This year is moving swiftly and stealthily away from us. At the same time, we’re moving ever closer to the highly anticipated 2023 AIOH Conference in Melbourne. If you haven’t booked your tickets yet: RUN, don’t walk!
Registrations are filling fast, and those all-important social tickets are becoming as coveted as a Willy Wonka golden ticket.
In this edition of The Filter, we catch you up on all the exciting comings and goings of our members, have a look at the fantastic new videos created by some of our talented media ambassadors, check out the details for the upcoming conference, and try out our tips to reduce your stress (perhaps while securing your theme night tickets!).
The C&M Committee would also like to take this opportunity to show our appreciation to Francis Evans and previous AIOH President and C&M Committee member Kate for all their work and dedication as they step down from the committee.
Fun Fact – Kate is stepping down from the committee to pursue a PhD (although she’ll be busy as the External Affairs Chair). We wish Kate all the best in her exciting new venture. Watch this space when we re-introduce her as Dr Kate Cole in a few years!
As always, we’d love to hear from you. Please email the AIOH Communications & Marketing Committee any articles, research or intriguing titbits you find along the way.
Until next time, Kelly, Ash, Kate, Frances, Cecilia, Hamish, David and Phillip
The advice provided in this publication is general advice only. The Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists Inc. disclaims all and any guarantees, undertakings and warranties, express or implied, and is not liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising out of, or in connection with, any use or reliance on the information or advice in this publication. Before acting on this advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice having regard to your own circumstances. You must accept sole responsibility associated with the use of the material in this publication, irrespective of the purpose for which such use or results are applied.
August already? Time is racing! I’m glad you found a few minutes to flick through The Filter and catch up on all the AIOH news. Because your time is precious, I’ve tailored my update to suit your style.
You’ll want to critique the five-year roadmap Council has released as the 2023-2028 AIOH Strategic Plan. My acknowledgements to both 2022 and 2023 Councillors.
For the overworked
You can rest assured knowing we’ve rolled out a deliberate campaign to attract more people to our profession. The AIOH Media Ambassadors have just produced this video spruiking how great it is to be an occupational hygienist.
See the video below:
You’ll want to know the Workplace Exposure Standards review is ongoing. Safe Work Australia (SWA) had expected to put the WES recommendations to WHS Ministers in Q1 2023. AIOH continues to engage with SWA, and consultation should continue on non-threshold genotoxic carcinogens and several other chemicals flagged as potentially needing further impact assessment. These include benzene, chlorine, copper, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide and titanium dioxide.
When it comes to the WES, you can read every AIOH submission, every position paper, and all the technical guidance we have in readiness. All credit goes to the technical experts of the Workplace Exposure Standards Committee led by Chair Lee Cherry and the External Affairs Committee led by Chair Kate Cole.
With the anticipated adoption of a new and lowered WES, we filmed 12 explainer clips that speak to a range of audiences keen to know about the new WES.
Ready to launch when the
lists drop, these short videos are a great resource to help demystify the science, explain the terminology, and show how we measure airborne contaminants like diesel particulate matter, respirable crystalline silica (RCS), sulphur dioxide and asbestos. Bookmark our AIOH media and news page so you don’t miss them.
The Council are stewarding your membership funds well, currently concluding the accounts for FY23 and setting the FY24 Budget. I acknowledge financial management as a critical duty for AIOH officers, particularly the hard work and sharp pencils of AIOH Bookkeeper Craig Price and Treasurer Aleks Todorovic.
Continuing the governance theme, we’ve revised the Code of Ethics, courtesy of our new Ethics Committee co-chairs, Heidi Scott and Vanessa Thelan. This Code outlines our principles, purpose and the priority we owe to worker health protection. You can read it when you renew your membership and in My AIOH.
For the many of us working to reduce exposures to RCS dust, catch up on the latest development in my recent AIOH President Statement on Silicosis Prevention.
For the scientists, socialites, futurists and fancy dressers
It’s time to clear your calendar and make travel plans. Registrations are selling fast for the Future Ready AIOH23 Conference.
Driven by our dedicated, talented staff and hundreds of volunteers at the helm, there’s always a lot going on at AIOH. If you’re still wondering about something, please ask me.
Getting in extra early, I’d like to acknowledge the remarkable organisational skills of Conference and Events Manager Michelle Portelli and C23 Conference Chair Samantha Clarke. Consistent with the theme, we’ve already inaugurated the C24 Perth Conference Committee under the leadership of Zach Bentley.
Dr. David Lowry, PhD, MAIOH, COH
After initial team discussions, I observed that much of this divergence came from the decisionmaking process; no hygienist approached the same problem in the same way. I found this insight fascinating, so began to research whether this presents a problem for our profession.
As occupational hygienists, we work across a diverse range of industrial environments. Some of us are consultants, some work for the government and some for large multinational corporations, while others are in academia.
Science has long been a tool for curiosity, and a few years ago a particular area piqued mine. While supervising a large team of occupational hygienists, I noticed the whole team could clearly articulate their purpose (why), but there was definitive variability around the ‘how’ of their respective roles.
During our work, we assess and control worker exposure levels by deploying methods based on the science of risk management, exposure assessment and industrial safety. We regularly make decisions relating to worker exposure based on professional judgement, usually without quantitative data and with uncertainty.
These factors can potentially lead to variation between practitioners, bias, error, and departure from established guidelines or protocols.
The field of enquiry has been explored in other professions such as the medical field, but not in occupational hygiene. This level of introspection has allowed the medical profession to identify where variation occurs and offer opportunities to improve their work. This data then exposes suitable avenues to reduce unwanted variation to practice (like using checklists, feedback or supervision).
There were several reasons I undertook this research. First, the nature of work is changing rapidly –shifting to more dynamic job roles, increased automation, and a step toward distributed work options (flexible work arrangements) for employees.
These changes present three challenges to the practice of occupational hygiene:
1. The requirement to anticipate and recognise newer hazards that may be present in the work environment is commensurate with changes in working conditions (such as technological changes like automation and AI).
2. The acknowledgement that, although these newer hazards may present more frequently in highincome countries, traditional hazards (physical, chemical, biological) still need to be addressed and controlled in low or middle-income countries.
3. The need for occupational hygienists to refine their practices and standardised tools (devised many years ago), to remain agile and relevant in light of these changes.
The central idea behind the research, conducted over four separate studies, was to act as a first step toward an introspective view of the occupational hygiene profession. It also served to test the utility of three modalities of enquiry not commonly utilised within the field of occupational hygiene: survey, expert elicitation, and modelling. These can then further augment current practice amongst occupational hygienists.
The research ultimately focused on three questions:
1. How does a hygienist describe their experience and current practices concerning professional practice and judgement?
2. When a hygienist can’t follow a standardised approach for exposure assessment, what other options are available?
3. A hygienist will often make decisions based on little (or no) measured data – how good are they at this?
The research had limitations such as study sample sizes. However, overall conclusions suggested that the heterogeneity between hygienists and exposure assessment may improve through real-time monitoring, task-based assessment and improving hazard characterisation.
In addition, task-based exposure estimates (using occupational noise as a test case) can forecast full-shift noise exposure when calculated using specific tasks undertaken in the role.
Finally, judgement accuracy amongst hygienists is variable and different biases are present when completing subjective exposure assessments.
A key learning from the research was the power of surveys to elicit information from practising hygienists.
One of the more interesting observations from the survey study was the appetite for task-based and real-time monitoring over traditional full-shift methods borne from resourcing and time constraints.
Current exposure assessment strategies to verify if worker exposures are controlled below the relevant exposure standard dictate that personal exposure sampling requires a worker to wear a monitor throughout a shift. Hygienists must then interpret sampling data across an entire shift rather than at a task-by-task level, which produces a single overall exposure result following analysis.
With little insight into what occurs at a task-by-task level, it’s hard to pinpoint specific causes for high exposure, meaning potentially harmful exposures may go unseen.
This means there are two points in favour of task-based monitoring:
1. It presents the busy and resourcepoor hygienist with a means to quantify exposures outside the standardised, full-shift exposure assessment model.
2. It may be a more useful categorisation of the exposure in question and may avoid some of the limitations associated with full-shift TWA sampling. The most notable example of this is the single result provided, which leaves the potential for dangerous, short-term ‘peaks’ in harmful exposure to go unseen.
Given these advantages, it’s a reasonable outcome for hygienists to pursue more streamlined exposure assessment approaches that don’t necessarily align with traditional dogma.
Recommendations from the work include:
1. Revising and updating standardised practices to reflect the changing work landscape and enhance continuous industry improvements.
2. Assimilating real-time monitoring, task-based assessment, and improving hazard characterisation in exposure assessments. In many jurisdictions worldwide, full-shift sampling is a legislated requirement. This means the assimilation of task-based monitoring into standardised exposure assessment strategies requires demonstrable efficacy and persistent advocacy by practising occupational hygienists and researchers to reassure regulatory bodies that exposures are adequately characterised and taskbased monitoring is an improvement on current practices.
3. Providing professional capability and development opportunities through targeted feedback, online training, workshops, seminars, and other educational material.
These include understanding bias, increasing judgement accuracy, and understanding lognormal distributions.
