In case you weren’t aware, the 2024 Mid-South / Southeast Gin School will be held in Tifton, GA. This is the first time in a long time that a gin school has been held at a location away from the Gin Lab. In the mid-90’s an abbreviated gin school was held in the Southeast as so many gins were being built or upgraded.

We’re pleased to be working with the National Cotton Ginners Association to bring the school to the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and University of Georgia Campuses. Most of the classes will be held at ABAC with some classes and events being held at the micro-gin on the University of Georgia Campus.

We hope you will help us make this a great school. More information can be found on the flyer below and/or by visiting the Gin School website.
https://www.cotton.org/ncga/ginschool/index.cfm

Well, we’re a little behind in congratulating this year’s ginners of the year. We actually have two people to congratulate for this year. The Southeast Ginner of the Year for 2023 is Drake Perrow of Cameron, SC. We also have the National Ginner of the Year in our region and that recipient is Wes Morgan.

Drake Perrow was presented his award at the Southern Southeastern Annual Meeting in Hilton Head, SC back in January. Wes received his award at the National Cotton Ginners Annual Meeting held with the National Cotton Council meeting in February in Orlando, FL.

A very good article on all the National Ginners Award winners, including Wes Morgan’s award can be found here:
https://www.cottongrower.com/cotton-production/ginning/morgan-whitelock-honored-by-national-cotton-ginners-association/#:~:text=Wes%20Morgan%2C%20a%20veteran%20North,organization’s%202023%2D24%20Charles%20C.

Drake Perrow is Partner and General Manager of Cameron Cotton and Seed in Cameron, SC. Drake’s father and uncle bought the small operation in the 70’s and Drake was brought in as a partner.

We are so proud of our members. We have great leadership in the Southeast and it shows in these two Ginners of the Year.

It is with profound sadness that we mark the passing of a true leader in the cotton industry. Hollis Isbell of Tuscumbia, AL was one of those true southern gentlemen and leader for the cotton industry in our region. Mr. “H” as many people knew him, held just about every position in the leadership of Southern Cotton Growers and was instrumental in the shepherding of Southern Southeastern as we transitioned in the mid-90’s to the organization we are today.

Mr. Isbell was involved in policy development and work with all aspects of cotton farming up to his retirement several years ago turning the operation over to his sons. Hollis Isbell passed on April 10. He was 92.

On a personal note, Hollis was President of Southern Cotton Growers when I was hired. The Presidents of both Southern Cotton Growers and Southeastern Cotton Ginners were involved in my selection. I will be forever in Mr. H’s debt for giving me a chance. He will be missed. Our sincerest condolences to the Isbell family.

Arrangements are below:
https://www.morrisonfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/Hollis-Isbell-2/#!/Obituary

The last two years Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association has held train the trainer programs for members. To change things up a little, the idea of a first aid / CPR training was discussed at the mid-year board meeting. Interest for such a course was high so we will be having 4 classes this spring and summer spread across our member states.

The idea of first aid / cpr training came about due to 3 main reasons. The first being multiple incidents at gins this past year involving severe lacerations as well as medical events. In these cases, immediate first aid was not required and first responders arrived quickly to handle the situation. One cannot help but to think what if immediate first aid was needed, is there anyone on staff at your facility that could provide first aid or cpr until first responders arrive. The second reason to have a certified first aid / cpr trained individual on staff would be location and timing. Not all of our gins are located close to town and there may be long response times for first responders. An employee on staff certified to perform first aid or cpr in an emergency situation could save someone’s life or reduce the severity of injuries. The third reason is that first aid / cpr training is a requirement of the NCGA Certified Ginner program. We have many members that participate in the certified ginner program, and it is important to stay up on the training requirements. First aid/cpr training should be renewed every two years.

This is an American Heart Saver First Aid and CPR certification course. Course topics will include :

This course is for anyone with little to no medical training. Upon completion, students will receive a course completion certification card, valid for two years.

The first two of these classes will be held in Alabama and Georgia. The South Carolina and North Carolina/Virginia classes will be held sometime in late June. Class Size is Limited. Pre-Registration is required. Check-in will begin at 8:00am with class running from 8:30am-2:30pm and boxed lunches will be provided. Trainers ask that attendees be able to speak, understand and comprehend English. There will be a $100 fee associated with the AHA first aid/cpr certification. Please see registration links below and call the association if you have any question.

