Note that a 1.5 hour technical presentation on Time Sensitive Chemicals has been added to the agenda!! Details and online registration found HERE: 2024-03-21 President's Lunch
Deadline extended to Tuesday 3/19/24 - Register NOW for the annual Pittsburgh AIHA President's Luncheon to be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at the LeMont Restaurant on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh. Please plan to join us to welcome National AIHA President, Dina M. Siegel, CIH, CSP, CBSP, FAIHA, to Pittsburgh. There are 10 Student Sponsorships Available for this event (paid for by AM Health and Safety, Inc.).
Note that a 1.5 hour technical presentation on Time Sensitive Chemicals has been added to the agenda!! Details and online registration found HERE: 2024-03-21 President's Lunch
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Please join us for our 1st event of the New Year 2024! SPACE IS LIMITED TO 25, so register early! Title: The Shocking, Sordid, and Sometimes Tawdry History of Exposure Sampling Strategies" Speaker: Paul Hewett Ph.D. CIH FIOH - Exposure Assessment Solutions, Inc. Date / Time: Thursday - January 11, 2024, 9:00 - 11:30 AM Location: AM Health & Safety, Inc., 5177 Campbells Run Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 (412) 429-0560 Register online before January 8, 2024 - details are found HERE: 2024-01-11 Paul Hewett
Thank you to MaryAnn Hoff (PPG) and Andy Maier (Stantec) for their presentations at the event "The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the Workplace" held on August 31, 2023 at PPG Industries located in Monroeville, PA. Pittsburgh AIHA President-Elect, Barry Momyer (AM Health and Safety, Inc.) did the introductions and local section announcements for the group of 23 attendees (both in person and remote). Thank you to Carol Delfino, CIH, CSP (Pgh. AIHA Secretary/Delfino Health & Safety) who provided the presentation summary below. Reviewing New Chemicals Under the Toxic Substances Control Act: The EPA reviews new chemicals under TSCA to ensure their safety and to protect human health and the environment. TSCA was updated in 2016 to provide the EPA with more comprehensive authority to evaluate and regulate chemicals. Their process for evaluating is summarized below (click the read more link): This year marks the 75th anniversary of the worst air pollution disaster in U.S. history. In an effort to learn more about this significant event, the Pittsburgh Local Section headed to the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum in Donora, Pennsylvania. During the presentation, the chapter members learned how the town of Donora was founded, what life was like in Donora and Webster when over eight thousand people worked at the massive American Steel and Wire Company Donora Works, and most importantly what transpired around Halloween in 1948. The 1948 Donora Smog Disaster and its aftermath had a wide-reaching effect on public health and the environment. Its story even ties in early pioneers of industrial hygiene including Industrial Hygienist Dr. Philip Drinker and Toxicologist Dr. Mary Ochsenhirt Amdur. The Pittsburgh Local Section would like to thank Mr. Brian Charlton and Dr. Dave Lonich for teaching us about the history of the 1948 Donora Smog Disaster. We would also like to thank Mr. Mark Pawelec for coordinating the event as well as the luncheon at the Early Bird Diner that followed the tour. Finally, we would like to thank Natalie Gaydos, CIH for suggesting this exciting event! If you would like to see the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum summary of the June 14th event, please click on this link. As part of the 75th anniversary remembrance of the event, the society has a symposium planned for October. If you are interested in volunteering to participate in this symposium, please reach out to Mr. Mark Pawelec at donorahistoricalsociety@gmail.com. We would like to say a special thank you to all the following members for attending this event:
Here are just a few photos from inside the museum where the presentation was held -- there is so much to see! It would be easy to spend half a day (or more!) just looking through all the memorabilia and artifacts! Write-up provided by Dane Mitcheson, Pgh. AIHA President-Elect
