Privacy Statement

Introduction

The California Hazardous Materials Investigators Association (“CHMIA”) respects your privacy and wants to provide you with information about our privacy practices in this Privacy Statement (“Privacy Statement”). This Privacy Statement applies to information collected on the website located at www.chmia.com (“CHMIA Website”), any mobile applications associated with the Website (the “Mobile Applications”), as well as any services and features available on or through the Website or the Mobile Applications, whether accessed via computer, mobile device, or other technology or any associated content, material, or functionality contained on the CHMIA Website or the Mobile Applications (collectively, the “Services” and, together with the Website and the Mobile Applications, the “System”). CHMIA is referred to in this Privacy Statement as “we,” “us,” “our,” or other similar pronouns.

Notice: This Privacy Statement applies only to the Website, Mobile Applications, and such other CHMIA websites that have posted this Privacy Statement.

This Privacy Statement includes, without limitation, the following information:

  • What personal data is collected from you through the website;
  • How such information is used;
  • With whom such information may be shared;
  • What choices are available to you regarding collection, use, and distribution of your information;
  • What security obligations are in place; and
  • How you can correct any inaccuracies in your information.

This Privacy Statement is incorporated into and is a part of the Terms of Use Agreement (the “Terms of Use”). We encourage you to become familiar with the terms and conditions of both this Privacy Statement and the Terms of Use. By accessing and using the System, or any part thereof, you agree that you have read and understand this Privacy Statement and are agreeing to the terms of this Privacy Statement.

Contact Information

We appreciate your questions and comments about this Privacy Statement, the System, and our privacy practices generally and welcome your e-mail messages to secretary@chmia.com or membership@chmia.com. If you correspond with us through the System or via e-mail, the Collected Information may include the content of, and metadata regarding, any correspondence you may have with us. We may share your messages with those within our organization who are most capable of addressing the issues contained in your message.

Information Collection

As described in detail below, CHMIA may collect certain personal data from or about you in connection with your use of, or your submissions to, the System (“User Information”) as well as other data from or about you (together with the User Information, the “Collected Information”) in a variety of ways. Collected Information includes, without limitation, a first and last name; a home, business, or other physical address; geographic location; a business name and address; a phone number; an e-mail address; employment status; employer name; employer information; CHMIA username, and password; credit card number and other credit card information; areas of expertise; as well as additional personally identifiable information about you that we may collect from time to time. We use the Collected Information to provide the Services described below; to open, verify, maintain, and close user accounts; for publication and distribution of information to other approved Members; to provide continuing education contact hours and/or credits; and to more efficiently and effectively respond to user queries.

Registration

To access areas of the System designated as “Members Only Site,” you must apply for membership with CHMIA. If you wish to use the “Members Only Site” of the CHMIA Website, you will be required to complete the Online Membership Application and, after your application has been verified and approved by CHMIA, pay the required membership dues in order to gain access.

Online Orders

CHMIA requests information from its users to purchase merchandise, renew membership dues, vote, and register for conferences; such information includes contact information (such as name and shipping address) and financial information (such as credit card number, expiration date, etc.). This information is primarily used by CHMIA and third parties designated by CHMIA for billing and to fill customer orders, but may be used by CHMIA, or third parties designated by CHMIA, for other business purposes. For example, if there is a problem processing an order, this information may be used to contact the user.

Information Use

In addition to the uses mentioned or described elsewhere in this Privacy Statement or in the Terms of Use, we, our affiliates, and designated third parties may use the Collected Information to analyze and improve the content, features, Services, Website, and Mobile Applications that we make available on the System. We may send you information that you request from us, promotional materials regarding CHMIA’s services, and any other communication for any other legitimate and lawful business purposes. Additionally, we may retain and use certain Collected Information to facilitate and otherwise address certain inquiries, requests, subscriptions, or business transactions and relationship with CHMIA, or any of our affiliates, or respond to your questions or requests for information about or from CHMIA or any of our affiliates or trusted business partners. If you contact us for support or assistance, we may use information about you or your system for purposes such as verifying whether your system meets the minimum requirements needed to use the System and our various Services. We may also use Collected Information as necessary to ensure compliance with any CHMIA policies and any applicable laws. CHMIA may also exchange Collected Information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, credit risk reduction, and collection activities.

CHMIA may use various analytics tools and technologies regarding how users interact with the various portions of the System that require storage of web-session data. These tools and technologies are used to assist System users by using cookies and scripts to collect and store information—such as how users interact with the System, errors users encounter when using the System, device identifiers, how often users visit certain portions or components of the System, what pages they visit, and what other sites they used prior to using the System. Stored web-session data used by such analytics services or tools are used in accordance with this Privacy Statement.

Additionally, we may offer message boards and other interactive or social-type features on the System. Please be aware that these areas may allow you to publicly post, and share with other users, certain messages, content, or other information. Although we may take certain precautions to protect those who use these areas of the System, we encourage you to be wary of giving out any User Information—or any personally identifiable information of others to which you may have access—in such public forums. The information you post or disclose can be collected and used by people you don’t know to identify you or others. We cannot guarantee the privacy and safety of these areas and are therefore not responsible for any information you choose to post. Your use of these features is fully at your own risk.

Log Files

Each view of a page on the System is logged. Information such as the user’s Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, browser type, time of day, and duration of activity on the website is recorded. This information may be used by CHMIA, or third parties designated by CHMIA, to analyze trends, administer the System, track users’ movements, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use or for other business purposes.

