Mentoring Corner: Discussion Topics – Balanced scorecard, emphasis on leading metrics, what will drive continuous improvement?

By Tim Paz

What does a world class EHS program look like?  How do you go about integrating EHS management into business performance?  Many large EHS organizations use scorecards emphasizing on leading indicators to drive continuous improvement.  Think of a way that the mentee can propose a new project that will help their EHS organization implement an Occupational Health and Safety Management System, or some other new initiative, such as Annual Respiratory Protection Program Evaluations, based on measuring some kind of outcome.

1. Clearly define your program, project.
2. Quantitatively measure conformance.
3. Enable consistent broad-based action.
4. Feedback loop for results.

Helpful resources…

http://www.thecampbellinstitute.org/file/download.php?id=20121019de46c68f994d1afbf7df7fd5a4df7905

http://www.industrialhygiene.com/pdf/Digital_Dashboards_Large_and_Small.pdf

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic746473.files/Supplemental%20Reading%20Folder/Leading%20Indicators%20Final.pdf

Mentoring Corner: Discussion Topics – NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations

By Tim Paz

The mentoring pair should read the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation entitled, “Evaluation of Health Effects of a Chlorine Gas Release in a Poultry Processing Plant –– Arkansas.”   

What were your impressions of the report?  Do you agree with the findings?  Does your facility/organization have literacy or language considerations in terms of labeling of chemicals and signage?  Are there any takeaways/lessons learned from this report that you can apply to your organization?

 

The mentoring pair may wish to find another HHE that is more applicable to their place of employment or interests.  Use the “Search HHE Reports” utility to find another HHE for this month’s 1:1.  You can search using any key word or phrase.  http://www2a.cdc.gov/hhe/search.asp.  For example, by entering “police lead”, you will get 20 results based on this particular search criteria.  Have a meaningful discussion about the HHE.  What did NIOSH do as part of this HHE?  What were the findings?  What can employers and workers do to mitigate the hazards recognized?

Spotlight on a Sessions

By Justin Klavan
We here on the Communications Team thought it import to spotlight certain sessions during the AIHce that we are particularly proud of and we thought deserved some attention. This issue, we wanted to make sure to focus on the Mentoring Committee’s session (arranged by Melissa Rupert) The Mentoring Circle: A 360 Degree View of Mentoring Programs and Relationships. The session was well attended and showcased the key aspects of mentoring and being a mentee. Particularly insightful for myself was the presentation of a mentee, who detailed how the relationship affected her and her career. As a mentor myself, it definitely gave me pause to remember how my actions can influence my mentees and how helpful just a simple phone call can be.

“It was very successful, presentations on how to be a better mentor, how to be a better mentee, how to mentor multiple mentees, a pair presented perspectives on their relationship together.”
~Melissa Rupert

In the coming issues, we will be spotlighting some other SECP sessions from AIHce 2015!

SECP and MDPC in Salt Lake City

By Kerry Schmid

Another AIHce has come and gone! Thousands of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health professionals from around the world flocked to Salt Lake City, UT to engage in roundtables, podium sessions, workshops and networking events. The Students and Early Career Professional Committee (SECP) and the Mentoring and Professional Development Committee (MPDC) participated this year by organizing series roundtables on topics surrounding CIH preparation, mentoring, career advice and professional opportunities. The lunch table talks encouraged breakout dialog between students and SECP members on variety of topical issues. The ABIH partnered with the MPDC to Sponsor the Mentoring Networking Event which has become a highly attended must attend event for all students and professionals interested in participating in the program.
Every conference offers the opportunity for committees and colleagues to meet face to face, discuss the current and potential projects for the coming year. Checking in with the Andrew Brugie, the SECP Outreach group leader, he had this update to share about the exciting work his team is doing:
“Most recently, I conducted a ten-week project in Industrial Hygiene for a program called Citizen Schools which targets Middle Schools in underserved communities and pairs them with professionals from various disciplines to actively engage these student in mini apprenticeships after school that teach them a skill set that can then be demonstrated in front of an audience mixed with peers, parents, and professionals called a “WOW!” Session. The chosen professionals work closely with a series of staff members and teachers from the Citizen Schools program that conduct weekly briefing sessions on teaching tips and techniques following each class apprenticeship session (Apprenticeship + Briefing ~2 hours total).”

