2008 Past NEAIHA Meetings

The New England Section of AIHA (NEAIHA) in partnership with SKC, Inc. hosted a half day seminar, Advancements in Air Sampling Technologies, on December 4, 2008 in Waltham, MA. The seminar was presented by Debbie Dietrich CIH from SKC, Inc. The purpose of the seminar was to introduce attendees to some of the recent advancements in air sampling technologies and regulations associated with VOCs, particulate matter, and metals. In addition, Ms. Dietrich presented information relevant to industrial hygienists on emerging Green Building initiatives including LEED. A pdf copy of the presentation is posted at Meeting Presentations tab of www.neaiha.org.

Pictured with Debbie Dietrich CIH of SKC from left to right are Andrew Kalil, ScD, CIH (NEAIHA President-Elect), the meeting sponsor Richard Rainville of RCR Associates, and Corey Briggs, CIH, CET ((NEAIHA President)

The December 4 meeting also saw the presentation of appreciation plaques for departing NEAIHA Executive Committee members.

Don Delikat, CIH, above on the left,  whose long service to NEAIHA included positions as Director (2001 – 2005),    President-Elect  (2005 – 2006),    President (2006 – 2007) and Past President (2007-2008) receives his plaque from Corey Briggs CIH, CET ((NEAIHA President)

Bart Ellingsen, CIH, above on the left, who served as Secretary from 2005-2008 and played a major role in the transition to electronic communications, receives his plaque from Corey Briggs.

Matt Norton, CIH CSP, above on the left, who served on the Executive Committee as a Director from 2005 – 2008, receives his plaque from Corey Briggs.

Not able to be present for the December 4 meeting were Russ Kraiterman, NEAIHA’s long-standing Vendor Liaison (1993 – 2005) and Joel Myerson, Vendor Liaison  (2005 – 2008).

Second Annual CRV, NEAIHA. and Western Mass Joint Industrial Hygiene Conference
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

NEAIHA held its second annual joint industrial hygiene conference with the Connecticut River Valley (CRV) and Western Massachusetts (WM) sections at the scenic Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center on October 14, 2008. Six prominent speakers presented on industrial hygiene issues of current concern for approximately 120 conference participants. In addition, representatives from 32 occupational, environmental and safety companies were present with booths in the exhibition hall. Copies of most of the presentations are available on the presentation tab of the NEAIHA website.

In the first presentation of the morning session, Keith Harper and Steve Mayo CIH, from the Sikorsky Aircraft Company, spoke about “Measuring the Value of our Industrial Hygiene Profession.” They are pictured below on either side of Howard Cohen PhD, CIH (CRV President).

Frank Hearl P.E., Associate Director of NIOSH, gave conference participants a glimpse into future workplace hazards with his presentation on coming problems and directions for occupational health and safety.  He is pictured below with Howard Cohen PhD, CIH (CRV President).

Robert Sands CSP, OSHA Region 1 VPP Outreach Director, pictured here on the right with Corey Brigg CIH, CET (NEAIHA President), provided conference participants his insights into OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program.

In the first presentation of the afternoon session, Vahid Ebadat PhD, an expert on combustible dusts from Chilworth Technology, spoke about this topical issue and OSHA’s new initiative. He is shown below receiving a speaker appreciation gift from Patty Heyl, CIH, CSP (CRV Past-President).

William Dyson PhD, CIH gave conference participants an insightful look into the legal world for EHS professionals with his presentation titled, “The Industrial Hygienist in the Courtroom.”  He is pictured on the left below with Howard Cohen PhD, CIH (CRV President).

Pictured below are Second Annual Industrial Hygiene Conference attendees in the exposition hall viewing vendor booths between presentation sessions.

NEAIHA—NEACHMM Joint industrial Hygiene Technical Meeting
Wednesday, September 17, 2008

NEAIHA held a joint evening meeting with The New England Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (NEACHMM) at the Waltham Best Western on September 17, 2008.  Four knowledgeable speakers made presentations on EHS issues during building renovation and demolition for an audience of over 80 NEAIHA and NEACHMM members. The meeting was graciously sponsored by Dec-Tam Corporation. Copies of the presentations are available on the presentation tab of the NEAIHA website.

