Not only is it a smart idea to make sure every employee is informed of chemical hazards in the workplace, it’s also the law! Many of us in the printing industry work with chemicals and materials on a daily basis, and under the Hazard Communication Standard, OSHA requires printing companies to identify hazardous chemicals and provide training to ensure that employees are working with these chemicals in a safe manner. OSHA has made significant revisions to the Hazard Communication Standard, including replacing the Material Safety Data Sheet with the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). In response, we are making available to all members “need to know” information to stay in compliance with the new requirements and free tools to implement a Hazard Communication program to meet them. If you’re familiar with the Safety—Know It, Live It poster series,you know these popular resources function as straightforward visual references to guides for employees providing critical safety information while they work. We’ve just added two new posters to the series, “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” and “Globally Harmonized System of Classification (GHS) Pictograms Quick Reference.” Let’s dive deeper into the details of the new Safety Data Sheet (SDS) represented in the “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” poster. The “Get to Know the Safety Data Sheet” poster provides employees with a reference for what information can be found on an SDS and where to look for it. Let’s look at some important facts about the revised Standard and new SDSs: Safety Data Sheets are replacing Material Safety Data Sheets, and now have a mandatory uniform 16-section format. Manufacturers and suppliers of chemicals are required to determine what hazards could be presented by their product, and they must inform you about those hazards on labels and SDSs. Employers are required obtain an SDS for every hazardous chemical employees work with and to maintain them so they can be accessed. On the SDS, you can find information on a variety of topics about the product, including physical and chemical properties, personal protection, handling, storage procedures, first aid procedures, and health effects in the event of exposure. The safety posters are designed to be displayed in employee break rooms or in other common areas to reinforce key safety messages. Posters can also be placed near equipment, along production lines, or at entrances to production areas. There are also new labeling procedures in the revised Standard which require that all labels must include a Product Identifier, Signal Word (such as DANGER), Hazard Statement, Pictogram, Precautionary Statement, and manufacturer contact information. Employees must receive initial training on the new SDS and labeling requirements by December 1, 2013. For more information on the new Hazard Communication...

An Interview with Keith Whistler, Technology and Research Analyst The expert consultants for our Center for Technology and Research have one main feature in common: qualifying experience and the drive to help companies find solutions. More than a dozen full-time and external consultants are available to support members in all facets of printing operations. The goal is to help firms improve their operational performance and competitive position. So just how do these business-saving experts and consultants help your company? We talked to one of our consultants, Keith Whisler, who lends his expertise in offset and digital printing, color management, and operational issues. With two decades in commercial printing, it’s safe to say he has a vast amount of experience and knowledge. But it is his holistic perspective from a customer’s point of view that really sets him apart. Take a look at how Keith’s experiences taught him how to overcome challenges and how he now applies his talent to printing companies like yours. Q: What is your background in this field, and how has this has enabled you to become a successful consultant? Keith: Experience. I have more than 20 years in commercial printing, providing a great perspective on our customer’s position. Having been a customer much of my career, my experiences remain fresh. This helps me understand their circumstances and challenges.   My background ranges from prepress to plant manager, so I also have insight on different layers within an organization (operator to top management). I have been in management for more than 18 years.  My work has always been technology focused with an emphasis on deploying new systems, including identification, purchasing, implementation, and training.  I have a strong background in IT and prepress, enabling me to move technology into other areas of manufacturing, such as the press and finishing departments. I honed my problem-solving skills because I have always been in areas where I had no choice but to find a way to overcome challenges. Q:  What is your current role with our consulting team?  Keith: Technology and Research Analyst, which includes consulting, training, presentations, product testing, writing articles, and developing process improvement tools. I stay abreast of industry trends and technology developments and relay that information to our members and the industry. With an ever-changing environment like printing, it is vital to incorporate these changes in resources that can benefit the industry, such as updated training material, reference articles, and consultation services. For example, one recent project was to explore the technology of vision inspection, and how it will increasingly be used in the printing industry. I’ll also be giving a presentation on wide-format inkjet at PRINT 13. Q: What are some of the highlights of your consulting experiences? Keith: Printing Industries of America provides great resources to their consultants. I recently earned the G7 Expert and...

