Due to database maintenance, the AIHA Members only area of the website and Marketplace will be down on Saturday, Feb.17 and on Monday, Feb. 19 and Tuesday, Feb. 20. If you are a member who needs assistance, please e-mail infonet@aiha.org or call (703) 849-8888 on Feb. 19 or 20.

If you would like to place an order during that time, please call our Customer Service Department on Feb. 19 or 20 at (703) 849-8888.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

AIHA Board Elections to Be Electronic in 2007

The AIHA board elections will be online again in 2007. The kick off is scheduled for March 1. Members will be asked to fill two officer vacancies, vice president, and treasurer-elect, as well as three director positions. Information on the candidates can be found in the members only section of the AIHA website. Information on AIHA's campaigning policy is also online.

Members also will be asked to vote on a bylaws change to add an international affiliate member category.  An international affiliate member would be an individual who resides in, and is a citizen of, a country classified by the World Bank as a low, lower-middle, or upper-middle income economy, and who is practicing occupational and environmental health and safety. Access to most benefits would be electronic-only and international affiliate members would be assessed a lower rate for dues.

Partnering with Votenet, AIHA members will use their membership identification number and last name to access the voting system. To ensure that you receive the electronic ballot, please log on to the members only section to update your e-mail address before March 1. Members who require a paper ballot must either e-mail or fax their request to (703) 207-7266 no later than February 15. Please include your name, member number, and mailing address.

Rachel Carson Award Nominations Due

The AIHA Environmental Issues Committee welcomes nominations for its 2007 Rachel Carson Award from all interested parties through Feb. 28. The award is presented to those EH&S individuals who have achieved outstanding success and distinction in their EH&S business, profession, or life's work.

The nomination form and additional information about the award can be found on the Environmental Issues Committee web pages. The nominee(s) and the nominator(s) do not have to be members of AIHA. Please send your nominations to Jennifer Brown.

OSHA Announces New Guildeline on Pandemic Flu

OSHA has posted a new guidance document called Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic on its website.

Developed in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, the document provides general guidance to help employers prepare for an influenza pandemic. To help employers determine appropriate workplace practices, the guidance divides workplaces and operations into four risk zones according to the likelihood of occupational exposure to pandemic influenza. For each of the four levels, the guidance provides recommendations for employee protection, including engineering controls, work practices, and the use of personal protective equipment such as respirators and surgical masks.

IHLAP: New Fields of Testing Available

Two new fields of testing are available to laboratories under the Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Accreditation Program. Under Core Program Testing, AIHA now offers accreditation for Thermal Optical Analyzer. In addition, under Beryllium Testing, AIHA now offers accreditation for Fluorescence Testing.

Laboratories seeking to add these new FoTs to their current scope of accreditation can apply by doing one of the following:

• A lab may add the new FoTs at the time of their regularly scheduled reaccreditation application. This is the least expensive and easiest way because no additional fees will be charged over the normal reaccreditation application fee of $750. 
• If a laboratory wants the accreditation before they are scheduled to submit an application for reaccreditation, they may submit a field of testing addition application in addition to a $250 application fee. 

Both reaccreditation and field of testing addition applications use the same accreditation application form available in the documents pages under Laboratory Programs.

Member Input to New Ethical Principles Sought

 
As we communicated to you last month, the boards of directors of AIHA, AIHA’s Academy of Industrial Hygiene, and ACGIH, in cooperation with ABIH, are considering changes to the current joint Code of Ethics. Details on our previous communication may be found on the AIHA website. In summary, it is our intention to have ABIH develop and implement an enforceable Code of Ethics and to have AIHA, AIHA’s Academy of Industrial Hygiene, and ACGIH develop and share Member Ethical Principles.

If you are interested in providing information to the Task Force on the current draft of the Member Ethical Principles, please visit the New Ethical Principles webpage. We will be reviewing and responding to feedback and input until Friday, March 16 at ethicsinput@aiha.org.