The SECP Communications Team will also continue with the quarterly publication covering updates and topics relevant to SECP and MPDC Community. This year look for a new theme each issue, as well as our reoccurring favorites such as the Mentoring Corner. Can’t wait for the next newsletter? Stay connected with us and the SECP and MDPC communities on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn! @AIHA_Mentor @AIHA_SECP

Welcome to the New SECP Leadership!
Christine Hoehn – Past Chair

Ryan Moon – Chair

Melissa Rupert – Vice Chair

William Cyrs – Secretary

Mentoring Corner: 360 Degrees View of Mentoring – Graphically Recorded

Did you miss the first mentoring round table, ” A 360 Degree View of Mentoring Programs and Relationships?”

 Never fear you can still catch up on all the highlights thanks to our graphic recorder!

Thanks to AIHA and Alece Birnbach at GraphicRecordingStudio.com for making this possible!

Mentoring Corner: “There’s more than one way to get through the swamp.”

As many of you have come to know I post a weekly feature for the AIHA Mentoring and Professional Development Committee titled, “Wise Words Wednesday.” A thoughtful and inspiring reply was posted on May 20, 2015 to our LinkedIn Group and I wanted to share this piece with our entire community. This post is being republished with the consent of the author. The original post can be found here.

“If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.”
Seneca

“There are no unfavorable winds either if there is no port to set sail toward. This is actually a fairly deep statement by Seneca, and relates to having goals in one’s life. Seneca himself was an interesting fellow, who apparently advised Nero.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Younger

Since this is a mentoring program discussion site, we can talk a bit about goals from an AIHA perspective. We each need a focus for our professional work, and as an industrial hygienist, our concern is with worker health. We also have personal goals, such as attaining the CIH designation. Sometimes, these goals are long-term goals. The CIH, for instance, took me from about 1992 to November 28, 2006 to achieve. Throughout this period, I had several jobs and titles. I was fired once because of ethical concerns I had which my company did not have, but maintained my vision of safety and health for workers. This led ultimately to another job in a different city, but which was an improvement. It led to new opportunities for both myself, and my wife. And throughout this period, I took the CIH exam three times, and finally achieved my goals. In the process, I also started an MSPH program through Tulane University, which expanded my vision of the industrial hygiene field by an order of magnitude.

So if I can give some advise for those who are pursuing work in the industrial hygiene field, it is this: set your goals, and don’t let any obstacles keep you from achieving them. The obstacles are actually opportunities to see things from a different perspective. You may need to regain your compass bearings due to the need to re-orient yourself due to these obstacles, but this is part of the process, part of life.

To illustrate this, here is an experience I had while in Survival School, headquartered at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, but in reality in the Cascade Mountains during a cross-country survival trek. This happened in 1967. We came to a spot where the compass course led us across a marshy pond, a thicket with lots of brush in our way. I was an enlisted man, and the officer in charge was a navigator in a jet aircraft. He wanted us all to go straight across this marsh on a bee-line. I said we should go around the bog, staying in the dry area that was less brushy and use a tree on the other side as a marker as to where we wanted to go. But the officer said,

“I’m an OFFICER and a NAVIGATOR! I know what I’m doing, and we’re going straight across this area!” He was pretty emphatic.

“Well,” I replied, “I’ll see you on the other side.”

So a couple of us (we were pararescue trainees) skirted this bog and went around the swamp in about ten minutes. The navigator and his followers came out the other side about twenty minutes later, wet to the bone and pretty tired. We helped them out of the water.

Sometimes the straightest route to a goal is not the best one. So keep this in mind when you come across an obstacle to your goals.

Most of all, enjoy life, and keep to your ethical standards.”

John Ratliff, CSP, CIH, MSPH

Mentoring Corner: Discussion Topics – So, How Accurate Are These Smartphone Sound Measurement Apps?

The mentee should review the NIOSH Science Blog post from April 2014 regarding smartphone sound measurement apps.

http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2014/04/09/sound-apps/

What are you impressions of the findings?  Were you surprised by the results?  How will this impact your decision to purchase and use a sound measurement app?  Discuss this topic with your mentor.  Decide if you should develop a policy statement for your organization regarding the use of these apps.  What other apps are available for industrial hygienists to use in their practice?

