The Filter - March 2022

The Filter

Welcome tothefirstedition of2022

What an interesting start to the year we have had: floods, fires, the (delayed) opening of the WA boarders; and soon, the AIOH Conference! Our thoughts and wishes go out to those affected by the devastating flooding on the east coast, and those affected by the fires in the south of Western Australia. What we sometimes forget, and need to be reminded of, is the necessity of self-care in a world filled with swirling doubt, disaster and double masking. The AIOH Conference is the perfect excuse for some dedicated selfcare time with like-minded professionals from around Australia. We are looking forward to welcoming you all to the 2021 (delayed to 2022) conference – with a Challenge for Change.

How can we transform challenges into positive change opportunities? Follow all of the news and happenings on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and join in on the fun with @AIOH and #AIOH2021

We look forward to seeing you there!

Kelly Jaunzems

Wehopeyouenjoywhatwe’vecreatedforyou.We'dlovetohear yourfeedbackandsuggestionsforfutureeditions!

Pleaseemailusat admin@aioh.org.au

KateCole,BaeuMedina,KellyJaunzems,AshBossandPeterAspinall

Tableofcontents

The Filter

PRESIDENT’S UPDATE

Hi all and welcome to our first edition of The Filter for 2022

It’s been a wonderful start to the year, with Council meeting in January to develop our Strategic Action Plan for 2022 Following on the great work of previous Councils, our Action Plan underpins the work of our AIOH Strategic Plan and includes further streamlining our financial reporting and enhancement of the strong financial position of the AIOH, exciting additions to our training and professional development offerings, further strengthening our many relationships with allied stakeholders and enhancing risk management practices at the Institute to name just a few items

One initiative within our Action Plan which has recently commenced is the review of our Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) with kindred organisations To this end I am delighted to inform our members that I have recently signed an MoU with the Australasian Radiation Protection Accreditation Board (ARPAB) Much like our own Certification Board, ARPAB maintains a certification process for professionals who have demonstrated proficiency and knowledge to a high standard and maintains a register of people who have achieved that certification The distinction is that ARPAB’s focus is in the area of radiation safety We are pleased to be able to support ARPAB by enabling them to host their certification exams as part of our Conference later this month I look forward to sharing more of this with you at our 38th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Sydney very soon

Speaking of our Conference, there has been much work done behind the scenes to ensure that our face to face conference can proceed safely It is very important to us is that we are doing what is necessary to ensure the safety of our attendees and we’re fortunate in this aspect, being the profession that has helped many businesses across the country keep their workers and visitors safe from this hazard over the past couple of years, so we know how to do this!

Together with leaders from our Conference Committee the AIOH Council recently undertook a risk review to determine what additional measures could be put in place to support a safe event This resulted in an update to our Covid-19 Safety Plan which you can read here

In late February I was invited to speak at the Air Conditioning & Mechanical Contractors Association (AMCA) Building Ventilation Summit on the topic of keeping people safe indoors With poorly ventilated buildings a key risk factor to outbreaks of COVID-19 in numerous workplaces, the importance of indoor air quality in mitigating the risk of COVID-19 transmission is vital The Building Ventilation Summit included speakers from across the building industry, in addition to researchers, health experts, and reform advocates It was a privilege to represent our own profession at this event and how occupational hygienists are a crucial part in creating safe workplaces

In early March I was invited to speak at Science Meets Parliament, which is an annual event that brings scientists together with parliamentarians to foster engagement between our nations STEM sector and policy decision-makers I spoke about ‘advocacy with impact and my experience in getting issues onto the policy radar and making a positive difference to protect workers from COVID-19

Speaking of protecting workers, a lot has been happening in the area of silicosis prevention recently In February I represented the AIOH at the first hearing of the review of the NSW Dust Diseases scheme I spoke about the importance of the introduction of a registration or licencing scheme, the need for air monitoring, stronger regulation, increased enforcement and improvements to education, training, health monitoring and labelling information With the next hearing to be held on the 18th of March, I look forward to seeing the outcome of the review I would like to thank the External Affairs Committee for their support with both our submission and in preparation for the hearing

The Lung Foundation recently established the National Silicosis Prevention Strategy Expert Steering Committee That Committee has been convened to lead and oversee the development of the 2022 – 2027 National Silicosis Prevention Strategy and accompanying National Action Plan as recommended in the National Dust Disease Taskforce’s Final Report I was delighted to be invited to be a member of that Expert Steering Committee and I look forward to supporting the development of this important work

A very large congratulations once again to Dr Sharann Johnson AM who was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to community health as an occupational hygienist and to service groups We are privileged to have Sharann in the role of our Business Manager and her insight support and efforts in that role have been an invaluable part of our success this year so far Thank you also to the many members who reached out to myself to congratulate my Medal of the Order of Australia also

I will end on saying a large thank you to our wonderfully supportive Council, Staff and Committees who have continued to work and support the important work of our Institute I look forward to seeing many of you at our 38th Annual Conference and Exhibition in person in Sydney very soon

Stay healthy everyone

Kate Cole OAM President

FROMTHE SECRETARY’SDESK

Thank you Sharann!

