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Category : Speakers

Session Spotlight: IH and Safety in Ukraine
  5/24/2017 9:04 AM


As IH/OH professionals, we are responsible for the safety, health, and environment of today’s workspace – around the world. At AIHce, our sessions won’t just be focusing on the issues in the U.S., but globally, which is why we’re excited to feature Andrey Korchevskiy and his session.

Korchevskiy was born and grew up in the former Soviet Union, in the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan. After earning his PhD in Mathematics in Kazakhstan and his doctorate in Biology in Moscow, Korchevskiy moved to the U.S. in 2009 to receive his CIH designation. Over the course of the past few years, he’s kept an active connection to the diverse and complex environment of Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia. In 2016, Korchevskiy has a chance to participate in an international training program for nanotoxicology, presenting a few lectures in Kazan Medical University in Russia. His most recent trip was to Ukraine to discuss potential collaboration between American and Ukrainian scientists.

We talked to Korchevskiy about his session at AIHce and the importance of communication between IH/OH professionals across borders.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions about the IH industry in Ukraine?

Not many people in the U.S. actually know a lot about Ukraine. It is a large country, with a well-developed industry and agriculture. Industrial hygiene regulations were implemented under the Soviet Union, similar to what we can observe in other former Soviet Republics. Ukraine currently trends toward Western experience and standards, though it is not always clear how it should be technically implemented.

For example, we expect that asbestos will finally be banned in Ukraine very soon. However, you can imagine that most of the roofing materials in Ukraine, especially in rural areas, contain asbestos. It is not enough to ban asbestos. You need to have a special program to protect the population and workers, you have to learn how to deal with all existing asbestos-containing products, as well as with naturally-occurring asbestos. It seems that we can just use Western experience in post-Soviet countries, but in many situations your solutions should be different.     

What are the most persistent problems? 

In an agricultural country, you should remember about pesticide risks and agricultural dusts that still pose significant respiratory hazards. Ukraine is famous for its welding proficiency. Recently, we heard that Ukrainian welders participated in the building of new branch of the Panama Canal. So, it is important to address the problem of welding fumes, especially when new methods of welding are being developed. We also should remember the Chernobyl catastrophe; not only that it happened in Ukraine, but many Ukrainian professionals took part in the recovery operations and received doses of radiation.

Why is it important for us to have better communication between the U.S. and Ukraine in the IH field moving forward?

Ukraine is an important example for establishing international relationships between AIHA and colleagues in other countries. AIHA has a significant potential in this collaboration, between American professionals who are highly valued in Ukraine. Ukraine wants to be a part of the international community. Recently, European Union established a visa-free travel regime with Ukraine. At the same time, we have a lot of things to learn from Ukrainian counterparts. I already mentioned welding fumes issues. However, Ukrainian IHs also pioneered some of the nanotoxicological works in the region. With open borders, not only problems become globalized, but solutions can also be international. We can create a better global future for all regions and countries.

You created a survey for your AIHce session. Can you tell us a little bit about the survey? 

This year we will be trying something new in how we present the Ukrainian story for AIHce in Seattle. The session is called “Industrial Hygiene and Safety in Ukraine: Focus of the Collaboration.” Preparing for this session, we distributed a special survey about current IH problems and collaborative ideas; around 25 industrial hygienists in Ukraine responded to our short questionnaire. During the session, we will ask our audience to respond to the same questions. We will use PowerCom devices, special instant polling equipment, in order to compare the results in real time. We will be creating a “mental” communication between two audiences, two countries, separated by thousands of miles. I am sure that we will see some differences but certainly we expect many similarities. 

I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Alexandra Demestka from Kiev who helped us prepare for this session and conduct the survey. We will certainly invite Ukrainian friends to visit us next year for AIHce 2018. We will also start developing proposals for a special IH workshop or conference in Kiev, a beautiful city on the banks of the Dnipro River.     

Who should attend your session at AIHce in June?

We expect all people interested in international collaboration. Our session will be short (just one hour), but we want to start some kind of a movement for industrial hygienists to learn more about Eastern Europe, to participate in discussions and projects, to find like-minded people there, to travel, to teach, to learn. It should be fun, and we can really bring value and improve health and safety conditions not only in Ukraine, but in Russia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, beautiful countries that would be fascinating to travel to.  

