers. 

Follow these best practices when you’re getting behind the wheel:

• Allow yourself plenty of time to get to your destination; rushing increases risk.
• Eliminate distractions while driving, such as being on a cell phone, eating, or adjusting settings on the dashboard.
• Allow at least 3-4 seconds of reaction time between you and the vehicle in front of you.
• Be courteous to and cautious of other drivers. Even those who aren’t driving safely; give them plenty of space. 
• Have a plan for an alternate route, in case of an accident or roadway closure in your path.
• Be aware of and prepared for the road conditions during inclement weather.

This year, the Safety Program has partnered with other agency programs to test out several backup cameras to see if these can make a difference in reducing vehicle accidents. 

State vehicle after crash, 2018.

If you travel for work, become educated with the basics of defensive driving. The Department of Enterprise Services offers safe driving videos and a defensive driving training course for state employees.  

Defensivedriving.org, which aims to save drivers money on vehicle insurance through safe practices, offer 10 key defensive driving techniques. 

In summary: More WSDA staff are traveling again than they have in the past two years. And more drivers in general are back out on the road. With travel come risks. Only you can control your own vehicle. We can’t predict what others around you will do. But you can drive defensively, which means being alert and prepared to react to other drivers. Learn more in this Insider blog post.