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Key Conversation with Bart Pickelman

This article appeared in the July 2020 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

Q: How does your background help you work with manufacturers in your current role?

Pickelman: I was born and raised in Saginaw where manufacturing was the lifeblood of the community providing jobs and a good standard of living for many and giving me a true understanding of the value of this industry sector. Over my three decades of work as a health and safety professional, I have toured and inspected hundreds of manufacturers which has provided me exposure to a vast array of different types of manufacturing and allowed me the opportunity to learn how to protect employees in various work environments.

Q: As the state and businesses reopen, there are more regulations and protocols being put in place. How will these expanded regulations be enforced?

Pickelman: MIOSHA intends to provide the guard rails to help ensure the appropriate precautions are implemented to protect workers and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The approach allows maximum flexibility for employers to work with their employees to determine the best measures to use in their specific workplaces.

MIOSHA will enforce the requirements in the Governor’s executive orders related to workplace safety along with applicable guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The first step is for employers to determine the risk category of their employees using the OSHA guidance and then develop a written COVID-19 preparedness plan detailing the precautions being put in place such as health screening, social distancing, cleaning protocols, engineering controls, personal protective equipment (PPE) and the requisite training for employees.

Q: How is your department helping manufacturers stay informed of changing, expanded or new regulatory requirements?

Pickelman: MIOSHA’s motto is to “educate before we regulate” and we are very fortunate in Michigan to have a very robust Consultation Education and Training (CET) division within the agency and great support from the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity communications staff. The CET division has developed PowerPoint presentations for employers and employees covering general expectations and other presentations for specific industry sectors as they are permitted to reopen under the executive orders. In addition, a template for a COVID-19 preparedness plan for employers with low and medium risk employees has been created. These presentations, the COVID-19 plan template and other helpful handouts, posters, and fact sheets can be found online at https://Michigan.gov/COVIDWorkplaceSafety. Finally, a MIOSHA COVID-19 hotline has been launched to answer questions and provide guidance to both employers and employees. The new hotline is 855-SAFE-C19 or 855-723-3219.

Q: Where do you see Michigan and manufacturing heading as the state continues efforts to revitalize Michigan’s economic engine?

Pickelman: Michigan has a very long and proud history of manufacturing and I believe this pandemic will once again prove the importance of this sector. Manufacturing will reopen, resurge, in some instances reinvent and retool in order to greatly contribute to the economic vitality in this great state.