We’re definitely looking forward to the session, Andrey! If you’re interested in attending this incredible session at AIHce, you can find the full details here.

AIHce 2017 EXP, held in Seattle, Washington June 4-7, is the EXPerience of the year for IH and OEHS professionals across the country. You’ll be exposed to the latest trends, needs, and research impacting worker health with experiential education sessions, networking opportunities with like-minded professionals, and the tools you need to solve your workplace challenges. This highly-rated event also offers a robust virtual experience for those that want to reap the benefits of conference without the travel. To learn more, visit AIHce2017.org.

Berrak Sarikaya is a brand amplifier based out of Seattle, WA. Follow her on Twitter.

Category: Sessions; Speakers
Getting to Know an Author: Jeff Burton
  4/25/2017 10:37 AM

​How would you like to rub elbows with an accomplished, prolific author in our field? If you needed another reason to get excited about attending AIHce, you’ve got it! 

We were excited to get a chance to interview D. Jeff Burton, author of the popular workbooks and self-directed study programs​ in ventilation, IAQ, and occupational health and safety. This year at AIHce, he’s scheduled to present three PDCs, two case studies, and one Ignite presentation!

Jeff Burton served in the USPHS for two years after mechanical engineering school, where he learned about the rudiments of the occupational health sciences. He continued his journey in the field by obtaining an MS at the University of Michigan. After a few more years with NIOSH and getting his PE, CIH and CSP, he began a consulting and training company. Jeff has been actively involved with AIHA for decades, both in local and national organizations. He served as President of AIHA in 1997–1998, and we’ve been the proud distributor of his three EIH self-directed study courses (SDSC). 

Can you tell us about the six workbooks that'll be featured at AIHce?

Burton: These are revisions and updates of six existing workbooks written over the years. Most members of AIHA are familiar with them. What is new is that AIHA is now the publisher and all proceeds from the sales will be donated to the AIHF. It is a small way for me to repay the profession and AIHA for the great service opportunities and experiences I’ve had.

What's the difference between your workbooks and the self-directed study courses (SDSC)? 

Burton: The workbooks are intended to provide simple explanations, practical applications, useful information and tools for professionals in the field. Anyone can understand and use them. The eLearning courses are formal educational programs which use three of my workbooks along with other study materials (e.g., other texts, handouts, organized study lessons, PPt programs, quizzes and tests).

What excites you about the future of our industry and profession?

Burton: We have great opportunities both at home and abroad to serve as protectors of health and well-being in the workplace and community. We need to work on some on-going problems, of course, (e.g., our outdated titles and job descriptions), the continued shortage of public understanding of our profession and its worth, attracting more engineers into the field, setting adequate SGP, and so forth.

What is your favorite quote?

Burton: I especially like this from Booker T. Washington: “Those who are the happiest are those who do the most for others.” That summarizes what I think is the role of the Occupational Health Sciences professional.

We love that quote, too! If you’re excited about meeting Jeff but need a little bit of an icebreaker, ask him why he voluntarily surrendered his CIH and CSP credentials. We’ll see you and Jeff at AIHce in Seattle this June! ​

AIHce 2017 EXP, held in Seattle, Washington June 4-7, is the EXPerience of the year for IH and OEHS professionals across the country. You’ll be exposed to the latest trends, needs, and research impacting worker health with experiential education sessions, networking opportunities with like-minded professionals, and the tools you need to solve your workplace challenges. This highly-rated event also offers a robust virtual experience for those that want to reap the benefits of conference without the travel. To learn more, visit AIHce2017.org.

Berrak Sarikaya is a brand amplifier based out of Seattle, WA. Follow her on Twitter.

Category: Speakers
Five Ways to Promote Your Presence at AIHce EXP
  3/31/2017 8:57 AM


Have you registered as an attendee, a speaker, a sponsor, or an exhibitor? Well, show us what you got: spread the word that you’ll be at AIHce EXP in June!

