COMMUNITY

AIHA NEWS AND NOTES

IH Heroes Program Receives Honorable Mention AIHA's IH Heroes outreach program recently received an honorable mention for the Corporate Social Responsibility and Nonprofit Award in the Volunteer Program category of the PR News CSR and Nonprofit Awards. These awards celebrate communicators who work to make the world a better place via corporate social responsibility and nonprofit initiatives.  IH Heroes is part of AIHA’s overarching public education and outreach program called IH Professional Pathway. The program’s goal is to raise awareness about the role that industrial hygienists play in all workplace settings and their impact on the health and safety of workers and the community. AIHA Accolades Congratulations to AIHA members Phillip Rauscher, MPH, CSP, CIH, and Lynn C. O’Donnell, CIH, FAIHA, who are among ACGIH’s 2019 award recipients (see the full list on ACGIH's website).  Rauscher is this year’s recipient of ACGIH’s John J. Bloomfield Award, which honors young industrial hygienists who pursue the problem of occupational health hazards primarily by doing fieldwork. Rauscher is an industrial safety hygienist in the State of Ohio Division of Safety and Hygiene and has served as the secretary of the AIHA Northwest Ohio Local Section since 2014. O’Donnell is the 2019 recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award, which recognizes members of ACGIH who have made outstanding, long-term contributions to the progress of occupational health and environmental hygiene. O’Donnell previously served as the executive director of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene from 1991 until her retirement in 2014. She is a past recipient of the ACGIH John J. Bloomfield and AIHA Alice Hamilton Awards, and was the first recipient of the ABIH Lynn C. O’Donnell Lifetime Achievement Award. Award Recipients to Be Recognized at AIHce AIHA recently announced the recipients of the 2019 AIHA awards, which honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety professions. The recipients will be recognized during the Mark of Excellence Awards Breakfast at AIHce EXP in Minneapolis, Minn.  This year’s award recipients are:

“These awardees have gone above and beyond the call of duty in contributing to the growth and development of the IH/OEHS profession,” said AIHA President Cynthia A. Ostrowski, CIH. “Their commitment and efforts significantly strengthen the capabilities of IH/OEHS professionals and improve the health and safety of America’s workers. We are fortunate that they are dedicated members of AIHA.” Read more in AIHA’s press release. AIHA Names 12 New Distinguished Fellows AIHA has honored 12 new industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety professionals with the Fellow designation. These individuals were nominated by their peers and have been recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the profession. The new Fellows will be honored during the annual Mark of Excellence Awards Breakfast at AIHce EXP 2019.  “The 2019 Fellows have demonstrated exemplary leadership and made a significant impact in moving AIHA’s mission forward,” said Fellows Nominating Committee Chair Deborah Nelson, PhD, CIH. “Being nominated and selected for a Fellow designation is truly an accomplishment that is worth celebrating.” Fellows are nominated either by an individual or by a local section, special interest group, committee, or other formal AIHA entity for their achievements in the field of industrial hygiene. Individuals are approved as Fellows by the AIHA Board of Directors after they are reviewed and selected by the AIHA Awards Committee. The Fellow designation is limited to no more than five percent of the membership.  Congratulations to the new AIHA Fellows: Finis L. Cavender, Ph.D., DABT; Kermit G. Davis III, PhD; John D. Elias, CIH, ROH; Peter B. Harnett, MS, MPH, CIH, CSP; Steven E. Lacey, PhD, CIH, CSP; Maharshi P. Mehta, CIH, CSP; Robert N. Phalen, PhD, CIH; Peter C. Raynor, PhD; David C. Roskelley, MSPH, CIH, CSP; Jennifer Sahmel, MPH, CIH, CSP; Mohammed Abbas Virji, ScD, CIH; and Lawrence G. Wylie, PhD, CIH, CSP. Learn more about the Fellow designation on AIHA’s website. BC-Yukon Local Section Celebrates 35 Years In March, the AIHA BC-Yukon Local Section celebrated its 35th anniversary at its annual conference and general meeting in Vancouver, Canada. Presentations covered a range of topics such as cyanide exposure in mining operations, Threshold Limit Value development, and artificial fog in the film industry. AIHA national members Lydia Renton, Hugh Davies, and Mona Shum, MSc, CIH, were among the speakers at the conference.  The conference was preceded by a professional development day focused on welding hazard identification, exposure, and control.  For more BC-Yukon news, visit the local section's website. The Synergist thanks Laurence Svirchev for reporting on the BC-Yukon Local Section conference. YPSW Local Section Holds Successful Fundraiser  The Yuma Pacific Southwest Section of AIHA recently raised $7,460 from three fundraising auctions at its annual banquet—double the amount from last year’s fundraising efforts. The items auctioned off included an apple pie donated by YPSW Secretary and Treasurer Anna Davis, an apple cake baked by AIHA CEO Larry Sloan, and an antique set of impingers donated by YPSW member Dan Napier. The proceeds will go to the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation general fund, the Stephen C. Davis Future Leadership Institute Memorial Grant fund, and the Douglas Davis Memorial Fund for Applied Science and Engineering at University of Wyoming. For more YPSW news, visit the local section's website. The Synergist thanks Bob Lieckfield for reporting on the YPSW Local Section fundraiser. Dates and Deadlines May 20–22 AIHce EXP 2019 in Minneapolis, Minn. June 20 AIHA webinar: “Requirements of 2019 Edition of NFPA 652 Standard on Combustible Dust – On Your Way Towards Compliance?” September 10–12 Product Stewardship 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. September 16–19 Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene course in Westerville, Ohio. October 21–23 Exposure and Chemical Monitoring - Beyond IH Fundamentals course in Westerville, Ohio. For a complete list of events, visit AIHA's website.