For 75 years and counting, AIHA has proven to be the primary resource for education and training in industrial hygiene and its allied professions. We have earned this reputation largely through our willingness to listen attentively to our members and to adjust our plans based on their feedback. Recent weeks have provided many examples of our commitment to engaging with members and other occupational health and safety professionals.
I2P2 debate. Attendees at the Fall Conference in Washington, D.C., last October were treated to an entertaining and informative debate about a prospective OSHA rule that would require employers to implement an illness and injury prevention program (I2P2). AIHA has offered its support to OSHA in developing such a rule, but we’re aware that not all of our members think such a rule is a good idea. The debate gave both sides of this argument an opportunity to voice their concerns. No matter your position on the wisdom of an I2P2 rule, our willingness to experiment with the debate format surely helped illuminate what such a rule would mean for industrial hygienists and OEHS professionals.
PELs session. Shortly before the Fall Conference began, OSHA issued a request for information (RFI) on chemical management and permissible exposure limits (PELs). For decades, updating the PELs has been AIHA members’ top priority with respect to public policy in the U.S. Although the RFI was issued just eight days before the conference, AIHA arranged for William Perry, OSHA’s director of standards and guidance, to discuss the RFI at a general session during the conference.
Future Leaders Institute (FLI). Designed for young professionals with fewer than 15 years of work experience, FLI focuses on developing the next generation of leaders in industrial hygiene and OEHS. Participants learn about making strategic decisions, integrating EHS and IH into key business priorities, and increasing their scope of influence. In addition, FLI gives AIHA an opportunity to begin a dialogue with some of the brightest minds in our field and has proven to be mutually beneficial for both students and AIHA—and therefore one of our greatest successes in member engagement.
Ebola Web chat. At the height of concern over Ebola in the U.S., AIHA arranged for a one-hour online presentation by Tom Fuller, a member of the Healthcare Working Group and a founding member of the Pandemic Planning Team. Although we had only a week to promote it, the event drew nearly 600 registrants and more than 340 attendees, many of whom participated in a vigorous give-and-take with Tom via chat.
Global Access Program (GAP). If you haven’t already renewed your membership, you’ll be interested to know about a new benefit available to AIHA members. AIHA has partnered with the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) and the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH) to extend electronic products and services to each other’s memberships. Two tiers of benefits are available. For more information, visit the AIHA website.
AIHce 2015. The premier conference for industrial hygiene and OEHS professionals has long been the most important event on the AIHA calendar and the single biggest source of education for IHs, no matter where they are in their careers. The conference routinely receives high praise from attendees, and we’re taking steps to make it even better next year. Plans are still in the works, but I can tell you that a brand-new networking event will take place on the morning of Wednesday, June 3. The AIHce “Mark of Excellence Breakfast” will celebrate the extraordinary contributions of members and volunteers to the industry and the profession. More information about our re-imagined Wednesday morning event is to come. For now, please visit the conference website to learn about the educational sessions and captivating speakers who will make this year’s conference in Salt Lake City a memorable event.
