Mark your calendar for our June 22, 2021 virtual event titled "Quieter is Better:  Basic Noise Control Concepts".  Jeffrey Komrower from Noise Control Engineering will present at this event.  Registration to open in May, an email will be sent to members and online registration will be available on our website.

Description:  This presentation will go through some very basic concepts of acoustics and measurements as well as some basics of noise control concepts and implementation methodologies.  It will end with several case histories.

Outline:

• Why Noise Controls?
• Basics (very) of Acoustics (sound pressure, frequency concepts, A-weighting, dB)
• Noise measurement basics
• Source-path-receiver model
• Noise control methodology and implementation
• Case histories

Pittsburgh AIHA Secretary Frank Pokrywka, Director Laura Hallett, and Past-President Tak Pajak volunteered to be judges on behalf of the Pittsburgh AIHA for the annual Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair held as a virtual event on March 24, 2021.

Our judges reviewed hundreds of science abstracts to find those relevant to Industrial Hygiene.  They each chose 5 or 6 favorites and proceeded to narrow their choices down to six projects for further review during the Fair on March 24.  The choices were submitted to Nicole Wood, Science Fair Director, who scheduled each student for a 20 minute virtual interview.  Project write-ups for Pgh. AIHA selected students were available for review online prior to the virtual interview.  In addition, a rubric was included for each project category to enable the judges to rate various characteristics of the project and develop a score for the students experimental design, work product, and presentation skills.  The student projects selected included one from the junior division (grade 6), three from the intermediate division (grades 7 and 8),  and two from the senior division (grades 9-12).   (Continue reading below)

We are excited to announce that the Pittsburgh AIHA renewed the eLearning Subscription for 2021.  Member feedback has been positive regarding the value of the eLearning events which can be accessed through the Catalyst site/online classroom. 

Two sessions have been selected with three more live webinars and AIHce OnDemand sessions to add in the fall.
The sessions selected so far for 2021 include:

• AIHce OnDemand: Sampling and Analytical Challenges in Meeting Ever Lower OELs for Metals and Metalloids.
• AIHA Webinar: Lessons Learned from Quantitative Exposure Assessments Conducted Globally.

All 2021 members in good standing (dues paid/membership renewed for 2021) should receive an email from National AiHA with details and login steps.  If you did not receive the email, please contact Christy Kirsch at ckirsch@pittsburghaiha.org to confirm your membership status.

The 2021-2022 Executive Committee Election has ended.  62 ballots were submitted. Thank you to all the members who participated and took the time to vote. Congratulations to our newly elected Executive Committee Members who will begin their term in July 2021:

• President-Elect: Lt. Timothy Beck, MPH
• Secretary: Renee Cowell, CSP
• Director: Thomas L. Blank, CIH, CSP, FAIHA

MSA has a current Job opportunity for an EHS Specialist position in Cranberry Twp.  The Environmental Health & Safety Specialist is responsible for the day to day support as well as the continuous improvement and maintenance of a comprehensive EHS Management System in the departments with an emphasis on product testing safety and processes.  

Respond through Adecco employment agency link  below:
https://www.adeccousa.com/jobs/ehs-specialist-cranberry-township-pennsylvania/?ID=US_EN_99_023427_1604799             

Thank you to the participants from this event held on March 23, 2021 -- we appreciate the support from our members and the speakers for this event!

Dr. Gary A. Morris, CSP Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Safety & Health at Murray State University will be our first speaker for this event on Pandemic / Infectious Disease Plans.

Olivia Messina Leleck, MPH, CPH, Senior Associate Health Scientist with Cardno ChemRisk (Pittsburgh) gave a presentation on COVID-19 Vaccines: Safety, Goals, and Strategies. 

The Local Section Election will take place beginning March 12, 2021 when the e-ballots will be distributed to all Pittsburgh AIHA members in good standing (current dues / membership 2021).  Please take the time to vote!  The deadline is March 19, 2021 at 11:00 PM.

Candidates for 2021-2022:

President-elect: 

• LT Timothy Beck is an Engineer Consultant in the Health Hazards Prevention Branch of CDC-NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division.  He is also an engineer officer in the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service. He joins over 6100 other public health officers serving throughout the federal government to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of the nation.

Secretary:  

• Renee Cowell, CSP is Senior Safety Representative at Energy Transfer Partners and Past-President of the Pittsburgh AIHA. She has 25 years of experience in the field of environmental, health and safety (EHS) specializing in behavioral based safety, safety cultural change, compliance and assurance programs, lean, corporate standards, auditing, and management system development.

Directors: 

• Thomas L. Blank, CIH, CSP, FAIHA has over 45 years of leadership, mentoring, and professional recognition in safety and health research, education, toxicology, safety, industrial hygiene, regulatory processes, management of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs, EHS compliance, and process safety/risk management.  Tom is a Past-President of the Pittsburgh AIHA and a National AIHA Fellow.

