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PCIH 2007 Includes Exciting Programming for Its Louisville-Bound Conference

Occupational and environmental health and safety professionals will gather in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the famous Kentucky Derby, for the Professional Conference on Industrial Hygiene, October 20–23. PCIH will bring together more than 350 colleagues looking to stay current with trends, find solutions to everyday issues, and network with peers.

Professional development courses, general sessions, workshops, and small group discussions will equip attendees with the information needed to excel and stay at the top of the field, plus, earn up to six CM points. PCIH is sponsored by the Academy of Industrial Hygiene.

“PCIH brings together professionals from various specialties to provide a unique opportunity to meet with and learn from some of the best minds in the industrial hygiene field,” said Academy President John R. Mulhausen, PhD, CIH. “PCIH provides a forum to discuss current trends, to learn from experts, and to develop practical applications to tackle the issues OEHS professionals face daily.”

Attendees will also take full advantage of the opportunity to view the latest products and services and meet with industry representatives at PCIH’s exposition. Expo hours are 8 a.m.–1 p.m. and 5:30–6:30 p.m. on October 22 and 8 a.m.–noon on October 23.

Highlights planned for the 2007 conference include:

• Pre-conference symposia addresses bringing toxicology to global issues in occupational and environmental public health.
• Weekend PDCs discussing topics such as life safety engineering; industrial hygienists as experts in trial and depositions; noise control engineering; applied industrial ergonomics; leadership and communication skills; Bayesian statistics; auditing health and safety management systems; mold, moisture, and the science within the building envelope; and particles and health.
• Cutting-edge general session speakers, including Kirsty Duncan, PhD, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, on “Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist’s Search for a Killer Virus,” and Dennis S. Palalay, MHS, Industrial Hygiene Field Services, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM), Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, on “OHS Challenges in the Midst of War and Disaster.” John Mulhausen, PhD, CIH, AIH president, St. Paul, Minnesota; Daniel Agopsowicz, CIH, AIH past president, Supply, North Carolina; and Lindsay Booher, CIH, CSP, AIHA president-elect, Fairfax, Virginia, will speak at the Tuesday general session on “The Academy’s Role in AIHA: Maximizing Our Potential.”
• Breakfast and luncheon discussions offering attendees opportunities for small-group discussions on topics such as the 1918 influenza pandemic, industrial hygiene in the courtroom, asbestos, and environmental health and safety credentialing.
• Solutions workshops on global harmonization, exposure reconstruction, new perspectives on long standing industrial hygiene issues, clandestine methamphetamine laboratories from initial investigation to remediation, business continuity management, technology and media-based industrial hygiene training, ethical fitness, and improving professional judgment.
• Two tracks of concurrent sessions: “Technical” and “Strategic.”
• A technical tour of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.

Aside from the education program and experiencing the expo, past registrants say the primary reason they attend PCIH is the ease of networking with leaders in their profession. This year’s PCIH offers more networking opportunities – “Meet ’n Greet” lounges on the expo floor for impromptu and planned meetings and a fun-filled excursion aboard the Spirit of Jefferson Riverboat. After a day full of energizing sessions and thought-provoking meetings, participants may enjoy Louisville attractions, including the Louisville Slugger Museum, Churchill Downs, home to the famous Kentucky Derby, the Muhammad Ali Center, or just winding down while listening to legendary bluegrass music.

The deadline to register in advance, purchase tickets, and make hotel reservations is September 21, 2007. After September 21, participants may register at the Louisville Marriott Downtown. Badges, tickets, and final programs will be available at the conference. On-site registration opens Friday, October 19, 2007, 4–6 p.m.

For detailed conference information and registration, including a schedule of planned PDCs and education sessions, visit www.pcih2007.org. For more information contact Kim Bacon, AIHA’s assistant manager of Academy relations, at (703) 846-0780 or kbacon@aiha.org. Come to PCIH 2007 and find your track to worldwide solutions!