Greetings all.  I would like to start by congratulating the new board of directors, elected at the AGM a few weeks ago.  I wish the newcomers a great experience and I would like to thank the existing board members for their efforts. 

The Spring Symposium, PDC and AGM were a success.  It was great to see so much engagement from the membership, especially for virtual events.  Thank you to all the amazing speakers that contributed to the PDC and Symposium. 

As this is the last issue for our past-president, James Crichton, I would like to thank James for his contributions, not only to the board, but to the Forum.  I would also like to welcome our new president, Craig Maunder, who you will hear from in our next issue.

I would like to conclude by reminding everyone to stay safe if you are planning to view the upcoming solar eclipse.  At my workplace, we released a safety bulletin about risks and safety measures associated with the eclipse.  Some points to remember are:

- The only safe way to look directly at the sun is through special-purpose solar filters, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.  Look for glasses that carry the ISO 12312-2 certification.

- “The concern over improper viewing of the sun during an eclipse is for the development of ‘eclipse blindness’ or ‘retinal burns’”, according to associate professor of optometry Dr. Ralph Chou, in an article published by NASA.

Do’s and Don’ts according to NASA include:

- Do not look directly at the sun
- Do not use homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses
- Use special solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers
Read and follow filter instructions and supervise children
- Do not look at the eclipse through a camera telescope, binoculars or other optical device.  Never use solar filters with these devices.
- Inspect your solar filter before use.  If it is scratched or damaged, discard the filter

I wish everyone a great viewing experience.

Stay safe,

Negin Ghanavatian

Hello everyone and welcome to the start of another OHAO Board of Directors and Executive Committee term!  While I am sad to be moving on from the President position the membership is in great hands with our new president Craig Maunder.  I’ve been working with Craig on the board for a few years and I can truly say he is a hard-working individual with great ideas to push OHAO into the future!  Welcome Craig – we look forward to new horizons with you at the helm. 

As mentioned at the AGM, the board has started to lay plans for the next three-year strategy that sees us continuing to build our reach, reputation, and recognition.  In addition, we will be celebrating our 60th year this year with lots to look forward to.

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve as your president over the last year. 

With 24 years studying, practicing, and participating in the art and science of Occupational Hygiene, I am now, more than ever, keenly aware of the importance of all the relationships I have made over this time—not least of which is the friendships I have made on the board at OHAO.  It feels like another great step I never knew existed until I was in it!  With that in mind, thanks to all the board members I have worked with and members I have got to know during my time as President and Director.  You are the reason we continue to improve our science and keep it moving forward.

I am also proud of what we have accomplished in the last year and happy we have continued to grow our membership by reaching out to the more remote areas of the province and focusing on our next generation of hygienists.  This has been accomplished through conference attendance and speaking engagements, discussion panels, high school science fairs and virtual offerings of our fall and spring conferences.  OHAO is in a fantastic position on all fronts as we continue our growth trajectory into the next stage of our three-year plan.

Cheers and Happy 60th

Welcome to the 2024/25 OHAO Board of Directors!

On March 21, 2024 at the OHAO Annual General Meeting an election was half for the open positions on the Board of Directors.  The open positions were President Elect, Secretary Treasurer and 3 Director positions.  Thank you to all the nominees and congratulations to the new officers and directors and welcome back to our returning board members.

President: Craig Maunder, MSc, CIH, CSP

President Elect: Wagish Yajaman MHSc, CIH, CRSP

Past President: James Crichton, CIH, ROH

Secretary/Treasurer: John Petherick, CIH, ROH

Directors:

Mey Abdawi, MSc, ROH

Jessica Barua, MPH, CRSP, CIH

Jason Chevrier, CRSP, MBA

Jeff Mallany, ROH

Kimberly O’Connell, M.Sc (A), CIH, ROH, CRSP

Seema Sharma, CIH

Respiratory protection in the workplace used to be straightforward. For occupational hygienists, exposure to any type of toxic airborne contaminant required an appropriate NIOSH-approved respirator. For contaminants with exposure limits, respirator selection was based on anticipated airborne concentrations and assigned protection factors.

Control measures for chemical, fungal and bacterial contamination were within the scope of occupational hygiene. The communicable coronavirus changed the narrative regarding respiratory protection.

This article was originally published in a recent issue of The Synergist® (synergist.aiha.org), the magazine of AIHA®.

As part of the OHAO/AIHA Memorandum of Understanding AIHA will be sharing one article from a recent issue of The Synergist in each issue of the OHAO Forum. Thank you to AIHA for sharing this information with our members.

Last year, AIHA surveyed OEHS professionals regarding their airborne chemical exposure assessments. On the following pages, The Synergist presents perspectives on the survey responses from John Mulhausen, PhD, CIH, CSP, FAIHA, and Michele Twilley, DrPH, CIH, who helped develop the survey and analyze its findings.

