Preparing for #Safety2017

I've been pleasantly busy with the new job (not a surprise: being a professor is hard work) and haven't had much time to devote to blogging. I'll have some more exciting new content as summer gets closer.

I just found out that my proposal to speak at the Pacific Northwest AIHA Spring Symposium was accepted, so that is pretty spiffy. I'll be speaking for an hour on "Using Continuity of Operations Planning to Improve Your EH&S Program" in Lacey, WA on April 19, 2017.

Since the Puget Sound ASSE's PDC is on my campus, I'll also be attending that on May 5, 2017. I'm looking forward to meeting Pacific Northwest safety professionals and alumni from Central Washington University's Safety and Health Management (SHM) program. Go Wildcats!

My co-author and I have been hard at work completing our proceedings paper and presentation for #Safety2017 in Denver, CO. If you'll be at the conference, we'd love to have you attend our presentation on "Practical Tools for Gender Equal Protection in OSH Programs" on June 20, 2017 at 1:00pm (Session #537). We're also working on an article summarizing the presentation for Professional Safety, so hopefully that is accepted soon!

The Industrious Hygienist is speaking at Concurrent Session #537!

Depending on professional development funding (of which I have none remaining, so must ask for more), I may also be attending AIHce 2017 in Seattle, at least for a day. The #AIHce2017 conference is scheduled during my finals week, so I probably will not be able to attend the entire thing. 

Piper Pangolin will (of course) be attending both #Safety2017 and #AIHce2017 with me, so you can look forward to more goofy videos of the #industrioushygienist and #sockpuppetsafety from Denver and Seattle. 

Pre-Conference Activities at #Safety2016

While we were at #Safety2016 in Atlanta, the Industrious Hygienist put together this quick video of the pre-conference adventures experienced by Piper Pangolin on Saturday, June 25, 2016. 



Before attending the Council on Practices and Standards with ASSE, the Industrious Hygienist and Piper did some reconnaissance of the Omni Hotel, CNN Center, and Georgia World Congress Center. We were dismayed to see that the Cartoon Network store next to the CNN Studio Tours Store seemed to be closed for construction (since we love cartoons!), but we still enjoyed the bear statues. 

After the Council on Practices and Standards meetings, we attended the House of Delegates meeting and were impressed by the generous contributions by ASSE Chapters and individuals to the ASSE Foundation during the "Lightning Round" of fundraising in celebration of the ASSE Foundation's 25th Anniversary. The student section from Keene State College were present at the House of Delegates and contributed to the ASSE Foundation as well. We can't wait to see the videos they create with Sammy the KSC Safety Squirrel.

We love the ASSE Foundation's "I [heart] Safety" campaign! Looks like we found another non-profit to donate to (when we have profits to do so)...

Happy (late) 25th Anniversary to @ASSEFoundation

Piper Pangolin is ready for Safety 2017

The Industrious Hygienist and the team at Sock Puppet Safety are already excited for Safety 2017 in Denver! We used some of the footage from our #Safety2016 conference recap video to try out an iMovie trailer for Safety 2017.



We hope you like our first attempt at a trailer. We have great video-making plans for the rest of 2016. 

Piper Pangolin at #Safety2016

We had an amazing experience at #Safety2016 - Piper Pangolin toured the expo hall and many of the vendors were courteous enough to let her showcase their spiffy products. We learned that pangolins are not great at CPR and chest compressions. We also learned that the Coca-Cola Bear is ginormous. We found some spoggles from Haber Vision, LLC (i.e., Advanced Safety Eyewear) that look lovely on Piper, with built-in prescription lens capability. 

The Industrious Hygienist co-presented a concurrent session on gender equity for occupational safety and health (OSH) programs that was well-received. Thanks to attendees of Session #769 for sticking it out to the end of the conference and attending our session! 

We hope to see all of our new friends at Safety 2017 in Denver, CO from June 19 to 22, 2017. Enjoy the video(s) and let us know if there is a particular topic you'd like to see in future Sock Puppet Safety videos.  



(Sock Puppet Safety and the Industrious Hygienist received no promotional consideration for the products in this video. This video is educational in nature and intended to show what safety professionals can expect to see at future professional development conferences from the American Society of Safety Engineers.) 

Self-Congratulatory CSP Cartoon before #Safety2016

To regain my sense of self and creativity, I decided to draw a congratulatory manga about passing the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) exam last week. 

Here's the pencil sketch version:

Pencil sketch of "Industrious Hygienist vs. CSP Exam"

Here's the fully inked version:

Ink (black and white) version of "Industrious Hygienist vs. CSP Exam"

I'm particularly proud of the left hand middle panel ("Just freaking relax already!") because the ink work turned out really crisp and it has a lot of emotion.

Below is the full color version of the manga, with Safety 2016 (#Safety2016) coloring on the right-hand side, since that is the next "beast" I plan to conquer.

