AIHA’s IH Heroes game received the bronze prize in the Best Use of Games or Simulations for Learning category of the annual Human Capital Management Excellence Awards sponsored by the Brandon Hall group, a research and analysis firm. IT management company Encora Digital Inc., AIHA’s partner in developing the game, is a corecipient of the award.

First announced in June 2020, IH Heroes is based on the five core elements of industrial hygiene: anticipation, recognition, evaluation, control, and confirmation. Each element is represented by a level in the game. Players navigate these five levels by performing game activities related to each IH core element, working toward the ultimate goal of detecting and containing a gas leak at a chemical laboratory. The game, which is targeted toward players aged 10 and up, takes an average of 7 to 10 minutes to complete.

“Our goal is always to provide our members with relevant, fun, and engaging resources that they can use to promote the profession of industrial hygiene to the next generation,” said Sue Marchese, AIHA’s managing director of marketing and communications. “This award from Brandon Hall Group recognizes our hard work and efforts in this regard.”

Entries to the Brandon Hall Group’s Human Capital Management Excellence Awards are evaluated by a panel that includes Brandon Hall Group analysts and executives as well as independent industry experts. Points are awarded based on each entry’s performance in the following categories: fitness for the needs of the organization, design, delivery, measurable benefits, and overall impact.

AIHA and Encora will be honored among this year’s award winners at Brandon Hall Group's next Human Capital Management Excellence Conference in February 2022. For more information, including the list of past awardees, visit Brandon Hall Group’s website.

The IH Heroes game can be found on AIHA’s website. For related resources, visit AIHA's IH Heroes webpage.

JOEH Seeks Case Studies on Controlling COVID-19 The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene has issued a call for case studies on controls implemented to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Topics of interest include investigations that examined methods to quickly assess ventilation performance, aerosol transport studies in workspaces, flow studies around plexiglass barriers in the workplace, and studies of the effectiveness of local HEPA filtration units in shared spaces.

Submissions will be considered for publication in a forthcoming special issue on COVID-19 controls. Potential contributors are asked to confirm their intent to submit for the special issue by emailing JOEH Editor-in-Chief T. Renee Anthony by Nov. 15. The submission deadline for the special issue is Dec. 31.

Case studies should be submitted as “short reports,” a type of technical manuscript for topics with limited generalizability. The maximum length for short reports in JOEH is 3,000 words. More information about short reports can be downloaded from the JOEH website (PDF).

Authors of case studies are asked to identify any limitations that affect interpretation of their results and to provide guidance and caution regarding the use of their method in other settings. Reviewers will assess the case study’s explanation of its objective, methods, and limitations; the investigation’s relevance to other workplaces; and the appropriateness of the report’s analysis and interpretations of its findings.

New Resources on AIHA.org Two new resources have recently been published by AIHA. A new book, the second edition of The Role of the Industrial Hygienist in a Pandemic, provides resources, information, and tools to advise and assist industrial hygienists and management in protecting workers in the case of a pandemic. It’s freely available as a PDF and can be downloaded from AIHA’s website.

A new white paper, “Home Health Care Aides: Occupational Health and Safety Challenges and Opportunities,” was jointly issued by AIHA and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society in August. The white paper is a snapshot of current conditions with recommendations for providing better care for all—care givers, care recipients, family, and friends—while meeting societal needs moving forward. A PDF of the white paper is available from AIHA.

Reach Consumers, Decision Makers with AIHA’s Consultants Listing AIHA’s Consultants Listing is a low-cost way for consulting professionals to advertise their businesses. The Consultants Listing features an online directory and search function that allow consumers searching for an industrial hygienist or occupational and environmental health and safety consultant to quickly and easily find the expert they need in their area. AIHA also distributes a printed Consultants Listing annually nationwide to thousands of decision makers in a variety of industries, including legal, real estate, trade associations, academia, healthcare, and agencies at all levels of government. Federal agencies such as EPA, FEMA, and OSHA regularly refer consumer inquiries to consultants listed in AIHA’s Consultants Listing for assistance.

Consultants can choose to display their company information online only or receive a complimentary online listing when they advertise in the print version. The deadline to submit order forms for next year's printed Consultants Listing is Dec. 17, 2021. To learn more or complete the online order form, visit AIHA's website. Please email Wanda Barbour or call (703) 846-0782 with questions.

AIHA Supports President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan In a press release published in September, AIHA describes its support for the workplace health and safety components of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan, which includes requirements for all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested weekly. The plan also includes requirements for employers to provide paid time off for workers to get vaccinated, calls on all states to adopt vaccine requirements for all school employees, and provides additional funding to school districts for the safe reopening of schools. Additional components of the plan require COVID-19 vaccinations for all federal workers and contractors that do business with the federal government as well as for healthcare workers at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals and other healthcare settings.

Read AIHA’s full press release.

Students: AIHF Scholarship Application Available Now The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) is accepting scholarship applications for the 2022–2023 academic year. Students are evaluated on academic record, extracurricular activities, future goals as an industrial hygienist, and potential for leadership in the industrial hygiene profession. Several AIHF scholarships have specific criteria, and schools or students who meet those criteria will be given first consideration.

All application materials must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2022. For more information on AIHF scholarships and eligibility requirements, please visit the foundation's website.

Since 1982, AIHF has distributed more than $2.2 million in scholarship funds to students pursuing degrees in industrial hygiene or occupational and environmental health and safety. More information about AIHF and its mission can be found online.

Fellows, Awards Nominations Due Soon AIHA requests nominations for the 2022 Fellow and AIHA awards. The deadline for Fellows nominations is Dec. 31, 2021, and the deadline for AIHA awards nominations is Jan. 14, 2022. AIHA’s awards honor individuals who provide significant contributions to the industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety professions. More information is available on AIHA’s website.

Please email questions to Janice Allen.

AIHA Accolades Congratulations to AIHA members Chris Laszcz-Davis, MS, CIH, COH, FAIHA, AIC Fellow, and Georgi Popov, PhD, QEP, CSP, ARM, SMS, CMC, FAIHA, who were recently announced as recipients of awards from the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC). Laszcz-Davis is the 2021 recipient of the ABIH Lynn C. O’Donnell Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor awarded by BGC, and Popov is the recipient of the organization’s QEP Annual Award.

Proposals for Projects in Developing Countries Due Dec. 31 The Microgrants Subcommittee of AIHA’s International Affairs Committee (IAC) is accepting applications for funding for international projects and training in developing countries through Dec. 31. 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.

Dates and Deadlines Dec. 6–8 California Industrial Hygiene Council: 30th Annual CIHC Professional Development Seminar in Long Beach, California, and online.

Dec. 17 Deadline to submit order forms for next year's printed Consultants Listing.

Dec. 31 Deadline to submit AIHA Fellows nominations and Emerging Economy Project Fund applications.

Jan. 14, 2022 Deadline to submit AIHA awards nominations.

Feb. 1, 2022 Deadline to submit AIHF scholarship applications.

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