Readers of The Synergist monthly magazine receive in-depth news and information about the occupational and environmental health and safety fields and the industrial hygiene profession:
- Industry trends and news
- Government and regulatory activities
- Key issues facing the profession
- Technical information
- News on Association events and activities
- Association news
JANUARY 2023
PPE for fighting wildfires.
Public event safety. Tragedies like the fatal stampede at a November 2021 concert in Houston are becoming increasingly common. Do standards for crowd control at these events need to be updated?
Is improving IAQ compatible with decarbonization? In response to COVID-19, recommendations have been made to upgrade filtration on HVAC systems and increase the amount of outdoor air brought into buildings. What hasn't been fully considered is how these interventions affect energy usage, which is a major consideration for companies that are looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
FEBRUARY 2023
The challenges of bioaerosol sampling. Based on a highly regarded presentation delivered at AIHce EXP 2022, this article will describe the many difficulties associated with sampling for bioaerosols.
The wide world of occupational risk assessment. How different federal agencies conduct risk assessments--and what OEHS professionals can learn from each.
OEHS and cognitive/behavioral psychology. How an understanding of the ways people think can help OEHS professionals change workers' behavior.
MARCH 2023
Setting alarms on real-time instruments. Policies should specify the actions that users of real-time instruments should take when an alarm sounds.
Selecting PPE for a diverse work force. How OEHS professionals can ensure the PPE their companies purchase can protect all workers.
Women and OEHS. Five women OEHS professionals discuss their allies and offer advice for career success.
APRIL 2023
Special section: AIHce EXP 2023 Preview
Ventilation and COVID-19. Researchers from NIOSH share the latest.
LGBTQ+ OEHS professionals. This article will share the experiences of OEHS professionals who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Evaluating wearable sensors for heat stress. With the recent emergence of fully-featured wearables for heat stress, this article presents OEHS professionals with guidance on evaluating these devices.
MAY 2023
Special section: List of AIHce Exhibitors
Workplace violence. Workplace violence is an unfortunate reality of all workplaces, not just healthcare. The gender and racial disparities for injuries and fatalities related to workplace violence must be addressed in further research and field action.
Occupational health disparities. Which workers fall through the cracks of OEHS programs--and what can be done about it?
OEHS in TV and film. How OEHS professionals keep actors and others safe on the set.
JUNE/JULY 2023
Eye protection.
The DEI of ergonomics. How ergonomic principles support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Firefighting and cancer. The 2018 Firefighter Cancer Registry Act directed NIOSH to develop a registry to better understand the link between firefighting and cancer. This article introduces the Registry, which was slated to launch in the autumn of 2022.
AUGUST 2023--The Labs Issue
Special Section: AIHce EXP 2023 Review
Best practices for surface sampling.
SEPTEMBER 2023
Chemical protective clothing for dermal protection.
Emerging issues in cannabis. The authors identify research needs for cannabis and worker health, and consider whether medical marijuana for workers injured on the job is covered by workers' compensation.
OCTOBER 2023
Protecting the health and safety of nail salon workers.
Hardware IT compliance. Authors from IBM will discuss product safety concerns with computer hardware and compliance standards for worldwide shipments.
NOVEMBER 2023
Mailed with the AIHA Vendor Directory.
The benefits of IH data standardization. This article provides an update on efforts first reported in the Dec. 2020 Synergist. Standardized IH data are less prone to error, more consistent, and create opportunities for identifying exposure patterns that may lead to improvements in occupational safety and health.
Canadian standard CSA Z94.4.1:21 for performance of filtering respirators. An OEHS professional who participated in the standard's development during the COVID-19 pandemic discusses some of the thinking behind it.
DECEMBER 2023
Fatigue detection technologies: the good, the bad, and the ugly (truths). Certain products analyze worker behavior for signs of fatigue. How reliable are these tools?
Respiratory protection factors: an international view. Differences in how APFs are viewed around the world, and practical advice for global companies.
OEHS professionals, cultural heritage, and emergency response. Conservators and collection care professionals are often deployed to war zones and disaster sites to help recover, salvage, and preserve cultural objects from destruction. This article discusses OEHS professionals' role in these efforts.