Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Clients|Equipment|Tibbit

Juan Catalán Robles

Keika Ventures, LLC Appoints New Environmental Engineer to Lead Project Sales in Chile and South America

Juan Catalan
Juan Catalán Robles

Durham, NC – Keika Ventures, LLC a leading environmental project aggregator and services provider, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Juan Catalán Robles as the head of projects for Chile and South America. With an impressive background in environmental engineering and a passion for sustainable solutions, Juan Catalan Robles brings a wealth of experience to Keika Ventures dedicated team.

In his new role, Juan Catalan Robles will oversee the planning, execution, and management of environmental projects across Chile and other South American countries. His expertise in environmental regulations, sustainable development, and innovative solutions will further strengthen Keika Ventures’ commitment to providing comprehensive environmental services to clients in the region.

“We are delighted to welcome Juan to our team as the leader of projects in Chile and South America,” said Keith Woofter, International Business Development Manager at Keika Ventures. “His extensive experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand our presence and deliver high-quality environmental solutions to our clients.”

Juan Catalan Robles holds a Degree in Engineering from Federico Santa Maria Technical University, and has 18 years of experience working in various environmental projects across different industries. His track record of success and dedication to environmental stewardship align perfectly with Keika Ventures values and mission.

“I am delighted to join Keika and contribute to its mission of servicing our clients in promoting clean air and water” said Juan Catalan Robles. “I have known and respected the team at Keika for many years. I look forward to leveraging my contacts and experience to continue to deliver services and solutions to our clients in Chile and South America.”

About Keika Ventures:

Keika Ventures was launched in 2001 as a project integrator with the mission of providing environmental products, analytical lab services, and compliance training. Our Products and Analytical Services Divisions are focused on international markets serving clients in over 100 countries across all seven continents. Our Products Division offers source testing equipment for air and water quality monitoring and a myriad of industrial hygiene applications worldwide. Our Analytical Services division provides clients with a single expert point of contact to an international lab network for testing and sampling services. Eduwhere, our online training division serves clients in all 50 states primarily covering compliance based health and safety courses. We train a broad base of clients including manufacturing, shipping, mining, university, healthcare and military personnel as well as independently owned small businesses.

For media inquiries or more information about Keika Ventures, LLC, please contact David Emmett at 919.246.4847 or david@keikaventures.com.

“I am delighted to join Keika and contribute to its mission of servicing our clients in promoting clean air and water.”

Juan Catalan Robles
Over 100 country flags spread over the world map.
Clients in over 100 countries spread across all 7 continents.

Keika Ventures, LLC nombra nuevo Ingeniero Ambiental para liderar ventas de proyectos en Chile y Sudamérica

Durham, NC – Keika Ventures, LLC, un destacado agregador de proyectos ambientales y proveedor de servicios, se complace en anunciar el nombramiento de Juan Catalán Robles como jefe de proyectos para Chile y América del Sur. Con su impresionante experiencia en ingeniería ambiental y una pasión por soluciones sostenibles, Juan Catalán Robles aporta una gran experiencia al dedicado equipo de Keika Ventures.

Juan Catalan
Juan Catalán Robles

En su nuevo cargo, Juan Catalán Robles supervisará la planificación, ejecución y gestión de proyectos ambientales en Chile y otros países de Sudamérica. Su experiencia en regulaciones ambientales, desarrollo sostenible y soluciones innovadoras fortalecerá aún más el compromiso de Keika Ventures en proporcionar servicios ambientales integrales a los clientes de la región.

“Estamos encantados de dar la bienvenida a Juan a nuestro equipo como líder de proyectos en Chile y Sudamérica”, dijo Keith Woofter, Gerente de Desarrollo de Negocios Internacionales de Keika Ventures. “Sus amplios conocimientos y experiencia serán invaluables a medida que continuamos expandiendo nuestra presencia y ofreciendo soluciones ambientales de alta calidad a nuestros clientes”.

Juan Catalán Robles se egresa de la Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, con 18 años trabajando en diversos proyectos ambientales en diferentes industrias. Su historial de éxitos y dedicación a la gestión ambiental se alinean perfectamente con los valores y la misión de Keika Ventures.

“Estoy encantado de unirme a Keika y contribuir a su misión de servir a nuestros clientes en la promoción de aire y agua limpios”, dijo Juan Catalán Robles. “He conocido y respetado al equipo de Keika durante muchos años. Espero aprovechar mis contactos y experiencia para seguir brindando servicios y soluciones a nuestros clientes en Chile y Sudamérica”.