Full color version of "Industrious Hygienist vs. CSP" - See you at Safety 2016!

My colleague/friend/mentor also brought me some lovely flowers in celebration of passing the CSP exam, so I thought I would showcase her creativity and kindness as well.

Flowers with card: Creative, Smart, Perfection. 

Check out my previous blog post for my plans while attending #Safety2016 in Atlanta.

Plans for #Safety2016 in Atlanta

Now that the CSP Beast has been conquered, I'm making my plans for #Safety2016 in Atlanta. Safety 2016 is the professional development conference and exhibition for the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). 

Here's the tentative schedule of events for the Industrious Hygienist:

Saturday - June 25, 2016

Attend the ASSE Council on Practices and Standards as the Industrial Hygiene Practice Specialty proxy. 

Sunday - June 26, 2016

Attend the ASSE Council on Practices and Standards as the Industrial Hygiene Practice Specialty proxy. 

Attend the ASSE House of Delegates as the Industrial Hygiene Practice Specialty proxy.

Attend ASSE Region II party!

Monday - June 27, 2016

Session 518: Safety Excellence - The Big 5 at L'Oreal 

Session 543: Revolutionizing Risk Assessments - Oh My, Oh My, Bowties!

Session 566: A Federal OSHA Safe Patient Handling & Mobility Inspection & Citation

Session 580: Making the Fall Protection System Fit the Workplace

Tuesday - June 28, 2016

Session 605: Practicing Emergency Preparedness - The Key to a Successful Failure

Session 634: Laboratory Safety

Session 665: 3 A's of Ninja Awesomeness - Ninja-Style Back Safety and Injury Prevention

Wednesday - June 29, 2016

Session 707: Beyond the OSHA Log - Safety Management Systems for Healthcare

Session 744: How ISO 45001 Will Drive Business Excellence

Session 769: Remember the Ladies - Gender Equity for OSH Programs*

Join the Industrious Hygienist at #Safety2016

Session #769 is highlighted and underlined because I am co-presenting this session with Dr. Ilise Feitshans. We have an engaging presentation planned that will discuss the concept of gender equity and how it can be integrated into occupational safety and health programs.

Our session is being sponsored by Chubb (thank you!), the Women in Safety Engineering (WISE) Common Interest Group (thank you!), and the Industrial Hygiene Practice Specialty (thank you!).

Piper Pangolin is also coming to the conference, and we'll be roaming the expo hall for more interesting things to showcase in our Safety 2016 recap video. Last year's recap video was fun to make and will show you what to expect at Safety 2016.

A PPE vending machine at Safety 2015.

We won first place in ASSE Region 2's OSH Independent Film Festival Contest!

I'm thrilled to share that our latest Sock Puppet Safety video, "Yay for Lab Safety!" won first place in the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Region 2 OSH Independent Film Festival. The video starred Piper Pangolin, Lemmy Lemur, and two friends.

Piper Pangolin, Industrial Hygienist for Mad Labs, sharing her love of safety!

Thanks to the judges of the contest for their encouraging votes! The Exceptional Spouse and I will use the prize money to fund our time and materials for more Sock Puppet Safety videos.

As a member of the Arizona Chapter of ASSE, the Industrious Hygienist was a speaker at the 2016 Arizona Health and Safety Summit that occurred this week. The session was titled "Do-it-Yourself Safety Data Sheets" and was part of the ASP/CSP preparation track. The breakout session presented by the Industrious Hygienist was written to provide attendees with the knowledge to review safety data sheets (SDS) for accuracy. It also taught attendees how to prepare labels for containers based off of a SDS that was *mostly* compliant with the requirements of the UN Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The session discussed how to write and update a SDS, since some manufacturers are moving slowly on providing GHS-compliant SDS.

In the breakout session, we used a partially GHS-compliant SDS for a made-up chemical called "Wilburn Superflam 70%" to show attendees how to review an SDS for accuracy. 

SDS for Wilburn Superflam, 70% used in ASSE Arizona Health & Safety Summit (2016).

Using the SDS pictured above, the Industrious Hygienist showed attendees how to prepare a container label (like what would be provided by a manufacturer) using the GHS-compliant SDS. The example hazard communication label for Wilburn Superflam 70% is shown below. 

Example hazard communication container label for Wilburn Superflam, 70%.

Our next Sock Puppet Safety video(s) will probably be Piper Pangolin giving specific sections of the "Do-it-Yourself Safety Data Sheets" presentation, and teaching how to develop labels and review SDS. She'll be educating the internet on the chemicals shown in the "Yay for Lab Safety!" video: Wilburn Superflam 70%, Wilcorr Meltymess 25%, and Wilkil Allifes 15%. Watch for more fun and entertaining Sock Puppet Safety videos in upcoming months.

Sock Puppet Safety - Yay for Lab Safety!