Occupational hygienists play an essential role in exposure assessment, which directly informs risk mitigation activities and saves lives. We’re increasingly realising that healthy workplaces are essential for global development and progress, and occupational hygienists, with their expertise in anticipating, recognising, evaluating and controlling workplace hazards, will play a crucial part in this effort.
Given the need for robust practices, accurate decision-making and credibility is essential for the profession to maintain relevance and grow in importance. This work is a first step in identifying a baseline from which the profession can progress these efforts.
Check out Dr David Lowry’s research for more information.
Over halfway through 2023, the EHG continues to go gangbusters, providing networking and learning opportunities for all hygienists as their careers progress.
This regular series offers Candice Dix (COH) gave an enlightening rundown of the benefits and use cases of realtime monitoring. With over 22 people in attendance, it was our biggest event yet.
Candice shared real-world examples of real-time and video-paired monitoring, showing how to use this as a powerful storytelling technique.
Our EHG members posed thoughtprovoking questions in person and over email. The topic sparked great conversations with Candice, and there was no way we could keep the session to one hour!
Thanks to Candice for sharing your time and experiences. If you have a passion or expertise, reach out to the EHG working group to present at an AMA.
We saw some new faces at our regular social events like Talk over Toast. One of those was Maxwell Ong, a laboratory technician who was monitored by an AIOH hygienist and motivated to learn more.
In Maxwell’s words:
“Hi, my name’s Maxwell Ong. I’m not an occupational hygienist (yet), but on the 12th of June, I had the pleasure of attending the AIOH’s Whine after Work event (which didn’t have that much whining TBH).
Even as a newcomer to the event (and to the AIOH), all established occupational hygienists in attendance were friendly and welcoming. I highly recommend the event to emerging occupational hygienists or anyone looking to become one. It’s a relaxed and easy way to network with established professionals across various industries, all more than happy to answer all my questions. It’s also a great way to learn about various topics within the world of occupational hygiene.”
A compelling recommendation from a possible future star hygienist!
If you want to hang out with like-minded people, look out for our next social event or keep an eye on the AIOH Emerging Hygienist Group’s LinkedIn page.
EHG members are hitting the road, headed for the University of Wollongong and a high school in Perth, ready to show students what it’s like to be a hygienist. To help demystify the profession, we have some creative ways to illuminate occupational hygiene as a fascinating blend of technical and practical science. New and future school leavers, here we come.
The AIOH23 Conference is only a couple of months away, so keep an eye out for the EHG – we’ll be popping up everywhere.
In the meantime, we have several exciting events in the pipeline, including the next social meetup “Coffee Roulette” and an AMA on the membership pathway with Mitchell Thompson.
The best ways to stay in the loop are via the Emerging Hygienist Group’s LinkedIn page or the AIOH website.
Exposure to Particulate Matter and Respirable Crystalline Silica in Tunnel Construction Workers Using Tunnel Boring Machines:
Mimmi Leite and others, Exposure to Particulate Matter and Respirable Crystalline Silica in Tunnel Construction Workers Using Tunnel Boring Machines, Annals of Work Exposures and Health, Volume 67, Issue 5, June 2023, Pages 584–595
The Evaluation of Worker Exposure to Airborne Silica Dust During Five OSHA Table I Construction Tasks:
Emily J Cothern and others, The Evaluation of Worker Exposure to Airborne Silica Dust During Five OSHA Table I Construction Tasks, Annals of Work Exposures and Health, Volume 67, Issue 5, June 2023, Pages 572–583
Welding Fume: A Comparison Study of Industry Used Control Methods:
Knott P, Csorba G, Bennett D, Kift R. Welding Fume: A Comparison Study of Industry Used Control Methods. Safety. 2023; 9(3):42
Intra-workday fluctuations of airborne contaminant concentration and the time-weighted average: Philip A. Smith (2022) Intra-workday fluctuations of airborne contaminant concentration and the time-weighted average, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 19:12, 742-758
A Method to Evaluate and Eliminate Fungal Contamination in Household Air Conditioners: Hindawi Indoor Air journal | Research Article | Open Access Volume 2023 | Article ID 8984619
Do AS/NZS Respiratory Protection
Standards for Filter Penetration
Ensure that Worker Health is Protected Against Nanoparticle Sized Diesel Particulate Matter?
Kerri Burton – PhD Thesis: Efficiency of Respirator Filter Media Against Diesel Particulate Matter (uow.edu.au)
Special Issue “Mineralogic Analysis of Respirable Dust”
All open access articles on respirable dust characterisation | Minerals | Special Issue : Mineralogic Analysis of Respirable Dust (mdpi.com)
Photo by Markus Spiske/Unsplash
As the largest organisation representing occupational hygiene professionals working in Australia, AIOH membership is open to professional occupational hygienists and those interested in worker health protection and a healthier work environment. Membership provides various benefits, from professional development opportunities to discount offers.
Are you currently completing a full-time course in occupational hygiene? Student membership is free to full-time students not working full time. Have you recently completed your studies or your COH exams?
Apply now to upgrade your membership.
Associate and Student Members as of 23 August ‘23
Paul Cuttriss Associate
Sammie Camilleri Associate
Senri Oiso Associate
Kate Hall Associate
Thi Thanh Tam Nguyen Associate
Phyllis Edwards Associate
Zoe Hall Associate
Akleshwar Chand Associate
Rachael Murphy Associate
Amanda Wong Associate
Jason Marshall Associate
Chelsea Boyd Associate
Christopher McCormack Associate
Matthew Boules Associate
Sharee Reddacliff Associate
Anna Minuzzo Associate
Logan Tibbetts Associate
Lillian Tama Associate
Masoud Neghab Associate
Adebola Rasheed Adeiye Associate
John Rosani Associate
Omar Chowdhury Associate
Libby McKee Associate
Photo by City Church CA/UnsplashMichelle Atkin Associate
Chris Webb Associate
Robert Addie Associate
Marisa Adams Associate
Susan Zivcec Associate
Doruthy Ferrer Associate
Krishneel Kumar Associate
Greer Laing Associate
Pawel Olszewski Associate
Jacqueline Hughes Associate
Luke Dawson Associate
Matthew Sneyd Associate
Daniel Crompton Associate
Kim Willard Associate
Allison Row Associate
Matthew Pitt Associate
Benjamin Lim Associate
Phoebe Heilig Associate
Vika Rokocibi Associate
Ratheesh Kochuparampil Gopi Associate
Nathan Coombs Associate
Ederlyn Aquino Associate
Shannon McCarthy Associate
Logan Miller-Robson Associate
Kristoffer Hollyoak Associate
Prabhpreet Kaur Associate
Riki Bartlett Associate
Hilary McNamara Associate
Nilay Shah Associate
Adam Watson Associate
Minah Munshi Associate
William Greenrod Associate
Saniya Vahora Associate
Bradley Andriske Associate
Peter Brand Associate
Jillianne Stone Associate
Elizabeth Stewart Associate
Thomas Mitchell Associate
Phi Tran Associate
Craig McCorkell Associate
Thelvin Maningas Associate
Siobhan Sutherland Associate
Kellie Pengelly Associate
Naomi Plummer Associate
Alison Van De Werken Associate
Shao Wen Justin Lee Associate
Emma Ryan Associate
Sarah Weber Associate
Cammeron Barnden Associate
Joel Crouch Associate
Tracey Bennett Associate
Taeseong Kim Associate
Mitchell Ratcliffe Associate
Brett Besanko Associate
Obokparo (Victor) Ikini Associate
Kylee Minehan Associate
Maxwell Ong Associate
Richard Leung Associate
Laura Brennan Associate
Kristen Granata Associate
Samantha Squerzanti Associate
Simone Leighton Associate
Masith Senadeera Associate
Daniel Del Prete Student
Kirsten Doherty Student
Nikita Saraf Student
Alex McKinley Student
S M Shahed Kabir Student
Kristen Mera Student
Munyaradzi Isaac Makasi Student
Melinda Gardner Student
Jeshma Jennifer Cherkachalil Student
Harrison Tobin FULL Provisional
Kate Warton FULL Provisional
Michael Ryan FULL Provisional
Jackson Trotman FULL Provisional
Wesley Black FULL Provisional
Susan Simmonds FULL Provisional
Shilpa Panyam FULL Provisional
Daniel Duffin- Jones FULL Provisional
Matthew La Macchia FULL Provisional
Tyson Zwolsman PROVISIONAL New
Jamie Jacobi PROVISIONAL New
Yasmin Gomes PROVISIONAL Associate
Cecilia Mason PROVISIONAL Associate
Anél Kriel PROVISIONAL New
Holly Kerr PROVISIONAL Student
Troy Belshaw PROVISIONAL Associate
Model WHS Regulations Amendment (Engineered Stone) 2023
It also removes out-of-date references to Australian Standards in the model WHS Regulations.
The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations were updated in May to include a prohibition on the uncontrolled processing of engineered stone.
The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations (Engineered Stone) Amendment 2023 gives effect to a decision by Safe Work Australia
Members in August 2021 to amend the model WHS Regulations to prohibit the uncontrolled processing of engineered stone to ensure clarity and certainty for PCBUs and workers in relation to the use of engineered stone.
The amendments don’t automatically apply in a jurisdiction. For the model WHS Regulations to have effect in a jurisdiction, they must be enacted in that jurisdiction. For more information, read the explanatory statement to the amendment or download the model WHS Regulations.
