13th IOHAInternational
ScientificConference
Dublin, Ireland
June 2024

The Occupational Hygiene
Society of Ireland (OHSI) andthe British OccupationalHygiene Society (BOHS) are
privileged to jointly host thisconference and to contributeto its successful outcome.
The conference theme has
been confirmed as - ‘Protecting
workers from health hazards:
Advancing in this changingworld’.
The conference aims topromote occupational hygiene
and worker health protection
by the minimisation of worker
exposure to hazardous agents
globally through plenary
sessions, keynote lectures,
parallel talks, workshops,
poster presentations andprofessional development aswell as networking
opportunities and socialfunctions.
A strong Global media
campaign will publicise themain causes of occupational
disease throughout theconference.
More information including
venue, dates and abstract
submission arrangements will
be announced very soon.
Please mark your diaries forJune 2024 in Dublin, Ireland!

IOHA NEWSLETTERGLOBAL EXPOSURE MANAGER
International Occupational
Hygiene Association

Edited by Dr Thomas P Fuller: IOHA Past President
e-mail: tpfuller1@gmail.com

American Conference of Governmental IndustrialHygienists (ACGIH) organisational update (March 2022)Phillip Rauschere-mail: prauscher@acgih.org
It’s hard to believe that I am coming up to my third anniversary at ACGIH– time flies when you’re having fun. When first hired into my current
position, there was a leadership change within the organisation andthe Executive Director, Frank Mortl III, emphasised particular themes
moving forward, which included transparency and a customer focus. I
am proud to say that those ideas sincerely ring true in accomplishmentsfrom the Board of Directors, volunteer leaders, and staff over the last
three years. As an example, to engage with our stakeholders at muchhigher levels, ACGIH has invested in a complete overhaul of all electronic systems and digital platforms that were in place when I beganleading the organisation’s science, education, and publication divisions.
As we all know, understanding of chemicals in the workplace isvital to making robust decisions. Whether building a qualitative risk
assessment for your industrial hygiene (IH) programme or looking
at adjustment of a threshold limit value (TLV) for hours worked, theinformation within TLV documentation is vital to the occupationaland environmental health and safety (OEHS) professional. To allow
for greater access to TLV and biological exposure index (BEI) scientificdocumentation, a crown jewel of our rebuilt website will be the ACGIH
Data Hub. Located in the members’ centre of the ACGIH website, accessto all current documentation will be available anytime and anywherein any quantity, as long as the user has access to the internet. The
documentation will be scalable to phones and can be opened in anybrowser.
Complimentary access to the world-renowned Journal of
Occupational and Environmental Hygiene has always been a member
benefit of ACGIH. However, with our new learning technology, we areexcited to make The Action Level a complimentary member benefit aswell. The Action Level utilises short knowledge assessments to enable
members to stay up to date with the latest journal articles. Our organisation has, with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) andthe Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC), agreed that certification
holders who are ACGIH members can receive no-cost credits (up to3.6 BCSP re-certification points, and 12 contact hours per year for BGC).
ACGIH’s virtual education has led to the development of ourLearning Pass, a new offering of bi-weekly webinars on various industrial hygiene topics, at very affordable rates. Another recent feature
is a Basics of Industrial Ventilation professional development course(PDC) – a total asynchronous on-demand course covering the tenetsof industrial ventilation to aid in ventilation system decision making.
Throughout 2022, in-depth courses on noise programmes, hazard
mitigation, and computational fluid dynamics in relation to ventilation systems will be offered, as well as a suite on multiple physicalagents – serving as an introduction to an area often overlooked inmany industrial hygiene programmes.

