Membership in the Oklahoma local section is open to all individuals in the safety, environmental and health fields. Our members are from various backgrounds such as government, consulting, sales, vendors, manufacturing, etc...

Photos courtesy of travelok.com. Centennial logo courtesy of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission.

2013 Oklahoma Spring Conference Brochure

Barb Epstein, Cheri Marcham, Tom Hall, and Elden Cheatham from the 2012 Oklahoma Local Section Spring Conference.

OKAIHA NEWS

The Oklahoma Local Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (OKAIHA) announced the signing of an alliance with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Oklahoma City Area Office on August 21, 2012.   The overall purpose of the alliance is establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces, to protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to chemical, physical, biological, and/or other recognized workplace hazards, addressing workplace health and safety issues, and understanding the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).  According to David Bates, Oklahoma Office Area Director, “Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. These groups include unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses and educational institutions. OSHA and the groups work together to develop compliance assistance tools and resources, share information with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. Alliance Program participants do not receive exemptions from OSHA programmed inspections.”

Bryan Stolte, PhD, CIH, the current OKAIHA President, stated, "This newly established alliance between OKAIHA and the Federal OSHA office in Oklahoma City is a productive initiative and a formal establishment of the cooperation that exists between the agency and the environmental, health & safety professionals of the Oklahoma AIHA.  Our mutual goals include the sharing of OSHA's regulatory agenda, the training and education of Oklahoma workers in the areas of safety and health, and the development of outreach programs that will allow affected workers and their companies to become better informed with regard to the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, Our organization looks forward to a productive and cooperative partnership with our colleagues at the Federal OSHA office."

In accordance with the spirit of this new alliance, OKAIHA and OSHA, along with the Oklahoma Department of Labor OSHA Consultation Office, are coordinating a free workshop on the 2012 Hazard Communication Standard GHS updates to be held in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma for industrial hygienists and business and industry representatives.  For more information on this event, go to http://tinyurl.com/952h8hf.

David Bates can be reached at 405-278-9560.  Dr. Bryan Stolte can be reached at 405-302-1700.

Seated at the table on the left is David Bates  OSHA Area Director, Bryan K. Stolte, PhD, CIH, President, OKAIHA on the right.  From left to right standing behind Bates and Stolte are: Steven Kirby, OSHA Assistant Area Director; Janet Barker, CIH, OSHA Assistant Area Director; Jorge Delucca, CAIH, OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialist; Anissa Geiger, CIH, Director, OKAIHA, Cheri Marcham, PhD, CIH, CSP, AIHA Board Coordinator.  Not shown (behind the camera) are Elden C. Cheatham, CIH, CSP, Secretary, OKAIHA and Maxine LaPierre, Director, OKAIHA.