Mark your calendar for our next event!! On June 14, 2023, the Pittsburgh AIHA will head to the Donora Smog Museum for a presentation and tour. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the infamous Smog of 1948, which will be the focus of the presentation. REGISTER ONLINE ---2023-06-14 Donora Smog Museum The schedule is as follows: Seminar – 9:15 – 11:15 a.m., Break – 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Tour – 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Lunch following the tour is optional and will be held at a local favorite, The Early Bird Diner. The diner is less than a block away and has a private side room four our group to meet. Lunch will be paid for by the attendee the day of the event and is not included in the registration fee. The Donora Historical Society was established in 1946 and incorporated in 1996 and is recognized as the oldest community historical society in Washington County of Pennsylvania. They are a non-profit that operates on a volunteer basis. Their parent historical societies are the Washington Country Historical Society and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The original charter members did yeomen's work with laying the foundation for preserving Donora's history. The members that followed would continue that work for the next 70 years. As a testament to all of their hard work and dedication, they have a plethora of artifacts and documents that they use for research and presentation purposes. In 2008, they opened their present facility to showcase the artifacts and call it the Smog Museum, thus their formal title is the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum. With summer around the corner, the Pittsburgh Local Section headed to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) to learn about cutting-edge research being led by Dr. W. Jon Williams on heat stress. Dr. Williams is a Senior Research Physiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who currently serves as the Vice Chair of the AIHA Thermal Stress Working Group. Even more impressive than Dr. Williams’ resume is his research. During the seminar with our local section, he discussed the team of scientists that he leads to study the physiological responses of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and the means to mitigate these responses. The physiological responses that they study include cardiovascular strain, heat stress, cooling technologies, and pharmacological interventions to improve PPE and reduce the physiological strain from wearing PPE. They also focus on the ergonomic impacts of PPE. The research that was presented to the section is truly innovative and will improve the lives of workers and first responders in the future. The Pittsburgh Local Section would like to thank Jon Williams, PhD., Research Physiologist, National Personal Protective Technology Lab for inviting us to NIOSH, sharing his research with us, and showing us one of his labs. We would also like to thank Matt Zock, CIH for coordinating the event at NIOSH on April 18, 2023. Finally, we would like to thank all the following members for attending this event:
By Dane Mitcheson, CIH, CSP, President-Elect, Pgh. AIHA, Photos submitted by Matt Zock, CIH, Past President, Pgh. AIHA
The Pittsburgh Local Section would like to thank the National AIHA President Donna Heidel, MS, CIH, FAIHA (Global Principal Industrial Hygienist - Amazon) for addressing our local section on the current and future direction of the AIHA. All the local section members in attendance had an opportunity to chat with Ms. Heidel about the AIHA and/or the profession in general. During the presentation, Ms. Heidel highlighted some of the great work being done by members of our local section on a national level. She also emphasized the excellent job being done by our local section including the development of the student chapters at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), Slippery Rock University (SRU), and West Virginia University (WVU). Immediately following her presentation, she held a question-and-answer session and some of our local chapter members had a chance to highlight some of the incredible projects that they are actively leading. Donna was kind enough to share her presentation with the Pittsburgh AIHA -- you can view it HERE: Pittsburgh LS Update March 2023 The Pittsburgh Local Section would also like to thank Matt Zock, CIH and Christy Kirsch for coordinating the event at the LeMont Restaurant on March 9, 2023. In addition, we would like to say a special thank you to Dr. Deanna Kiska and U.S. Micro-Solutions, Inc. for being the event’s drink sponsor. Finally, we would like to thank everyone who sponsored or volunteered to sponsor a student to attend the event. Thank you to all the following members for attending this event:
Thanks to Dane Mitcheson for providing the meeting review. Photos provided by Frank Pokrywka, Dane Mitcheson, Sarmed Shareef, and Christy Kirsch.