During his term as AIHA president in 2021–22, Mulhausen spearheaded several initiatives to advance OEHS science and practice. The survey on airborne chemical exposure assessments was one outcome of these initiatives. Mulhausen is also a contributor to AIHA’s publication A Strategy for Managing and Assessing Occupational Exposures, which provides a detailed explication of best practices in occupational exposure assessment.

Twilley, AIHA’s staff industrial hygienist, is the technical lead for various advisory groups and committees and is AIHA's primary technical liaison with outside entities. Twilley also formerly served on the AIHA Board of Directors.

A summary of the survey’s findings (PDF, aiha.info/aceasummary) and the full survey report (PDF, aiha.info/aceareport) are available from the AIHA website.

TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE CLICK HERE

Despite calls for change over decades, women workers are still being provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) designed for men’s bodies. It’s ill fitting, uncomfortable and has a detrimental impact on women’s health and safety, says a new report from CSA Group.  

With little anthropomorphic data (sizes, body shapes and capacities) available to inform the proper design of women’s PPE, the fallback has been to use a “shrink it and pink it” approach to adapting men’s PPE to women, says Canadian Women’s Experiences with Personal Protective Equipment in the Workplace.

This approach doesn’t work because “women are not merely scaled-down versions of men,” says the report. “For example, females typically have shorter torsos and legs than males, but are wider in the chest and hips,” says Kelly Fernandes, WSPS Specialized Consultant, Occupational Hygiene. “They also have smaller hands and different sized fingers.”  

As a result, fit and comfort – the two essential ingredients when it comes to the design and use of PPE – are sacrificed for women. “When PPE doesn’t fit properly, it can’t protect against workplace hazards effectively and it can lead to workplace injuries,” says Kelly. “Altering the PPE to fit, as many women are forced to do, also introduces risks.” The report’s findings support this. 

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

 The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) identifies 11 chemical agents as designated substances: acrylonitrile, arsenic, asbestos, benzene, coke oven emissions, ethylene oxide, isocyanates, lead, mercury, silica and vinyl chloride.

Exposure to these toxic substances, or a combination of them, can be dangerous and therefore employers must conduct an assessment to determine whether the health of the worker is at risk (Ontario Regulation 490/09 – Designated Substances).

To assist determining if O. Reg. 490/09 applies to a workplace, WSPS has developed a free electronic workbook. Aligned to the regulation and current Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development guidelines, the workbook helps fulfil a business' legal responsibilities to complete a written assessment of the exposure (or likelihood of exposure).

Once an assessment has been made, a business will be better able to identify the appropriate controls.

Download free workbook

Long time OHAO member Craig Fairclough has established the Craig Fairclough Black Students Award in Occupational Health & Safety.

Craig Fairclough remembers how happy and encouraged he felt when Toronto Community Housing, where he grew up, awarded him a tuition bursary that helped pay for his first years as a student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). 

Now, as an alumnus of the university’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) program — and a TMU adjunct professor who educates future generations in his field — Fairclough wants other Black students to feel just as encouraged as he did. With that in mind, he set out to establish the Craig Fairclough Black Students Award in Occupational Health & Safety, granting $1,000 support annually.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE 

Save the Dates

OHAO Fall PDC: October 23, 2024

OHAO Fall Conference - Hybrid: October 24, 2024

More details coming soon.

OHAO Will Be at the WSN Mining Safety Conference in Sudbury

Come see us at our booth on April 17 and 18.

New OHAO Consultants Directory Coming Soon!

Keep an eye on your emails in the next couple of weeks as the OHAO Consultants Directory will be active on the OHAO website again soon.

AIHA is Pleased to Announce the Release of its New “Healthier Workplaces and Schools” eBook

Available in English and Spanish to view and download at no charge on AIHA’s Commit to C.A.R.E. website (click here to access).

The eBook is designed to help workplace decision-makers properly assess their specific risks and includes a practical approach to help mitigate the risk of spreading airborne infectious diseases in workplace settings, a risk assessment quiz to determine an organization’s risk of airborne virus transmission among workers, and specific actions to help manage these risks.

It was developed by experts with background, training, and experience in occupational hygiene, providing practical, evidence-based guidance to protect workers and their communities across all industry sectors – from service sector businesses and healthcare facilities to manufacturing/warehouses and public transit systems. 

The information is based on the original “Back to Work Safely” guidance documents which AIHA published back in 2020 when businesses were struggling to re-open.  The information is written in a non-technical style and designed for small business owners, managers, and their employees.  

While there are specific differences between the US and Canada’s governmental and regulatory agencies, as well as social organization, the new “Healthier Workplaces and Schools” eBook is based on a scientific review of best practices that can be applied and adapted to multiple jurisdictions

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