In the Summer 2026 Edition of OHAO Forum:
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Welcome to the 2026 summer edition of the
OHAO Forum. I hope that you have all
been enjoying the summer so far. I would
like to begin by welcoming our President, Kimberly O’Connell to the Forum (see
President’s Message). A big thank you to the contributors to this
edition. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the membership.
Recent weather phenomena have brought both
heat stress and air quality into focus.
Workers and employers are paying attention to these hazards more than
ever. To meet the ever-growing demand for guidance in these matters, workplace
health and safety teams are looking to authoritative bodies like MLITSD, WSPS,
OHCOW, CCOHS, etc.
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It is an honour and a privilege to serve as the incoming President of the Occupational Hygiene Association of Ontario (OHAO). I would like to thank the dedicated volunteers, leaders, members, and partners who have helped build and sustain a vibrant professional community committed to protecting worker health.
For those I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, my career has been dedicated to advancing worker health through occupational hygiene, occupational health, prevention, and system collaboration. Throughout that journey, I have seen firsthand the impact that occupational hygienists can have on improving workplaces, preventing illness and injury, and supporting healthier outcomes for workers and their communities.
As I begin my term, I believe occupational hygiene is uniquely positioned to help address some of the most complex challenges facing workplaces today. Climate change, emerging technologies, changing patterns of work, psychosocial hazards, and the growing recognition of health equity all remind us that worker health is shaped by many interconnected factors. These issues rarely fit neatly within a single discipline, and neither do their solutions.
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Lithium is central
to renewable energy, domestic clean‑energy technologies, and energy
independence. Electric vehicle batteries account for roughly 70% of lithium demand;1
long‑duration, grid‑scale storage adds about 15% more. Demand is also rising as
AI data centres expand. The importance of
lithium-ion batteries was recognized with the award of the 2019 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry.²
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When occupational health and safety
professionals think about worker safety in the health care sector, patient
safety is always part of the equation. Hospitals must provide a safe working
environment for staff, physicians, and contractors, as outlined in the
Occupational Health and Safety Act, while also ensuring safe medical care for
patients under the Public Hospitals Act. Part
of that is controlling biological hazards by both treating infection and
reducing the spread of biological agents within the hospital environment. With
the ultimate goals of improving health outcomes while preventing hospital
acquired infections and occupational illnesses
For any emerging infectious agent, effective
response requires a high level of planning and coordination among provincial
agencies, local public health agencies, and hospitals to contain and mitigate
risk. This is evident in current monitoring of developments in the Congo related
to the spread of EVD, and it was also seen during the COVID-19 response. When
an infectious agent is emerging or involves a novel strain, protocols may
change rapidly as new information becomes available.
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This article originally appeared in the April 2026 issue of The Synergist®, 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.
As the world shifts toward sustainable and
alternative energy solutions, innovations in power generation and storage are
transforming industries. While these advancements promise a cleaner, more
efficient future, they also introduce a new array of complicated occupational
and environmental health and safety (OEHS) challenges that demand sophisticated
understanding and proactive management. The journey from traditional energy
sources to cutting-edge alternatives like hydrogen fuel cells and advanced lithium-ion
(Li-ion) batteries is fraught with novel hazards that OEHS professionals,
emergency responders, and industry leaders must anticipate, recognize,
evaluate, control, and communicate to others.
In this article, we will evaluate the
intricate OEHS landscape of emerging energy technologies, drawing insights from
our experiences as leading experts in the field. Through detailed discussion
and compelling case studies drawn from our own professional backgrounds, we
will explore the inherent hazards of new energy solutions, the complexities of
air monitoring in dynamic environments, and strategies for effective emergency
response and risk mitigation.
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Reducing the Risk of Skin Cancer Among Outdoor Workers
Skin cancer is one of the most significant occupational health risks facing outdoor workers. Yet UV exposure is often underestimated compared to other workplace hazards.
In this article, Dr. Thomas Tenkate – a sun safety expert and associate professor with Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Occupational and Public Health – shares five strategies occupational hygienists can champion to reduce exposure, strengthen prevention efforts, and help protect workers over the course of their careers.
[ READ ]
MLITSD Veterinary Clinics Under Inspection
Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other clinic staff face a wide range of workplace hazards—from animal-related injuries and sharps exposures to chemicals, infectious diseases, radiation, and slips, trips, and falls. Preventing injuries and illnesses is essential to keeping workers healthy, safe, and focused on providing the best possible care for their patients.
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Volunteer Opportunities – Giving Back that Gives Back to You!
Volunteers make the world go around for associations and OHAO volunteers are critical, particularly in education programming and OHAO Forum content. If you have ever considered volunteering on a committee or submitting an article for publication in this newsletter why not volunteer today? We are always looking for Education Committee members to help shape the annual conferences and PDCs and provide content for the newsletter.
Volunteering with OHAO can be a very rewarding experience for members allowing for both personal and professional growth, making new industry connections and potential continuing education points (depending on your certification requirements).
If you are interested in volunteering contact office@ohao.org.
OHAO2026 Fall PDC (October 21) and Conference (October 22) – Registration Opening Soon!
We are excited to announce that the registration for the Fall PDC and Conference will be opening soon. Thanks to the hard work of the Education Committee, we have a confirmed program much earlier than usual. Both events will take place in person at the Humber College Conference Centre at the North Campus. The Conference will also be available virtually (PDC is in person only).
The 2026 Fall PDC and Conference will highlight occupational hygiene tools that you can use to better serve your clients.
The PDC topic will be Finding Approaches to Address Chemical Exposure and Health Risk Using IH Mod 2.0 and SDM2.0. In this course, Susan Arnold PhD, CIH, FAIHA and Daniel Drolet, will workshop two tools, the SDM 2.0 and IH Mod 2.0, using real world case studies to enable participants to hone their decision-making skills.
The Conference will include sessions on Bayesian Statistics for Better Communication of Uncertainty and More Reliable Exposure Decisions, From Walkthrough to Control Program: Using the WSPS Workbook for Designated Substance Assessments, Control Banding and Applied Application using the CHAP-Risk Tool, Designing Out Risk: Prevention through Design Principles Applied for Research Labs and using the Heat Stress Toolkit.
More details will be available when registration opens. Watch your email for the registration opening in the next couple of weeks.
Request for Research Input - Wearable Personal Air Pollution Monitor
Occasionally, OHAO is approached by people doing research in the occupational health and safety realm with requests for research assistance. If the request seems relevant and does not involve any sort of sales-related activity, we will share with our members.
Grace Grothaus, a postdoctoral researcher
at York University, is seeking occupational hygienists for brief 15–20-minute
research conversations about how personal airborne particulate exposure is
currently assessed in workplaces and where there may be unmet needs for
continuous wearable monitoring.
Grace is developing AirWear, a wearable air-pollution monitor within the
broader We Are Air Aware research project and is particularly interested in
hearing from professionals working in construction, mining, manufacturing,
healthcare, transportation, or environmental consulting. These conversations
are for early-stage research and learning only; this is not a sales or funding
request. To participate, please contact Grace at grothaus@yorku.ca
or learn more at www.myairwear.ca. |
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Save the Date! OHAO Fall PDC
In-Person Only
October 21, 2026 Humber North Campus
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If you would like
to contribute an article for the next OHAO Forum contact office@ohao.org |
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Save the Date!
OHAO Fall Conference
Hybrid
October 22, 2026 Humber North Campus |
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