​​

• Nick Ravotti, GSP is an EHS Specialist at Kennametal in Pittsburgh. He graduated summa cum laude from Slippery Rock University in December 2020 with a major in Safety Management and a minor in Business Administration.  While at SRU, Nick was President for the inaugural SRU student section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Thank you to the 30 Pittsburgh AIHA Members that participated in the Pittsburgh AIHA event on Tuesday, February 23 from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM.  There were two parts to this virtual meeting:

​​Verifying Engineering Controls - The Critical Role of Emerging Technology (11:30 AM - 12:00 PM) - Speaker Erik Malmstrom, SafeTraces
​
Current and Overlooked IEQ Topics (12:00 - 1:30 PM) - Speaker Joe Hughes, IAQ Training Institute
Joe Hughes shared his presentation which can be found here:  joe_hughes_2021-02-23_pgh_aiha_presentation.pdf 

SKC, Inc. is looking for an Instrument Specialist. Follow the link below for more information: 
https://recruiting.myapps.paychex.com/appone/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=3370387&B_ID=91&fid=1&Adid=0&ssbgcolor=273A5B&SearchScreenID=13289&CountryID=3&LanguageID=2

Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) in Linthicum, MD, is seeking a Principal/Sr. Principal EHS Engineer to support occupational health programs.  Full details regarding the position are available at the Northrop Grumman Career page, https://www.northropgrumman.com/careers/experienced-professionals/.  To find it, select "SEARCH ALL US JOBS".  Then search by keyword "Industrial Hygienist".   You can also reply to johnlparker@juno.com if interested.
 
Key roles and responsibilities include:

• Develops, implements, and maintains occupational health programs to ensure compliance, injury prevention, and risk mitigation.
• Oversees the following occupational health programs: asbestos/lead abatement, hearing conservation, respiratory protection, hazard communication, ventilation, non-ionizing radiation (lasers and radiofrequency), and chemical hygiene plans.
• Conducts qualitative and quantitative hazard assessments to include exposure monitoring for physical and chemical agents.
• Completes industrial and office ergonomic evaluations to reduce risk factors that cause musculoskeletal disorders.
• Conducts internal compliance inspections and identifies actions necessary to meet regulatory requirements.
• Reviews and interprets existing and proposed environmental, health, and safety (EHS) regulations to determine applicability and impact for site. 
• Partners with engineers, scientists, and management to support the integration of EHS into the design of new or altered processes and operations and building construction projects.  
• Works to continuously improve the culture, awareness and accountability of EHS programs.
• Interfaces with regulatory representatives, senior management, the site EHS Committee, and the Emergency Response, and Crisis Management teams. 

 

The current Pittsburgh AIHA Newsletter is posted in multiple formats - please view here:
https://www.pittsburghaiha.org/newsletter.html.

The next Pittsburgh AIHA Newsletter is expected to be published late February 2021.  Submit any announcements, events, items of interest, etc. to info@pittsburghaiha.org.

The Pittsburgh AIHA does not have a January 2021 event scheduled and would like to share an invitation extended by the Yuma Pacific Southwest (YPSW) AIHA to participate in their annual meeting.  

YPSW Program Chair, Fred Boelter, has assembled an excellent program and slate of speakers in line with the current times aptly named:  "Resiliency Through Change" 

Two 2-hour Sessions to be held Thurs./Fri. (Jan 21 and 22) from 4:00-6:00 PM Eastern Time.

The meeting Agenda is found here:  46th Annual Meeting Agenda

REGISTER ONLINE BY JANUARY 15:  2021 YPSW Registration Form (Download, Fill-in, & Email)

On Wednesday, December 16, the local section held their winter business meeting via ZOOM.   Thank you to the members who participated in the call!   Available Now: Click HERE for the DRAFT meeting minutes.  

Topics discussed during this meeting included: 

•  Secretary's Update / Report
•  Treasurer's Update / Report
•  Program / meeting topics 
•  Nominations for 2020 Election
•  E-Learning Update 
•  Student Local Sections / young professional involvement / outreach 

The AIHA Pittsburgh Local Section is in need of volunteers for the 2021-2022 executive committee.  We are in search of nominations for President-Elect, Director, and Secretary.  For any questions regarding duties and terms, and to submit nominations for yourself or others, please contact our nominations committee chair, Renee Cowell, CSP at renee.cowell@energytransfer.com. 

The Pittsburgh Local Section Election will take place in February 2021.  For a general description of duties, please see the link:  https://www.pittsburghaiha.org/bylaws.html 

Over the past 30 years, the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) has awarded more than 680 scholarships totaling nearly $2 million to students dedicated to studying industrial hygiene and/or occupational and environmental health safety.  Every year, the AIHF awards qualified students and young professionals with scholarships of varying types to help offset costs in their pursuit of a career in industrial hygiene.  