Firstly, I would like to send a huge thank you to Sharann who completed a smooth transition of the Secretary role with me late last year. I am now seeing firsthand how much time and effort Sharann had invested to improve our business operations (See the Secretary’s in the Filter editions Sep and Dec 2021 Report for the summaries). This will be a hard act to follow, and I am grateful that I can lean on her for guidance and support as our Business Manager.

2022 and beyond

I do look forward to working with the Council, Committees as well as supporting our members. My goal during the next two years is to build on the Strategic Plan where we improve/establish business operating systems so the next person who succeeds me has an easier job to do.

Contact me

As always, please contact me should you wish to discuss any ideas or issues concerning the AIOH.

Neil Goulding Secretary | AIOH

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in placing health management at the forefront of their business management strategies SMEs make up over 99% of all registered businesses, and employ over 4 8 million Australians (Australian Government, 2021) The pandemic has compelled SMEs to meet legal obligations regarding COVID-19 safe work practices in managing vulnerable employees mental health infection control as well as implement alternative ways of business delivery Unlike large organisations for SMEs the sudden shift from safety to health management has been a challenge For some, it has probably opened a Pandoras box identifying what they have or rather do not have in place with regard to workplace health management Those responsible for work health and safety (WHS) have seen the need to shift their focus from safety to engaging more in workplace health management for both legal compliance and business continuity

So why has it been so hard for SMEs to manage this? SMEs have people with WHS qualifications so why have they only just discovered their Pandoras box now? Traditionally, WHS education and training was based on a safety paradigm, where health and health management were completely shadowed by safety and still is in some courses With the focus predominantly on safety health management of employees is then usually a reactive secondary or tertiary process that addresses health and wellbeing after an event or injury For example, injury management and workers compensation programs Individuals undertaking WHS education do so through either nationally accredited vocational education training (VET) that is conducted through private organisations or technical and further education colleges (TAFE), or through a university with higher educational WHS courses

Regardless of the institution WHS education aims to deliver information that will assist individuals in implementing skills to maintain a safe and healthy workplace However current nationally accredited WHS vocational education training (VET) has few if any health units as core requisites, thereby leaving an imbalance between health and safety education within these courses Many working in SMEs have VET qualifications such as a Certificate IV or Diploma in workplace health and safety but have found managing COVID-19 challenging since the focus is now on health rather than safety management, something for which they feel unprepared for

Investigating the value and effectiveness of occupational safety and

health education in small to medium enterprises workplace health management

Berni Cameron

In 2021 a small qualitative pilot project was undertaken in the southwest of Western Australia to determine if individuals who had completed WHS courses felt that their education had provided them with the skills and knowledge to manage workplace health, especially COVID-19 Participants interviewed were from small mining companies, local government areas and a training group and were responsible for the health and safety of employees in their respective workplaces All participants had completed either a VET and/or university qualification in WHS The participants were asked to reflect on their WHS education and how/if they felt it had been beneficial for them in managing health in general as well as the current pandemic They were also asked what areas of their WHS education did they feel could be improved Results from the pilot study revealed that all participants felt that they had been given little, if any workplace health management education or instruction in their coursework (mainly for the VET education) All participants agreed that mental health was one of the major components that was missing from WHS education as well as infection control health risk assessment and disease management Some participants indicated that their workplaces were now introducing mental health first aid courses, but felt that this was a knee jerk reaction to the pandemic WHS courses especially VET courses do not include adequate health education to give individuals the information or the skills to manage health episodes such as COVID-19, as discovered from the 2021 pilot study

Workplaces are beginning to consider not just the physical safety of employees but also how health and the effects of COVID affect employees’ wellbeing their families and their lifestyle in general from a holistic approach But in order to manage workplace health, there must be a balance to ensure that WHS students are equally informed and educated in both safety and health Education is fundamental to change and COVID-19 is the catalyst for this change But for any change to occur there must be evidence to demonstrate that there is a need for change To do this, the 2021 pilot project will be expanded on, gathering more qualitative data that will be presented to the Australian Occupational Health and Safety Education Accreditation Board (AOHSEAB) with the intent of sharing the voices and experiences of the participants to advise on what they feel is relevant for todays workplace in WHS education and training This research is expected to generate new and academically significant knowledge that will inform WHS educators in their development of future education programs Updated WHS health education will benefit SMEs when planning for future health events such as COVID-19 improving the application and effectiveness of WHS management systems and workplace practices, through better informed and educated WHS employees

How you can help

Do you have a WHS Cert IV Diploma (TAFE or Private RTO) or a university qualification in WHS? Do you work in an SME with less than 250 employees and are responsible for the health and safety of the employees in your workplace? Do you want to have your say and help shape future courses?