Registration is now open for the first joint Pittsburgh AIHA and Slippery Rock University (SRU) Student Chapter Event. This is an in-person event at Slippery Rock University offering professionals a chance to network with the future professionals of our chapter:
Mark your calendar for our first event of the New Year 2023! On Friday, January 13, 2023 MSA will host the Pittsburgh AIHA for a 1/2 day event. Details are still being finalized, but the day will include:
The Pittsburgh AIHA was an exhibitor at the 2022 MASHA Safety and Health Conference on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at the Regional Learning Alliance Center (RLA) in Cranberry Township, PA. Special thanks to Frank Pokrywka for coordinating with National AIHA for materials / swag to pass out to attendees. The Pittsburgh AIHA was well represented with a group of local section members attending and also helping Frank promote the Pittsburgh AIHA working at the exhibitor table.
Once again, the Pittsburgh AIHA will be an exhibitor at the 13th Annual MASHA Safety and Health Conference to be held on Thursday, October 27 at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry Twp., PA. This annual event is well attended by health and safety professionals representing a wide variety of companies in our area. The MASHA conference is a great event for local college students too; Slippery Rock, West Virginia University, Theil, IUP are among the universities that are well-represented at this event! Pittsburgh AIHA Member / Treasurer, Frank Pokrywka (pictured with Sarmed Shareef at 2021 Conference) will promote our local section as he has done in previous years. He has lined up a few members to assist throughout the event. The National AIHA has provided a variety of conference "swag" to hand out. Pgh. AIHA representatives do a great job of recruiting new members during this conference! Please see the website for all the details, agenda, speakers, exhibitors, etc. and to register online. Hope to see you there! REGISTER NOW! October 4, 2022 - Rivers of Steel Babushkas & Hard Hats: The Steel Town Tour and Lunch8/28/2022 Registration is now OPEN! Space is limited to 30 for this event -
REGISTRATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 9/28/2022! The Pittsburgh AIHA did a Rivers of Steel Tour back in 2019 with great reviews!! Plan to attend the event scheduled for Tuesday, October 4, 2022 (9:00 AM to ~2:00 PM). Online registration available through the Meetings page. Babushkas & Hard Hats: The Steel Town Tour This tour gets to the heart of the steel town story, getting to know the people, places and historic events that once made Pittsburgh the epicenter of steel production. Immigrants and migrants were drawn to the region as industry rose, bringing a rich collection of cultures and traditions with them as they forged new lives. Visits to the Carrie Blast Furnaces, The Bost Building, and Pump House root this tour in the Pittsburgh experience, and a special immigrant-inspired lunch elicits the smells and flavors of Grandma’s kitchen. 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. On Wednesday, August 10 at 12:00 PM to ~1:30 PM, the Pgh. AIHA held the local section summer business meeting via TEAMS. Thank you to all who attended. Items discussed during this meeting were:
- Treasurer and Secretary reports - Local section committee updates - Local section scholarship - Meeting topics / speakers / venues, etc. - Student sections - Corporate Sponsors/Advertisers SUMMER BUSINESS MTG. AGENDA: 2022_august_-_summer_business_meeting_agenda_final.pdf WINTER BUSINESS MTG. MINUTES: 2022_january_winter_business_meeting_minutes.pdf (approved during Aug. 10 meeting). Registration is now open for our next event on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at the offices of AM Health & Safety. This full-day PDC titled The Short Course on Occupational Noise Exposure Measurement is presented by SKC, Inc. and AM Health and Safety, Inc. and will be an in-person event. SPACE IS LIMITED to 30 attendees to afford everyone an opportunity for hands-on work with sound level meters and noise dosimeters used in the seminar.
Register online (required) - visit the meeting announcement page: 2022-06-22 Noise Exposure PDC
Thank you to speaker Jeffrey Komrower from Noise Control Engineering who was the presenter for our June 22, 2021 virtual event titled "Quieter is Better: Basic Noise Control Concepts". The presentation was fantastic and well-received by the 27 Pittsburgh AIHA Members / Guests who participated in the virtual event. A special thank you to Jeff for supporting the Pittsburgh AIHA by taking the time to present to our group. |
Now Collecting Member Dues 2024ATTENTION:
Pittsburgh AIHA Member Annual Dues If you are NOT a National AIHA Member, please pay through the Pittsburgh Local Section using the PayPal link below: National AIHA Links:
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