With a variety of scholarships available (PIttsburgh AIHA sponsors a scholarship), students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs that lead to a career in industrial hygiene can find varying levels of awards and assistance to further their educational opportunities. Unless otherwise noted, interested students should follow the established application and eligibility guidelines for the scholarships listed below.

• Endowed Scholarships
• Grants and Other Scholarships
• Active AIHA Local Section and Volunteer Group Scholarships
• Corporate Scholarships

The deadline to submit all AIHF application materials is February 1, 2021. All materials must be completed and answered in full and can now be completed using an online application portal.

Reminder to visit your ONLINE CLASSROOM before the deadline -- One great benefit provided by our local section is an AIHA eLearning Lite subscription.   Details were sent in an email to all 2020 PAID Pittsburgh AIHA Members from National AIHA -- Each should see the following 2020 webinars in their classroom:

• An Introduction to Big Data and Data Analytics
• Asbestos and Nanoparticles: Using Benchmark Dose Methodology for Risk Assessment 
• The Ear Poisons: An Introduction to Ototoxicants 
• Heat Stress: Assessment and Control 
• Ethics in Risk Management: Complex, Paradoxical, Prickly
  

IMPORTANT - YOU MUST BE CURRENT 2020 DUES-PAYING MEMBER.  Our Pgh. AIHA subscription roster includes only members current on their 2020 dues.  Pgh. AIHA 2020 Corporate Sponsors and students / retired members (dues waived) are already included in the roster.  If you are unsure of your membership status, please contact Christy at ckirsch@pittsburghaiha.org

NOTE:  As a member of our local section, you can login, view, and obtain credit for up to five AIHA eLearning webinars per year.  Save time, money, and earn credit contact hours towards maintaining your certification.  AIHA webinars can cost $100-200 per individual registration.  By taking advantage of our local section subscription, you can save hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on your continuing education. 

For assistance with e-learning via the online classroom, contact DLAssistant@aiha.org. 

THANK YOU to the following companies / members who support the Pittsburgh AIHA through corporate sponsorship or advertising:

• Amazon (Matt Zock and Daniel Hoffer)
• AM Health and Safety, Inc. (Barry Momyer and Barb Cummings)
• Cardno ChemRisk (Josh Maskrey and Laura Hallet)
• Colden Corporation (Chrisy Walsh and Chris Wesley)
• Energy Transfer Partners (Renee Cowell)
• FirstEnergy Corporation (Darrick Bertig and Michelle Baber)
• Giangarlo Scientific Co., Inc. (Vince Giangarlo and John Eizenhafer)
• Premier Safety & Service, Inc. (Steve McGough and Matt Dennis)
• Repsol Oil & Gas USA (Shawn Sunderlin and Donald McCarty)
• SKC, Inc. (Linda Coyne and Chuck Nachreiner)
• U.S. Micro-Solutions, Inc. (Deanna Kiska and Becky Moran)

To become a Pittsburgh AIHA Sponsor, see the details found here: Corporate Sponsors

Thanks to SRU AIHA Chapter President, Nick Ravotti, for providing the following update:

The SRU student section’s first semester on campus has gone incredibly well, exceeding many of our initial expectations. We set and met 4 goals at the beginning of the semester, which were:

• Recruit at least 10 new student members (we are currently at 27!)
• Become a recognized club by the SRU Student Government Association (we became official in October)
• Hold 2-3 meetings (we held 2 meetings for our student section this semester)
• Visit multiple safety classes for recruitment (we recruited students from 8 different classes)

Due to 3 out of our 4 current executive board members graduating this December, we have held elections and elected 5 new members. The members will begin their term in January 2021, and end in May of 2022.  The SRU Section held a meeting where Sarmed Shareef (Pgh. AIHA President) was able to meet the new executive board, and they were able to connect with him and ask him questions.

• President – Reece Leotta
• Vice President – Jacob Brand
• Research/Social Media Chair – Alyssa Royer (will end term in May 2021 due to graduation)
• Secretary – Amber Wharrey
• Treasurer – Scott Burridge (Scott is our current Treasurer and will end his term in May 2021 at graduation)
• Treasurer Elect – Hannah Roberts (will shadow Scott until she takes over as full-time Treasurer in May 2021)

 
SRU AIHA & SRU ASSP are working together on a joint research project regarding COVID-19, the attitudinal and behavioral changes of people during the pandemic, & the effectiveness/comfortability of certain face masks. The project is anticipated to be done by late March or early April.

Next semester our new executive board plans to bring in 2-3 technical speakers, recruit more student members and branch out to recruiting Chemistry majors, develop a budget, finish the research project, and possibly go on facility tours if protocols allow!
 
Nicholas noted that he is very proud of the work that they have accomplished this semester and is excited to see the new executive board grow the section even further! Nicholas graduated in December, and we wish him all the best!  Reece Leotta (ral1014@sru.edu) will lead the SRU Student Local Section in 2021.