Your feedback may contribute to future WHS course content as the outcomes of this research will inform the Australian OHS Education and Accreditation Board about WHS courses from your perspective You will be contributing to valuable research that may assist in educating for future health episodes like COVID-19

People at Work - Psychological Risk Assessment Tool

Many of our members have responsibility for occupational health at sites which includes staff mental wellbeing We are sharing a new website with Australias only validated psychosocial risk assessment tool People at Work https://www peopleatwork gov au/

The application was developed by work health and safety regulators and leading researchers and promoted by Safe Work Australia

Because every workplace is unique a risk management process is required to identify psychosocial hazards assess risks and implement strategies to control the risks

The risk management approach aligns with Safe Work Australias Code of Practice on How to manage work health and safety risks

If you are willing to participate in this valuable research please contact bernadette cameron@ecu edu au or use this QR code that will automatically link you to this email address Australian Government (2021) Outcomes: Small and medium sized enterprises Retrieved from https://www dfat govau/trade/agreements/not-yet-inforce/tpp/Pages/outcomes-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises

WELCOME NEWMEMBERS

Katarina Neves

Jianyong Song

Martin Mazereeuw

Sarah Bailey

Kenny Li SUi

Reiner Nortje

Joshua Trahair

Dhareta Sasanawati

Adam Fearnley

Joanne Moore

Tenielle Holman

Janine Lees

Clifford Cox

Jennifer Wright

Brendan Egberts

Joanne Hamilton

MAthew Dean

Tarus Maskey

Megan Harrison

Lauren South

Brett Palmer

Brent Venables

Douglas Randall

Ian Gardner

Shaun Greer

David Lewis

Jason Singleton

Cyanne Botha

Courtney Hammond

Patricia Harris

Maureen Barnard

Guldidar Kizil

David Erikson

Robert Wilson

Cecilia Mason

Samantha Wells

Stephanie Vandewiel

Sidney Pierantozzi

Thomas McDonald

Nick McCallum

Anthony Hawton

Alaine Burgess

Ruby Stewardson

Michael Jackson

Carlie Eames

MArk Wagner

Carol Coleman

Mitchell Yeo

Tamika Waddell

Caroline Usher

Caroline Higgins

Tanja Stuart

Kerrie Payne

Stuart Green

David Stathoulis

Bradley McIntyre

Katie Wentworth

Donna Jamieson

Maxi Bader

Elisa Richards

Travis Banks

Brooke Brown

Philippe Gazi

Bradley Vincent

Isabella Gabrielli

Timothy Crean

Ianeta Hadfield

William Smith

Holly Kerr

Michael Shearer

Izzan Faisal

Asanka Ranasinghe

Donna Easton

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Melanie is a consultant Principal Occupational Hygienist with Resile, a company specialising in occupational health

Melanie began work as an Occupational Hygienist in 1993 and spend 10 years in alumina refineries in Western Australia As a client-side hygienist, she enjoyed the challenge of embedding occupational hygiene programs into company systems She was lucky enough to attend one of the final 12 week

Intensive Occupational Hygiene Courses run by Worksafe Australia which was pivotal in confirming her chosen career path Having become both a MAIOH and COH, Melanie took time away from the field when she moved overseas before permanently settling in Queensland Melanie re-trained as a Senior High School Teacher prior to re-entering the occupational hygiene field in 2019 as a consultant Occupational Hygienist. Melanie now works across a diverse set of clients from local small business to multinational businesses implementing hygiene solutions This includes the public and private sectors in councils, local and state governments, resources, state and national run utilities providers, defence and construction sectors

Melanie’s aim as an Occupational Hygienist is to make positive change at each workplace for each worker by reducing workplace exposures She believes the most important factor to achieve this is the simple and effective communication of issues and outcomes to all levels of the workforce, which can make the difference when seeking to gain traction and support for change She reiterated that each industry and workplace is different and that requires occupational hygienists to adapt their solutions and support to be effective in reducing occupational exposures in each specific workplace

During her time away from occupational hygiene Melanie said she had used the AIOH to remain in touch and to re-enter the profession, through courses, networking, and conferences As an Occupational Hygienist, the AIOH has provided the framework to advance and support her career, including being a recipient of the App-Teck Conference Award in 2006 which supported her to attend the full AIOH event while working part-time in between having children