Photo by Markus Winkler/Unsplash
SafeWork Australia has developed a range of fact sheets to communicate the principles that apply to WHS duties to duty holders:
• Principles that apply to WHS duties overview
• Principle 1 – WHS duties cannot be contracted out or transferred: Your PCBU duties are not transferable. You cannot modify or contract out of your duties.
• Principle 2 – A person can have more than one duty: It is possible to have multiple duties. For example, if you’re self-employed or an individual contractor, you usually have duties as both a PCBU and a worker.
• Principle 3 – More than one person can have the same duty: You and another PCBU can have the same WHS duties relating to a particular work activity or the environment where the work is carried out. This means you are both responsible for addressing WHS risks.
• Principle 4 – Management of risks: As a PCBU, so far as is reasonably practicable – you’re required to eliminate health and safety risks. If elimination isn’t reasonably practicable, you must minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.
• The duty to consult, cooperate and coordinate with other duty holders fact sheet provides information for PCBUs who share duties in relation to the same WHS matter.
Go to the newly published principles that apply to work health and safety duties webpage to download the fact sheets.
The Managing Silica in Construction Toolbox Talk is now live on the SWNSW website for promotion and sharing.
We asked one of our Hygiene Advisors, Lucy Bicheno, to tell us about her journey to becoming an occupational hygienist and what future industry innovations she’s excited about. Lucy also lets us in on how the AIOH connected her with John, Ben and Erin to create the Emerging Hygienist Group, a peer network with the added benefit of letting us ‘W(h)ine after Work.’
“Like most of us, I didn’t intend to become a hygienist – it was a space I discovered along the way.
With an undergraduate degree in Health Science and Public Health, my passion for preventative health care first surfaced while studying an environmental health elective with Dr Luke Knibbs. Dr Knibbs centred on air pollution, bioaerosols, exposures and epidemiology.
This course introduced me to the concept and philosophy of risk and the effective communication of adverse risk situations.
To further understand risk and its mitigation, I undertook a master’s degree in Health and Safety Science at The University of Queensland with Dr Kelly Johnstone, incorporating occupational hygiene units. Having never even heard of occupational hygiene, it spoke to my passion for preventative health care and risk management.
My first hygiene-related role was as a vacation student with Glencore at the McArthur River Lead Mine in the Northern Territory. Alongside a great team, I undertook biological monitoring and managed and, coached team members about blood lead levels.
Lucy Bicheno
I also shadowed the hygiene consultants during monitoring. This experience ignited my drive to continue down the hygiene path, seeking diverse opportunities to work in the field – the ultimate balance between practical application, desk work, data entry and report writing.
In the process, I travelled to Tasmania and northern Queensland to conduct sampling in underground mines. The research aspects of hygiene were fascinating – working with Nicky has planted the seeds of a future PhD.
My first professional role in occupational hygiene was with the Sustainable Minerals Institute in Queensland. I assisted Nikky LaBranche with the technician work for her PhD concerning characterisation of airborne particulates in underground mining.
Upon completion of my master’s I worked with Rio Tinto’s Global Area of Expertise: Hygiene Team as a graduate, travelling across Australia conducting traditional hygiene sampling, indoor air quality assessment and reviewing hygiene governance programs.
I spent five months in a technician role at Bell Bay Aluminium in Tasmania and am now the Hygiene Advisor at Gudai-Darri mine in Western Australia. Rio Tinto has given me a great start to my career and exposure to countless passionate and talented professionals and engaging opportunities.
One key driver in my development as a hygienist is the guidance and support provided by my various mentors and team members. Over the last two years, I’ve been fortunate to find mentors inside and outside Rio Tinto, and I’m grateful for their shared knowledge and experience. Having senior hygiene professionals to bounce ideas off and learn from is invaluable.
Special thanks to my mentors Brad Prezant, Andrew Bennett, Belinda McNeil, Jodie Britton and Andrea Holloway – the advice and encouragement I’ve received from each of you has been pivotal in my career evolution. It’s been great to share learning and laughs through the highs and lows of my as-yetlimited professional experience.
The AIOH and EHG are crucial to relationship-building. The conference is a powerful way to meet people and share experiences about hygiene work, professional life in general, and the challenges we face as junior workers navigating workplace structures, politics and HR.
For the last year, I’ve worked with John Padgham, Alicia Gorman, Ben Govan and Erin Dawson as the working group of the Emerging Hygienist Group (EHG). The EHG came to life at the Sydney 2021 AIOH Conference. My first conference in my first week at Rio Tinto – the nerves were extreme! I attended the speed networking event and found I wasn’t the only anxious first-timer at the conference.
Growing the EHG over the last 1.5 years has had its share of personal and professional challenges, but ultimately gave me the confidence to host events, embrace public speaking and lead a group of passionate professionals. The EHG working group expertly put together all the events we’ve hosted this year to facilitate shared experiences and insights. We’ve had a lot of fun bringing the EHG to life!
The EHG has now connected over 300 members through our LinkedIn group. Our intention is to promote discussion and community around occupational hygiene topics and for people to openly and freely use the space as a support network.
Occupational hygiene is a broad field covering health and environmental factors, and while we can never know everything, a strong community of peers is essential to improve worker health and well-being outcomes.
The EHG has a lot of plans in the pipeline, and I look forward to instilling the group as a recognised and valued part of the hygiene community.
While I’m at the beginning of my occupational hygiene journey, I’m optimistic about the future. I’m currently undertaking a second master’s degree in Hygiene and Toxicology at Edith Cowan University, and I look forward to completing my studies and becoming a COH.
I’m excited to see how technological advancements will help us better understand and characterise hazards and their associated risks. It’s a privilege to build relationships and work with the talented hygienists in our wonderful profession. Packed with passionate people, generous with their expertise, it’s a career that allows an incredible opportunity to make a measurable difference in people’s lives. Who could ask for more?”
The COH Board offered their first ever New Zealand COH exams at the NZOHS Conference 2023. It was a highly successful campaign, and we’re looking forward to a continued alliance with the NZ Occupational Hygiene Society.
If you’re interested in sitting your COH exam in 2023, please submit your Expression of Interest form as soon as possible. There’s loads of interest but limited capacity.
The COH exam schedule for 2023:
• 1 and 8 September Perth
• 24 Nov and 1 Dec Melbourne
Our huge congratulations to these successful COH candidates who undertook their exams between January and June 2023:
• Al Threlfall
• Garth Holdsworth
• Leigh-Roy van den Berg
• Levi Miles
• Mark Reggers
• Nadine Barnard
All the best for your future endeavours in the field of occupational hygiene.
The NSW AIOH Chapter met at BlueScope Steel on Friday, 7 July. This sold-out session included a coach tour across the massive steelworks plant and stockpiles.
Dr Adelle Liebenberg
BlueScope Steel Tour
We gained an understanding of the complexity of steel production by climbing the gantries of the Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) plant. We also experienced the intense heat on the furnace floor while watching the molten steel casting process.
The tour ended with lunch and an informal Q&A session led by occupational hygienists Eric Lengling and Frances Evans.
They discussed the diverse occupational health hazards and risk management strategies for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX), various metals, respirable and quartz dust, carbon monoxide, heat stress, noise and vibration – the list goes on.
Stephanie Bruseker and Megan Burnett and IOH Occupational Physician Dr Vicky also highlighted onsite health surveillance activities and working towards implementing respirator fit testing.
We extend a special thanks to all attendees and BlueScope’s Health, Hygiene and Wellbeing Team for their hospitality.
Webinar: Respiratory Protective Devices ISO Standards: reconnecting globally through harmonised standards
25th August 2023 | Online
6th ANOH Conference
28th-30th August 2023 | Manila, Philippines
ALGA – ecoforum/SustRem 2023
10-13th October 2023 | Melbourne
The Australasian Land & Groundwater Association (ALGA) is excited to announce that ecoforum is back for 2023. Held with the 8th International Sustainable Remediation Conference, SustRem 2023 is at the beautiful Flemington Racecourse. Don’t miss this event – save the date in your calendar now!
The focus of this year’s conference is “Meeting the Challenges for a Sustainable Future.”
Our ecoforum/SustRem 2023 committees and subcommittees have collaboratively developed a fantastic selection of innovative and varied themes.
The call for Abstracts is now open –to submit please:
• Review the abstract guidelines
• Download the template –you’ll need it to upload during the process
• Describe your abstract which fits in with one of the themes listed below
• Submit your abstract
Masterclass
27th October 2023 | Online
Principles of Occupational Hygiene Course
23-27th October 2023 | Brisbane
To get your message across in technical reports – start with the end in mind! This Masterclass follows the AIOH report writing guideline and provides tips and tricks to help to produce professional occupational hygiene reports which meet client and stakeholder requirements. Whilst targeted at practitioners, this masterclass is for anyone who wants to improve their technical report writing skills.
Presenter Linda Apthorpe is a Certified Occupational Hygienist and Fellow of the AIOH. She’s provided occupational hygiene consulting, specialised training and laboratory services to various workplaces for over 25 years.
Linda has an extensive background in managing asbestos removals/ remediations and conducting risk assessments for chemical, physical and biological hazards in industries such as construction, agriculture, mining, pharmaceutical and manufacturing.
