Quick Takes April 2023

Events you don't want to miss!

• AIHA has partnered with the Foundation for Chemistry Research and Initiatives (FCRI) to advance the science of occupational risk assessment by hosting a series of free workshops titled Many Paths, One Goal – Protecting Worker Health: An AIHA-FCRI Workshop Series on Occupational Risk Assessment. The second workshop, Optimizing Uses of IH Exposure Data for Occupational Risk Assessment, will be held on April 20, 2023, at 11:00 am. Register today!
• AIHce EXP 2023 is a few weeks away. You could save up to $260 per person when you register multiple people from the same organization. Savings are available for both the in-person and virtual EXPerience. Or, join us from anywhere with virtual AIHce EXP, which grants you affordable access to quality, science-based OEHS education—without the travel expenses. With one-day rates as low as $452, you could save even more! Both offers include AIHce OnDemand.
• If you haven't registered for the AIHF Fun Run, now is the time! The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) will host its annual Fun Run during AIHce EXP, on May 23. Amazon returns as Fun Run’s Premier Sponsor.

From our volunteer groups

• Defining the Science Research Agenda
  Since 2021, members of AIHA and ACGIH have been working in collaboration to establish a national OEHS research agenda that will benefit our collective shared mission to protect worker health and safety. This research agenda, now available to the public, reflects direct input from members of both organizations and seeks to identify unmet fundamental research needs.
• Standards of Care for the Occupational Environmental Health and Safety Professional
  Under the auspices of the AIHA Guideline Foundation (AIHA GF), we have issued our inaugural Standards of Care document. This guidance informs the OEHS professional on best-in-class practices that go beyond regulatory compliance and enhance the level of protection of workers and communities from unacceptable risks. The current scope of the SOC is limited to Exposure Assessment Strategies; contributions were provided by a sub-team of the Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee. Download your free copy today!
  Note: The next edition will build upon exposure assessments and include protocols that address Hearing Loss Prevention. For more information on either initiative, please contact Michele Twilley ([email protected]).
  If you are attending AIHce EXP 2023, consider participating in two town halls — the Define the Science Open Forum and Standards of Care/State of the Art v Practice Forum.
• Cultural Heritage Emergency Preparedness and Response: Guidelines for the OEHS
  AIHA Museum & Cultural Heritage Industry Working Group and the AIHA Incident Preparedness and Response Working Group have issued a white paper that introduces the OEHS professionals to the risk management needs of cultural heritage organizations and to their well-established, nationwide organizations of CH professionals trained in cultural heritage emergency preparedness and response. Read more!
• The AIHA Competency Framework – Understanding and Applying ARECC to Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety is now available for free downloading. This newly released framework provides a comprehensive process to anticipate and recognize hazards, evaluate exposures, and control and confirm protection from risks. Download your free copy today!

AIHA Government Relations

• On March 8, AIHA sent a letter to the New York State Senate Committee on Labor, urging them to swiftly pass Senate Bill S1604A, the Worksite Temperature Regulation Act. This bill is critical in addressing the growing concerns regarding heat stress among workers in various industries, particularly those who work outdoors or in indoor environments with high temperatures.
• AIHA has also provided the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce with recommendations on their request for information (RFI) on the reauthorization of Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act programs.
  AIHA continuously engages with our members, policymakers, and other stakeholders to translate our members’ technical expertise into public policy recommendations and catalyze relationship-building with policymakers. If you'd like to join the Government Relations Committee or receive additional information on it, please contact Mark Ames, AIHA’s Director of Government Relations via email or (703) 846-0730.

AIHA’s Communication Center

• AIHA and Institute of Hazardous Materials Management Sign Memorandum of Understanding
• AIHA Announces New Members of 2023–2024 Board of Directors
• AIHA Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Society for Total Worker Health

The Healthier Workplaces Show

• Episode 12: Personal Branding for STEM
  In this episode, Warm Robots CEO and founder Goldie Chan shares about the importance of personal branding, a key component of finding success in today’s career environment. She shares how OEHS and IH professionals can overcome specific challenges that many STEM-oriented people find in branding themselves as experts in their field.
• Episode 13: Enhancing Human Performance
  In this episode, Dr. Poppy Crum, Chief Technology Officer at NextSense Inc., previews her upcoming session topic at AIHce EXP 2023. Dr. Crum envisions a future where human capacity and performance is enhanced through technology, without replacing human interaction and experiences. Her opening keynote on May 22 is sponsored by SGS Galson. Discuss these episodes and more in both the Catalyst and Healthy Indoors communities.