Melanie is an active member of the AIOH and is currently involved in both the AIOH mentoring and RESP-FIT programs She feels very fortunate to be part of these teams of motivated mentors and passionate respirator enthusiasts! Through the mentoring new and emerging Occupational Hygienists and raising the profile and competency of respirator fit testing, she feels we are continually advancing the protection of worker health, which has never been more important than in this current climate

Melanie Cox - Occupational Hygienist – MAIOH, COH®

ADOSE OFRESEARCH

“Indoor aerosol science aspects of SARS-CoV-2 transmission” by William W Nazaroff

Association between occupational exposure to irritant agents and a distinct asthma endotype in adults | Occupational & Environmental Medicine (bmj com)

Hospitalised heat-related acute kidney injury in indoor and outdoor workers in the USA

https://oem bmj com/content/79/3/184

The systematic review on environmental exposure to asbestos Environmental exposure to asbestos and the risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and metaanalysis | Occupational & Environmental Medicine (bmj com)

Characterizing and Comparing Emissions of Dust, Respirable Crystalline Silica, and Volatile Organic Compounds from Natural and Artificial Stones

Diesel Engine Exhaust Exposure in the Ontario Civil Infrastructure Construction Industry

Construction and Calibration of an Exposure Matrix for the Welding Trades

How to Reduce the Exposure of Welders to an Acceptable Level: Results of the InterWeld Study

In Occupational and Environmental Medicine:

Association between occupational exposure to irritant agents and a distinct asthma endotype in adults

Miora Valérie Andrianjafimasy, Mickaël Febrissy, Farid Zerimech et al

Hospitalised heat-related acute kidney injury in indoor and outdoor workers in the USA

Dallas S Shi, Virginia M Weaver, Michael J Hodgson et al

Environmental exposure to asbestos and the risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Kyeongmin Kwak, Dongmug Kang, Domyung Paek

In International Journal of Indoor Environment and Health for January 2022:

Indoor aerosol science aspects of SARS-CoV-2 transmission

In Annals of Work Exposure and Health for January 2022:

Silica Exposure Estimates in Artificial Stone Benchtop Fabrication and Adverse Respiratory Outcomes

Deborah C Glass; Christina Dimitriadis; Jessy Hansen ; Ryan F Hoy; Fiona Hore-Lacy

Molybdenum Occupational Study in a French Cohort of Workers

Guillaume Drevin; Benedicte Lelievre; Jérémie Riou; Marie Briet

The Effect of Using an Active Earmuff on High Frequency Hearing in United States Marine Corps Weapons Instructors

Jeremy Federman; Stephanie Karch; Christon Duhon; Linda Hughes ; Devon Kulinski

Exposure to Whole-Body Vibration in Commercial Heavy-Truck Driving in On- and Off-Road Conditions: Effect of Seat Choice

Hugh W Davies; Fangfang Wang; Bronson B Du; Rick Viventi ; Peter W Johnson

Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) Exposure Hazard

Assessment: An Algorithm for Generating Exposure Index Based on Direct Instrument Readings

Åse Dalseth Austigard; Hans Thore Smedbold

William W Nazaroff

AIOH VACANCIES

Communications and Marketing Committee –Expressions of Interest

The AIOH Communications & Marketing Committee are looking for a Content Creator and Content Hunters!

Content Creator

Do you have creative flair and want to make an impact? Are you an ‘ideas’ person who likes to watch your vision come to life? We are looking for a motivated individual to join our AIOH Communications and Marketing Committee to help develop and deliver our social media content. This role will work closely with the committee as well as content hunters to manage and distribute social medial content. Our committees operate on a volunteer basis, with the reward of incredible experience working with industry leaders, at the coal face of innovation and the advancement of occupational health and hygiene

Content Hunters

Are you a passionate occupational hygienist with a keen eye for exciting information? Do you have an ear to the ground for industry news, or find yourself chapters deep into The New Scientist for a spot of light reading or scrolling LinkedIn in the dead of the night? We are looking for occupational hygienists and allied professionals to assist our AIOH Communications and Marketing Committee as Content Hunters! As a Content Hunter, you will forward content ideas to the Communications and Marketing Committee for consideration for social media and The Filter Magazine.

Please send all enquiries to admin@aioh org au, explaining why you’d be a great fit for either of the above roles

DO YOU WORK AT AN AUSTRALIAN COAL MINE? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

SUPPORTING RESEARCH INTONOISEEXPOSURE INAUSTRALIANCOAL MINING

We are conducting a survey to investigate worker perceptions of noise exposure and occupational hearing loss in Australian Coal Mining. This information will allow us to develop targeted noise control strategies in the future, with which to better protect workers’ hearing

This survey is anonymous and only de-identified group data will be reported However, if you would like to be notified of the findings you can supply your details at the end of the survey, and we will notify you accordingly

Thank you for enabling us to improve workers’ health!

