Goals and Objectives
- Develop, share, evaluate, and disseminate materials to professional industrial hygienists, occupational and environmental health professionals, workplace and community leaders, and responder groups. In the responder community this includes but is not limited to law enforcement, fire, healthcare professionals, forensic laboratory personnel, and EMS. This information is directly related to the enhancement of safety efforts among opioid responders. Additional materials will focus on assisting workplace leaders in preventing and responding to opioid use and misuse in their industries.
- Maintain and update a resource list with hyperlinks to opioid articles and websites relevant to the protection of emergency responders and opioid workplace issues. Some existing topic areas include personal protective equipment, opioid response guides, physical/chemical information on opioids, and opioid workplace opioid concerns.
- Maintain and form new subgroups with different agendas to satisfy our indicated objectives.
Current Projects
AIHA Opioid Working Group Fentanyl Exposure Limit Guidance Recommendation - the goal is to establish scientifically defensible air and surface limit guidance for workers with potential for fentanyl exposure based on an 8-hr workday/40 work week. Working populations would include but not be limited to emergency responders, law enforcement, remediation workers, and forensic scientists.
JIHEEC Ethics Vignettes - Collaboration to develop a script that discusses IH-related ethical issues around cannabis and other products with similar issues
Subgroups
- Outreach and Training – OWG members are very active in providing opioid-related training, presentations, webinars, and other outreach with local fire departments, first responders, public health departments, private industry, universities, conferences, and so on.
- Opioids in the Workplace – This is the newest subgroup. It is focused on the connection of opioid use/addiction with accidents, injuries, workers' compensation, ergonomics, and safety. We also look at the connections to Total Worker Health and Recovery Friendly Workplaces.
- Technical Issues, Concerns and Methods – This group stays up to date on the latest technical research on opioid detection, decontamination and sampling. Their current project is working on opioid exposure limits.
- Legislative Efforts – Legislation for opioids continues to be a challenge at both the federal and state levels, with CA successfully passing State requirements a few years ago. This group works to leverage the success in CA in other States and nationally.
- AIHA-Related Actions – This group focuses on aiding the members and another subgroup in collaborating with other AIHA Volunteer groups, interacting with AIHA and staying up to date with AIHA initiatives and conference activities.
Awards
- AIHA Outstanding Volunteer Group (2022, 2021, 2018)
- Awarded the AIHA Rising Star Award (2018) and Soaring Star Award (2022)
Products by the group
- Presentation: “The Assessment and Cleanup of an Opioid Contamination Site” at the CA IH Council Conference and ACGIH Webinar Series.
Achievements/Honors/Awards
- Recognized as an Outstanding Volunteer Group 2021, 2022
- Outstanding Project Team Award 2021
Collaboration Efforts
- “I am IH” guest lecture and presentation to undergraduate occupational health and safety students at Oakland University (1/13/22 & 9/8/22).
- “Opioid in the Workplace and Community” virtual seminar sponsored by the ASSP Mid-Michigan Chapter (11/30/22).