Acerca de Keika Ventures:

Keika Ventures comenzó en 2001 como un integrador de proyectos con la misión de proporcionar productos ambientales, servicios de análisis de laboratorio y capacitación en cumplimiento. Nuestras Divisiones de Productos y Servicios Analíticos están enfocados en mercados internacionales para clientes en más de 100 países en los siete continentes. Nuestra división de productos ofrece equipos de prueba de origen para monitoreo de la calidad del aire y agua y una variedad de aplicaciones de higiene industrial en todo el mundo. Nuestra división de servicios analíticos brinda a los clientes un único punto de contacto experto a una red de laboratorios internacionales para servicios de pruebas y muestreo. Eduwhere, nuestra división de capacitación en línea, atiende a clientes en los 50 estados, principalmente cubriendo cursos de salud y seguridad basados en cumplimiento. Capacitamos a una amplia base de clientes, incluyendo fabricantes, envíos, minería, universidades, personal de atención médica y militar, así como pequeñas empresas independientes.

Para consultas de los medios de comunicación o mas información sobre Keika Ventures, LLC, comuníquese con David Emmett al 919.246.4847 o david@keikaventures.com.

“Estoy encantado de unirme a Keika y contribuir a su misión de servir a nuestros clientes en la promoción de aire y agua limpios.”

Juan Catalán Robles
Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Tibbit

Planting Trees: 2023 & Happy New Year!

From our Keika Family to yours, here’s wishing you peace, joy and blessings of the holiday season. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We are again partnering with our friends at One Tree Planted to plant our “Keika Christmas Trees” in honor of our employees, clients, and vendors. The essence of our mission is to support clean air and water along with training for safe travel across the globe. Thanks for all you do and for honoring us with your association along the way.

We funded these tree projects this year:
Argentina
Indonesia
Peru
Philippines
Thailand
Protect the ORCA

Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men


Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Tibbit

What are the Different Types of Hazmat Certifications?

First let’s address a bit of a pet peeve here at Eduwhere. There are no government certified courses or trainers regarding hazardous materials. The government requires employers to know the rules and train their employee on the rules. The hazmat employer may provide the training in house or use a subject matter expert to conduct training. The employer must decide if the expert is qualified to teach the Regulations. If the trainer has been offering courses for 30 years you may have found a good prospect.

You probably searched for “Hazmat Certification” because you need training on these rules so let’s discuss hazmat training – what it is, who needs it and where to find it. And if you call our help desk 866.523.9108 and ask how to get “hazmat certified” we can quickly tell you if your employer uses our courses. We can also ask you some questions like what are you shipping to help you select which course our clients use and which your hazmat employer might consider. Your hazmat employer certifies you by sending you through our training. So with that huge clarification out of the way we can begin.

Hazmat, or hazardous materials, are substances and products we encounter daily. They are ingredients, chemicals, or properties that threaten the health of humans, animals, and the environment. You might find some of these substances at your place of work, in which case you will need the proper hazmat courses under your belt to do your job properly.

This article will cover what hazmat training is and offer some guidance on the different hazardous materials training courses you will need for your profession. 

What Are Hazardous Materials Certifications?

Hazmat training is a must for compliance with Department of Transportation (DOT) and The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for safety. Employers must certify that their employees have passed required safety courses on handling hazardous materials. Employees must complete hazardous materials training before shipping, receiving, handling, cleaning, packaging, or preparing hazardous materials.

Who Needs Hazmat Training?

All employees who will be in contact with hazardous materials at any point in the supply chain must attend hazmat training classes, as required by the Department of Transportation (DOT). Truck drivers, warehouse workers, waste management personnel, and many others may need different levels of hazmat training to do their job safely and effectively and comply with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Title 49 of the CFR covers Transportation. Subchapter C covers Hazardous Materials Regulations and Part 172.702 addresses the applicability and responsibility for training and testing.

The types of hazmat certifications required vary depending on the kind of work and field. Again, the hazmat employer has responsibility for training the hazmat employee. Safety training is required and recurring so employees may stay well versed in how to properly identify hazmat and protect their safety and the safety of others.

How To Become Hazmat “Certified”

Begin by checking with your employer because “a hazmat employer shall ensure that each of its hazmat employee is tested by appropriate means on the training subjects covered in § 172.704.” The government does not certify training or trainers, they put the requirement on the hazmat employer to train the hazmat employee on the safety regulations.

You may get your hazmat training online, on-site, or via webinar. Many hazardous material certification courses are also available locally at different educational facilities. 

You can explore the selection of webinars on the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration site. As for on-site training, check out your local community education centers and schools for availability. 