If illegal activity is detected on the System, CHMIA, or third parties designated by CHMIA, may—but have no obligation to—attempt to connect an IP address to User Information. Except as otherwise required by law or regulation, CHMIA has no obligation to monitor the System, or any portion thereof, for any illegal or improper activity.

For your convenience, the System may contain links to other Internet sites not under CHMIA’s control. Please be aware that CHMIA is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites. In addition, should you happen to initiate a transaction on a website that our System links to, even if you reached that site through the System, the information that you submit to complete that transaction becomes subject to the privacy practices of the operator of that linked website. You should read that website’s privacy statement or privacy policy to understand how personal data that is collected about you is used and protected by such third party. We encourage our users to be aware of when they leave the System and to read the privacy statement of each website that collects personal data. This Privacy Statement applies solely to information collected on the CHMIA Website and System.

Surveys and Promotions

From time to time, CHMIA requests information from users via surveys. Information requested may include contact information (e.g., name, mailing address) and demographic information (e.g., zip code, age, employment status). Survey information may be used by CHMIA for a variety of business purposes. For example, surveys will be used for the purpose of improving services offered by CHMIA and to vote on CHMIA-related business. Participation in CHMIA surveys is completely voluntary.

Sharing

In addition to the uses mentioned or described elsewhere in this Privacy Statement or in the Terms of Use, CHMIA may share Collected Information in a variety of ways:

  • CHMIA may share your User Information with authorized service providers, affiliates, or partners to provide certain administrative or technology services—such as survey administration, database management, transaction processing, event management, and bulk mailing, or any other Services. The authorized service providers, affiliates, and partners we work with are not allowed to use the information outside of the function of providing the Services designated by CHMIA.
  • CHMIA may share your User Information with our authorized service providers, affiliates, or partners to the extent necessary for purposes of communicating with you or fulfilling your requests for any content, materials, and opportunities.
  • CHMIA and our authorized service providers, affiliates, or partners may also produce reports on the System’s traffic or usage patterns and share these reports with us. These aggregate statistics will not allow anyone to identify your name or other personally identifiable information.
  • CHMIA may disclose your User Information in response to a subpoena or similar investigative demand, a court order, or a request for cooperation from a law enforcement agency or other government agency; to establish or exercise our legal rights; to defend against legal claims; or as otherwise required by law.
  • CHMIA may disclose your User Information when we believe disclosure is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activity, suspected fraud, or other wrongdoing; to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of our company, our employees, our website users or others; or to enforce our website terms and conditions or other agreements or policies.
  • If CHMIA changes its corporate or organizational structure, files for bankruptcy, liquidates its assets, merges/combines with another entity, or undergoes a corporate reorganization, your information is, and should be expected to be, one of the transferred assets; you consent to such transfer by using the website.

Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data

CHMIA will only collect and process personal data about you where we have a legal basis.

We may process your personal data for the purposes of our legitimate interests, provided that such processing does not outweigh your rights and freedoms.  Where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object.  We process your personal data based on legitimate interests in order to:

  • Target our marketing;
  • Protect you, us, or others from data security threats; and
  • Comply with laws that apply to us.

Retention Period

We retain User Information that we collect from you where we have an ongoing legitimate business need to do so (for example, to provide you with the Services you requested or to comply with an applicable legal requirement).

Security

When you submit information via the website, CHMIA, or third parties designated by CHMIA, takes certain precautions to protect your user information both online and offline. Nevertheless, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee that information transmitted or supplied by users to the System will be totally secure. You agree to immediately notify us of any breach of the security of the System, this Privacy Statement, or the Terms of Use of which you become aware.

If you have any questions about the current state of security with respect to information collected at the Website or stored offline, you may send an e-mail to info@chmia.com.

Submissions to the System and Social Media Websites

Any information, communications, or material of any type or nature that you submit to the System—as well as to any of our pages contained on a social media platform or website—by e-mail, posting, messaging, uploading, downloading, or otherwise (each a “Submission”) is done at your own risk and without any expectation of privacy. We cannot control the actions of other users of the System or a social media platform and are therefore not responsible for any Submissions contained on the System or any social media platform or website. Furthermore, by visiting any of our pages that are contained on any social media platform or website, you are representing and warranting to us that you have reviewed the applicable Privacy Statement and terms of use of such website or social media platform and that you will abide by all such provisions contained therein.

Correcting and Updating Personal Data

If a user’s personal data changes or if a user no longer desires our services, we will endeavor to provide a way to correct or update personal data provided to us by that user. This can usually be done from our My Account page. Some information, such as a user’s email address, address and region, must be changed by contacting secretary@chmia.com or membership@chmia.com.

Choice and Opt-out

Only those individuals who have created an account on the CHMIA Website or a Mobile Application or have otherwise evinced an interest in or consent to receiving communications from CHMIA will receive e-mail or other communications from CHMIA. We consider—and all CHMIA account holders or other users of the System hereby acknowledge and agree—that providing contact information (such as an e-mail address) as part of creating an CHMIA account (or otherwise through the System) constitutes an individual’s consent to receive messages or other communications from CHMIA. In order to opt-out of receiving emails from CHMIA, you must inactivate your CHMIA user account. Refunds of membership dues will not be provided to those who choose to inactivate their accounts if those accounts have been active for ≥ 30 days.