You are invited to participate in a 10–15-minute survey. To access the survey: Scan the QR code or click here to access the survey.

RESP-FIT

It has been another busy period for RESP-FIT with our monthly exams with many applicants Also the continuing submissions of Stage 2 videos is keeping our assessors busy At the conference we will be running a CES session covering an overview of RESPFIT and the accreditation process for those thinking of applying It will give a comprehensive overview and frequent observed gaps of prior applicants With still being a fairly new program (just over 1 year old since launch) we are aiming to provide better information to the standards required to get through accreditation

We will also be presenting a “first year update” in the concurrent sessions with the things that have gone well, lessons learnt and plans for the future It will also cover some of the statistics for those who have gone through accreditation, number of people trained by approved training providers and number of people fit tested by accredited fit testers in 2021 If you are attending the conference, we hope you can attend the RESP-FIT concurrent session

The other bit of news we are excited to share is the launch of RESP-FIT member discussion forum! This is a closed discussion board for accredited fit testers, partners and supporters This is a place where accredited fit testers can post questions or information anything respirators and fit testing related It is the official way that RESP-FIT will communicate with its members with any announcements or updates. We hope to build a community in the fit testing community through this forum It is another reason that fit testers should go through the accreditation process See some screen shots below

If you have any questions or would like any further information RESP-FIT related, don’t hesitate to email respfit@aioh org au

Mark Reggers

ACCREDITED

UNIVERSITIES

The University of Wollongong: Taking time to stop and smell the coffee

By Academic Program Director: Jane Whitelaw CIH® COH® FAIOH

At UOW we believe in taking time to stop and smell the coffee; and thats why we have more face to face teaching than any other occupational hygiene postgraduate course in Australia You ll learn from experienced COHs and make friends who will continue on the career journey with you UOW has delivered robust nationally and internationally accredited and innovative Occupational Hygiene courses for over 12 years; producing award-winning professional Occupational Hygienists with many like our featured #WeAreUOW alumni Kerry Cheung who are leaders in their field Kerry was awarded the generous and prestigious 3M award for best Workplace Project in 2020; and is pictured here with a coffee in hand and the award Hear all about his findings and the link to his novel coffee-related occupational hygiene project at the AIOH 21 conference coming up this week

Enrolments for 2022 are now open and <<BREAKING

NEWS>> is that we also now have a July intake - so apply now for the dual accredited Master of Occupational Hygiene or choose to get started with a Graduate Certificate in Occupational Hygiene https://coursefinder uow edu au/information/index ht ml?course=master-occupational-hygiene

Our courses integrate practical hands-on time and networking with practising COHs to focus Occupational Hygiene techniques and apply skills and knowledge to a broad range of workplace issues AND our support and networking is legendary!

Commonwealth Supported Places are available for domestic students making your studies very affordable; eg a Graduate Certificate costs as little as $4 000 in fees

Contact Jane Whitelaw for more information:

jane whitelaw@uow edu au; or stop by Booth 9 at the upcoming AIOH 2021 conference to catch up with Linda Jen and myself; and hear from current and past students We encourage you to share your wit in our picture caption competition

RMIT University

– Master of Occupational Health & Safety: Occupational Hygiene

It was celebration galore last December as a sizeable number of Occupational Hygiene students took to the podium at Marvel Stadium Melbourne to receive their graduation awards (in-person) as they official conclude their training journey at RMIT university Ironically 2021 was a hugely successful year for our students They braved the rigor & didactic learning from a world class institution to earn their dreams

The Master of Occupational Health & Safety (Occupational Hygiene stream) program at RMIT university is an accredited program uniquely designed to equip students with comprehensive and contemporary knowledge, skill, and applicatory exposures in Occupational hygiene In addition to the acquired expertise it is largely compatible with the busy schedule of aspiring and practising hygienist

News from Edith Cowan University

To make the most of new technology to enhance the student online learning experience and assist the teaching process the ECU Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety staff have updated all learning materials to the Canvas learning management system And I am pleased to say it seems to have been worth the effort!

At the end of January we also have the pleasure of welcoming a new staff member Garry Dine to our team Garry is a specialist in Environmental Health and Safety and is teaching EH units and hopes to finish his PhD at the end of 2022 Its great to have him on board and helping us grow our teaching and research portfolios

At the time of going to press we were happy to announce that the 2021 3M prize winner for top Master of Occupational Hygiene was Morgan Mathers a previous AIOH AES winner One of our PhD candidates Martin Ralph who is investigating naturally occurring radiation was also awarded a MRI WA scholarship

We are also proud to announce that ECU has had the Short Course on Respirator Fit Testing for both the quantitative (CNN) method and the qualitative (ATT) method approved by RESP-Fit in February This course will be offered partially on-line with plans to go fully on-line by mid-March

What Will You Study?