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Vol. 28 No. 3 May/June 2022

Additionally, ACGIH recently published the Air Sampling
Technologies manual. Organisational leadership is working diligentlyon many other new resources to help keep industrial hygiene in theforefront of OEHS success. Later this year, we plan to release an updated
version of the Bioaerosols Assessment and Control book that has been apillar of the IH community for decades. Upcoming ACGIH publications
include a Guide for the Control of Laser Hazards, the 31st Edition of ourIndustrial Ventilation - A Manual of Recommended Practice for Design, anupdated Modern Industrial Hygiene Series, an Atlas of Fungal Spores, andan educational narrative called “Don’t Forget the Workers”– chronicling
the stories behind interesting National Institute of Safety and Health(NIOSH) health hazard assessments, spanning decades.
Looking back on three years of professional achievements withACGIH, I am thankful for a forward-thinking Board of Directors with true
passion to drive OEHS excellence globally, along with volunteers whoare extremely giving of their time, knowledge and effort to push theleading edge of science. However, without members and supportersfrom around the world, we are playing to an empty house. Big thanks
go to the global OEHS community for years of support and dedication– we look forward to continued support of your careers and the field
as a whole. ACGIH sincerely appreciates any feedback or collaboration
opportunities that can further support our mission and the daily workof those in the OEHS field.
As a courtesy to those who are engaged internationally, we wantto take the opportunity to thank you for your continued support, andgive you an update about changes in the TLVs and BEIs that occurred
this past year. We sincerely appreciate serving and engaging withsupporters. All of the newest scientific documentation for 2022 isavailable for purchase/download on www.acgih.org and as a complimentary online member benefit through the ACGIH Data Hub. We lookforward to feedback on our organisation’s Notice of Intended Changes
throughout the current comment period, which ends on 31 May 2022.

Occupational Health Southern Africa

www.occhealth.co.za

IOHA NEWSLETTERGLOBAL EXPOSURE MANAGER
International OccupationalHygiene Association

Newly adopted TLVs for chemical substances
Antimony hydrideBenzoic acid and alkali benzoates
Clothianidin
Cyclopentane
Cyromazine
Dipropylene glycol methyl ether
Ethyl benzene
Imazosulfuron
Iodoform
Isoflurane
2-Methyl-2-butene
Phosgene
Prometon
Prometryn
Titanium dioxide
Trimethyl benzene, isomers
XyleneNewly adopted BEIs
Cyclohexane

Proposed notice of intended changes for BEIs

Chemicals for which there are notices of intended
changes
2-Ethylhexanol
AcetamipridBenzeneBenzoquinone
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
Divinylbenzene-ethyl styrene mixture
Ethylene glycol dinitrate
Glycidyl methacrylate

Occupational Health Southern Africa

Glyphosate
Iodine and iodides
Methylnaphthalene, all isomers
Nitric acidn-Propyl nitrate
Phenothiazine
Propylene glycol dinitrate
Silicon carbide
Tetrachlorvinphos
Trimetacresyl phosphate
Triparacresyl phosphate
Vinyltoluene, all isomers

www.occhealth.co.za

2-Ethoxyethanol and 2-ethoxyethyl styrene
AcetateAcrylamide
FurfuralAdopted updates to the TLVs for physical agents
Ultraviolet radiation
Upper limb localised fatigue

Proposed notice of intended changes to the physicalagents section
Heat stress and strain

Vol. 28 No. 3 May/June 2022

110

IOHA NEWSLETTERGLOBAL EXPOSURE MANAGER
International OccupationalHygiene Association