Are you unsure how to do that? That’s quite all right – here are some quick tips to consider to help you leverage your upcoming presence at this year’s conference. Some require an active approach, while others are simpler and more passive.

Social media. Online social interaction is an essential part of today’s communication strategy, so we’re combining this into our first and second points. Twitter and LinkedIn are your best avenues to promote yourself professionally through social media channels, so if you’re even a casual user of either, consider investing a little time in promoting your attendance, booth, or session. (And note, we’re not knocking other social media channels; if you’re a pro at using Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and others – feel free to adapt the materials we’ve provided and go for it!)

Look up various hashtag ideas in Google (or even Twitter’s search function) and see what conversations are happening in that space. If the audience seems relevant to you or your subject matter, start using that hashtag as you begin promoting yourself.

For LinkedIn, find and join relevant groups for your area of expertise (if you haven’t already); the AIHA members group is a great place to start. Make sure you read and understand the group’s rules about posting first, then construct a topic where you can mention your session or booth and invite discussion. It’s important here to not “spam” these groups; you should be interested and involved in talking about a topic or subject that is relevant to your attendance goals.

Other professional networks. Are you a member of another local, regional, or national group that serves your profession? You can promote yourself through their communications as well, often through an article or mention on their website, blog, or social media feeds. Take a moment to reach out to them and find out what they need; you’ll often be surprised as these groups are always looking for great information to share with members.

Personal contact. You can promote yourself at AIHce through a more passive method via your email. While you could send out a personalized message to all of your contacts, we’d recommend a more passive approach – use your email signature! (Check your company’s signature policy first before altering your work email. You can also adjust most public email signatures as well, such as yahoo, gmail, me.com, and others; just check your options/settings in your email program on how to do it.)

A few simple lines after your name that includes a link to the conference, your session, and/or your company’s booth is all you’ll need to add:

Jordan Smith
Join me at AIHce EXP in June. I’ll be talking about Legionella and water systems; see you there!

You can add a reduced-size image from one of our promotion tools as well, if allowed.

Your other presentations. Do you often speak at other professional gatherings? If you’re presenting at a meeting or other event that includes peers and other IH professionals, consider slipping in an AIHce EXP promotional slide at the end of your deck. It will show as you wrap up, giving the audience (and possibly their network) another way to connect with you.

And there you go – five ways you can actively or passively promote your presence at this year’s AIHce EXP in Seattle. You have information that is important to share, so why not let people know it?

For additional ideas and tips, check out our recent video tutorial, our promotional resource page, and a more detailed look at how you can leverage your social presence for conference. See you online!

AIHce 2017 EXP, held in Seattle, Washington June 4-7, is the EXPerience of the year for IH and OEHS professionals across the country. You’ll be exposed to the latest trends, needs, and research impacting worker health with experiential education sessions, networking opportunities with like-minded professionals, and the tools you need to solve your workplace challenges. This highly-rated event also offers a robust virtual experience for those that want to reap the benefits of conference without the travel. To learn more, visit AIHce2017.org.

Category: Information; Sessions; Speakers; Attendees
Getting to Know an Instructor: Paul Zoubek
  2/8/2017 1:14 PM

In addition to being excellent presenters, the instructors at AIHce bring passion to the table outside of the classroom. We spoke with Paul Zoubek, who will be teaching two electrical safety PDCs in Seattle, to learn a little more about him and his thoughts on the health & safety industry and its standards.

The first electrical safety program you created was as a result of a shock injury on the job. How did that investigation and process shape your career journey?

Zoubek: Given the responsibility to both investigate the injury and establish a robust electrical safety program, the process allowed me to develop my expertise in the area. In addition to learning the regulatory requirements, I am able to go beyond the minimum requirements and research best safety practices in consensus standards such as NFPA and IEEE. As safety professionals, we have the responsibility not only for compliance but minimizing risk to the worker to the lowest possible levels. The path to becoming an electrical safety expert provides me the opportunity to expand on related topics such as mechanical safety and hazardous energy control. Most recently, I have been able to apply this knowledge focusing on risk assessment and risk reduction.

What would you say has been the biggest contributing factor to your success?