She has also authored and coauthored various papers in the occupational hygiene field and is a co-author of the Aerosols chapter in the Principles of Occupational Health & Hygiene textbook and the OHS Body of Knowledge chapter on dusts, fumes & fibres. Linda has written and delivered various professional development seminars on many occupational hygiene topics for AIOH.
Australasian Radiation Protection Society 2023 Conference
29th Oct – 2nd Nov 2023 | Gold Coast, Queensland
As a lecturer at the University of Wollongong, Linda shares her passion for and knowledge of occupational hygiene with undergraduate and postgraduate students. She’s enthusiastic and committed to helping professionals communicate their work and facilitate effective control of health hazards through improved report writing.
Principles of Occupational Hygiene Course
13-17th November 2023 | Melbourne
AIOH23 Annual Scientific Conference & Exhibition
2nd – 6th Dec 2023 | Crown Promenade Melbourne
A sneak peek at what’s on offer:
• Keynotes and Plenaries
• Concurrent Sessions
• Continuing Education Sessions
For those travelling – check out the excellent room rates offered for Crown Promenade.
Details in the overleaf.
Registration is now open or the 40th AIOH Annual Scientific Conference & Exhibition.
Attendees will hear from occupational hygienists and occupational health and safety experts addressing the conference theme during keynote presentations and workshops.
Continuing education sessions precede the conference and trade exhibition and are open to members and non-members. These sessions provide opportunities for attendees to update their knowledge and skills.
Gain unmatched exposure, forge valuable partnerships, and showcase your brand to an audience of leaders, decision-makers, and innovators in the occupational hygiene industry.
For any enquiries, contact Michelle Portelli, Conference and Events Manager. Reach out to us at 0488 733 814 or conference@aioh.org.au and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Claudia Pavisic is a full-time Edith Cowan University student dedicated to academic excellence and personal development. She is currently in her third year of a Bachelor of Health Science, majoring in Health Promotion and Addiction Studies. Claudia currently works in the healthcare industry which is a main driver in her passionate resolve to educate and inform people about mental health. Positive mental health in educational settings and the workplace is essential.
Claudia aims to raise awareness of the association between an individual’s mental health, work, and academic achievement. Her ultimate goal is to champion the prioritisation of one’s personal well-being, while still meeting the demands of everyday work. During her time at university, Claudia has developed a deeper passion to help and educate others so that they may have the best possible overall health, along with the desire to make a positive impact on individuals and communities by promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
Student, educator or professional, stress affects us all. An immense amount of tension exacerbated by cumulative stress damages physical and mental health and wellbeing. Not only does stress interfere with your cognitive function and memory, which impacts your essential functions, it also undermines your work ethic, motivation, engagement, involvement, and job performance. Effective and consistent stress management is crucial to stop stress leading to and aggravating a broad spectrum of wellness issues. With a consistent approach, you can learn to handle situations rationally, not reactively.
innovative and collaborative working culture.
Recognising that stress in the workplace is a systemic issue that requires systemic solutions is a great start. Instead of telling someone to “toughen up” or “be more resilient,” establish a healthier, gentler,Stress by Nick Youngson
Most occupations have psychological hazards or dangers that can negatively affect mental health. A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), such as a business owner, is required by the model WHS regulations to manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace, like risks to mental health, before they result in physical harm.
The new Western Australian WHS laws came into effect on 1 April 2023. These updated regulations outline how employers must detect and control potential risks to psychological health and safety. Organisations must consider and review measures for addressing psychosocial risks and supporting mentally healthy workplaces. This includes an employer’s general duty of care to interact, engage and deliver safe work environments, information, training, and supervision so employees can safely execute their duties.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines good mental health as “a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises their potential, handles daily pressures, works productively, and contributes to their community.”
Businesses now prioritise mentally healthy workplaces, where employees and management work to maintain and promote the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone.
Employers must investigate risk factors that affect mental health and wellbeing in working environments. They must also determine if their policies, procedures and work practices contribute to these concerns.
Implementing and maintaining all these factors promotes a positive workplace.
Psychosocial hazards can cause stress. This can then have psychological and physical impacts on a person. Stress in itself isn’t inherently harmful. But when employees experience repeated stress for prolonged amounts of time, or if the degree of stress is excessive, stress can be damaging.
The World Health Organisation defines stress as “a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult circumstance.” And it comes in two forms: acute short-term stress and chronic long-term stress. Stress is a natural human reaction that motivates us to deal with our problems. Intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli can evoke a biological response (stress), and our bodies and then compensate with a stress response.
We’re all stressed to some extent, but our reaction will significantly impact our overall wellbeing. While there are times we can’t eliminate stress, we can influence the factors that contribute to it.
Encourage yourself and those around you to prioritise positive physical, emotional and mental health. Establish space and time for mindfulness, meditation, exercise and other forms of wellbeing. Remember to ask for help and encourage others to also (WHO, 2023).
Stress is often considered a ‘normal’ part of a working environment, and this normalisation, particularly around chronic stress, perpetuates the mental health stigma.
Instead, normalise expressing your feelings – articulating them will lessen the intensity of your stress (WHO, 2023).
It’s hard to believe, but stress can be positive. Positive stress improves your performance and efficiency, gives you an energy boost and makes you feel excited, engaged and motivated.
Stress is also helpful in shortterm stressful situations. This is eustress – stress that leads to a positive response, enabling you to perform better and increasing job satisfaction (Jarinto, 2010).
The causes of stress are called stressors. These can be physical (work pressure, the environment or overcrowding), chemical (chronic pain or lack of sleep) or biological (thoughts, beliefs or self-criticism) constraints that directly or indirectly result in a biological response, such as concern.
The Yerkes-Dodson Law
Picture sourced from www.simplypsychology.org
Proximate stressors, or causal agents, are directly responsible for these responses. Other factors may be indirectly responsible due to their effects on proximate stressors. These indirect factors may be internal, external and/or physical.
Stress has a profound impact on your brain. Over 50 years of research shows stress can cause structural changes in different parts of the brain which results in long-term effects on the nervous system.
Chronic stress can even lead to a reduction in brain mass, and these structural alterations change the way we respond to stress, our cognition, and our memory. When in a constant state of stress, your nervous system becomes overwhelmed, which leads to anxiety, depression, and even physical conditions like heart disease, which further impact wellbeing.
As stress increases, happiness declines, which is important because happiness links to productivity. In response to stress, your brain produces adrenaline and cortisol, triggering the flight or fight response. Your heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, and muscles tense, all in preparation for action.
High cortisol levels over prolonged periods can significantly reduce your ability to learn and recall information, regulate emotions and make decisions.
Your muscles stiffen when your body is stressed because muscle tension is a reflex response to protect it from injury and discomfort. Chronic stress means your muscles stay tense for prolonged periods, leading to tension headaches, migraines and even musculoskeletal pain in the back and shoulders. Stress also links to changes in gut bacteria which can change your mood and cause bloating, pain, and other stomach problems.
Endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin all play crucial roles in stress reduction. As natural painkillers, endorphins are released in response to pain or stress, boosting your mood and creating a feeling of wellbeing. Dopamine is the get-up-and-go compound in the brain, reducing stress and promoting fulfilment. Serotonin is nature’s antidepressant and aids in regulating emotions and emotional resilience.
This powerful trio of stress-reducing hormones are activated with simple techniques and strategies, such as those in the diagram below.
The mathematics of reducing stress is simple: identify the stressor, then remove it. In reality? It’s not that simple. We can reduce stress by focusing on prevention and working through underlying issues around places and situations that may trigger and/or ease your stress levels.
Be proactive about mental health
you’re not alone.
The latest headlines Semester 2 teaching officially started on 24 July. We welcome all our new Master of Occupational Hygiene and dual program students, who have now started their learning with us. A huge congratulations to those students who graduated in July – we look forward to following your exciting careers.
Commonwealth supported places are available for domestic students studying UQ’s accredited occupational hygiene program, and enrolments are now open for a February 2024 commencement.
UQ is very pleased to announce that in partnership with GCG, we’ve obtained a grant from the AIOH Foundation to conduct research into cleaners’ exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). This project aims to raise awareness and provide a means for the quantitative assessment of risks posed by a widespread class of chemicals associated with the development of asthma.
We’re also working with GCG to pilot the measurement of specific metal concentrations in the exhaled breath condensate of welders. The aim of this initiative is to trial the method for use in validating exposure controls for welding tasks.
Photo by Bret Kavanaugh/Unsplash
For more information on these projects, contact either Dr Kelly Johnstone from UQ or Peter Knott from GCG.
Amelie Reitmayer, one of our PhD students, is currently on an exchange program in Germany conducting part of her project work with a research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Her venture intends to explore the health impacts of dynamic indoor temperatures in office buildings.
Enrol Now for Semester 2
Quick links
For more information about studying occupational hygiene at UQ visit our website:
Master of Occupational Hygiene
Masters of Occupational Hygiene/ Occupational Health and Safety Science
Program Director
Dr Kelly Johnstone
E: k.johnstone2@uq.edu.au
P: +61 7 3346 7816
Don’t miss out – get your paperwork in now and prepare for your ECU adventure. There are countless pros when weighing up ECU for your higher education – here’s the start of a long list …
Five reasons to enrol at ECU
1. Our teaching staff continually receive high scores from students and peers for teaching excellence. We’ve had 16 back-to-back years of 5-star ratings in the Good Universities Guide.
