ACGIH® presents Current Topics for Managing Occupational Heat Stress webinar

ACGIH^® will present Current Topics for Managing Occupational Heat Stress on May 10, 2018 at the following times:

2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Central Time
12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time
11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time

Thomas E. Bernard, PhD, current member and past chair of the ACGIH^® Threshold Limit Values for Physical Agents (TLV^®-PA) Committee, reflects on the many issues surrounding the management of occupational heat stress. First, WBGT-based occupational exposure limits are intended to flag levels of heat stress that cannot be sustained by some people during a nominal working day. There are two protective mechanisms inherent in this approach that will be discussed. Second, OSHA’s 10 Elements of Heat Stress Management provides a framework to discuss the management of heat stress. Third, while schedules for acclimatization and work/recovery cycles are available, making these schedules work for occupational heat stress is not always obvious. Finally, no reasonable heat stress management program will be 100% protective against exertional heat stroke, as such, other measures must be in place to identify and respond when heat stroke occurs. This webinar will outline the rationale for the WBGT-based occupational exposure limits. It will discuss OSHA’s 10 Elements of Heat Stress Management. Special attention will be given to operationalizing acclimatization to occupational exposures and work/recovery cycles. Recognition and management of risk for exertional heat stroke will be discussed, including identification of personal risk factors and emergency response best practices.

After participating in this webinar, attendees will be able to:

Articulate the underlying rationale for the WBGT-based occupational exposure limits.
Review a heat stress management program in the context of OSHA’s 10 Elements.
Recommend a heat stress acclimatization program appropriate to a site’s OHS program.
Recommend work and recovery cycles appropriate to a site’s OHS program.
Prepare a site’s heat stroke mitigation plan.

ACGIH^® is pleased to offer webinar attendees an audio option. U.S. and Canadian attendees can connect to the audio portion of the webinar via the toll-free audio telephone link or listen to the audio portion through an audio stream directly through their computer. Other international participants can listen via the audio stream without incurring additional telephone charges.

Thomas E. Bernard, PhD will present this webinar.

Thomas E. Bernard, PhD is professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Director of the NIOSH-supported Sunshine Education and Research Center at the University of South Florida. In addition to teaching occupational health and safety, Dr. Bernard has research interests in occupational heat stress assessment and related issues of clothing and personal cooling, physiological monitoring and risk of acute injury. He is a current member and past chair of the ACGIH^®Threshold Limit Values for Physical Agents (TLV^®-PA) Committee and is currently on the ISO working group for thermal environments.

This webinar contains 2.5 contact hours and may be eligible for ABIH CM credit. See the ABIH website (www.abih.org) for CM credit criteria. This webinar may also qualify for BCSP recertification points for Certified Safety Professionals. Participants seeking confirmation of attendance for the webinar from ACGIH^® must attend the live webinar or view the archive and submit a final exam and evaluation. Certificates of Completion will be issued in a timely manner after receipt and completion of these items.

For more detailed information about the Current Topics for Managing Occupational Heat Stress webinar, contact Ryan Peltier at rpeltier@acgih.org or 513-742-2020.

To register for this exciting event, visit the ACGIH^® website at https://www.acgih.org/forms/meeting/Microsite/manage-heat-stress-webinar.

ACGIH^® is a 501(c)(3) charitable scientific organization that advances occupational and environmental health. ACGIH^® is one of the industry’s leading publications resources, with approximately 400 titles relative to occupational and environmental health and safety, including the renowned TLVs^®and BEIs^®. For more information, visit the ACGIH^® website at www.acgih.org or call our Customer Service Representatives at 513-742-2020.