Masters Stage (core courses) Assessment

Research News:

Our AIOH Foundation Award in 2020 kickstarted an industry partnership with the NSW RFS and the results from two of these projects will be presented at the Sydney 2021 Conference:

Filtration efficiency of P2 respirators against bushfire smoke and Thermoregulatory impact of respirator use in volunteer firefighters

If you cant make it; look out for the publications coming soon

It is fantastic to see our PhD students now on campus and enjoying our state of the art bespoke facilities

Their COPERSH projects are applying the latest innovative solutions to control worker exposure to carcinogens such as DPM and RCS

Contact me if you d like to join them in exploring new emerging and complex health and safety problems through collaborative research with university and industry partners

With new modernised WHS legislation imminent we are working with industry and government to provide a series of short courses to train people in the risk based approach at the core of the legislation (bit ly/ECURisk)

During the last 3 months staff have published the following papers:

Ralph M I & Cattani M (2022) A review of radiation doses and associated parameters in Western Australian mining operations (2018-20)

Journal of Radiological Protection: Official Journal of the Society for Radiological Protection 42(1) https://doi org/10 1088/13616498/ac3c90

More information about studying occupational hygiene at ECU can be found at: www ecu edu au/degrees/study-areas/medical-andhealth-sciences/occupational-hygiene-and-toxicology or by contacting A/Prof Sue Reed (E: s reed@ecu edu au; P 08 6304 2243

If you are interested in studying OHS then visit: www ecu edu au/degrees/study-areas/medical-andhealth-sciences/occupational-health-and-safety or contact Dr Edmore Masaka (E: e masaka@ecu edu au; P: 08 6304 5517)

We look forward to seeing all ECU Alumni at the ECU stand at the AIOH Conference

AIOH EVENTS

Well, that's a wrap! (almost)

We are so close to the finish line as we finalise the 2021 AIOH Annual Scientific Conference and Exhibition and I am thrilled to see our tireless work come to fruition We will be onsite and in full swing with the conference in just under a week The conference has been a rollercoaster of emotions From the beginning of 2021, an extreme amount of pressure on the runnings of our event left so many question marks that it almost felt like a cruel game of Russian roulette We asked ourselves which was the best way to manage all the members' expectations and pull off an event that would be able to take place and be worthwhile in a world of Covid

We initially had a venue that we were looking at, but this changed very early on in 2021, then we questioned whether it should be a hybrid event, meaning it would be online and face to face Due to member demand, we opted for a face-to-face event We surveyed locations, attracting the most delegates and making it convenient for Sydneysiders and interstate delegates alike We questioned the timings, in which council delayed the event due to too many risk factors of a then, current covid outbreak I can genuinely say the whole of 2021 left a giant question mark around the AIOH conference

Then enters 2022 At the beginning of the year, we had our latest and greatest Covid outbreak, and we were now at the peak of the contagious virus This situation was possibly the most nerve-wracking for the whole committee, and now we were now left questioning about whether this conference and exhibtion would eventuate But Council pushed forward and, fortunately, what feels like a very chaotic three months, I'm pleased to say that things are on the up! Our delegate numbers are strong The response from speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors have all been positive, and that's because our conference committee has shown up time and time again in the face of uncertainty They have been the most extended committee of all time at the AIOH, who worked tirelessly around the clock in extreme circumstances and persevered These committee members are all volunteers from the industry, trying to do their part So for those attending, as you open your pocket programme and see the incredible venue, the lineup of speakers, social events, exhibitors, sponsors, marketing emails and conference app Please don't forget to look at the Conference Committee page and familiarise yourself with these people Because of them, The AIOH have a conference and exhibition, and they deserve a massive pat on the back

Having worked on it for over a year, I already know it will be a huge success, and everyone should take every opportunity to acknowledge their contribution

Thank you, 2021 Conference Committee

Also, I'll be introducing Michelle Portelli in the next edition, as I will be leaving the AIOH, and Michelle will be my replacement Michelle has a strong background in Events and has experience working with Non for profits Please make Michelle welcome as she eases into the role

Thank you all, and I'll see you at Conference –WooHoo!