2. Great lecturers are everything, which is why our educators have relevant and extensive experience in all areas they teach.
3. We proudly offer accredited courses with the AIOH (Australia) and the BOHS (UK).
4. The Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma are entry routes into the master’s program for students who don’t have an undergraduate degree.
5. The master’s program is Commonwealth supported, which means you pay ~75% less for each unit.
At ECU, we off three courses in Occupational Hygiene?
1. Graduate Certificate in Occupational Hygiene (Course Code J83) – 3 units
Entry Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree; or
• 5 years of relevant professional experience
2. Graduate Diploma of Occupational Hygiene (Course Code J74) – 6 units
Entry Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree; or
• Equivalent prior learning, including at least 5 years of relevant professional experience
3. Master of Occupational Hygiene & Toxicology (Course Code I01) – 12 units
Entry Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree or in a cognate discipline; or
• Equivalent prior learning, including at least 5 years of relevant professional experience
We also teach Occupational Health and Safety and have a series of short courses.
For any queries – please email Adelle Liebenberg or phone her on 08 6304 5515.
PhD Opportunities @ ECU
• Comparison of Conventional and Real Time Monitoring (Particulates), which is the Australian part of an international research program: multiple PhD positions
• Diesel Particulate Matter: 2x industry-funded PhD positions
• Mining Work Health and Safety Projects: multiple PhD positions
• Multiple Work, Health and Safety related PhD opportunities
If you’re interested in any of these opportunities, talk to one of our team members:
Adelle Liebenberg (Occupational Hygiene)
a.liebenberg@ecu.edu.au
08 6304 5515
Dr Marcus Cattani (WHS and Real-Time Monitoring)
m.cattani@ecu.edu.au
08 6304 2346
Professor Jacques Oosthuizen (Discipline Professor)
j.oosthuizen@ecu.edu.au
08 6304 5876
Staff Success and
For Congratulations to our new lecturer, Dr Roberta Selleck, who was recently awarded her PhD in fatality prevention in the construction industry. Like all our staff papers, you can read her paper on the ECU staff website.
Bravo Dr Marcus Cattani and team for being awarded $3m from the WA Government to set up a WHS Research Centre, with a new Professorial Chair advertised in July. We’re all excited about this brilliant opportunity to work collaboratively with Government and industry. Read more or watch this space.
Well done to Professor Jacques Oosthuizen, Dr Edmore Masaka, and their team for recently obtaining accreditation for the OEHS major Bachelor of Health Science (Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety) by Environmental Health Australia.
Linda Apthorpe
At the University of Wollongong, we work hard to build professional knowledge and skills in our postgraduate students so they can take them into workplaces to help protect workers. We’re also all about recognising student successes, strengthening our industry partnerships, and applying our research to drive industry improvement and better health outcomes for workers.
At our recent Faculty Awards night, we recognised the outstanding work of student Nicole Eltringham. She received the prestigious UOW 3M Best Project Award for her workplace research project: Evaluation of health and hygiene hazards within large-scale lead-acid battery charging facilities.
We’re grateful for 3M’s ongoing support for the Award, and to our friends in the industry who enable students to undertake projects within their workplaces. Nicole also had the honour to give a vote of thanks on behalf of all students, which was very well received.
Our industry partnership with the NSW Rural Fire Service continues, with students recently conducting their research into complex airborne exposures for volunteer firefighters during a hazard reduction burn. The results of this study will be applied during major fire events to reduce airborne exposures and to keep our rural firies safe.
Our academics, who are certified occupational hygienists, work closely with occupational hygiene postgraduate students. They mentor and guide them to build their confidence and contribute to scientific knowledge by presenting their workplace capstone projects as case studies at the AIOH conference (keep your eyes peeled for them on the podium this year). They also publish papers from their applied workplace research projects.
To find out how you can become a UOW industry partner or enrol in our courses, contact Jane Whitelaw.
UOW Master of Occupational Hygiene students Shai Malone and Ben Shelton on the fire ground.
Advertise with AIOH
If you’re a member or subscriber, we can help with your advertising. Maximise your reach to a captive audience to find the perfect addition to your team. With a customised broadcast email to over 5,000 subscribers and our exclusive members-only jobs board, advertising with us means you connect with the right candidate.
Three options to advertise your vacancy:
1. Broadcast Email: a single email to AIOH subscribers (recommended).
2. Listing on AIOH Members’ Jobs Board: this option is only available for vacant positions, not for training or events.
3. Position Vacant Bundle: this package includes options one and two.
Fee (ex GST):
1. Broadcast Email: $500
2. Listing on AIOH Jobs
Members’ Board: $300
3. Position Vacant Bundle: $700
If you’re keen to advertise with us, please write up the details of your opportunity as a Word or text document. Include a high-resolution company logo (jpeg), contact name, mobile, email and website link. Advertising bookings are accepted once your credit card payment has cleared.
Fill in the advertising form to find the best fit for your opportunity.
DXJ Recruitment: Multiple Occupational Hygienist opportunities across Australia
Occupational Hygienists (3-6 years exp) x4, Sydney
A variety of options with different employers at the Project Management level.
More coming up on the books
Reach out for a confidential and obligation-free chat about potential options.
I’m Daniel X James, and I have numerous clients actively looking to hire Occupational Hygiene Consultants in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. Currently, these are all full-time, permanent roles.
Open roles
Senior Occupational Hygienists x3, Sydney
Opportunities in both large and small companies, to work on major projects like Sydney Metro.
Senior/Principal Occupational Hygienist, Adelaide
COH is ideal – lead a small team with relocation assistance to move to Adelaide.
Senior/Principal Occupational Hygienist, Melbourne
Technically lead an established team working on interesting projects.
The main areas I recruit for are wide-ranging Occupational Hygiene consulting and HAZMAT/asbestos consulting. If you work in these fields – contact me about the above roles or register your interest in upcoming opportunities and be the first to hear about HOT JOBS before they go public! Alternatively – let’s chat about what you’re after, and I’ll put you in the right position.
Connect with me on LinkedIn for regular posts about fresh job opportunities or call me on 0419 875 149.
• Brisbane-based role
• Long-established niche consultancy
• A strong team of professionals
• Increasing workload
An excellent opportunity is available to join a long-established resource, environmental, and land use consultancy specialising in the quarry and construction materials sector. As an occupational hygienist, you will assist our clients with undertaking projects to understand occupational hygiene risks associated with their activities. This will primarily include respirable dust and occupational noise impacts.
The applicant must hold either of the following:
• Full Member of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists;
• Or an equivalent competency under an international certification scheme (for example – Certified Industrial Hygienist); or
• Relevant legislative knowledge
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent report writing skills.
Desirable Skills:
• Positive reputation with industry and government
• Demonstrated knowledge of the resources, quarry and extractive industry
Responsibilities
• Undertaking occupational hygiene assessments for existing clients
• Growth of the occupational hygiene services
• Actively seeking new opportunities consistent with the strategic direction of the business
• Manage key client relationships and understand client needs and services provided by Groundwork Plus
• Preparation of fee estimates
• Meeting project deadlines
• Provision of internal advice to Groundwork Plus and clients where applicable on technical and operational matters relating to the quarry and extractive industry.
A competitive remuneration package is offered based on skills and experience.
For more information regarding this role, please email our Brisbane office or call (07) 3871 0411.
To apply, send your CV and a cover letter to info@groundwork.com.au. Please note – applications won’t be accepted through a recruitment agency or third party.
We’re seeking a highly motivated and passionate Occupational Hygienist/ Certified Occupational Hygienist who believes in our mission of creating healthier workplaces.
The individual will be responsible for ensuring the health of our clients through the delivery of professional hygiene monitoring programs. The Hygienist will help facilitate and deliver expert advice on health management plans, risk assessments, and noise, dust and ventilation surveys along with ensuring compliance with legislations and organisational requirements are met.
• Tertiary Qualification in Occupational Hygiene, Health, Safety, Science or Environmental related fields
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience in Occupational Health and Hygiene in mining, oil and gas or similar industries
• Mine Air Quality Technician or Officer (Formerly Surface Ventilation Technician) Qualification
• Noise Officer Qualification
• Excellent knowledge of both federal and state legislation, codes of practice, standards and guidelines
• Member of the AIOH preferred
• Ability to use experience and knowledge to interpret data/find practical solutions
• Provide expert Occupational Hygiene knowledge and advice
• Conduct workplace exposure monitoring for physical, biological and chemical hazards
• Experience working within the Work Health and Safety Act 2022 and Work Health and Safety Regulations (Mines) 2022
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills – verbal and written
• Good project management skills, with the ability to engage successfully with both workers and managers
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office software including but not limited to Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• Permanent work rights in Australia
• Competitive base salary with additional allowances for being away from home
• Casual, fixed term and full-time employment opportunities
• Flexible working arrangements with equal uninterrupted rostered time off
• Support from one of WA’s leading Certified Occupational Hygienists and Doctor
• FIFO and local work opportunities
• Diverse client base to grow your Occupational Hygiene portfolio
• Positive and supportive work culture from a highly experienced management team who value and recognise contribution and efforts
If you’re interested in career or employment opportunities with Occuhealth, please submit your resume, and one of our HR team will be in contact.
