AIHce EXP 2023 was held May 22–24 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Conference news from The Synergist will be published on this page.
Getting Students Excited about STEM
“We learn the most when we fail”: this was the reason Fredi Lajvardi’s underwater robotics team from a disadvantaged high school entered a university-level competition. They weren’t trying to win; they just wanted to learn as much as they could. Going up against the likes of MIT, they figured to learn a lot. READ MORE
The Art and Science of Industrial Ventilation
Approximately thirty years ago, not long after George Gruetzmacher got his start in industrial hygiene, tuberculosis was a major concern for OEHS professionals whose practice concerned industrial ventilation. In recent years, of course, control of a different virus—SARS-CoV-2—has been the major focus of many ventilation applications. Last week at AIHce 2023, Gruetzmacher delivered a presentation informed by the applications of industrial ventilation to the two viruses that bookend his career and the many other hazards for which ventilation is a preferred means of protecting worker health. READ MORE
Bioaerosol Sampling in a Healthcare Facility
In any workplace, industrial hygiene sampling needs to proceed according to a well-formulated plan that minimizes disruptions to work tasks. This requirement is difficult to meet in healthcare facilities, and especially so when the agent of interest is a bioaerosol. READ MORE
The Complexities of Bioaerosols
The COVID-19 pandemic touched off a surge of interest in bioaerosols. But the understandable focus on protecting people from infectious viral diseases obscured the fact that bioaerosols encompass much more than viruses. READ MORE
Upsetting the IH Paradigm
Question everything: this seemed to be the motivation behind a provocative session held Tuesday at AIHce EXP 2023 during which presenters Steve Jahn, Phil Smith, and Mike Phibbs encouraged their audience to reimagine the very foundations of modern industrial hygiene. READ MORE
For Networking Success, "Embrace the Discomfort"
Are you an introvert or do you otherwise find networking uncomfortable? You’re not the only OEHS professional who feels this way, according to the presenters of a session held on Monday at AIHce EXP 2023 in Phoenix that gathered professionals from diverse backgrounds to share what they have learned about building a network in the profession. READ MORE
Synchronicity: The Successes of Video Exposure Monitoring
By today’s standards, the concept was low tech: bulky, shoulder-mounted cameras to record workers performing a task; hand-held particulate monitors; simple spreadsheets for capturing exposure data. Yet these tools were state of the art when video exposure monitoring, or VEM, was being developed in the early 1980s. READ MORE
Clearing the Air on Air Purifiers
On Monday at AIHce EXP 2023, a representative from an air purifier manufacturer delivered a presentation that attempted to clarify how air purifiers work and what organizations should look for when selecting one. READ MORE
Growing Pains: For Real-Time Particulate Monitoring, the Learning Curve Is Steep
The rapid development of real-time particulate monitoring devices in recent years has given rise to justifiable excitement about their potential applications in workplaces. Unfortunately, guidance about how to use these devices has not kept pace with their increasing usage. READ MORE
Toward Empathetic Tech: AIHce Keynoter’s Optimistic Vision of Our Digital Future
In her opening keynote address, Poppy Crum described a near future made possible by developments in sensor technology where our environments adapt to us instead of the other way around. READ MORE