Baeu Medina Conference and Event Manager

Carmen Naylor Chair Kerry McDougall Chair of Scientific Committee

Frances Evans Marketing Committee Member Mark Rawlings Sponsorship Manager

John Henderson Exhibition Manager Eric Langling Social Events Coordinator

Terry Gorman Scientific Committee Member Shilpa Panyam Marketing Coordinator

Linda Apthorpe Scientific Committee Member John Tionog Scientific Committee Member Baeu Medina Conference and Events

2021 CONFERENCE ORGANISING COMMITTEE

AIOH FOUNDATION UPDATE

Project update – Welders’ Noise App

One of the projects supported by the AIOH Foundation is the Welders’ Noise App by Data Scientists This project aimed to create a prototype of a digital tool which workers and professionals could use to assess hearing loss risk from noise and ototoxic exposures at work It would also provide users with advice about how to reduce the risk The tool would allow occupational hygienists, audiologists, workers, employers and others to estimate the exposure to noise and ototoxic agents in a usual day at work. It would be useful in cases where using a dosimeter is impractical (e g previous jobs, or for audiologists to assess an occupational history) or as an information and education aid

This tool contains questionnaires about tools and tasks performed by welders which were linked to a database of noise levels produced by those tools and tasks. The noise level over a day is then estimated using the established algorithms.

The tool is now available at www occideas org (click on TRY NOW) Data Scientists have demonstrated it at a large occupational health conference (ICOH 2022) and have had some interest in developing it further to encompass more jobs. If welding is done at your workplace, please consider trying this tool as part of your education and noise management work

Board update

The current Board is comprised of Sally North (Chair), Raelene Young (Honorary Secretary), Robert Golec, Jackii Shepherd and Tracey Bence, with the recent additions of Lisa Mills and Lana Darbyshire. The Board would like to acknowledge and thank those who have expressed an interest in working with us In selecting new members we give consideration to the overall skillset within the Board as well as individual skills, knowledge and experience

Current focus areas

The Board is currently focussing on its fundraising strategies, in particular corporate sponsorship opportunities If you are aware of any such opportunities, or would like to contact us for any other reason, please email info@aiohfoundation.org.au. As always, if you have the capacity at the moment for a donation to support occupational health promotion and research, you can donate here

If you will be attending the AIOH Conference in Sydney, say hi to our Board members Raelene Young and Jackii Shepherd, find out more about the Foundation or give some suggestions for our work

INDUSTRY & LEGISLATIVE NEWS

2021 Review of the NSW Dust Diseases Scheme

Every two years the Standing Committee on Law & justice undertakes a review of the NSW Dust Diseases scheme The AIOH have made submissions and have appeared in hearings to provide evidence at these reviews previously in 2019 and recently in February

2022

The most recent review provided the opportunity to evaluate the progress of the recommendations made in 2019 on the management of silicosis in the manufactured stone industry The review is schedule to be complete later this month but you can read all the submissions made and transcripts of evidence given at this weblink here

Ne Reg lations for Crystalline Silica in Victoria

The Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 (OHS Regulations) have been amended to provide greater protection to Victorian employees working with respirable crystalline silica

The Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Crystalline Silica) Reg lations 2021 ha e now replaced the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Crystalline Silica) Interim Regulations

2021

In February we were fortunate to have Halil Ahmet

Principal Occupational Hygienist from WorkSafe Victoria present a webinar on this topic Halil provided information on the numerous silica-related activities being conducted by WorkSafe Victoria and information on these new Silica Regulations and the impacts on the engineering stone industry and construction If you missed this webinar you can access it in the members area of our website

National Silicosis Prevention Strategy

Lung Foundation Australia has been appointed by the Australian Governments Department of Health to facilitate the development of the 2022–2027 National Silicosis Prevention Strategy (NSPS) and accompanying National Action Plan (NAP) as one of a number of recommendations from the National Dust Disease Taskforces

Final Report

These a e e te sio s of o e t o yea s of comprehensive community industry and government consultation under the leadership of the National Dust Disease Taskforce The intention of the Strategy and Plan are to build on the work of the Taskforce and define the priorities and actions required to reduce the impact of silicosis on individuals the community and the economy

Lung Foundation Australia is inviting participation in the design and development of the NSPS and NAP through consulting with a diverse range of stakeholders including individuals and organisations with an interest in silicosis Further information about the cons ltation process and ho yo can be in ol ed is available here

WorkSafe QLD publish Expert Medical Guidelines

WorkSafe QLD recently published expert medical guidelines to assist with decisions on safe return to work after a mine dust lung disease diagnosis (e g coal workers pneumoconiosis silicosis)

These expert medical guidelines assist with decisions on safe return to work including what levels of dust exposure are appropriate for workers with disease and o goi g health o ito i g of o ke s The guideli es provide a best practice and evidenced-based framework which considers the individual circumstances of the workers MDLD including its severity and the best outcome that can be achieved

