Members of the Pittsburgh AIHA enjoyed a great day connecting with safety professionals, students, and industry leaders at the 16th Annual MASHA Safety & Health Conference, held Thursday, October 30, 2025, at the RLA Learning and Conference Center in Cranberry Township, PA. With over 140 attendees, there was steady traffic at our exhibitor table from those eager to learn more about our local section, upcoming events, and how we support industrial hygiene and occupational health across the region.

Special thanks to Frank Pokrywka and Darrick Bertig for setting up the exhibit — complete with AIHA swag — and representing our section throughout the day!

Thank you to our new Pittsburgh AIHA Corporate Sponsor, RJ Lee Group, and members Keith Rickabaugh, CIH, MBA, and Brandon Wiggins.  RJ Lee Group is a leading scientific consulting and laboratory services firm headquartered in Monroeville, PA. With deep expertise in materials characterization, industrial forensics, and environmental health and safety, RJ Lee Group delivers innovative solutions to complex scientific challenges across industries—from litigation support to advanced software development.

Interested in becoming a Corporate Sponsor of the Pittsburgh AIHA?  Learn more here: ​https://www.pittsburghaiha.org/corporate-sponsors.html

Pittsburgh AIHA Local Section members had the opportunity to obtain an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and interact with scientists at a local AIHA-accredited laboratory on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The event was coordinated by AIHA and Pittsburgh Local Section Member Keith Rickabaugh, CIH, MBA, who is a Technical Director at RJ Lee Group, and his peer Manager & Forensic Scientist Allison Laneve.  Before the start of the tours, multiple presentations and lunch were provided at the Presque Isle Headquarters.
 
The Director of Operations, George Lincoln, gave the first presentation on laboratory operations and current certifications held by the laboratory.  He was followed by Mr. Rickabaugh, who covered a few unique case studies. Ms. Laneve then covered her top ten list of most common mistakes by clients, which she acknowledged was very rare for the group in attendance.  During lunch, an interactive IH trivia contest was conducted.  Our Past-President Barry J. Momyer, CIH of AM Health & Safety, Inc., won the game.
 
Following the game, the tour of the Presque Isle Headquarters began.  The attendees were broken into three groups led by Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, and Mr. Steve Schlaegle.  The groups toured the Concrete/Met Lab and Environmental Chambers, the PCM/PLM Lab, Forensics, SEM & TEM Wing, and IH/Field Services Areas.  Discussions in these areas were led by Mike Baker, Jimmy Marquis, Alex Cvejkus, Jon Swope, Tracy Lersch, Roger West, and Brandon Wiggins.
 
After touring the headquarters, the attendees drove to the nearby Hochberg Laboratory to continue their tour.  Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, and Dr. Lykourgos Iordanidis led the groups as they entered the XRD/XRF/Prep Wing, Thermal & Dissolution Area, Upstairs Wet Lab, Sample Login Area, and Hi-Bay/PFAS/ICPMS Labs.  Mr. Wiggins and Jacquelyn Runco further supported the tour by providing breakout discussions at the Hochberg Facility.
 
Overall, the presentations and tours were enjoyed by all the attendees, as many are clients of RJ Lee Group.  The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to extend a big thank you to Mr. Rickabaugh, Ms. Laneve, Mr. Lincoln, Mr. Schlaegle, Mr. Wiggins, Dr. Iordanidis, and their coworkers for hosting and coordinating the event.

Pictured below are the members/guests who attended the event.  Thank you to everyone who participated!

The Pittsburgh AIHA Summer Newsletter is now available, featuring recent news and information, member articles, and more!  Take a few minutes to look!  Thanks to all who contributed content!  Click below to view!

The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to welcome the following new members who recently joined our local section:

• Caroline Groth - Assistant Professor and MS in Biostatistics Director at West Virginia University
• Joe Kulik - Manager, Environmental, Health and Sustainability, Ebara Elliott Energy, J.D. Candidate, Creighton School of Law '2027
• Kayla Flowers - Health and Safety Specialist, Industrial Hygienist, United Steelworkers (USW)

Your Pittsburgh AIHA membership includes access to a powerful National AIHA Member Center filled with tools to support your professional growth. Dive into a rich library of technical documents, join active discussion boards, and connect with peers across the country. Whether you're seeking solutions, sharing ideas, or expanding your expertise, the Member Center is your go-to resource.

New to AIHA? Don’t miss the upcoming New Member Onboarding Session from noon to 1:00 PM on Sept. 9 hosted by the National AIHA Membership Advisory Group—a great opportunity to get acquainted with all the benefits available to you and start building your professional network.

🔗 Visit the Member Center and make the most of your membership today!

The Pittsburgh AIHA Local Section was invited to tour the MSA Murrysville Manufacturing Facility on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 1:30 p.m. until 3:15 p.m. The tour was given by Dominic Stokes and organized by Local Section President-Elect Zane Frund, PhD, MPH, CIH, MBA, the Executive Director & Global Leader of Product Research & Development at MSA.
 
Mr. Stokes covered the illustrious history of MSA and its local impacts on the Greater Pittsburgh Region.  He also focused the tour on the various respiratory protection devices manufactured and assembled at the facility, including their industry-leading self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs).  The other manufacturing process that the tour focused on was the various areas where hard hats are made, quality tested, and logoed.
 
The tour was enjoyed by all attendees as they were very familiar with these products and often trained end users on their use, maintenance, and service life.  Not only was the manufacturing process of iconic hard hats and respiratory protection of interest to the group, but all attendees had a great appreciation for the workmanship of these products to ensure they are meeting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established quality parameters.  

The Pittsburgh AIHA would like to extend a big thanks to Mr. Stokes for being their tour guide.  We would also like to thank Dr. Frund for hosting and coordinating the event. 

Finally, we would like to thank the following members/guests who attended the event:

MSA Safety, a global leader in Personal Protective Technology (PPT) and gas detection solutions, proudly traces its 100+ year legacy to Southwestern Pennsylvania. With manufacturing operations around the world, MSA’s Murrysville facility serves as the hub for the manufacture of industrial head protection and cutting-edge respiratory devices.

As a Pittsburgh AIHA Member, you have access to our FULL eLearning subscription through the National AIHA.  Be sure to log into the Online Classroom to access these great webinars!

• AIHA University Webinar: Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control 08/20/2025​
• AIHA University Live Online PDC: Preventing Flash Fire and Explosion Hazards in Industrial Processes 09/11/2025
• AIHA University Webinar: Industrial Hygiene Roles in the Response to the Opioid Epidemic in the Workplace and Community 09/24/2025
• AIHA University Live Online PDC: Mastering the AIHA Ergonomic Assessment Toolkit: Practical Strategies to Reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders 10/02/2025
• AIHA University Live Online PDC: Advocate for Hearing: Key Opportunities to Advance Hearing Loss Prevention 10/08/2025
• AIHA University Live Online PDC: Understanding Exposure Variability and IH Statistics 10/22/2025
• AIHA University Webinar: OEHS Ethics: Doing the Right Things Today 10/30/2025
• AIHA University Live Online PDC: Lithium-Ion Batteries in the Workplace: A Review of Battery Types and Hazards, Fire Risk Mitigation, and Manufacturing Considerations 11/13/2025