Synergist - April 2011

Government Affairs Updates

AIHA® Calls for Continuation of CDW Research

In January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Environmental Health issued a review summarizing investigations by state public health authorities into the deaths of 11 people who had lived in or visited homes reported to contain “problem drywall,” or corrosive drywall (CDW). The review, which was requested by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), found no evidence linking exposure to problem drywall and these deaths.

After reviewing CDC’s findings, AIHA requested the federal government to expand its epidemiological and medical research on the potential health hazards of CDW. In addition, AIHA sent a letter to U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Mary L. Landrieu on Feb. 11 expressing concerns about CDW and the need for more research.

In October 2010, AIHA released a white paper on CDW that details
numerous gaps in research previously conducted by federal authorities.

The AIHA press release on the expansion of CDW research is available at www.aiha.org/news-pubs/govtaffairs/Documents/SPR- 11-0210-01_CDW_Research.pdf. AIHA’s letter to Senators Nelson and Landrieu can be found at www.aiha.org/news-pubs/govtaffairs/ Documents/CDW%20Letter-02- 11-11.pdf. To access AIHA’s white paper on CDW, visit www.aiha.org/news-pubs/govtaffairs/Documents/ W-Corrosive%20Drywall-10-10-10.pdf.

Notice of AIHA® Annual Meeting

To the members of the American Industrial Hygiene
Association®: Notice is hereby given that the annual
meeting of the American Industrial Hygiene Asso-
ciation will be held at 8: 30 a.m. on Thursday, May
19, at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland,
Ore., to consider and act on the following matters:
• introduction of incoming officers and directors
• report on the results of ballot and bylaw changes
• such other business as may properly come before
the meeting or any adjournment thereof
In order to establish a quorum for this meeting, a
call for proxy votes will be made electronically later
this month.

By the order of the Board of Directors of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Cynthia A. Ostrowski, CIH AIHA Secretary

AIHA® Comments on Proposed Noise Standards

In comments released Feb. 11, AIHA expressed support for the recently withdrawn OSHA proposal to reinterpret the meaning of “ feasible engineering or administrative controls” for workplace noise. Currently, feasible engineering and administrative noise control levels have been enforced by OSHA only when workers are exposed to eight-hour, time-weighted average levels of 100 dB(A) or greater. This level of protection is lower than other recognized standards, such the NIOSH standard, which calls for controls at 85 dB(A) and permits exposures to 100 dB(A) for only 15 minutes a day.

AIHA supports the revised standard because it embraces the concept of “Hierarchy of Controls,” brings the noise standard in line with other standards, and places a more appropriate level of reliance on hearing conservation programs to mitigate noise exposure.

AIHA’s comments are available at www.aiha.org/news- pubs/govtaffairs/Documents/Safe%20Patient-Hearing%20Comments- 05-11-10.pdf. The OSHA press release is available at www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table= NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=19119.

AIHA® Member Presents Value Strategy
at OSHI Conference

Bernie Silverstein, CIH, presented the annual Tom O’Connor Lecture at the 20th Annual Occupational Hygiene Society of Ireland (OSHI) conference in Galway, Ireland Feb. 17. In his lecture “Hygiene: The Value Strategy,” Silverstein used the AIHA Value Strategy to demonstrate the value of health and safety interventions and how IHs can align risk management with business objectives while promoting stakeholder values.

Silverstein is chairman of the AIHA Value Strategy Committee and author and editor of the AIHA Value Strategy Manual. For further details on the Value Strategy Manual, contact Thursa La, AIHA program manager, Local Section Relations and Student Activities, at tla@aiha.org.

Learn more about the AIHA Value Strategy at www.ihvalue.org.

Winners’ Circle

Two readers are the lucky winners of The Synergist drawings for the fourth quarter of 2010. James Gartland, principal HS specialist at Duke Energy in Charlotte, N.C., and Crystal Tyrie, personal safety specialist at Solutia in Fairview, Ill., were chosen from the Synergist survey found in AIHA’s E-ssential Connection e-newsletter and will receive $200 American Express gift cards.