COMMUNITY

AIHA NEWS AND NOTES

CEC Membership Applications Due Soon  AIHA is now accepting applications for positions on the Continuing Education Committee. The CEC comprises 12 members who serve four one-year terms. The CEC’s mission is to ensure quality educational opportunities that broaden knowledge, enhance technical competencies, and provide industrial hygienists with practical tools and skills. The CEC conducts one of the levels of technical peer review of AIHA’s professional development courses, or PDCs. In addition to reviewing the PDCs offered at AIHce EXP, CEC members are also asked to audit new educational offerings, which provides an opportunity for them to earn CM hours at no cost.  Applications are due by March 18. Prospective volunteers are asked to submit a current resume or CV and fill out an application listing their experience, knowledge, and primary areas of interest. The application is available online. For more information, email Erin Breece or visit the committee page on AIHA's website.

Dates, Location for 2020 Road Courses Announced AIHA road courses offer quality face-to-face training in a small group setting near Columbus, Ohio. New dates for two road courses are now available.  Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene will be held three times in 2020 in Westerville, Ohio: March 23–26, Sept. 21–24, and Nov. 9–12. This four-day course is designed for those who are new to industrial hygiene or who have newly acquired IH responsibilities, and will cover the basic concepts of health hazard recognition, evaluation, and control methods. Attendees will learn to select appropriate air sampling methods for airborne contaminants; calculate the time-weighted average from multiple samples; and compare sample results to the appropriate occupational exposure limits. Exposure and Chemical Monitoring - Beyond IH Fundamentals, an intermediate three-day course, will be held Oct. 19–21 in Westerville. This course is designed to provide additional training and knowledge in IH chemical monitoring through group exercises and discussion. Attendees will learn how to apply the concept of similar exposure groups, conduct a qualitative exposure assessment for a SEG, and properly calibrate exposure monitoring equipment. Participants will also learn effective communication techniques for explaining results to employees and management. More information is available on AIHA's website. AIHA Accolades Congratulations to Aaron W. Apostolico, CIH, CSP, CIEC, who was recently promoted to business unit manager at Sensidyne, LP, a manufacturer and distributor of industrial health and safety equipment. In his new role, Apostolico will assume direct-line accountability for overseeing the development of the health and safety segment of the company. Read more in Sensidyne’s press release. The ACGIH Board of Directors recently selected Nancy E. Wilk, MHSc, CIH, as 2020 ACGIH treasurer. Wilk is a senior consultant in occupational hygiene and occupational health and safety with KRMC — Krivonosov Risk Management Consultants in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She is also a member-at-large of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Board of Directors. Read more on ACGIH’s website.

Do You Read SynergistNOW? The SynergistNOW blog offers ideas, insights, and perspectives on important topics affecting industrial hygiene professionals, written by and for experienced IHs, researchers, academics, and AIHA leaders. Launched in 2016, SynergistNOW features two new posts per week. Recent posts covered topics such as the updated free modeling tool IH Mod 2.0; what’s next for hazard communication and the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals; and the outcomes of a 2019 workshop on big data and data analytics that was hosted by the AIHA Rocky Mountain Local Section and the ASSP Colorado Chapter. SynergistNOW is available to everyone with an interest in industrial hygiene and worker health and safety, but even AIHA members must subscribe. Visit the blog on AIHA's website.

AIHA’s Wildfire Resources Featured in USA TODAY USA TODAY recently published a special supplement on workplace health and safety. One of the articles in the supplement, "How Wildfire Hazards Can Impact You and Your Family," focuses on AIHA's Think and Act Fire Smart resource center, which aims to raise awareness about the hidden dangers in the cleanup process that follows a devastating wildfire.  AIHA members can help by sharing the article with others to spread the word about wildfire recovery and cleanup safety. Please also consider signing AIHA’s pledge to indicate that you will become a disaster preparedness volunteer or, if you are already a volunteer, that you will continue doing so and encourage others to do the same. AIHA will deliver the petition to policymakers to help them understand the value of government-sponsored volunteer programs and AIHA members’ commitment to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

In Memoriam  David A. Sterling, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, passed away on Jan. 23, 2020. Sterling joined AIHA in 1981 and was an active member and leader in the association. He served as chair of nine committees and subcommittees for AIHA national and was a director for the Tidewater, St. Louis, and North Texas AIHA Local Sections. Sterling’s most recent work for AIHA was on the Real-Time Detection Systems Committee, where he organized a special session for student researchers at AIHce EXP 2018 in Philadelphia. His full obituary is available on AIHA’s website.

Dates and Deadlines March 18 Deadline to apply for a position on AIHA’s Continuing Education Committee. April 9 AIHA webinar: “The Ear Poisons: An Introduction to Ototoxicants.” April 23 AIHA webinar: “Heat Stress: Assessment and Control.” June 1–3 AIHce EXP 2020 in Atlanta, Ga. Sept. 15–17 PSX 2020 (formerly the Product Stewardship Conference) in Houston, Texas.

For a complete list of events, visit AIHA's website.