Pittsburgh AIHA News Fall 2022 President's Letter - September 2022 Greetings and I hope everyone is having a great 2022! Where did the summer go? I am honored to be your new President of the AIHA Pittsburgh Local Section and I want to recognize the leadership provided by Laura Allen. I am also excited to welcome Dana Mitcheson as our President-elect and Program Chair. The rest of our Executive Committee is Renee Cowell (Secretary), Frank Pokrywka (Treasurer), Tom Blank (Director), and, of course, Christy Kirsch (Corresponding Secretary/Web Coordinator). We are working to fill the second Director position as soon as possible. I would like to introduce myself and share a few words about what industrial hygiene means to me. My background is in public health engineering--working to develop controls to prevent dust exposures and occupational lung disease in U.S. miners. This work has taken me to dozens of underground mines and material handling facilities across the U.S. I have been engaged in this occupational safety and health research with CDC/NIOSH for nearly 20 years. I am also an active-duty officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. We are 6,000 uniformed public health officers (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, and scientists, to name a few) who serve throughout the federal government to “protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our nation.” As a public health responder, I have deployed for over 300 days during the COVID-19 pandemic, serving on many different missions, usually for just over a month or less. On these deployments I have served in a variety of roles, providing safety oversight and health guidance to control the spread of COVID-19 in airports, health clinics, long-term care facilities, prisons, and schools. In each of these assignments, I employed the IH decision-making competency of ARECC (anticipate, recognize, evaluate, control, and confirm). This technique has led to tailored solutions for each situation depending on the critical hazards and operational goals, be they force protection or protecting a vulnerable population. I encourage those who would like to learn more about this approach to visit AIHA’s website: https://www.aiha.org/education/frameworks/competency-framework-understanding-how-arecc-works-within-occupational-exposure-assessment I’m sure that each of you has played a key role in the COVID-19 response for your respective organizations (and families, of course). Despite the many challenges and disruptions, I hope you have gained new skills and continue to succeed in protecting those who depend on you. As we turn the corner on COVID-19, I hope you will consider joining us at future in-person meetings. Our October meeting will be hosted by Rivers of Steel, where we have the opportunity to learn about the industrial roots of Pittsburgh and the impact that the labor movement here had on workers’ health and safety. We are currently planning other exciting professional development opportunities. For example, we are coordinating with our counterparts at ASSP (American Society of Safety Professionals) Western Pennsylvania Chapter to plan an upcoming joint meeting. Finally, at CDC/NIOSH, advancing health equity is a core value, and we continually strive to provide workplace solutions to address hazards/exposures that may impact certain groups or individuals unequally. Many times, this is because marginalized populations do not have the same “voice” as mainstream groups. In that same vein, I would like to encourage all members, regardless of one’s professional background or stage of their career, to engage in the group’s activities and participate in shaping the section’s future. We are each limited by our own experiences, but together, our collected experiences can lead to greater opportunities and advancements. As John C. Maxwell stated in the title to his 2002 book: “ Teamwork makes the dream work .” Thank you for your continued participation and enthusiasm in our professional community, and for the enduring support of our sponsors. Wishing you a safe and successful 2022 and beyond, LT Tim Beck, MPH Registration deadline extended to Sept. 30, 2022 Join the Pittsburgh AIHA for this great event: ​ The Tour includes: the Story of Steel presentation at the Bost Building, a Battle of Homestead presentation at the Pump House and a story about the immigrant / migrant food culture at the Pump House—paired with an immigrant-inspired lunch, along with a two-hour Industrial Tour of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Click here for details and to REGISTER ONLINE! Pittsburgh AIHA Meeting Review - June 22, 2022 The Short Course on Occupational Noise Exposure Measurement Sponsored by SKC, Inc. and AM Health and Safety, Inc. by Lt. Tim Beck, Pittsburgh AIHA President On June 22, about thirty AIHA Pittsburgh Local Section members were provided a full-day professional development seminar on the topic of noise exposure measurement. This short course was presented