BREAKING NEWS

Stimulus Bill Affects COBRA Continuation Coverage

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law H.R. 1, "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, " also known as the "Stimulus Bill." The bill includes provisions, effective March 1, regarding the continuation of health insurance coverage (continuation coverage) that covered employers must make available to certain former employees and their families under provisions of the "Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985" (COBRA).

The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors has prepared an outline of the key provisions of the Stimulus Bill that touch COBRA continuation coverage and how they may affect employers. The outline can be downloaded here.

IRS Reduces Standard Mile Deduction

The Internal Revenue Service changed the standard rate for deducting the business use of a car from 58.5 cents a mile to 55 cents for 2009. The rate includes maintenance, repair, gas, oil, insurance, license, registration and tire costs, and is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile.

SAFETY & COMPLIANCE NEWS

GAWDA Preparing Comments for PHMSA • GAWDA is preparing comments to file with the PHMSA regarding the prohibition of lawsuits under state tort law against manufacturers or owners of DOT 39 cylinders that were manufactured in accordance with U.S. DOT specifications, 47 Federal Register 5723 (January 30, 2009). For more information, contact GAWDA's Government Affairs & Human Resources Consultant Richard P. Schweitzer, Esq., at 202-223-3040 or rpschweitzer@rpslegal.com.

OSHA's Hex Chrome PEL Upheld • In a decision issued February 23 by a 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel of judges, OSHA won on almost all counts regarding challenges to the hexavalent chromium, or Cr(VI), permissible exposure limit (PEL) set in February 2006. The judges determined that a PEL of 5 micrograms of Cr(VI) per cubic meter of air is sufficient to protect workers (including welders) exposed to the compound, and the standard applies to maintenance and repair employees at coal and nuclear plants as well. However, OSHA must now state its reasons for requiring employees to be notified when monitored Cr(VI) exposures exceed the PEL rather than notifying employees of all monitoring results. Read more about the hex chrome PEL on OSHA's Web site.

ERG 2008 Training Video • U.S. DOT Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) developed a training video to help explain the contents of the Emergency Response Guide (ERG) 2008 and how to use it during an incident involving dangerous goods. The video can be viewed or downloaded on PHMSA's Web site, or the IAFC Web site. DVDs of the training program are also available free of charge from PHMSA.

March Safety & Technology Organizer Online • The March Safety & Technology Organizer is now available at GAWDA's Web site. Topics include: Safety Council Calls for Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving, and Driving and Parking Hazmat Vehicles.

INDUSTRY BEAT
(what people are talking about)

Buffalo Welding Adds Fill Plant, Spec Gas Lab (Tonawanda, NY) • Buffalo Welding Corp. added a fill plant for high-pressure cylinders and a spec gas lab to its main location in Tonawanda, NY. "Adding the fill plant and spec gas lab allows us to be more independent. We can now fill our own cylinders and not have to rely on the majors," explains General Manager Tim Mann. The facilities are a combined 10,000 sq. ft. They handle argon, nitrogen and oxygen.

R3 Safety Expands Sales Team (Wilmington, OH) • Nick Mercadante and Ron Vince joined R3 Safety as regional business managers. Mercadante is responsible for the Mid-Atlantic region and Vince for the Mountain States region.

Matheson Tri-Gas Expanding (Montgomeryville, PA) • Matheson Tri-Gas will be expanding its Advanced Technology Center in Longmont, CO, due to growing demands of advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Plans include the expansion of the clean room manufacturing facilities and the R&D facilities, which will add an estimated 25,000 sq. ft. The expansion is expected to be finished by July.

Dan McDonald

McDonald Joins Munn Supply (Enid, OK) • Munn Supply hired Dan McDonald as a salesperson. McDonald has worked in the industry for 15 years, previously holding positions as a driver and as a home healthcare representative for liquid oxygen.

Wellness Center Added at Hypertherm (Hanover, NH) • Hypertherm, in partnership with Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), opened a wellness center for its employees. Located at Hypertherm's headquarters, the Center is staffed with 2 DHMC nurses and operates on both a walk-in and appointment basis with no co-pay required. The Center opened on February 13, just prior to Hypertherm's "Wellness Week," which included classes on healthy eating, smoking cessation and stress relief.

Weldship Granted Retesting Permit (Bethlehem, PA) • The U.S. Department of Transportation granted Special Permit (SP) 14784 to Weldship Corporation. The permit authorizes Weldship to retest tubes every 10 years rather than every 5 years. Special Permit 14784 authorizes requalification by either the hydrostatic test and visual inspection method, or by acoustic emission and ultrasonic examination.

