COMMUNITY

AIHA NEWS AND NOTES
JOEH Seeks Submissions for Special Issue on Health Equity in the Workplace
The
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
plans to publish a special issue on health equity in the workplace in May 2021. For this special issue, the journal seeks research on a range of topics including how racial inequities affect workplace exposures; effects of gender inequity on worker exposures and outcomes; studies assessing health outcomes of “essential workers” during the COVID-19 pandemic; accommodating disabilities in health-protective interventions; health equity in the gig economy and other precarious workforces; and exposure or effect studies for underserved populations, including the precariously employed. This special issue will focus on research, case studies, and policy commentaries that help JOEH readers identify ways to improve health equities through workplace systems. Individuals interested in contributing to this issue are encouraged to contact JOEH Editor-in-Chief
Renée Anthony
and Editorial Assistant
Jennifer Patterson
to discuss ideas. To be considered for this special issue, manuscripts must be submitted by October 30, 2020. Instructions for authors, including explanations of the article types JOEH publishes, are available on the journal's
website
.
Best Student Poster Award Recipients Honored During AIHce EXP 
AIHA’s
Safety Committee
honored A. Malik, M. Akram, and A. Ali, students from the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences of the University of the Punjab in Pakistan, with this year’s Best Student Poster Award at AIHce EXP 2020. The committee presents this award annually to recognize the best student poster at the conference based on a topic related to safety. Malik, Akram, and Ali, the 2020 award recipients, received a ribbon and an honorarium for their poster, “Correlation Between Shift Work, Sleep, and Fatigue and Increased Occupational Injuries in a Manufacturing Plant in Pakistan.” This poster was selected by a panel of judges based on its quality and connection to both safety and industrial hygiene. It can be viewed as a PDF on AIHA’s
website
.
New COVID-19 Guidance, Resources Available from AIHA
As businesses, schools, retailers, and manufacturers navigate reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, AIHA continues to expand its library of Back to Work Safely guidelines, white papers, and resources for more than 25 different business and community sectors. AIHA’s latest guidelines include recommendations on engineering controls, germicidal ultraviolet radiation, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection.  New guidance documents include the "Employers’ Guide to COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection in Non-Healthcare Workplaces" (
PDF
) and "Reducing the Risk of COVID-19 Using Engineering Controls" (
PDF
), both sponsored by AIHA’s Indoor Environmental Quality Committee. Another IEQ Committee-sponsored document, "Effective and Safe Practices, Guidance for Custodians, Cleaning, and Maintenance Staff" (
PDF
), was published in August and provides guidance for workers who perform cleaning and disinfection tasks within workspaces to reduce transmission of COVID-19. Also in August, AIHA published a new infographic focused on the safe use of ultraviolet (UV) radiation for surface and air disinfection. The infographic (
PDF
) is intended for the general public and accompanies a white paper developed by members of AIHA's Nonionizing Radiation Committee that addresses occupational exposures to UV light from artificial sources. The white paper, "Occupational Safety and Health Guide for Surface Disinfection Practices Using Germicidal Ultraviolet Radiation" (
PDF
), was published in July. All of AIHA’s resources and guidelines related to COVID-19 are available to download from
backtoworksafely.org
.
AIHce EXP 2020 OnDemand Recordings Are Available
Access peer-reviewed educational content from AIHce EXP 2020 with AIHce OnDemand session recordings, which are now available in the AIHA Marketplace. Choose the topic areas that best meet your needs and view presentations using a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Recordings are available individually, in bundles by topic, and as a full package containing 61 sessions plus bonus content such as sponsored “lunch and learn” sessions. The AIHce EXP 2020 OnDemand full package, which allows individuals to earn up to 64 possible contact hours, will only be available for purchase through Nov. 30, 2020.  Learn more about AIHce OnDemand offerings on AIHA's
website
.
Give Back to the Profession
The mission of the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) is to advance the profession by awarding scholarships for funding education and professional development in industrial hygiene and related disciplines. Since 1982, AIHF has distributed more than $2 million in scholarship funds to students pursuing degrees in industrial hygiene or occupational and environmental health and safety. These scholarships have enabled talented students to complete their education and have encouraged the most promising scholars to enter and remain in the IH profession. Donations to AIHF help ensure that deserving students preparing for careers in IH can pursue their educational goals. Information about making a donation to the Foundation can be found on the AIHF
website
.
Last Call: 2021 Board of Directors Nominations
 
AIHA seeks nominations for four Board of Directors positions that will be vacated in May 2021: vice president, treasurer-elect, and two at-large director positions. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. Visit to AIHA's
website
find more information about submitting Board nominations. Please email
AIHA staff
with questions.
AIHA Accepting Proposals for Projects in Developing Countries 
The Micro-Grants Subcommittee of AIHA’s International Affairs Committee (IAC) is accepting applications for funding for international projects and training in developing countries through Dec. 31, 2020. The IAC’s Emerging Economy Projects Fund was established to increase understanding of and build capacity for occupational hygiene in developing economies around the world. Learn more on AIHA’s
website
.
Coming Soon:
AIHA Buyer’s Guide
 
The 2021
AIHA Buyer’s Guide
, a comprehensive resource for industrial hygiene, safety, and environmental products and services, will be mailed together with the November issue of
The Synergist
. Keep the Buyer’s Guide handy for easy access to information you need to make purchasing decisions.  Companies are listed first in alphabetical order with complete mailing addresses, website addresses, and phone numbers. The
Buyer’s Guide
also includes a listing of companies that offer products or services in specific categories and an index of articles that have appeared in this year’s volume of
The Synergist.
The
Buyer’s Guide
is also available
online
.
Dates and Deadlines
Sept. 15–Nov. 17
Virtual Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review course
. Tuesdays and Thursdays, co-sponsored by the University of Michigan and the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society.
Oct. 9
Deadline to submit 2021
AIHA Board of Directors nominations
.
Oct. 30
Deadline to
submit manuscripts
to be considered for the JOEH special issue on health equity in the workplace.
Nov. 9–13
AIHA’s virtual
Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene course
.
Dec. 31
Deadline to submit
Emerging Economy Project Fund applications
. For a complete list of events, visit AIHA's
website
.