If online training suits you more, Eduwhere features a large selection of online hazardous materials training courses that will give you the proper classes for handling hazmat at various levels.

Types of Hazardous Materials Courses

Depending on the work you will be involved in, you must complete different types of hazardous materials training. Eduwhere has several courses that can teach you to handle hazardous materials at work.

DOT General Awareness of Hazardous Materials

This course will provide its students with general awareness training for hazardous materials and their transportation. It’s a required course by the DOT and covers all the basic regulations of transporting hazardous materials, different classifications, and security.

What you’ll learn:

  • Proper training requirements for hazmat employees
  • Federal hazmat regulations, such as the Hazardous Materials Table
  • What makes something hazardous material
  • The nine classes of hazmat, according to the DOT
  • The risks that come with the transportation of hazardous materials

Who should take this course:

Those who will be working with and transporting hazardous materials are required to complete this course. That may include employees that will be responsible for any of the following involving hazardous materials: 

  • Loading and unloading
  • Shipping and receiving
  • Transporting

DOT Hazardous Materials Transportation

This course will give students the necessary information on the proper procedures and regulations regarding ground transportation of hazardous materials. It’s a 10-step approach that outlines all activities associated with preparing hazardous material for travel. Students of the course will learn the classes of hazardous materials, how to choose the right packaging for hazmat, mark/label containers, and prepare shipping documents. This course will also cover new requirements enacted over the past year.

What you’ll learn:

  • Locating and using the federal hazardous materials regulations
  • Proper labeling and marking of hazardous materials that are ready to be shipped
  • Completing a Bill of Lading for hazardous materials
  • Selecting the proper packaging for hazmat
  • Requirements regarding vehicle placards
  • Developing emergency response information that will accompany hazmat shipments
  • Security awareness and plans

Who should take this course:

Completion of this course is required of employees who will be involved in the following:

  • Shipping hazardous materials by ground or preparing hazardous material shipping papers
  • Loading, unloading, or handling hazardous materials
  • Marking, labeling, or preparing containers, drums, or packages containing hazardous materials for transportation
  • Ensuring the safety and security of transporting hazardous materials

DOT Hazardous Materials Shipping for Environmental Professionals

Environmental professionals are required to take this course to properly protect the environment, other employees, and the public. It will cover all DOT regulations and requirements for shipping supplies, equipment, and samples related to hazardous materials and waste.

What you’ll learn:

  • Locating and using the federal hazardous materials regulations
  • Proper labeling and marking of hazmat containers
  • Completing a Bill of Lading for hazardous materials
  • Selecting, preparing, and packaging hazardous materials
  • Vehicle placarding requirements
  • Filling out the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
  • Developing appropriate emergency response information to accompany shipments

Who should take this course:

Environmental professionals that will handle or come in contact with hazardous materials, which may include:

  • Samplers
  • Drillers
  • Engineers
  • Geologists
  • Lab techs
  • Scientists
  • Field techs
  • Hazardous waste handlers

Hazardous Waste Management Courses

There are also training courses specifically for hazardous waste. Hazardous waste has properties that prove to be dangerous or life-threatening to humans, property, or the environment. 

DOT Hazardous Waste Manifest

This course introduces the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest, which helps those who generate hazardous waste keep track of its management and disposal and follow regulations from start to finish. All employees that sign off on the manifest must receive the proper training to complete manifests. 

What you’ll learn:

  • The requirements set by the manifest
  • Completing a hazardous waste manifest
  • All possible security concerns that come with hazardous materials shipments
  • Transporting hazardous materials

Who should take this course:

  • All employees who will be handling, generating, storing, treating, or disposing of hazardous waste
  • Environmental professionals who are responsible for manifesting hazardous waste
  • Environmental managers who may use hazardous chemicals at certain facilities 
  • Individuals who want to learn more about hazardous waste regulations

RCRA Hazardous Waste Management for Generators

This course is all about handling hazardous waste at the facilities where the waste is generated. It will cover all federal solid and hazardous waste management laws and regulations as well as the history of hazardous waste management. The course also features a complete guide on recognizing hazardous waste and managing it from labeling to shipping. 

What you’ll learn:

  • Federal hazardous waste regulations
  • Identifying and managing hazardous waste
  • Determining the generator status and maintaining the facility’s overall compliance
  • Recognizing the regulations for record-keeping, training, and enforcement regarding hazardous waste management
  • Managing used oil
  • The requirements for restrictions regarding land disposal

Who should take this course:

  • All employees who will be handling, generating, storing, treating, or disposing of hazardous waste
  • Environmental managers who may use hazardous chemicals at certain facilities
  • Individuals who want to learn more about hazardous waste regulations

Hazardous Waste Management and Shipping for Environmental Professionals

This hybrid DOT-RCRA course is designed to meet annual training requirements for professions that generate hazardous waste. It will showcase the history and overview of laws and regulations regarding hazardous waste management. It will also teach you how to comply with various regulations and manage all aspects of hazardous waste. 

