New Episodes of Video Docuseries to Come In October, AIHA announced another partnership with the video production firm dBase Media to produce more episodes of the video docuseries "Healthier Workplaces, Healthier World," which showcases the occupational and environmental health and safety profession and its role in keeping workers and communities healthy and safe. The series first debuted in 2021, and the 15 episodes released so far feature topics such as the use of technology and Big Data to safeguard workplaces, OEHS careers that solve problems to protect workers, and the multiple disciplines that affect workplace health. Future episodes in the series will spotlight environmental health by highlighting leaders in disaster planning, response, and recovery, emphasizing the global significance of safeguarding communities in all environments. Early participants in upcoming episodes include NIOSH and other prominent organizations.

The second series of episodes will include first-hand accounts of the daily experiences of OEHS professionals working in diverse settings, including business offices, manufacturing plants, pharmaceutical labs, oil rigs, construction sites, railways, potential disaster sites, and film sets. Each story will underscore the role played by OEHS professionals in creating healthier workplaces and, by extension, healthier communities.

The new episodes of "Healthier Workplaces, Healthier World" will premiere at AIHA’s next annual conference, AIHA Connect 2024, which will be held May 20–22 in Columbus, Ohio. Following the premiere, the program will be available on the AIHA website, the association’s YouTube channel, and various social media networks.

See AIHA’s press release for further details. Learn more about the docuseries on AIHA’s website.

AIHA also encourages members to listen to the “Healthier Workplaces Show,” a video podcast series produced in cooperation with multimedia company Healthy Indoors. The program features interviews with professionals from various industry sectors and explores workplace challenges, professional development opportunities, and solutions to some of today’s most pressing industrial hygiene and OEHS challenges.

New episodes drop on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Recent episodes of the podcast feature conversations about portfolio building and interview strategies, the updated noise manual for OEHS professionals, and the significance of accurate exposure judgment. The show can be found on most major podcast streamers—Amazon, Spotify, Apple, Pandora, and Podbean, for example—and on AIHA’s Healthier Workplaces website.

2024 AIHA Board Election Updates AIHA will partner once again with ElectionBuddy to provide a safe, secure web-based voting system during the 2024 Board of Directors election cycle. Instructions on how to vote in the election, which will run from Feb. 9 to March 1, 2024, will be emailed to members in late January.

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. 26, 2024. 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 online. Email questions to Thursa Pecoraro.

Virtual Course to Cover IH Fundamentals AIHA will next hold its “Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene” course virtually via Zoom March 4–8, 2024. This course is designed for those who have newly acquired industrial hygiene responsibilities or who need a refresher in foundational skills. Topic areas of focus include biological monitoring, hazard recognition, air sampling, ventilation and indoor air quality, personal protective clothing, ergonomics, and noise. The five-day course will offer workshop sessions, video lab experiences, demo sessions, and problem-solving exercises.

Value-added items include an electronic course manual, 32 continuing education contact hours, a PDF copy of the most recent edition of The Occupational Environment: Its Evaluation, Control, and Management, and more.

Learn more and register via AIHA's website.

New Synergist Webinar Recordings Available Recordings of several educational Synergist Webinars held in recent months are now available. Presentations held in September and October include “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): State of Science and Regulation in Air and Industrial Hygiene” sponsored by SGS Galson, “Post-OSHA Final Silica Rule: What We Have Learned” sponsored by SKC Inc., and “Escaping the IH Black Box: Actions to Elevate Your Program and Demonstrate Its Value” sponsored by VelocityEHS. AIHA updates webinar participants’ transcripts to reflect their attendance at educational Synergist Webinars, and participants can use their transcripts for certification maintenance. These updates include participants who have watched recorded webinars.

Additional events in the Synergist Webinar series include Product Demos, which are short presentations of practical tips for using specific products, similar to the demonstrations that take place at conference exhibits. Each demo is approximately 20 minutes long followed by a Q&A. This year’s Synergist Product Demos featured the new Gilian Go-Cal Pro air flow calibrator by Sensidyne and Casella’s CEL-620 enhanced sound level meter. AIHA does not update participants’ educational transcripts for Product Demos.

Thanks to these sponsors, the webinars can be viewed at no cost. Learn more and register to view Synergist Webinars online. Please email the Synergist staff with questions.

Consultants: List Your Business by Dec. 18 The deadline for consultants to be included in next year’s digital Consultants Listing is Dec. 18, 2023. Consultants must renew their AIHA membership before their forms can be processed for the 2024 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 the AIHA website. Please email Wanda Barbour or call (703) 846-0782 with questions.

PDCs Selected for AIHA Connect 2024 The AIHA Continuing Education Committee (CEC) met in October to review 67 professional development course (PDC) proposals for presentation at AIHA Connect 2024. 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-six proposals were selected for presentation at AIHA Connect 2024 in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, May 18; Sunday, May 19; and Thursday, May 23. PDC attendees earn extra certification maintenance points.

Full PDC descriptions will be available on the conference website.

AIHA Office to Close for the Holidays The AIHA office will close for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Online resources, including the marketplace and Member Center, will remain available. Any orders placed while the AIHA office is closed will be fulfilled when the office reopens during the first week of 2024.

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!

Awards, Fellows Nominations Due Soon AIHA requests nominations for the 2024 AIHA awards and Fellows. AIHA’s awards honor individuals who provide significant contributions to the industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety professions. The AIHA Fellow designation recognizes full members in good standing who have at least 15 years of continuous membership and have made contributions to IH or related disciplines in areas such as original research, work in policy, leadership, and service to AIHA. The deadline for Fellows nominations is Dec. 31, 2023, and awards nominations are due by Jan. 12, 2024. Learn more.

Synergist Readership Survey Closes Dec. 19 The Synergist has partnered with Avenue M Group to conduct its 2023 readership survey. Invitations to the online survey were emailed to all AIHA members in late November. The survey closes 11:59 p.m. PT on Dec. 19.

Dates and Deadlines

Dec. 13, 2023 AIHA University Webinar: “CIH Exam Equation Sheets Explained.”

Dec. 18, 2023 Deadline to submit material for AIHA’s Consultants Listing.

Dec. 19, 2023 Deadline to participate in the Synergist readership survey.

Dec. 31, 2023 Deadline to submit nominations for AIHA Fellows.

Jan. 12, 2024 Deadline to submit nominations for AIHA awards.

Feb. 6–April 4, 2024 Virtual Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review course. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12–2 p.m. ET, cosponsored by the University of Michigan and the Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society.

March 4–8, 2024 AIHA University’s “Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene” course to be held virtually via Zoom.

For a complete list of events, visit the AIHA website.