As we approach the end of February, I would like to remind our members of the approaching deadline to electronically submit injury and illness data for the 2023 calendar year. The OSHA Record Keeping Rule requires employers keep records of all work related injuries and illnesses. This includes the OSHA 300, 300A and 301 forms that employers must have on file. In addition to the forms list above, there is an additional requirement to electronically submit injury and illness data on OSHA’s ITA website.

Any employer with 20 or more employees at any time during the calendar year is required to enter this data electronically, in addition to posting a hard copy of the OSHA 300A. The data entered electronically is essentially the same data contained in the OSHA 300A form. The deadline for electronic submission is March 2, 2024. Please do this prior to the deadline.

To access the electronic submission portal simply click this link OSHA Electronic Submission Page . Once you have accessed the OSHA ITA web portal via the above link, there will be a tab on the left side “Login.gov” that will bring up the page to log into your account. In 2023, OSHA transitioned its login procedure to the public’s one account access to government applications, Login.gov. You must have both an ITA account and a Login.gov account with the same email address to access ITA. Once logged in you will be prompted to enter data from the 2023 calendar year. Even if you had no entries on your OSHA 300A form you must still electronically submit this data on the OSHA ITA website.

If this is your first time using this electronic submission application or you just need help, this link will take you to many how-to articles . There is also a blue tab on the right side “FAQs” that provides step by step guidance. Feel free to contact the association as well if we can be of assistance.

Hopefully, this article will serve as a reminder of what must be reported and posted to be in compliance with OSHA’s Recordkeeping Standard. If OSHA comes to your facility, they will ask to see these forms going back for a period of 5 years. It is important to have the files and data on hand and easily accessible. More information regarding OSHA Recordkeeping can be accessed through OSHA Recordkeeping Rule as well as the 2020 Southeastern Cotton Ginners Safety Reference Manual.

As we approach the end of January, I would like to remind our members that the OSHA 300A Form posting deadline is approaching. The OSHA Record Keeping Rule requires employers keep records of all work related injuries and illnesses. This includes the OSHA 300, 300A and 301 forms that employers must have on file. If you do not already have a copy of these forms, they can be accessed through this link OSHA Recordkeeping Forms and Instructions. The 300A Summary of Injuries and Illnesses is the only form that must be posted from Feb. 1 to April 30 of each year. The 300A must be posted in a common area where notices to employees would normally be posted. Be sure to post this form containing work related injury and illness data from calendar year 2023 beginning on February 1, 2024.

It is very important that the OSHA 300A Summary be filled out completely and correctly. In the case that there were no work-related accidents to report, the form must be filled out with zeros in each blank. Often the establishment information is also overlooked and or just not signed. One area of the establishment information that creates some confusion is the area asking about average number of employees and total hours worked. The average number of employees is simply the total number of paychecks written divided by the number of pay periods. This should include all full-time, part-time, temporary, migrant, salaried, and hourly employees.

The other form found at the link above is the OSHA 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. This is a log containing information about every work-related death and almost every work-related injury or illness that involves loss of consciousness, restricted work activity or job transfer, days away from work, and/or medical treatment beyond first aid. You must consider an injury or illness to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness. It is also important to completely fill out the OSHA 300 form. All columns must be totaled even if you had no accident to reports there must be a zero for a total. The information from the OSHA 300 form is used to complete the OSHA 300A form.

This is also a good time to enter your 2023 injury and illness data on the OSHA Web Portal. Any employer with 20 or more employees at any time during the calendar year is required to enter this data electronically. The data entered electronically is essentially the same data contained in the OSHA 300A form. The deadline for electronic submission is March 2, 2024. To access the electronic submission portal simply click this link OSHA Electronic Submission Page

Hopefully, this article will serve as a reminder of what must be reported and posted to be in compliance with OSHA’s Recordkeeping Standard. If OSHA comes to your facility, they will ask to see these forms going back for a period of 5 years. It is important to have the files and data on hand and easily accessible. More information regarding OSHA Recordkeeping can be accessed through OSHA Recordkeeping Rule as well as the 2020 Southeastern Cotton Ginners Safety Reference Manual.

AK