What you’ll learn:

  • Identifying and managing hazardous waste
  • Determining the status of the generator and maintaining facility compliance with regulations regarding hazardous waste
  • Recognizing regulations for hazardous waste record-keeping and reporting and adhering to them
  • Proper labeling and packing of containers that contain hazardous waste
  • Filling out the manifests for hazardous waste

Who should take this course:

Environmental professionals charged with handling, shipping, or receiving hazardous materials (including hazardous waste) and professionals involved with managing hazardous waste during cleanup activities must take this course. These professionals may include:

  • Samplers
  • Drillers
  • Engineers
  • Geologists
  • Lab techs
  • Scientists
  • Field techs

Take Action to Maintain your Compliance Training, with Easy, Online Courses! 

Eduwhere makes online learning simple and easy with its large selection of online courses. You can study on the go whenever you want to get your compliance training. All you need to do is select the course you need and register securely online. We will send you your login credentials and activate your account.

You set the pace for how fast you complete the course, so you can work toward your “certification” in the way that is most convenient for you. With nearly 30 years of training experience the government auditors may be our best endorsement. Recently during a review of one of our clients an auditor spotted an Eduwhere Certificate of Completion in the files. “if you are using Eduwhere, you will be fine.”

Eduwhere has designed learning to be flexible so that you can achieve your goals without disrupting your regular routine. Explore how you can complete your 49 CFR hazmat training requirements online now with Eduwhere.

Take the next step in your career with easy online training!

Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Clients|Tibbit

Another 1,000 Trees

We are pleased to honor our clients, vendors, consultants and employees by planting trees across the globe.  We are working with One Tree Planted again this year.

Trees are vital.  They help clean our air and water and provide habitat to an array of animals including over 80% of the world’s birds. In addition to absorbing harmful carbon from the atmosphere, forests are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines.  And they are beautiful.  From afar they provide epic scenery and there is something eternally calming and relaxing from a simple walk in the woods.  We can’t think of a better way to honor our people.

We are supporting four projects this year. 

250 Trees in Appalachia, , where many of our employees spend countless hours enjoying nature.

250 Trees in Peru, home of some of our very first and oldest clients.

250 Trees in Vietnam is one of our fastest growing regions.

250 Trees in Indonesia is home to some of our newest clients.

Keika planted 1,000 trees in 2022!
One Tree Planted

Thanks for your association with Keika Ventures we appreciate you very much.

Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Clients|Tibbit

Planting Trees: 2022

All of us here at Keika Ventures would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday Season and safe, peaceful and joyous New Year.

As has become our tradition we are again partnering with One Tree Planted to plant 1,000 trees in honor of our clients, colleagues, vendors and their families.  Thank you again for a great 2022.

Peace!

Keika & Eduwhere Group Shot
The Keika & Eduwhere Group

Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Tibbit

Silver Bells and Silver Linings

The 2021 headlines sent us all looking for silver linings.  Infections, insurrections, inflation and internet fueled memes were enough to make us look elsewhere to count our blessings.  Keika continued our social distancing plans through 2021 so we missed giving Allyson a proper retirement party, but celebrated her long planned transition to Director Emeritus status.  We still miss her wisdom and energy every day.  We celebrated new talent in the company!  Welcome aboard Keith and Emma.  Our famous Keika Lunches are still suspended but we stepped up our video meetings.  We asked our eduwhere clients to help us accelerate our sustainability goals and switch to paperless electronic download.  The response was fantastic and we now have over 90% of our enterprise training clients going GREEN.  We celebrated new business in all our divisions and across the globe, including new clients in Bolivia, Trinidad, Columbia, Mexico, Vietnam, Israel, Ghana and Papua New Guinea.  And we continue to train clients in every state of the Union including a new record number in Arizona. 

On behalf of all of us at Keika Ventures thanks for an incredible 2021.  Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year.

With gratitude for these and many other silver linings we are planting trees to honor our clients, vendors and employees.  This year KV planted 2,000 trees through our continued sponsorship of OneTreePlanted.org

Thanks again for being a Keika Ventures stakeholder.  Here’s wishing that 2022 is filled with happiness, prosperity and good health.

Be Well!