Alternate topic:

The mentee should review the following four NIOSH Blog Postings at a rate of one per week.  They should focus on the technical content of the material.  Is there practical application to the mentee’s place of employment?  What has been their experience on this topic in their industrial hygiene practice?

http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2014/11/21/tts-screening/

http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2007/11/19/truck/

http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2014/11/07/ebola/

http://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2014/09/30/escrap/

American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) Awards $167,200 in Scholarships!

“The mission of the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) is to advance the profession by awarding scholarships for students in industrial hygiene and related disciplines.

In 2015, AIHF will award $167,200 in total scholarships to 42 students; scholarships range from $1,600 to $7,800. Of the 42 students receiving a scholarship, 32 registered to AIHce this year.

Since 1982, AIHF has distributed $1,784, 926 to 591 students studying industrial hygiene and related disciplines at 54 different schools and universities. These scholarships have enabled talented students to complete their education and have encouraged the most promising scholars to enter or remain in the industrial hygiene profession.”

– AIHA Quick Takes AIHce 2015

Tech Corner: AIHce 2015 Mobile App

By Michelle Coutu

With only a few short weeks leading up to this year’s AIHce in Salt Lake City, UT it is only natural to start planning and preparing for all the meetings, receptions, roundtables, and podium sessions you are going attend. For the past few years the AIHce has offered a mobile application (app) to schedule and streamline your conference experience, and this year is no exception.

The app, which was released in mid-April, can be downloaded (free of charge) from Google Play or the iTunes Store and can be used on all your mobile devices. The app was developed by Pathable, who specialize in developing mobile platforms to support the events industry, and was sponsored by Ion Science.

Downloading the app is straight forward as long as you have a wireless connection. The app does not ask for extra permissions, like access to you calls or text messages; it only requires access to a wireless connection for conference related updates.

When you initially open the App it will prompt you for an email and password. Make sure to use the same email you used to register for AIHce. You may be tempted to enter the password you created when registering for AIHce, however you will need to make a new password before using the app. Once your AIHce app account is configured you will be able to use your login information to sign in across all your mobile devices.

The app has all the features we have come to expect; convention center maps, meeting schedules, exhibitor info, and presentation feedback, as well an interesting new feature. This addition creates a personalized social media platform where attendees, speakers, and exhibitors can network, discuss, and share ideas. This function creates a LinkedIn type feel that is unique to AIHce 2015 guests.

Need help navigating the app? The developers have created a great tutorial to make you an ‘App genius.’ To learn more check out: http://aihce2015.org/plan-for-aihce/conference-app/

Are you ready for the AIHce?

By: Kerry Schmid

The 2015 AIHce is almost here!  This weekend, thousands of Industrial Hygienists and Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Professionals will attend various events, podiums, roundtables, and professional development courses.  The six day event is where colleagues from all fifty states and the world shares experiences and learn from each other.

The Student and Early Career Professional Committee (SECP) and the Mentoring and Professional. Development Committee (MPDC) are sponsoring sessions and events throughout AIHce.

The AIHA offers SECPs a tailored part of the AIHce 2015 website completes with a sample agenda.  This agenda includes cross over topics from various AIHA committees.

To see a copy of a sample agenda, check out the following website for more information:   http://aihce2015.org/education/studentyoung-professional-sample-agenda/

One of the best ways to be involved in AIHA is to volunteer.  I encourage all students and early career professionals to get involved.  Over the last year, SECP members have had the chance to listen to various volunteer groups.  At conference, there are more than 40 different volunteer groups that will be meeting throughout conference.  The volunteer groups are always looking for new members.

Visit this link to get more information on meeting times: http://aihce2015.org/networking-events/boardcommittee-meetings-special-events/meetings-special-events/,

If you are an AIHA volunteer, make sure to check out the Red Carpet Room.  To all of the SECP and MDPC volunteers, thank you for all your hard work this year! 

Below are just some of the events for students and early career professionals as well as sponsored sessions and events from SECP and MDPC!  The information was gathered from the AIHce2015 website.  To see the full lineup of events and sessions, visit the AIHce 2015 website at http://www.aihce2015.org.