Carl K. Seitz In Sympathy 1969-70 NWSA President Carl K. Seitz Carl K. Seitz, 91, was the owner of Welders Supply Company and Beloit Fire Protection Co. in Beloit, WI, and served as NWSA president in 1969-70. He was also a charter member of the American Welding Society and served as president in 1958. Under his leadership, the association developed programs to teach distributors how to better run their businesses and to keep up with an evolving industry. He established the NWSA Safety Committee and began the Safety Handbook. In 1974, Mr. Seitz retired and moved to Arizona, where he earned a real estate broker's license and opened a real estate agency. He and his wife Laura also owned an antique shop and a gift shop. Laura preceded him in death in 2007. He is survived by his daughter Karla Faber of Beaver Dam, WI, and son Terry Seitz of Beloit, WI.

GAWDA NEWS

Chicago Spring Management Conference • The Chicago SMC will take place on March 22-24 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. If you have not yet registered to attend, you still have the opportunity to do so. You can register online or download the registration forms on GAWDA's Web site. The Chicago SMC educational programming offers interactive concurrent sessions for executives, salespeople and operations workers. For complete details, get the program brochure from the Current Events page.

GAWDA Supplier members, do you have your Exhibit Booth for the Contact Booth Program? Sign up now. The Contact Booth Program brings manufacturers, suppliers and service providers together with distributors to establish and renew business relationships and to learn about new products and services. This is a great networking opportunity you do not want to miss.

Attendees and Exhibitors, take a glance at the lists of those who will be attending and exhibiting at the Chicago SMC on the Current Events page.

Chicago SMC: Contact Booth Program Prizes • Attend the Contact Booth program on Monday, March 23, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., and you could go home with a laptop or a digital camera. Visit 30 or more booths, and your name will be put in the hat for a drawing for a Dell Vostro A860 laptop with 160 GB of memory, Microsoft Works and wireless networking. Two booths will have Golden Tickets, which can be redeemed for a Canon PowerShot A590 digital camera with 8 megapixel resolution, 4X zoom and optical stabilization.

Show your support for our exhibitors and plan on attending the Contact Booth Program.

GAWDA Gives Back to WINGS • WINGS ("Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing, Inc.") was announced as the 2009 recipient for GAWDA Gives Back. Offering comprehensive breast cancer screening and treatment at no charge to the patient, WINGS relies solely on donations from foundations, corporations and individuals. President Britt Lovin and his wife Julie explain their choice for this year's Gives Back recipient here. Don't forget to download the donation form.

HR Report Available • The March 2009 HR Manager's Legal Reporter is now available for download on GAWDA's Web site.

GAWDA Clearinghouse • The GAWDA Clearinghouse has been updated for the month and is available on GAWDA's Web site.

Profit Survey for Distributor Members • Participate in the 2009 GAWDA PROFIT Survey. Get full details here.

Take Advantage of GAWDA University Online • GAWDA U is an easy-to-use and inexpensive online training tool for your employees. The educational content of GAWDA U was developed to support GAWDA's primary mission of providing information to assist you in improving your company's safety and compliance.

GAWDA U Online is an ever-changing and growing program. We are conducting weekly webinars to introduce members to the functions and content of GAWDA U and to answer any questions. Please contact GAWDA Membership Director Kate Cole (kcole@fernley.com) to sign up for the introductory webinars or to find out more about this exciting opportunity!

View course listings here.

WORKSHOPS, WEB CONFERENCES & SEMINARS

GAWDA Professional Compliance Seminar
Featuring GAWDA Consultants Tom Badstubner and Mike Dodd
March 16-19, 2009
Philadelphia, PA

At the GAWDA Professional Compliance Seminar, you will be brought up to date on the regulatory issues facing our industry. Seminar topics will be focused on being in compliance while maintaining a profitable business. We will also conduct documented training for the compliance professional.

The location was selected specifically to help lower your cost of attendance. You will not need a rental car. The cost for the seminar has been reduced from previous years to $650 for all 4 days (or $250 per day).

Rooms are available at the Philadelphia Loews Hotel, 1200 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Please make your reservation directly with the Loews Philadelphia Hotel by calling 215-627-1200. Cancellations will be accepted at no charge until 48 hours prior to arrival. Get more details here.

The GAWDA Connection is distributed on the 8th and 23rd of each month to all GAWDA members as a membership service of GAWDA, the Gases and Welding Distributors Association, 100 N. 20th Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19103-1443. Neither GAWDA nor Data Key Communications, LLC, their officers, directors, members and staff are responsible for contents or opinions other than those concerning Association activities.

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