Mike Walters PhD, CIH, PE relied on his extensive decommissioning experience at Polaroid Corporation as he presented “Decontamination Certification for Building Demolition.” Mike is shown on the left below with Andrew Kalil ScD, CIH (NEAIHA President-Elect).

Marty Wood from the Institute for Environmental Education, who presented “Unexpected ACM,” is shown below with Eric Jenson CHMM (Director-at-Large from NEACHMM).

Jeff Hamel PE, LSP of Woodard & Curran presented on the emerging issue of “PCBs in Caulking and Other Materials.” He is shown below receiving a speaker appreciation gift from Eric Jenson of NEACHMM.

Dan Kallin CPEA, MIT, used his university and industrial experience to provide an environmental perspective in his presentation “Quick Silver Away! – Managing Mercury during Renovations in Older Buildings.” He is shown below receiving a speaker appreciation gift from Andrew Kalil of NEAIHA.

AIHA - New England Section Evening Meeting
Thursday, June 19, 2008

The New England Section's June 19 evening technical meeting was held at Anthony’s Pier IV in Boston, MA.  

While the meeting focus was on presenting the research and projects of student graduates, the first speaker, Kimberly Castillon of OSHA, recently a Councilor for the Academy of Industrial Hygiene provided an overview of the Academy’s industrial hygiene mentoring program. The next presentation, on doctoral research by Candace Tsai, ScD from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell (delivered by Mike Ellenbecker) was titled “Worker Exposure to Airborne Nanoparticles at Various Workplaces in University Laboratories.”  Elsa Olivetti a postdoctoral associate at MIT, presented on student energy conservation initiatives and EHS at MIT. Shalu Shelat, a recent graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health, presented on the evaluation and redevelopment of confined space entry programs in a utility plant.  All the talks were well received by the approximately 65 NEAIHA members and guests. The presentations will be made available on the NEAIHA website.

The meeting was graciously sponsored by Ed Stevenson of the Industrial Hygiene Service Group at Liberty Mutual (HTUhttp://www.libertymutual.comUTH).

Corey Briggs, CIH, CET and local section president presenting Mike Walters, PhD, CIH, CSP with NEAIHA certificate recognizing him as an AIHA Fellow.

Corey Briggs, CIH, CET and local section president presenting Debra Gursha CIH the 2008 NEAIHA Scholarship Award of $1500.00.  Debra will soon be attending the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to obtain her Masters degree.

Andy Kalil, ScD, CIH and local section president-elect presenting Ms. Kimberly Castillon, CIH of OSHA with a speaker’s recognition gift.

Andy Kalil, ScD, CIH and local section president-elect presenting Dr. Mike Ellenbecker, CIH of the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a speaker’s recognition gift.  Mike was standing in for Candace Tsai, ScD who was one of the student speakers. 

Frank Cichon, CIH of Liberty Mutual’s Industrial Hygiene Group, the evening technical meeting sponsor 

Andy Kalil, ScD, CIH and local section president-elect presenting Ms. Elsa Olivetti, an MIT post doctoral associate with a speaker’s recognition gift. Elsa was one of the student speakers for the evening meeting.

Andy Kalil, ScD, CIH and local section president-elect presenting Ms. Shalu Shelat, MS, a recent graduate from the Harvard School of Public Health with a speaker’s recognition gift. Shalu was one of the student speakers for the evening meeting.

Corey Briggs, CIH, CET and local section president receiving the evening meeting sponsor check from representatives of the Liberty Mutual Industrial Hygiene Group. From left to right Corey Briggs, Lawrence Shum, Van Nguyen, Frank Cichon, Ethel Patricio, Mien Peng, Don Delikat (local section past president), Victor Hillman and Andrew Kalil (local section president-elect).

UPCOMING NEAIHA JUNE 19 TECHNICAL MEETING

Please join us for the traditional NEAIHA June meeting at Anthony’s Pier IV and an opportunity to learn about industrial hygiene mentoring and hear three presentations from the exciting research of exceptional students from local universities.

As announced, NEAIHA is now offering an online credit card option to pay for member events. The credit card payments are processed thru First American Payment Systems, the company recommended by Memberclicks. They have been in business since 1990 and serve thousands of businesses. 

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