We’ve often said that Synergist staff have the best job at AIHce EXP: we get to attend sessions, listen to thought-provoking presentations, and relive what we’ve heard in our conference coverage. Below are links to the session writeups we’ve posted so far, with more to come.

What sessions did you like the most, and which presenters were your favorites? Please share your thoughts in the comments—and don’t forget to fill out your session evaluations.

Decision-Making Under Pressure: Leadership on the Front Lines

His friend Chris was lying in a pool of blood, his eyes fixed and dilated. Dr. Sudip Bose listened for a heartbeat, heard none, and declared him dead. The next patient, the man who killed Chris, was brought in screaming and kicking; he didn’t want Dr. Bose’s care any more than Dr. Bose wanted to provide it. But that was his duty as an Army doctor on the front lines in Iraq, a duty he somehow found the mental fortitude to perform. READ MORE

AIHA Fellows Debate “The Totals”

Members of AIHA’s Fellows Special Interest Group offered varied and at times clashing perspectives on a key issue facing the OEHS profession: to what extent should workplace health protection programs attempt to address health issues outside the workplace? The session continued the annual AIHce tradition of “AIHA Fellow debates” during which recipients of AIHA’s Fellow Award present opposing arguments on controversial topics. READ MORE

Late-Breaking Session Asks: How Can IHs Help Schools?

As school districts across the United States plan to resume large-scale face-to-face learning this autumn, a special panel joined Virtual AIHce EXP 2021 on May 24 for a live discussion of the roles industrial hygienists can play in reopening schools and the barriers that could prevent success. READ MORE

Sinclair Lecturers: Workers Bore the Brunt of the Pandemic in the Meatpacking Industry

Journalists Rachel Axon of USA TODAY and Sky Chadde of the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting appeared at Virtual AIHce EXP 2021 on May 24 to share the story of meatpacking workers who bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic as plant executives “sacrificed safety for profits.” Their talk was part of the annual Upton Sinclair Memorial Lecture series, which highlights the importance of media in occupational safety and health. READ MORE

On-the-Fly Compliance: How a Major Retailer Protected Workers During the Pandemic

A board-certified industrial hygienist with GHD in Little Rock, Arkansas, Benjamin Chandler provided EHS consulting services to a major retailer with a large geographic footprint whose business included pharmacies and optical centers, many of which closed early in the pandemic. These facilities were vital sources of medications and healthcare services in communities across the country. It was Chandler’s responsibility to get them opened safely. READ MORE

NIOSH Presenters Talk Workplace COVID-19 Vaccination

Leaders of the Essential Workers Team in CDC's Vaccine Task Force provided an update on workplace COVID-19 vaccination during a session that aired on May 25 as part of Virtual AIHce EXP 2021. The NIOSH team also discussed the agency's response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as field and virtual assistance that NIOSH has provided directly to employers and jurisdictions. READ MORE

Protecting Minorities During COVID-19

As the country’s racial reckoning and public health crisis lurched along side by side, members of AIHA’s Women in IH Special Interest Group—including Subena Colligan, Jennifer Hsu, and Ivory Iheanacho—were discussing the effects of COVID-19 on minority communities, and they decided it was time to act. READ MORE