AIHA Updates Guidance on Pandemic Response AIHA has published the second edition of its guidance document The Role of the Industrial Hygienist in a Pandemic. Originally published in 2006 by the AIHA Biosafety and Environmental Microbiology Committee to address the then-recent SARS outbreak, the guide has been updated to incorporate information relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior editors Roger D. Lewis, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, and Robert D. Strode, MS, CIH, FAIHA, led the project, which received support from CDC. The new edition provides guidance for industrial hygienists engaged with ongoing COVID-19 response efforts and is intended to be useful in responding to future pandemics.

The new edition adds information on inhalation and airborne pathways and controls, provides a lexicon of terms and definitions, and connects pandemic response strategies to the NIOSH-supported Total Exposure Health and Total Worker Health frameworks. Other updated sections cover exposure assessment, control and exposure banding, sensor technology and instruments, analytics and tracking, shutdown and reopening, and special considerations for workers with pre-existing conditions and industries with unique challenges.

The second edition also highlights some areas of crossover between occupational and environmental health and safety and non-OEHS professions.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has required OEHS and non-OEHS professionals to come together to address the new and complex issues that have been brought forth,” says AIHA CEO Lawrence D. Sloan. While the information contained in the updated guide is primarily intended for an audience of career OEHS professionals, Sloan explains that it also “provides resources, information, and tools to advise and assist general workers, healthcare workers, and management to protect [employees] in the case of a pandemic.”

The second edition of The Role of the Industrial Hygienist in a Pandemic can be downloaded for free from AIHA’s website (PDF).

Several other COVID-related guidance documents and resources are freely available from the AIHA website. These resources cover topics such as the use of real-time detection systems to protect the public during COVID-19, the use of engineering controls to reduce the risk of COVID-19, personal protective equipment for SARS-CoV-2, and cleaning and disinfection in non-healthcare workplaces. Guidance documents on protecting volunteers from COVID-19 during natural disaster response and recovery and surface disinfection practices using germicidal ultraviolet radiation are also available.

2022 AIHA Board Election Updates AIHA will partner once again with ElectionBuddy to provide a safe, secure web-based voting system during the 2022 Board of Directors election cycle. Instructions on how to vote in the election, which will run from Feb. 11 to March 4, 2022, will be emailed to members in February.

There’s still time to nominate a candidate by petition. In addition to nominations made by AIHA’s Nominating Committee, nominations for officers and directors may be made by petition of not less than two percent of members who are eligible to vote. Each petition must include a letter from the nominee stating the nominee’s willingness to stand for election. Petitions must be emailed to the chair of the Nominating Committee by Jan. 28. To be included in the Candidates’ Forum in the February issue of The Synergist, individuals must submit petitions by Jan. 1.

Important information about AIHA governance is available on the association’s website. Email questions to Thursa Pecoraro.

AIHA Welcomes New Head of OSHA AIHA welcomes the confirmation of Doug Parker as the new assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. Parker was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Oct. 25.

“AIHA looks forward to working with Mr. Parker toward our shared goal of protecting the health and safety of workers throughout the nation,” said AIHA CEO Lawrence D. Sloan.

Parker most recently served as chief of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health and earlier was executive director of Worksafe, a legal services provider based in Oakland, California. Parker also worked as a member of the Biden-Harris transition team focused on worker health and safety issues and previously served as deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Mine Safety and Health Administration during the Obama administration. He also held positions as a senior policy advisor and special assistant at the Department of Labor.

Consultants: List Your Business by Dec. 17 The deadline for consultants to be included in next years’ printed Consultants Listing is Dec. 17, 2021. Consultants must renew their AIHA membership before their forms can be processed for the 2022 Consultants Listing.

AIHA’s Consultants Listing helps consultants reach consumers who need the services of an industrial hygiene or occupational and environmental health and safety professional. Every year, AIHA distributes the Consultants Listing 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.

To learn more or complete the online order form, visit AIHA's website. Please email Wanda Barbour or call (703) 846-0782 with questions.

CEC Gears Up for AIHce EXP 2022 The AIHA Continuing Education Committee (CEC) met in October to review 66 professional development course (PDC) proposals for presentation at AIHce EXP 2022. Each proposal undergoes a rigorous and competitive bi-level review by the CEC and experts from AIHA volunteer groups. This review helps guarantee that quality courses are presented to ensure an excellent educational experience.

Fifty-five proposals were selected for presentation at AIHce EXP 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday, May 21; Sunday, May 22; and Thursday, May 26. PDC attendees earn extra certification maintenance points.

Full PDC descriptions will be available on the AIHce EXP website.

In Memoriam AIHA member Joseph Marc Cousineau, CIH, ROH, passed away on Oct. 5 at the age of 67. He was the provincial hygienist for the Ministry of Labour in Ontario, Canada. According to his obituary, which was published in The Globe and Mail, Cousineau “had an immense passion for improving working conditions for workers in Ontario and dedicated the majority of his career to this service.”

John “Pat” Curran, CIH, of Emerald Isle, North Carolina, passed away on Oct. 17. He was 72. He was a recipient of the Warren A. Cook Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the industrial hygiene profession, from the Carolinas Local Section of AIHA. Curran served as the local section’s president in 2002–2003. Read more in The News & Observer.

AIHA Accolades Several AIHA members were recently recognized by ACGIH for their significant contributions to the industrial hygiene profession. Congratulations to D. Jeff Burton, MS, PE, CIH (VS), CSP (VS), FAIHA, the 2021 recipient of the Robert T. Hughes Memorial Award; Michael Grant, ScD, who received the John J. Bloomfield Award; Mary V. O’Reilly, PhD, CIH, CPE, FAIHA, this year’s recipient of the Meritorious Achievement Award; J. David Miller, PhD, FAIHA, who received ACGIH’s Philip R. Morey Memorial Award; and Andrew Maier, MS, PhD, CIH, DABT, FAIHA, the recipient of the Herbert E. Stokinger Award.

Nominate Your Colleagues for Awards, Honors 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 Office to Close for the Holidays The AIHA office will close for the holidays beginning Friday, Dec. 24, 2021, through Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, reopening on Monday, Jan. 3. Online resources, including the marketplace and Member Center, will remain available. Any orders placed between Dec. 23 and Dec. 31 will be fulfilled when the AIHA office reopens on Jan. 3.

Members will continue to receive AIHA’s two weekly e-newsletters, The Synergist Weekly and The Synergist Newswire.

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season!

International Microgrants Deadline Approaching 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. 17 Deadline to submit order forms for next year's printed Consultants Listing.

Dec. 24–31 AIHA office closed for the holidays.

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.