ACGIH professional development course:
Fundamentals in Industrial Ventilation – organised by
the Belgian Society of Occupational Hygiene (BSOH)
Michel Vangeel
e-mail: mvangeel@its.jnj.com
A very successful Fundamentals of Industrial Ventilation professional
development course (PDC), developed by the American Conference ofGovernmental Industrial Hygiene (ACGIH), took place for the first timein Europe on 11–15 October 2021, in Ghent, Belgium. The training wasorganised by the Belgian Society for Occupational Hygiene (BSOH),
with the support of Mensura and the Belgian Center for OccupationalHygiene (BeCOH). Nederman partly sponsored the ventilation systemused for the practical training.
The idea to launch a more in-depth training course related toventilation was raised about three years ago at a BSOH Board meeting.
In Belgium, occupational hygienists often identify poorly designed
ventilation systems that are not properly used and maintained. This initiated the idea to organise a professional training course on ventilation
in workplaces. Several training programmes in the European Union
were evaluated, and it was clear that no current training could meetall our expectations. It was Steven Verpaele, a BSOH Board member
who, after attending the Fundamentals in Industrial Ventilation coursein the United States, made us excited about bringing this ACGIH
course to Belgium.
In January 2021, we connected for the first time with Frank Mortl,
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ACGIH, and provided him with a formal
letter for the ACGIH Board of Directors with a request to schedule thiscourse in Belgium. Frank immediately responded and considered
this as a dynamic opportunity. In February 2021, the ACGIH Boardof Directors enthusiastically responded and supported this request.
Frank brought us into contact with Philip Rauscher, ACGIH SeniorDirector of Science & Education, and we began to organise frequentmeetings. We were thrilled to see that Gregg Grubb and Jonathan
Hale were selected and available as instructors supporting the PDC.

They did a first-class job, knowing how to teach, having a high levelof expertise and making it a fun experience. We received very positive
responses from all attendees after completing the course.
We thank ACGIH for their significant commitment, spreading industrial hygiene knowledge across the globe. We were also
impressed to see Frank and Philip supporting this PDC in Belgium, inperson. This showed their level of engagement, and provided us withconfidence for future collaborations with BSOH and other European
occupational hygiene societies.
The BSOH Board has already received confirmation from theACGIH to organise the course again in Belgium in November 2022,and plans are to provide it in 2023 as well. All course attendee evaluation forms will be reviewed and comments will be noted for future
course deliveries.
The BeCOH stores all the equipment in its warehouse, before andafter each training session. Having a ventilation system available
will make it easier to organise more of these PDCs in Europe. Whenother European occupational hygiene associations show interest inorganising this PDC, BSOH will provide its support. Steven Verpaelehas been approved as an official member candidate to the ACGIH
Industrial Ventilation Committee. As agreed with ACGIH, Steven willbe the liaison and contact person between European occupational
hygiene societies interested in organising this PDC with the ACGIH
in the future.

Participants at the Fundamentals of Industrial Ventilation professional development course Photograph: Michel Vangeel

111Vol. 28 No. 3 May/June 2022

Occupational Health Southern Africa

www.occhealth.co.za

IOHA NEWSLETTERGLOBAL EXPOSURE MANAGER
International Occupational
Hygiene Association

IOHA Board meeting and SOFHYT Conference on
Ergonomics in ParisNathalie Argentin
e-mail: presidence@sofhyt.fr
The French Society of Occupational Hygienists (SOFHYT) is proud tohave hosted the spring IOHA Board meeting on 3 April 2022. Given
the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and new restrictions,only a few members were able to join in person. Nevertheless, it wasa success. This was a hybrid meeting, so those who were not able totravel participated via MS Teams.
On 4 and 5 April, the 2022 edition of the SOFHYT Conference took
place in Paris with the theme, The place of ergonomics in occupational
hygiene. Despite the small assembly, the outcome was very positive.
In addition to the exchanges around the theme, the Conference provided the first opportunity for a fruitful collaboration with the SELF
(French-speaking Ergonomics Society). This enabled us to envisage
real possibilities for collaboration between the two organisations, e.g.
joint actions in schools around workplace hygiene. The Conference

also benefited from the presence of members of the IOHA who gave
two presentations: one on their activities and another on disability.
Finally, there were discussions about the contribution of exoskeletons,
and their relevance and effectiveness in the fight against musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Most importantly, the Conference provided
an opportunity to increase our network, to meet other occupational
hygienists, to share ideas and opinions, and to eat together. After morethan two years without any opportunities to meet, this was highly
appreciated by all.

L–R: Pascal Kerneis, Andres Winkes, Steven Verpaele, Samantha Connell, Thomas Fuller, Hugo Perez, Ruth Jimenez,
Maharshi Mehta, and Nathalie Argentin Photograph: courtesy of Nathalie Argentin

Occupational Health Southern Africa

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Vol. 28 No. 3 May/June 2022112