December 21, 2023 — The 2023 Health & Safety Conference offered a variety of workshops for PEF members and state managers to hone their skills and learn new ones. From injury and illness reports to bridging the gap between generations, to active shooter training, attendees were offered workshops to provide them with critical tools for labor and management committees and in their work as advocates for health and safety on the job.
Long-COVID and workers’ compensation
The Long-COVID and Workers’ Compensation workshop combined the best practices on navigating the workers’ compensation system in New York with ongoing research on “long-COVID,” where people are plagued by prolonged symptoms of COVID-19.
Members steered the conversation specifically toward the role and relationships of the Workers’ Compensation Board and New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF).
Joe Cavalcante, an advocate for injured workers at the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB), explained NYSIF’s role as the insurance company making payments to injured workers. The WCB deals with disputes that come up during the process, including those that may require the help of lawyers.
Workers Compensation attorney Robert Grey, of Grey & Grey LLP, walked participants through the process for COVID claims. “The Comp system can be incredibly confusing for injured workers, especially when it comes to COVID claims,” he said. “My job is to help you through that system and make sure you get the benefits you deserve.”
Grey also discussed how to access medical care, and what happens if someone dies after being exposed to COVID in the workplace.
“There are significant benefits for families and heirs under the Workers’ Comp law and your PEF contract,” he said.
Cavalcante and Grey, along with Statewide Field Services Director Katie Vorwald, focused on making sure members have the right information, especially when it comes to the various benefits offered by Workers’ Compensation and the PEF/NYS Contract.
The facilitators discussed the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 as it relates to contracted COVID on the job. With long-COVID considered a consequential injury that occurs due to an initial COVID infection, Cavalcante suggested filing a timely COVID claim as soon as possible to preserve compensation coverage for potential long-COVID claims.
Article 13 of the PEF contract complements the Workers’ Compensation law, including benefits around the restoration of any charged accruals, supplemental payments, and civil service law protections for being out of work while recovering from long-COVID.
Members interested in more information about long-COVID or Workers’ Compensation are encouraged to reach out to PEF’s Health & Safety Department at HealthAndSafety@pef.org, the Advocate for Injured Workers at AdvInjWkr@wcb.ny.gov,, and Robert Grey, via the firm’s website.
Using walkthroughs to identify hazards
Walkthroughs are an important health and safety tool, giving PEF members a chance to see any potential problems at the workplace in real time, identify hazards, and hold employers accountable for mitigating them.
The Health & Safety Conference walkthrough workshop gave attendees a thorough overview of the best times to conduct walkthroughs and of the best practices. Regular walkthroughs by union representatives and management, especially with local or agency Health and Safety committees, are the best way to identify hazards and address them properly.
“Walkthroughs are part of the whole risk assessment process,” said Geraldine Stella, PEF’s Director of Health and Safety. “There are many factors that may lead to a walkthrough and what we find out there can be used to make real change in the workplace for safety.”
PEF recently conducted a walkthrough as part of an investigation into a member who was assaulted on the job at an Office of Children and Family Services facility. By doing so, the union was able to begin the process of making sure that any further risks to any members of the agency or facility are addressed.
Active shooter training
Active shooter incidents have sadly become a common occurrence in the United States.
Through the Active Violence Emergency Response Training—or AVERT—a training module designed to educate and bring awareness to active shooting incidents; members were given hands-on training in how to handle such situations. The module focused on giving workers the tools and skills to react properly during an incident, focusing on arming workers and members with knowledge rather than firearms.
The training module was split into two groups, each one using PEF trainers who are HSI-certified AVERT instructors, including PEF Health and Safety Director Geraldine Stella.
“We are grateful to Keith Wrightson and Brian Bisson from the American Federation of Teachers’ Health Issues Department for bringing this program to us. We have a team of certified AVERT instructors at PEF, and will be providing training across the state.” she said. “The PEF and NYS Article 18 Committee is also in discussions right now about funding this program, and the Conference was the perfect place to showcase the training as a joint labor and management project. We will be offering both direct training and Train-the-Trainer programs.”
Stella also noted that the AVERT training was a great addition to PEF Health and Safet Department trainings on workplace violence and emergency action plans. “Years ago we began training health and safety committees on how to advocate for bringing a program to their worksites, now we can offer it ourselves directly.”
“It is important to understand that you may not be able to prevent these incidents from happening,” Wrightson said. “But you can help yourself and your workplace by knowing how to respond.”
Proactive and reactive responses were highlighted in the training. Through both video and facilitated training, members were encouraged to do their best to recognize warning signs, use situational awareness and be aware of their flight or fight instincts and respond confidently.
The training focused on all aspects of an active shooter situation, including how to deal with potential injuries. Members were even given tourniquets and trained how to use them to stop bleeding.
A key aspect of the training focused on attacking, defending, and distracting the shooter. Participants learned how to block doors by stacking tables and chairs, and some techniques that can be used to disarm attackers.
“Some people have the first instinct to run and get away from the attacker, some people have the instinct to fight back immediately, others freeze up entirely,” Wrightson said. “We are trying to educate you to always run, but to know what to do when it may be difficult to run.”
Many members expressed gratitude for the training, especially as many of them were involved in active shooter incidents themselves.
All of the workshops offered at the conference are available through the PEF Health and Safety Department. For more information or to schedule a training for your agency, at your workplace, or at your next membership meeting, visit the PEF Health & Safety pages on the PEF website, or contact the Department at HealthAndSafety@pef.org or 518-785-1900, ext. 254.