An Interview with Keith Whistler, Technology and Research Analyst The expert consultants for our Center for Technology and Research have one main feature in common: qualifying experience and the drive to help companies find solutions. More than a dozen full-time and external consultants are available to support members in all facets of printing operations. The goal is to help firms improve their operational performance and competitive position. So just how do these business-saving experts and consultants help your company? We talked to one of our consultants, Keith Whisler, who lends his expertise in offset and digital printing, color management, and operational issues. With two decades in commercial printing, it’s safe to say he has a vast amount of experience and knowledge. But it is his holistic perspective from a customer’s point of view that really sets him apart. Take a look at how Keith’s experiences taught him how to overcome challenges and how he now applies his talent to printing companies like yours. Q: What is your background in this field, and how has this has enabled you to become a successful consultant? Keith: Experience. I have more than 20 years in commercial printing, providing a great perspective on our customer’s position. Having been a customer much of my career, my experiences remain fresh. This helps me understand their circumstances and challenges.   My background ranges from prepress to plant manager, so I also have insight on different layers within an organization (operator to top management). I have been in management for more than 18 years.  My work has always been technology focused with an emphasis on deploying new systems, including identification, purchasing, implementation, and training.  I have a strong background in IT and prepress, enabling me to move technology into other areas of manufacturing, such as the press and finishing departments. I honed my problem-solving skills because I have always been in areas where I had no choice but to find a way to overcome challenges. Q:  What is your current role with our consulting team?  Keith: Technology and Research Analyst, which includes consulting, training, presentations, product testing, writing articles, and developing process improvement tools. I stay abreast of industry trends and technology developments and relay that information to our members and the industry. With an ever-changing environment like printing, it is vital to incorporate these changes in resources that can benefit the industry, such as updated training material, reference articles, and consultation services. For example, one recent project was to explore the technology of vision inspection, and how it will increasingly be used in the printing industry. I’ll also be giving a presentation on wide-format inkjet at PRINT 13. Q: What are some of the highlights of your consulting experiences? Keith: Printing Industries of America provides great resources to their consultants. I recently earned the G7 Expert and...

Are you or your staff prepared to meet growing customer demands when new standards and technologies are evolving faster than you can say, “training”? Begin the fall 2013 season by going back to school. We have a lineup of highly rated, hands-on training courses to give your company an upper hand on the competition. Fall 3013 Training Workshops September 26–27 G7® Offset Press Operator Training Program  October 1–2    Safety Matters: OSHA Compliance for Printers October 8–9 G7® Digital Press Operator Training Program October 21–24 Orientation to the Graphic Arts November 5–7 Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize Why does it pay to send employees for quality off-site training at Printing Industries of America headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA? We have the skilled experts and trainers that attendees say are “engaging” and “extremely knowledgeable and consistent.” Attendees learn via classroom and hands-on instruction for a comprehensive understanding they can take back to their facility. Additionally, off-site training, away from their daily work, allows for complete focus and material absorption—which leads to greater ROI! Visit www.printing.org/training and look under “Public Workshops” for all of our 2013 training courses....

Are you or your staff prepared to meet growing customer demands when new standards and technologies are evolving faster than you can say, “training”? Begin the fall 2013 season by going back to school. We have a lineup of highly rated, hands-on training courses to give your company an upper hand on the competition. Fall 3013 Training Workshops September 26–27 G7® Offset Press Operator Training Program  October 1–2    Safety Matters: OSHA Compliance for Printers October 8–9 G7® Digital Press Operator Training Program October 21–24 Orientation to the Graphic Arts November 5–7 Extreme Offset: Troubleshoot, Control, Optimize Why does it pay to send employees for quality off-site training at Printing Industries of America headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA? We have the skilled experts and trainers that attendees say are “engaging” and “extremely knowledgeable and consistent.” Attendees learn via classroom and hands-on instruction for a comprehensive understanding they can take back to their facility. Additionally, off-site training, away from their daily work, allows for complete focus and material absorption—which leads to greater ROI! Visit www.printing.org/training and look under “Public Workshops” for all of our 2013 training courses....