Sunday May 31

AIHce Welcome Party

, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. “Kick off the conference with food, drinks, live music and fun at the first-ever AIHce Welcome Party.”

Monday June 1

First Timer’s Orientation, 6:45 a.m. – 7:45 SPCC, Room 255 ABC

If this is your first time attending AIHce, then come to learn how to make your first AIHce memorable! 

SECP Table Topics, 12:00 p.m. in the Expo Hall

Over lunch, sit down and discussion various topics and issues.  Seating is first come, first serve.  This year, topics include:

• Breaking Down Barriers
• Career Paths
• CIH Exam 101
• Field Work & Travel for the IH
• IH in an EHS World
• IH in the Oil and Gas Industry
• Networking for the IH.

 Expo Hall Networking Reception, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Browse the Expo Hall and meet this year’s exhibitors and vendors and view posters.

 Mentoring Program Networking Event, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Gracie’s Bar 326 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT

This event is open to all members of the AIHA’s Mentoring Program as well as students and professionals interested in being a mentor or wanting a mentor! Gracie’s is walking distance from the convention center.

The Mentoring Circle: A 360 Degree View of Mentoring Programs and Relationships (RT209), 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Listen and learn from a variety of speakers on the importance and development of industrial hygiene professionals.  This session truly takes a 360 degree view!

Presentations Titles are:

• Grow, Learn and Teach by Being a Mentee
• Mentoring: The Student Internship and Beyond
• On the Job: A Look at Mentors and AIHA ® Career and Employment Services as Career Guides
• Turning on the LIgHt: Tips for Developing or Getting Involved in Mentoring Program to Sustain the Future of Industrial Hygiene
• Defining Metrics: Lessons in Restraint and Patience
• The Tale of Two Mentees: The Success and Challenges of Being a Mentor
• Mentor You Mentee Me 

 

Tuesday, June 2

29^th Annual AIHF Fun Run, 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 am.

Bring your running or walking shoes! Participants can either run a 5k or walk a 2k. Visit the FunRun desk for more information

Mentoring & Professional Development Committee Meeting 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Hilton, Grand Ballroom, Salons A/B

Ignite: Enlighten Me but Make it Quick! Offering Enlightenment and Knowledge – In a Hurry! (IL06) , 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Industrial Hygiene and Safety in Non Traditional Industries (RT219), 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Learn about hazard safety and IH in a non-traditional workplace settings. The roundtable includes:

• Industrial Hygiene for the Architect of the Capitol
• Lights! Camera! Action! Motion Picture Opportunities in the Environmental Safety Fields (Aka How Do You Teach Ergonomics to a Stunt Double and Fire Prevention to a Special Effects Artist?)
• Domestic and International Safety Auditing of Live Broadcasts/Developing IH & Safety Standards for Live Events
• Industrial Hygiene Practice in the Insurance Industry
• Industrial Hygiene at a Winery
• A Tale of Two Careers

 

Wednesday, June 3

Perspectives on Preparation for the CIH Exam v10.0 (RT238), 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

If you plan on taking the CIH exam, this session covers the requirements and information on preparation strategies.  Presentations include:

• CIH Exam Study and Reference Material on the Cheap
• Learning to Sit Still
• Finding Time to Study with a Busy Schedule
• My CIH Good Luck Charm Kicked me in the Ribs
• CIH: Controlling the Insanity and Hype of Studying
• How to Pass the Exam Without Alienating Family and Friends
• Planning a CIH Prep Vacation
• OMG! You Failed… Now What? CIH Exam Prep Advice

Mark of Excellence Breakfast, 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

This is a new event which honors the extraordinary contributions made by members and the volunteers of AIHA and ACGIH.

Student and Early Career Professionals Committee (SECP) Meeting, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Marriott Downtown, Grand Ballroom D

Thursday, June 4

 Oh! The Places You’ll Go! (RT 245), 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This roundtable is “designed to provide new graduates early career professionals with valuable insights offered by fellow IH professionals at varying stages in their careers”. Presentations include:

• AIHA’s Career and Employment Services (CES) Committee: Supporting Your Career
• So Many Questions
• And Now… Life Happens
• There’s No Place like IH!
• IH in High-Tech