Managing the risks of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) – new resources

Safe Work Australia has developed a fact sheet on the risks of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure at work The fact sheet contains information on identifying when UVR exposure may be a hazard and ways to assess and manage the risks associated with e posu e

Changes to the Radiation Control Regulation 2013 Amendments have been made to the Radiation Control Regulation 2013 to keep the Regulation aligned to national and international best practice in radiation protection

Key changes are as follows:

Medically exposed persons

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) recently amended the Code for Radiation Protection in Medical Exposure (Medical Exposure Code) to include radiation dose constraints for carers and comforters of patients ndergoing radiological procedures and volunteers in biomedical research as these groups may receive a higher dose of radiation compared to other members of the public

The Regulation now aligns with the Medical Exposure Code by defining these carers and comforters and other volunteers within the definition of medically exposed persons to differentiate the radiation dose constraints for this cohort from members of the public Clause 42 and Schedule 5 of the Regulation continues to set the dose limits for exposure to ionising radiation in planned exposure situations for members of the public at 1 mSv per annum

These changes may require employers to update radiation safety plans and notify staff in situations where carers comforters or other volunteers may be exposed

New dose limits for young workers

ARPANSA recently amended the Code for Radiation Protection in Planned Exposure Situations (Planned Exposure Code) to reduce the radiation exposure limit for occupationally exposed people who are 16 years of age or over but less than 18 yearsof age

The Regulation now aligns with the Planned Exposure Code by introd cing lo er dose limits for yo ng occupationally exposed persons that are approximately one third of adult limits The prohibition on any occupational exposure for employees under 16 remains in place

The Regulation also updates existing employer responsibilities to ens re yo ng occ pationally exposed persons are not exposed to radiation exceeding the dose limits and are only exposed in the course of training or education and under supervision Schedule 5 of the Regulation sets out the dose limits for exposure to ionising radiation for occupationally exposed persons and Clause 26 provides that an employer must ensure that those dose limits must not be exceeded

These changes to the Regulation may require employers who employ younger occupationally exposed persons to update radiation safety plans and notify staff Clarification of the term employment in the Regulation

A definition of employment has been included in the Regulation to clarify that the term includes a person engaged under a contract for service self-employment and carrying on a business in partnership

The changes were effective from 26 November 2021

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) regulates radiation practices in NSW through the Radiation Control Act 1990 and the Radiation Control Regulation 2013 If you have any questions about the changes please contact radiation reform@epa nsw gov au

National Guidance for doctors assessing workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust

The Department of Health recently published National Guidance for doctors assessing workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust to help general practitioners identify and assess people at risk of silicosis caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust

The National Guidance interfaces with and complements other existing medical guidelines issued by clinical bodies

BASICPRINCIPLES COURSEUPDATE

The AIOH Basic Principles Course is back for 2022!

With the first course run in Melbourne in February, we had 19 students very keen to participate in the hybrid style course with the online component and the 2-day practical sessions The practical sessions incorporated a demonstration of the qualitative and quantitative fit testing for respirators to really give that hands-on approach to help students understand why fit testing is essential for workers required to wear respirators, and how to undertake the fit testing. Thanks to Rob Golec and Kieran Brookes for running the practicals and to our supporters who provided equipment and guest presentations

It was wonderful to see the next generation of occupational hygienists attend the Melbourne with the children of our current AIOH members attending the course and enthusiastic to join their parents for a rewarding career in occupational hygiene – what could be better than that?!

The next course will align with the Conference in Sydney in March, and then in Brisbane in May. Upcoming dates and locations for courses for the remainder of the year have been announced and are available on the AIOH Website

Linda Apthorpe and Jen Hines

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

YOU ARE INVITED

March 21th – 26th 2022

Join us for the 33rd International Congress on Occupational Health 2021 (ICOH 2021) to be held in Melbourne, Australia from 21-26 March 2021.

The Australian New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine (ANZSOM) in conjunction with the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) is proud to be hosting the Congress and looks forward to welcoming you to Melbourne

The triennial Congress is recognised as the largest congress in the world for occupational health and safety professionals, policy makers, academics and researchers across a multitude of disciplines With the theme “Sharing Solutions in Occupational Health: Locally, Regionally, Globally’, ICOH 2021 will bring to Melbourne the world’s leaders in occupational health and safety to share their knowledge, discuss best practice and share solutions for better worker health worldwide

Planning is well underway with ANZSOM and ICOH collaborating with other occupational health organisations and experts to ensure the Congress showcases the most effective solutions being undertaken in occupational health nationally and internationally

In addition to the dynamic program, the social program will enable you to network and make connections with fellow professionals whilst you enjoy the vibrancy of Melbourne.