We specialise in providing occupational hygiene, environment, hazmat, training support, and solutions for our clients. We promote workplace safety and health to ensure people go home, not just in the same health that they arrived, but possibly in better health because of the solutions and help we provide.
We have a team of eight Certified Occupational Hygienists within a national team of approximately 75. Our leadership, technical, operations, and capital support are based around the country in Perth (Head Office), Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin and Kalgoorlie.
The RED OHMS Group is a leading consultancy servicing several sectors including oil and gas (onshore and offshore), mining, government, education, manufacturing, infrastructure, construction, industrial, and commercial across Australia.
You’re passionate about the industry and want to work for a company that values diversity and individuality with a focus on professional growth and development. You’re someone who thrives working autonomously whilst also contributing to the team – leading and mentoring when required and communicating effectively at all levels.
You’re a proven professional with experience in the following:
• Conducting health and hygiene risk assessments
• Creating health and hygiene management plans
• Experience and skills in the operation and execution of industryrelated equipment e.g., for fibre, dust, weld fume, and volatile organic compound sampling
• Conducting noise surveys and noise dosimetry
• Project management skills –planning, preparing and executing hygiene monitoring programs
• Experience in researching occupational hygiene issues and providing pragmatic solutions to our clients
You will bring
• A postgraduate qualification relevant to Occupational Hygiene (other qualifications in science or a related discipline is desirable)
• Full membership with the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygiene
• High flexibility with working arrangements – site travel according to client requirements is essential
• A willingness to learn and be mentored by COHs; and to guide and mentor technicians, junior consultants, and other hygienists
• Enthusiasm and a can-do attitude
• Engagement and willingness to contribute to a dynamic team
Many aspects of our lives are important, so we offer benefits to enable your work to enhance your life. These include:
• Flexible work options
• A work environment where safety is the number one priority
• A fun, supportive, and diverse workplace
• The opportunity to influence and build a supportive workplace culture in a fast-growing operation
• Learning and development opportunities for qualifications and accreditation as needed
• Wellbeing support for you and your family
• Our mission is to protect worker health and safety by partnering with clients to understand their risks and how to manage them
• Our business is unique, which means we offer interesting, challenging, and diverse career opportunities
Our values are important to us so to be successful, you’ll have to share them:
• We look after each other
• We work with integrity and respect
• We take accountability for our actions
Please submit your resume along with a cover letter to
hr@redohmsgroup.com.au.
• The majority of new applicants are from outside the AIOH member base
• There are currently 122 accredited fit testers listed on the website
• There have been 19 new accredited fit testers added since the start of 2023
• There are currently 34 service providers (who employ at least one accredited fit tester) on the website
• A full online re-accreditation process with video requirements every six years is under development
• There are five approved training providers: OccuHealth, ProSafety & Training, ECU, Kinnect Training, Eva & Associates
• The reapproval process currently under development for training providers, designed as a selffeedback exercise, will be piloted with the first two providers
The updated website allows for the quick location of an accredited fit tester. There’s also a current project to add fit-tester available languages following the Breathe Freely Mandarin initiative, expected to launch in 1-2 months.
Here are several upcoming webinars and presentations associated with RESP-FIT that may be of interest:
August
• AIOH Webinar “Respiratory Protective Devices ISO Standards: reconnecting globally” through harmonised standards”
• Asian Network of Occupational Hygiene (ANOH) “Commit2Fit and RESP-FIT: a story of collaboration between countries, health and safety organisations and the support of H&S government agencies”
• Airmet OHD Webinar
September
• ADNOC (Abu Dhabi) Webinar
“Importance Respirator Fit Tester Competence”
October
• Lung Foundation “Silica Respirator Selection”
December
• AIOH Conference RESP-FIT Update
Have a question or want to know more? Get further information or email respfit@aioh.org.au.
The AIOH Basic Principles of Occupational Hygiene Course continues to be very popular this year, with courses filling up quickly. We recently squeezed in an extra course for Perth!
Facilitated by experienced occupational hygienists, the AIOH BPC offers practical experience with networking like no other course.
Here are a couple of testimonials from recent students:
“The Basic Principles of Occupational Hygiene course provided a solid introduction to occupational hygiene. It was a great forum to expand my expertise from a different perspective. I currently lead an operational work group focused on the risks associated with crystalline silica. How we manage those risks isn’t a new concept, but this year we want to review, build and improve. We’ve partnered with an external consultant to help shape systems of work that meet minimum standards and are practical and focused on the end user.”
“When it comes to Occupational Hygiene, I have a variety of practical experiences and insight into how it contributes to the safety and wellbeing of workers on site. However, I wanted to discover and strive to unpack the hygienist perspective. Directed through an Occupational Hygienist lens, this course gave me a greater understanding of how I can partner to safeguard work practices and improve controls to protect our people.”
Sydney student, Karen
“The AIOH BPC course was an excellent overview of the industry, including technical and theory sessions, hands-on sampling, and insights gained from discussing real-world examples. Driven by the presenter’s enthusiasm, energy, experience and knowledge, the course was incredibly engaging. I appreciated the focus on improving processes and controls to benefit workers across diverse industries, supported by robust monitoring and assessment against the standards and best practices. As an environmental specialist, I look forward to more frequent collaboration with occupational hygienists. The benefit of improvements for workers can extend to reduced exposure for the wider community and environment.”
Sydney student, Greer
“The AIOH BPC was an in-depth introduction to occupational hygiene at a level that instilled confidence in me to begin monitoring and measuring occupational hazards. The course armed me with tools and resources to select equipment and methods for varying scenarios, and built on my knowledge of occupational hazards and controls. The instructor’s extensive experience in the field aided in understanding the application of course theory, and the week proved a fantastic opportunity to connect with occupational hygiene professionals. This platform has pushed me to pursue further studies in the field.”
Brisbane student, ShannonTo run these courses at a highly professional level relies on the support of many people, including our Conference and Events Manager, Michelle Portelli. We’re always grateful for the supply of occupational hygiene equipment from external companies like Airmet Scientific, AES and 3M. This allows our students to use industrystandard equipment to prepare them for work in the field.
A shout out to our fabulous course facilitators this year: Jen Hines, Linda Apthorpe, Melanie Cox, Peter Aspinall, Kieran Brookes, Julia Norris, Jane Whitelaw, Kerrie Burton and Daniel Cronje.
We know many occupational hygienists began their careers by doing the AIOH BPC. Keep promoting the AIOH BPC – its theory and practicals make it the perfect launch pad into occupational hygiene.
For more details and dates for the remaining courses in 2023, check out the AIOH website.
Read up on the details about the conference and the programme.
Australians are well represented:
• Terry Elms and Brian Eva will present the W501 Measurement of Hazardous Substances course on 25, 26 and 27 August
August 28–30, 2023. The Conference is organised by the Industrial Hygienist Association of the Philippines Inc. (IHAP) in conjunction with the Asian Network of Occupational Hygiene.
The 2023 conference theme is “Collaborate, Innovate, Adapt for the Future of Industrial Hygiene in Asia.”
Consider the event a platform for all safety, occupational hygienists and occupational health professionals to share their experiences and expertise in industrial hygiene and the future of Occupational Hygiene in Asia.
• Sam Curtis will present the PDC Industrial Noise – Measurement and Control
• Carey Murphy will present the PDC Heat Stress Risk Management
Terry Elms will deliver a keynote presentation on Day 1 on Building IH/OH Capacity in Asia Through Education and Training.
With places still available for the PDCs, conference and AIOH Members are encouraged to attend. The W501 course is full.
Photo by Greg Rosenke/UnsplashMany dirty, labour-intensive manufacturing operations and industries are being exported to Asia to take advantage of lower labour costs, often in less regulated environments.
The export of these industries, technologies, processes and equipment causes increased health risks to overseas workers. New and emerging technologies have been transferred into Asia, presenting a new cohort of occupational hygiene issues not previously experienced by the Western world.
Rapid industrialisation and economic development present several significant OHS issues in the Asian region. In contrast, the resources and infrastructure to support occupational hygiene capability are appreciably limited.
ANOH was established in 2014 to overcome these limitations and enhance occupational hygiene capability primarily through connecting professionals in the Asian region. The network strives to achieve this while acknowledging that implementation, intervention and OHS practice should be based on the cultural context in which it operates, here termed the ‘Asian Way.’
One of the ways ANOH seeks to build IH/OH capacity in Asia is through education and training. In early 2023, 18 participants took part in a W201 Basic Principles of Occupational Hygiene course in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The W501 will run in Manila concurrent with the conference (with 30 participants), with two more courses planned for later in 2023 (sponsorship pending ). The courses are run by certified hygienists who donate their time in the interest of education and training in Asia.
We’re currently communicating with kindred societies for sponsorship and support to fund travel and accommodation for the presenters and course materials for participants at no or minimal cost.
If you’re a member or subscriber, Launched in response to rising diagnoses of silicosis among workers in the engineered stone sector, Breathe Freely Mandarin is an initiative proudly funded by the NSW Government. Through a range of targeted interventions, the program aims to improve awareness of respiratory hazards and the safe use of respiratory protection.
The industry consists of a significant number of workers who don’t communicate in English. The initiative provides essential information, guidance and support in both English and Mandarin, to protect them from the hazards of toxic dust and prevent lung diseases.