"Our natural instinct is to want the best conditions for our family members, and for those to be transferred to our community as a whole." -Paul Zoubek

Zoubek: Every year I have the opportunity to share this knowledge with my peers at national safety conferences, including AIHce. The electrical safety standards are emerging as they change every few years. I enjoy not only sharing the nuts and bolts of respective standards, but sharing how they change and impact worker safety. The safety field is constantly changing and as responsible professionals, it is our job to track and implement these changes.

Where do you see health & safety industry and standards heading into the next decade?

Zoubek: I see more emphasis on risk. The most recent version of NFPA 70E has focused on risk assessment as a tool to reduce injury potential. It’s easy to give a worker PPE, but any freshman undergraduate safety student will tell you it may not reduce risk to acceptable levels. Emphasizing risk and teaching risk assessment forces us to consider our hierarchy of controls and implement those controls which reduce risk to the lowest levels.

Who is someone that inspires you in your industry?

Zoubek: Where do I start? People inspire me every day. Whether it’s seeing my peers share their knowledge at the conferences, an organization implementing an engineering control which reduces an exposure, or the line personnel implementing the controls recommended in training or programs, I am inspired to advance our profession and ensuring the workforce goes home safe and healthy.

If you could do any other job in the world, what would it be?

Zoubek: I would be a college professor. I enjoy interacting with our future leaders and professionals and share professional experiences I have had over the past 28 years of my career plus lifetime experiences.

What excites you the most about the AIHce conference?

Zoubek: The breadth of knowledge available in technical presentations, committee meetings, expo, but most of all, from other professionals. I have attended AIHce since 1998 and I always go home smarter than when I arrived. I look forward to seeing both old and new friends I have (and will) acquire over the course of the week.

Be sure to introduce yourself to Paul this summer at the AIHce conference in Seattle. Need an icebreaker? Tell him about your motivation to becoming an OHS professional. Zoubek’s “was seeing my dad’s workplace when I was a kid in the early 70s and thinking conditions were not the best. Our natural instinct is to want the best conditions for our family members, and for those to be transferred to our community as a whole. We can be inspired about how things were in the past, are in the present, and should be in the future.”

We’re looking forward to seeing Zoubek and you in Seattle this summer.

AIHce 2017 EXP, held in Seattle, Washington June 4-7, is the EXPerience of the year for IH and OEHS professionals across the country. You’ll be exposed to the latest trends, needs, and research impacting worker health with experiential education sessions, networking opportunities with like-minded professionals, and the tools you need to solve your workplace challenges. This highly-rated event also offers a robust virtual experience for those that want to reap the benefits of conference without the travel. To learn more, visit AIHce2017.org.

Berrak Sarikaya is a brand amplifier based out of Seattle, WA. Follow her on Twitter.

Category: Speakers
Meet Ken Jennings and John Medina, Our Keynote Speakers
  1/25/2017 10:36 AM

No conference is complete without great opening and closing sessions, and we’re excited to introduce you to the speakers who will be bookending AIHce in Seattle this year.

Opening Keynote - Ken Jennings

Do you love puzzles and trivia? We bet you don’t love them as much as Ken Jennings, the all-time Jeopardy! champion who swept the nation in 2004. Born just outside of Seattle in 1974, Jennings grew up overseas where his father worked as an attorney. During the 15 years he spent in Korea and Singapore, his only lifeline to American pop culture was the Armed Forces Network, where he watched Jeopardy! religiously after school.

While double majoring in English and computer science at Brigham Young University, Jennings captained the university’s academic competition team, which consistently finished in the top ten at national quiz bowl tournaments. Post-graduation, Jennings’ childhood dream of appearing on Jeopardy! was realized while he was working as a software engineer for a Salt Lake City healthcare staffing company.

Since his 6-month Jeopardy! run, Jennings has been keeping busy. He speaks about the importance of learning at college campuses and corporate events, and has co-invented two trivia games. He has released the book Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs about his bizarre Jeopardy! adventures and about the phenomenon of trivia in American culture, as well as Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks, a book about the allure of geography. His latest book is Because I Said So: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids.

Jennings will kick off AIHce at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 5.

