5,000+ professionals from the occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) world convene in Montreal starting today (Monday, May 20) for 74th annual American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce). The conference and trade show takes place at the Montreal Convention Center until Thursday, May 23.
One barometer is to look at the recently formed working groups that will be holding meetings in Montreal: Nanotechnologyworking group; Incident preparation and responseworking group; Oil and gasworking group; Control bandingworking group; Clandestine laboratoryworking group; Green buildingworking group.
AIHA does a solid job of appealing to and catering to the needs of young professionals. This year’s CareerAdvantage in Montrealfeatures sessions designed to help those in the occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) field advance their current careers and find and maintain positions in the industry.
Mobile apps are quickly becoming a mandatory staple of meetings and conventions of all sorts. The “AIHce 2013 Mobile App” allows attendees to create and manage their schedule, view detailed session and exhibitor listings, and stay informed about the latest meeting happenings. All this from the convenience of a mobile device.
AIHA calls its members “occupational and environmental health and safety professionals.” That about covers it all. The organization says “members play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day.” Note the inclusion of safety.
Virtual conferences are becoming a staple to complement good old bricks and mortar meetings. This is particularly important with travel budgets still tight, and the need to obtain certification maintenance points essential.
“We suffer in this age from an indifference toward criminality and a callousness to catastrophe when it comes to poor and working people.” That quote comes from retired Princeton professor Dr. Cornel West in a recent interview in the London-based newspaper The Guardian. Dr. West has been called the firebrand of American academia for almost 30 years.
There are certain subjects and/or standards in occupational safety and health that are “untouchable.” They should be aired out, discussed, addressed. But among regulators and lawmakers, particularly in Washington, they are “toxic.” Politics is not the only culprit here. The U.S. has certain cultural “boundaries” surrounding some issues that make them less accessible to discussion and plans than say in Europe.