The Exceptional Spouse and I made a new Sock Puppet Safety video starring Piper Pangolin and Lemmy Lemur, including two new friends that have yet to be named! This video, "Yay for Lab Safety!" was developed as an entry into the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Region 2 OSH Independent Film Festival. I hope to inspire the next generation of OSH professionals to see that safety can be fun and interesting.



The video is a continuation of our #IHFundance third-place winning video, "Cautionary Tales in Lab Safety." In the new video, there is a quick explanation of the OSHA Hazard Communication requirements, including the changes associated with GHS. This is a teaser to the educational sessions I am teaching at the Arizona AIHA Spring PDC (April 7, 2016) and Region 2 ASSE Spring PDC (April 21, 2016) on "DIY Safety Data Sheet Authoring and Revision." Each session will have information tailored to the audience of industrial hygienists and safety professionals.

Piper will also be making an appearance at #Safety2016 in Atlanta - if you see us wandering the expo hall, please stop by and say hello! I'll be co-presenting a concurrent session (Session #769) with Dr. Ilise Feitshans of the Work Health and Survival Project on gender equity in OSH programs. Look for more exciting safety and health videos and art in upcoming months.

To an Educational and Exciting 2016 - Happy New Year!

Since each new year is supposed to bring a time of reflection and hope, I'm taking a look back at 2015 and making plans for 2016.

In 2015 I learned many interesting new things:

• I learned how to make and post a laboratory safety video featuring my Sock Puppet Safety team on YouTube, which won 3rd place at AIHce 2015's IH Fundance video competition.
• I learned what an exposome is.
• I facilitated a key issue roundtable on chemical disinfectants in healthcare facilities at Safety 2015 by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) in Dallas, TX.
• In preparation for the key issue roundtable at Safety 2015, I co-authored a research article for the ASSE Industrial Hygiene Practice Specialty's web-based publication, The Monitor. 
• I learned a variety of new things at Safety 2015 in Dallas, and brought Piper Pangolin from Sock Puppet Safety to chronicle the adventure. 
• I researched occupational and environmental internships for graduate students.
• I learned about preventing Code Pink incidents in healthcare facilities.
• I figured out approximately how many hours of continuing education I complete every year, to maintain my various certifications.
• I found more spiffy spoggles to add to my collection of PPE. 

To commemorate the past year and embark on a new adventure, please enjoy this view of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix with the Industrious Hygienist and her fearless Alaskan Malamute, Shadow.

Happy New Year (2016) from The Industrious Hygienist!

In 2016 I am hoping to learn more about the following things:

• I'm studying for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) exam and hope to take the exam in the first quarter of 2016.
• I'm co-authoring a technical paper and presentation on gender equity in occupational safety and health programs, to be presented at #Safety2016 in Atlanta, GA with Dr. Ilise Feitshans.
• I'm planning to apply to a doctoral program in safety, industrial hygiene, global health, or environmental health and will chronicle the experience.
• I'm researching where safety is "housed" within healthcare facilities across the U.S., to evaluate best practices and to assess how many safety professionals are needed based on the size and complexity of the facility.
• I'm working on more Sock Puppet Safety videos about chemical hygiene plans, incidental spill response, and will bring Piper Pangolin to #Safety2016.

I hope you continue to enjoy this blog, the art, and the nerdy safety videos. 

Sock Puppet Safety - Piper Pangolin at Safety 2015

So, let's assume that you're an occupational health and safety specialist or industrial hygienist looking to expand your technical knowledge and professional network. If you haven't attended a professional development conference before, why not plan to attend one in 2016? 

The Industrious Hygienist is a regular attendee at the following conferences, attending at least one per year:

• American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) - Annual Safety Professional Development Conference and Exposition
• American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) - American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce)

Safety 2015 was held in Dallas, Texas. Safety 2016 (#Safety16) will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. The Industrious Hygienist will be co-presenting a concurrent session on gender equity in occupational safety and health programs at Safety 2016 with Dr. Ilise Feitshans and Dr. Aubrey Hb. Check out Session #769 "Remember the Ladies: Gender Equity for OSH Programs" on June 29, 2016 from 1:45pm-2:45pm. 

At AIHce 2014, the Industrious Hygienist was part of the first Personal AIHce Liaison (PAL) program - this fantastic experience was encapsulated in my AIHce 2014 manga. 

At Safety 2015, the Industrious Hygienist brought Piper Pangolin, the star of Sock Puppet Safety, to chronicle the experience of attending the conference. If you don't know Piper Pangolin yet, she is the Industrial Hygienist for Mad Labs as featured in our 3rd Place winning video from #IHFundance - the first-ever industrial hygiene video contest from AIHce 2015. Take a look at the fun times we had at Safety 2015 (#Safety15). 

Piper and the Industrious Hygienist look forward to meeting you at Safety 2016 - feel free to stop us in the expo hall and say hello!