KV Jedi Council

2,000 Trees!!
Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Regulatory

RCRA Notification Deadline

Here is an important reminder for Hazardous Waste Generators: beginning on September 1, 2021 (just a week away!), all Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) must “re-notify the Environmental Protection Agency of their hazardous waste activities every four years”. This means that some Generators, who have not previously been required to re-notify the EPA of their activities, are now required to do so on a 4 year schedule.

The September 1 date is the deadline for SQGs to re-notify the EPA of their hazardous waste activities, so any SQGs who have not submitted their re-notifications should do so immediately. The purpose of this re-notification process is to ensure that the EPA has up-to-date information on hazardous waste generators, and is not relying on potentially old, incorrect data.

If you would like more information, as well as resources and guidance on how to submit the form, follow this link to the EPA’s webpage about the rule: https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/re-notification-requirement-small-quantity-generators

Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Clients|Tibbit

Planting 1,000 Trees for the Future

2020 has been a difficult year for many of us, and as the new year approaches, we find ourselves in need of a bit of hope for the future. Towards that end and in honor to our loyal partners, clients, and employees, Keika has partnered with One Tree Planted to plant trees!

One Tree Planted is a nonprofit dedicated to global reforestation. They plant trees to restore nature and biodiversity. They also raise awareness about the importance of trees, offer businesses like ours a simple sustainability solution, and motivate younger generations to do something positive for the environment.

Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

250 trees in Honduras
250 trees Brazil
250 trees in Vietnam
250 trees with US Forest Service

Keika planted 1,000 trees in 2020!

Sustainability is close to our hearts here at Keika Ventures, and we have committed $1,000 this holiday season to planting trees, allocated to the following locations: US National Forests, Honduras, Brazil, and Vietnam. At $1 per tree, this donation supports the planting of 1,000 trees. We are thrilled with this partnership and honored to be a part of this reforestation effort, and we hope that we can continue this new tradition in years to come. All of us here at Keika and Eduwhere wish you the happiest of holidays as we all look forward to the hope and promise of a New Year.

We are planting 1,000 trees in Honduras, Brazil, Vietnam, and the U.S.

To learn more about One Tree Planted, visit https://onetreeplanted.org

Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Analytical|Clients|Tibbit

Analytical Services Surge

Here at Keika Ventures, we are proud of our international reach. We serve clients across the globe and, together with Eduwhere, on all seven continents. Keika’s analytical division, which provides amazing assistance with project planning, design, and execution, is working non-stop to help our clients with their complex analytical projects. In the third quarter of 2020 alone, our analytical team produced record activity and revenues in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Iceland, Paraguay, Peru, Nicaragua, Singapore, Kenya, Israel, Mexico, Thailand, Trinidad, Uruguay, and the United States. These are only a subset of the countries where we do business and have active projects, and we want to congratulate and thank our employees for their hard work and dedication.

Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Iceland, Paraguay, Peru, Nicaragua, Singapore, Kenya, Israel, Mexico, Thailand, Trinidad, Uruguay, and the United States.

3rd Quarter, 2020
Over 100 country flags spread over the world map.
Clients in over 100 countries spread across all 7 continents.

Analytical Services
https://www.keikaventures.com/analytical.php

Posted on : By : eduwhere Posted in : Insight|Online Course

Training Coordinator Capabilities

We made a video tour of our Training Coordinator (TC) capabilities. TC access is available free for all our group accounts and lets you monitor student progress, enroll personnel, download certificates and training documentation, view expiring certificates, manage users, and pay for training at your convenience.

If you are responsible for ensuring that employees at your workplace are trained and in compliance, Eduwhere can help. We offer “Training Coordinator” accounts, which allow you to view the progress, payment, and expiration status for a group of trainees, as well as the ability to enroll new users and re-enroll existing users who are due for retraining. 

Training coordinators can monitor the progress of users in their training group, and send a reminder to those who may need a “gentle nudge” to complete their training. Once those training courses are complete, coordinators can download and print certificates. Of course, hard copies will still be sent by Eduwhere, unless the “go green” option was chosen.

Coordinators can also manage payments. Their portal will allow them to see which enrollments are still unpaid, and then make payments and download receipts for all enrollments in the group. Keeping track of which courses have been paid for can be a headache for those companies with employees taking training at different times throughout the year, but our training coordinator page can help.

New users can also be enrolled, and existing users re-enrolled, by the training coordinator. The portal allows the coordinator to view training which has recently expired, or which will expire soon, and ensures that the coordinator can keep employees on schedule and in-compliance with training requirements.

Here at Eduwhere, we want to help you make sure your employees stay in compliance. If you are already managing training for employees, give us a call (or send us an email) and let us set up a coordinator page for you.