by SKC, Inc. and AM Health and Safety, Inc. The technical presentation by Denny Collins, SKC, Inc., covered the physics of sound, hearing conservation, various government regulations, and the basics of conducting a noise survey. Attendees were then given the opportunity to work hands-on with various sound level meters, noise dosimeters, and calibrating devices. Thanks to Barry Momyer for adding his expertise during the presentation and hosting the event at AM Health and Safety’s location on Campbells Run Rd. Thank you to the following Pittsburgh AIHA Members and guests in attendance at this event, we appreciate your support! Timothy Beck, NIOSH/CDC John Bell, Watco Companies, LLC Thomas Blank, BWXT Julian Chimelewski, AM Health and Safety, Inc. Dennis Collins, SKC Inc. Barbara Cummings, AM Health and Safety, Inc. Carol Delfino, Delfino Health & Safety Kyle Hazelett, AM Health and Safety, Inc. Matt Hilliard, AM Health and Safety, Inc. Cynthia Kuhlman, SKC Inc. Mark McFeely, SKC Inc. Fred McGuigan, Risk Assessment Services, LLC Barry Momyer, AM Health and Safety, Inc. Chuck Nachreiner, SKC Inc. Brian Neill, Wood Colton Nist, Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) Michael Ritchie, Duquesne University Patrick Strandwitz, Colden Corporation Meghan Swanson Michael Swintek, Eastern Alliance Insurance Group Leah Tipton, Mine Safety and Health Administration Taylor Tomko, AM Health and Safety, Inc. Anthony Veltri, Evoqua Water Technologies, LLC Benjamin Weilerstein, Student Pittsburgh AIHA Recent News From Our Blog (Click Links): Welcome New Corporate Sponsor! Comprehensive Safety Compliance Thank you to Comprehensive Safety Compliance, Inc. (CSC) who recently signed... Read More Welcome New Pittsburgh AIHA Members! Welcome to... Read More Pittsburgh AIHA to Exhibit at MASHA 2022 Conference - October 27 Once again, the Pittsburgh AIHA will be an exhibitor at the 13th Annual MASHA... Read More Pittsburgh AIHA Membership Dues - now collecting for 2023 The Pittsburgh AIHA is now collecting 2023 annual membership dues for... Read More Pittsburgh AIHA Holds Summer Business Meeting July 26, 2022 On Wednesday, August 10 at 12:00 PM to ~1:30 PM, the Pgh. AIHA held the summer business meeting via TEAMS. Topics discussed during this meeting included program updates/planning, treasurer's report, secretary's report, student sections, corporate sponsors, etc. The Summer 2022 minutes are being prepared but the Agenda from the meeting can be found HERE: 2022_august_-_summer_business_meeting_agenda_final.pdf The Winter Business Meeting Minutes (January 2022) were approved and can be found HERE: https://www.pittsburghaiha.org/meetings.html ​ Thank you to the following Pittsburgh AIHA members that participated in the summer business meeting: Laura Allen, Cardno ChemRisk Donna Bartlett, PPG Industries, Inc. Timothy Beck, NIOSH/CDC Thomas Blank, BWXT Renee Cowell, Hitachi Energy Catherine Crott Frank Pokrywka, KTA-Tator, Inc. James Rowlett Joseph Samuels, HMIS Andrew Seal Leah Tipton, Mine Safety and Health Administration Adrianne Watkins, Montrose Environmental Rachel Williams, Cority Matt Zock, Amazon Local Section Social Event - Two Frays Brewing Two Frays Brewery in Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, 5113 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 by Lt. Tim Beck, Pgh. AIHA President On July 14, an after-work social was held at Two Frays Brewing in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood. About ten AIHA members and family members networked and socialized after a long hiatus due to COVID-19. Attendees were presented with a range of nearby food options and excellent drink choices on this particularly pleasant summer evening. Thanks to Laura Allen for suggesting the idea and venue. RELATED NEWS AND UPDATES: Micro-Volunteering for AIHA:  Activities to fit into your schedule! Sometimes the concept of volunteering can be daunting. It conjures up visions... PA Training for Health and Safety (PATHS) - FREE SERVICE The PA Department of Labor and Industry's Health & Safety Division is offering... National AIHA Apps and eTools Resource Center This resource center is intended to provide OEHS practitioners with quick and... OSHA Expands Criteria for Severe Violator Enforcement Program Recent changes to OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program mean that... 2022 Sponsors: Alpine EHS, LLC Amazon AM Health & Safety, Inc. CIH Services, Inc. Colden Corporation CSC, Inc. FirstEnergy FedEx Ground Intertek PSI MSA Safety Premier Safety & Service, Inc. Risk Assessment Services, LLC SKC, Inc. U.S. Micro-Solutions, Inc. The Pittsburgh AIHA is seeking 2023 Corporate Sponsors - For $200 your company receives two Pittsburgh AIHA Local Section Memberships, a listing on the Corporate Sponsors page , a listing on the Consultants List page (if applicable), homepage weblink, and recognition in the Local Section newsletter. Please consider supporting the Pittsburgh AIHA as a Corporate Sponsor! Make connections