Closing Keynote - John Medina

Our closing keynote speaker has a lifelong fascination with how the mind reacts to and organizes information, so we’re sure he and Jennings will have a lot to discuss between their keynotes at the AIHce conference. Dr. John J. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist focused on the genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. He has spent most of his professional life as a private research consultant, working primarily in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries on research related to mental health.

Medina was also the founding director of the Talaris Research Institute, a Seattle-based research center originally focused on how infants encode and process information at the cognitive, cellular and molecular levels. His celebrated book Brain Rules was not only a New York Times bestseller, it has also become the standard handbook of understanding and improving the brain, which in turn improves our lives.

The only thing that rivals Medina’s genius is his energy. When he speaks, the room is filled with passion and enthusiasm, leaving his audience riveted, reeling, and also quite refreshed. The solutions to seemingly complicated questions become easy to discern after experiencing his presentations. Medina’s been named Outstanding Faculty of the Year at the College of Engineering at the University of Washington; the Merrill Dow/Continuing Medical Education National Teacher of the Year; and, twice, the Bioengineering Student Association Teacher of the Year.

Medina will be closing out AIHce at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 7.

We look forward to hearing both of their speeches at AIHce in June! Be sure to register if you haven’t already.

Berrak Sarikaya is a brand amplifier based out of Seattle, WA. Follow her on Twitter.

Category: Events; Sessions; Speakers
Electrical Safety with Paul Zoubek
  1/19/2017 12:48 PM

When you’re in Seattle for AIHce 2017 this summer, you can take advantage of our Professional Development Courses (PDCs) to supplement your learning. The PDCs are formalized learning experiences that enhance technical competence and provide practical tools and skills for the modern workplace. We’ll be highlighting courses and instructors over the next five months.

We spoke with instructor Paul Zoubek, CSP, CIH, CESCP, about his PDCs on electrical safety. Zoubek has been a part of AIHce since 2002, presenting a 2-day course every year (with the exception of 2016). This year, participants will have the option of either taking either one or both days as the courses have been split into Electrical Safety I (Basic Principles/Engineering Controls) and Electrical Safety II (Energized work practices/NFPA 70E).

Who should be taking these courses?

Zoubek: Anyone in the safety profession should take Electrical Safety I as it goes through engineering controls that should be addressed regardless of organization. It also covers basic electrical principles that all safety professional should know. Electrical Safety II goes through worker protection issues if a qualified person is performing energized work on equipment that is not brought to safe levels by engineering controls. Employers whose employees perform voltage testing need to be familiar with best safety practices in NFPA 70E, which is the focus of Electrical Safety II.

What kind of hands-on practice can participants expect during the course?

Zoubek: Participants will be broken out into four teams of 8 people each. Participants will perform hands-on and tabletop exercises after each powerpoint lecture section. In Electrical Safety I, participants will apply skills learned through hands-on laboratory sessions/team exercises on basic principles, reverse polarity, and hazardous location electrical installation requirements. In Electrical Safety II, participants will apply skills learned through hands-on laboratory sessions/team exercises on risk assessment, and PPE/personal protection assignment based on shock and arc flash potential.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about electrical safety standards when walking into this course?

Zoubek: I often get the question “what version of NFPA 70E does OSHA enforce?” OSHA does not enforce NFPA standards as they are best practice consensus standards. For example, OSHA Subpart S for general industry states the employers keep workers safe from arc flash and shock hazards. It does not tell you how to do it. The NFPA standards are the “how to” for worker safety.

Anything else those interested should know about the course?

Zoubek: Electrical Safety I is intended for professionals with little or no knowledge in electrical safety. It covers concepts that every safety professional should know. Electrical Safety II is slightly more advanced in that it covers concepts needed to reduce risk to the worker from arc flash and shock hazards, such as voltage testing as a result of lockout verification procedures and energized work where the worker is exposed to greater than 50 V. Participants can sign up for either or both days depending on their background and applicable workplace situations.

Check out all of the PDCs being offered this year at AIHce 2017.

Berrak Sarikaya is a brand amplifier based out of Seattle, WA. Follow her on Twitter.

Category: Speakers; Sessions
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