One-third of engineered stone workers in New South Wales don’t communicate in English, with Mandarin being the most common non-English language spoken. Inadequate use of respiratory protection was a common area of non-compliance in the industry, meaning information about respiratory protection and fit testing must be readily available in Mandarin. Breathe Freely provides Chinese-speaking businesses and workers with the resources to protect themselves and their coworkers from harmful dust exposure.
The Breathe Freely Mandarin initiative builds on the success of the Breathe Freely Australia program by creating and promoting video content on respiratory protection in Mandarin. This content reaches the target audience through social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Xiaohongshu, achieving over 90,000 views on TikTok in the first month.
The action offers free fit-testing for businesses to support increased compliance in this high-risk sector. Additionally, the initiative strives to enhance expertise within the community by supporting a Mandarin speaker to become an accredited fit-tester. This effort is recognised through the SafeWork NSW Breathe Freely Mandarin Award, which provides training opportunities to encourage professional development in respiratory protection.
Congratulations to Jianyong Song, recipient of complimentary attendance at an approved RESP-FIT training course.
Since its launch, Breathe Freely Mandarin has gained traction, with the website receiving thousands of visits, and significant social media engagement, particularly on TikTok. Through these platforms, the initiative has reached Mandarin-speaking stone workers, spreading awareness to ensure access to crucial information on respiratory protection.
The success of this action wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions of the dedicated Breathe Freely Working Group and the support of SafeWork NSW. The initiative stands as a testament to the importance of prioritising the health and safety of workers, regardless of language barriers.
By providing essential resources in Mandarin, Breathe Freely Mandarin plays a crucial role in improving respiratory health and safety of Mandarin-speaking stonemasons in the engineered stone sector. This is a reminder of the ongoing efforts needed to create safe work environments and protect workers from preventable illnesses.
Learn more about the initiative by watching the AIOH webinar.
The AIOH extends our thanks to the members of the Breathe Freely Working Group: Kate Cole OAM (Chair), Francesc Gomis, Dr Jimmy Hu, John Padgham, John Tiong, Dr Ralph Lee, Sean Yap, Dr Sharann Johnson AM, Yi Duan and Dr Yingying Sun. We’re also grateful to SafeWork NSW and staff Aklesh Nand and Michael Weller for their continued support.
Pictured: Dr Ralph Lee, Yi Duan, Francesc Gomis, John Tiong, Joe Inzitari (owner), Michael Weller, Aklesh Nand, Kate Cole
Overseas travel, professional site visits, a conference programme centred on prevention and control of health risks, and Yorkshire Pudding –who could ask for more?
Held at The Queens Hotel in Leeds from Monday 12 June – Thursday 15 June 2023, delegates could attend in person or purchase a digital delegate pass. The latter offers access to recordings of all parallel streams and plenary sessions after the live event.
In 2019 BC (Before COVID), I received the Dräger Young Hygienist Award. Fast forward three years and, despite multiple itinerary changes, I’ve just returned from the UK BOHS Conference and a site visit to Dräger’s Research and Development facility in Germany, among others.
BOHS President Alex Wilson opened the conference to an audience of more than 200, greeting attendees in the Yorkshire dialect. Warm welcomes from BOHS CEO Kevin Bampton and Conference Committee Chair Kirsty Thomas followed.
Over four days, the conference programme covered four key themes:
1. Researching prevention and control
2. Educating for occupational health
3. Designing out health risks
4. Changing behaviours and attitudes
Presentations included noise reduction and current practices, sampling best practices such as isocyanates, legionella, LEV, and wearable occupational hygiene monitoring devices (presented by AIOH Councillor Aleks Todorovic).
Fellow Aussies Philip Hibbs, Brian Eva and Andrew Bennet gave me a warm welcome and facilitated many introductions.
I jumped at the opportunity to take Alex Wills, Sarah Leeson and Margreet Sturm’s professional development course (PDC) on Testing Compliance with Occupational Exposure Limits.
The course aimed to advise occupational hygienists on measurement strategies for determining compliance with occupational exposure limits. The guidance document, “Testing Compliance with Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) for Airborne Substances” facilitated this. Updated by a working group of the British and Dutch occupational hygiene societies (BOHS and NVvA), you can download it free.
Reviewed in light of the 2018 European Standard EN689 revision, the BOHS-NVvA guide outlines the method to test compliance of an individual’s exposure to an OEL (on which a compliance decision is based). This suggests using the introduction of Upper Tolerance Limit 95% Confidence Limit, 70% Confidence Level (UTL95,70) value.
The PDC also outlined a range of exposure modelling tools occupational hygienists can use for chemical risk assessments including:
• BWStat (download free of charge) – estimate the GM and GSD to be applied to test compliance.
• IH Mod – a spreadsheet tool that estimates air contaminant exposures due to spill or vapour release scenarios.
• Advanced Reach Tool (ART) –an exposure modelling tool that estimates exposure to inhalable dust, vapours, and mists.
First up was Diana Kloss, Honorary President of the Council for Work and Health and an expert in employment and occupational health law.
Diana shared valuable knowledge about the legal and ethical problems that can arise from employing workers with health conditions, including those with a disability. She advised, “There’s no legal requirement to carry out a separate risk assessment specific to a disabled person.”
However, an employer who becomes aware of a worker’s or a visitor’s disability should review their existing risk assessment to ensure it covers risk to them. Diana asserts, “Employers should never make assumptions about disabled people or introduce blanket policies.”
John Cherrie’s keynote on dermal exposure science was inspiring. He spoke about applying practical predictive models for dermal exposure, such as the Advanced Reach Tool (ART).
He also built on the theory that, for skin exposure, we need a biologically relevant sampler and/ or uptake modelling. Factors such as breathing rate (m3/hr), should be included in the exposure formula for inhalation exposure assessment. This is similar to the practice used in health physics to calculate inhalation intake of radioactive dust and substances.
First up was Diana Kloss, Honorary President of the Council for Work and Health and an expert in employment and occupational health law.
With some personal best run times, it was ta-ra (goodbye) to Yorkshire
Wow – the scale of this site is beyond belief. It features over 10,000 employees and 700 Health and Safety professionals across different specialist areas, including occupational hygiene, dosimetry, radiation protection, performance improvement advisors and conventional site safety.
My ANSTO colleague and Senior Health Physicist Sam Sonter accompanied me to Sellafield (you may remember Sam from continuing education sessions on NORM).
Sellafield oversees nuclear decommissioning and reprocessing projects. Sam and I visited the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP), one of the reprocessing plants currently undergoing decommissioning.
Although incredibly high risk, the projects boast safety benefits abound. The technology innovation to reduce exposure risk for workers in hazardous environments was impressive. This includes the deployment of robotics, such as the Laser Snake, which leverages a “snake-like” robotic arm with a laser cutter protruding from the head. This decommissioning tool can perform tasks like disassembly or handling radioactive parts, which previously took many technicians to perform.
We had the opportunity to meet Health Physics Manager Richard Todd, Head of Radiological Protection Vicky Talbot, Chartered Fellow Occupational Hygienist and Chemical Safety Manager Adrian Parris and Occupational Hygienist Andrew Crowther.
Sellafield’s Fire and Rescue Team also visited us. Their detector technology equipment would be the envy of most conventional hazmat teams. Think RAMANs, FTIR, a portable GC-M, a range of PIDs, a chemical screening tool for explosives, peroxide-forming chemicals called Identa Touch, and various portable gas technologies.
We’re grateful to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for organising this VIP visit and to the Sellafield staff who took the time to meet with us.
I attended the HSE UK Science and Research Centre, accompanied by Offshore Occupational Hygiene Specialist Inspector Stephen Clarke. Known as the “Mecca” for Occupational Health and Safety Professionals, it was great to see how HSE UK inform their policy and legislation with evidence and application of research and science.
Kate Jones and Adam Clarke put together an informative tour to many areas including:
• Human Factors and Risk
Assessment: Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant and Philip Lees, Risk Assessment and Process Safety Specialist.
• Minerals and Fibres: James Staff, Scientist
• Measurement and Control: John Saunders, Ventilation Scientist
• Biological Monitoring: Shahwayz
Iqbal, Scientist
• Allergens and Biochemistry: Howard Mason, Scientist
• Biohazards: Jodi Brooks and Paul Johnston
• Health Risk Management: Chris Keen (BOSH past President)
There were too many take-homes to summarise in a newsletter, but I noted the following:
• USE utilised occupational hygiene specialists for their subject matter expertise to support COVID-19 risk mitigation and the national PPE task force.
• They were conducting ongoing investigations into the efficacy of LEV systems/consultants, air sampling, portable air cleaners and other monitoring systems.
• They advocated for new technologies such as wearables in ergonomics/human factors but warned of being aware of their limitations.
• They had one of two Transmission Electron Microscopes used for asbestos and nanoparticle testing in the UK.
The last word? Let’s heed Chris Keen’s advice “to ensure we deliver a healthy environment to all” and highlight the importance of reaching the blind spots like hard-to-reach work communities.
This opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the award sponsor, Dräger, and their continued support despite COVID-19-related delays.
The last stop: Dräger HQ in Lübeck. Medical and safety technology and innovation are the core of its business, but as a fifth-generation family business, the history runs deep.
The latest scientific evidence has informed the development of some impressive products. One example is firefighting solutions that support aspects of protecting workers from dermal exposures to by-products of combustion.
We discussed the complexity of gas dispersion and the selection of gas detector technology. For example, looking only at the density of a gas can result in the misinterpretation of gas dispersion during release scenarios. Check out this fact sheet.
Dräger’s focus on sustainability, lean management principles and humancentred design was impressive. Think fully height-adjustable workstations throughout the office, production and manufacturing environments.
Special thanks to Matt Dearsely, Heiko Schaffrath, and Kalpesh Trivedi for organising a visit so aligned with my interests. This was a very rewarding professional opportunity and worth the wait. I encourage everyone to consider applying for an AIOH Professional Development Award, no matter the stage of your career.
Tshüss (Bye in German).
SafeWork SA has issued a warning after an incident resulting in serious facial lacerations to an asbestos removalist who fell almost five metres.
The worker was removing asbestos “deep six” roof sheeting from a warehouse on 11 January 2023 when he fell, striking a forklift before hitting the concrete floor.
• The injured worker wasn’t attached to an anchor point when he fell
• The workers weren’t competent in ensuring their anchor point selection; the set-up had a minimum rating of 15 kN
• The pendulum effect ‘swing down’ wasn’t taken into consideration when undertaking the roof sheet removal
• Adequate training and instruction in the correct use of the equipment wasn’t provided, with the business relying on VET training in working at heights
An initial SafeWork SA investigation found:
• A third-party revised asbestos register (pre-demolition) identified damaged asbestos roof sheet
• An Elevating Work Platform (EWP) scissor lift was available on site
• Workers on site were standing on and removing asbestos roof sheets while wearing harnesses
• Multiple SWMS were on site but weren’t set out and expressed in a way that was understandable to workers who use them
• The SWMS for high-risk construction work was generic and didn’t identify site-specific hazards, risks and suitable control measures
• Adequate supervision wasn’t provided Read more
The countdown is on
Author: Phillip MarzellaWith barely four months to go until the most exciting AIOHhosted conference ever – the buzz has begun. As we finalise the preparations, it’s time to go live with some juicy updates.
The wait is over: download your Conference Prospectus now. This invaluable resource is bursting with insights and crucial material to help curate your experience.
AIOH23 is shaping up to be an epic event, with over one thousand attendees from different industries, professions, and academic institutions, all set to descend on the Crown Promenade, Melbourne. Meet and share ideas with like-minded peers and industry experts at this networking hub.
Our trade exhibition will hit an all-time high, with over fifty booths showcasing cutting-edge technologies, goods and services across various categories.
We’ve crafted our conference schedule as a smorgasbord of forward-thinking leadership discussions and significant scientific research. Satiate your curiosity, ignite your creativity, and push the boundaries of our collective knowledge.
Early-bird discounts apply, so register now – tickets are available on our CVENT platform. Don’t miss this opportunity to advance your career, learn new things, and make your mark on this memorable conference.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available, so if you’re keen to be seen – please register your interest. Become a conference sponsor, contribute to the ongoing success of our yearly gathering and associate your organisation with a much-loved and much-lauded event.
We’ve built this year’s conference on your recommendations; AIOH23 features a brand-new set of social events. If you’re an art, music or culture fan or seeking some downtime after a long day of scientific sessions – there’s something for everyone.
And our keynote speakers? Drumroll, please. We’re thrilled to announce that Professor Alan Duffy, Pro ViceChancellor at Swinburne Flagship Initiatives, will regale us with his view of how the universe works.
Alan is a very popular speaker and commentator with regular segments on ABC Breakfast TV, Ten’s The Project and ABC TripleJ radio, live talks, classroom visits, and social media. Also, Adam Spencer will take the podium to work his unique mix of maths, comedy, and commentary.
See you there, ready to participate, learn and mingle.
Standing out in the current business market is a matter of survival. Connect with a broad, engaged audience; cut-through noise and associate your brand with a peak industry organisation, promoting worker health.
Get on the radar of a receptive audience, ready to make a difference.
Advertise in AIOH’s official publication: The Filter, and speak directly to your collective audience. Our quarterly newsletter is a trustworthy source of information for thousands of savvy readers, all passionate about promoting healthy working conditions.
Cultivate customer trust and loyalty by association. An ad in The Filter aligns you with innovative, community-minded values and dedication to a healthy, safe work environment. The AIOH team will help you realise your marketing objectives with adaptable advertising solutions within budget.
Cultivate customer trust and loyalty by association. An ad in The Filter aligns you with innovative, community-minded values and dedication to a healthy, safe work environment. The AIOH team will help you realise your marketing objectives with adaptable advertising solutions within budget.
• Offer visible leadership opportunities that open doors to networks and external organisations, putting our leaders on the national and international stage
• Provide valuable experience in non-executive directorship and governance in the not-for-profit sector, without having to start your own company or charity
• Allow for continuous learning and technical professional development across the breadth of occupational health and hygiene practice
We’re looking to shape the future of workplace health, build the occupational hygiene profession and nurture AIOH leadership. To do this, we need YOU!
In 2022, The AIOH Council launched a 5-year succession plan and are now inviting expressions of interest (EOI) to identify future leaders for Council and Executive roles that:
• Attract COH Maintenance points A multi-year succession planning cycle also benefits members by recognising that people need to map out their professional future, particularly if it includes stepping up to a volunteer AIOH Council role.
• Our AIOH Rules and Statement of Purpose require that AIOH Presidents and President Elect must have served as councillors. Council is an essential stepping stone if the AIOH Presidency is your career aim.
• Councillors have to be willing to be actively engaged over their twoyear term, with monthly virtual meetings and three face-to-face meetings per year.
• With more manageable travel expectations, contributing to our profession shouldn’t be only for retirees or leave you out of pocket.
• Only Full members are eligible to be elected to Council. If you don’t yet have your MAIOH, what a worthy ambition for your 5-year plan!
AIOH would be delighted to receive EOI from members across the diverse breadth of our membership. A culture of inclusion is important to us, so please don’t hesitate to contact any of us to register your interest or get your questions answered personally.
Tracey Bence | 0433 917037 or President@aioh.org.au
Tracey can give you her perspective on external engagements, media and other opportunities that Presidents enjoy.
Jeremy Trotman on 0408 994788 PresidentElect@aioh.org.au
Jeremy can answer your questions on the various leadership roles in the AIOH 2023-2028 Succession Plan.
Aleks Todorovic on 0412 045 056 or Treasurer@aioh.org.au
Aleks can explain the core duties of the Treasurer in supporting the important financial side of AIOH business.
Neil Goulding on 0417 306 654 or Secretary@aioh.org.au
Neil can speak about his experience in the Secretary role.
Candice Dix on 0405 819 006 or GeneralCouncillor1@aioh.com.au
Candice is ready to answer questions about the Councillor experience.
Stay tuned for some FAQs about AIOH Succession Planning
2023-2028
Successful councillors have typically done some time onAIOH Committees, so they appreciate the Institute and its operation. They must be able to represent the members beyond their state or employment sector, and have a passion for promoting the profession.
Other than occupational hygiene experience, expertise in governance, financial management or stakeholder engagement, or strength in organisational skills is highly desirable. There’s no expectation that any individual councillor brings all these skills to the role, as AIOH Council operates as a Board where new and existing qualities blend into a diverse team.
Council work is mostly virtual via monthly MS Teams meetings.
The first of three face-to-face meetings is at AIOH House in Melbourne, which includes a ‘new Councillor Induction’ and a strategic planning session over two days.
The second meeting is typically also in Melbourne in June or July. The final Council meeting occurs at the Annual Conference and includes the AGM and election of new Councillors. On average, the time commitment for General Councillors is about two hours per week. This accounts for meeting preparation and participation, and any special projects.
The AIOH travel policy is well established and balances member value and reasonable expenses for those volunteering to be Councillors. Should travel be required, Councillors are entitled to reimbursement for economy airfares, taxis and accommodation. Members located in regional areas of Australia shouldn’t consider travel costs an impediment, and we warmly invite them to express interest.
If Councillors are Directors, should I do a director’s course or have director experience?
Councillors don’t need to have director experience or qualifications. The AIOH offers an annual Directors’ induction, delivered by an advisor specialising in not-for-profit directors’ duties. When a member of the AIOH is appointed to Council, they become subject to company director duties under ASIC supervision.
Director duties include:
• Carrying out their role with diligence and care
• Acting in the best interests of the AIOH, even if it conflicts with their own beliefs
• Being involved in what the AIOH is doing and making sure AIOH can pay its debts on time and keeps good financial records
Here’s a general description of the directors’ duties.
People have many different reasons for volunteering for the AIOH leadership role. Three of the top benefits of AIOH leadership are:
1. Promoting the profession and influencing the strategic direction of AIOH.
If you already love occupational hygiene, AIOH leadership lets you do more of it Australia-wide, with people who feel the same about preventing worker illness.
2. Growing your network.
AIOH Councillors meet an array of people, including international health, safety and hygiene professionals, and external stakeholders such as media, regulators and businesspeople.
3. Developing skills in leadership, small business and directorship. The modern AIOH operation introduces its Councillors to all aspects of a small business. This covers everything from accounts payable to human resources, information systems, marketing, ethics and good governance.
