AIHCE 2000

• By Hu Fleming
• May 01, 2000

Orlando, Fla. will be host to this year's American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHCE). The 2000 conference, hosted by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), will take place at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center during the week of May 20-25. The focus of this year's conference will be prevention-the first and foremost method of safeguarding workers and the public against workplace diseases and injuries.

More than 10,000 occupational and environmental health and safety (EH&S) professionals will converge at this year's conference to learn from their contemporaries about new and creative methods of protection and prevention in the modern-day workplace. The five-day affair will feature one of this year's largest showcases of health and safety products and services. The exposition, running Monday through Wednesday, will have more than 400 companies represented. A special section of the exposition, the software showcase, will highlight computer applications, software and web services.

"This is the one time of the year that EH&S professionals are able to accomplish so much at one place," said Carol Tobin, AIHCE director. "The scope of industrial hygiene is always changing. AIHCE offers the once-a-year opportunity to keep abreast of industry trends through networking and from industry experts."

In response to past attendee requests, this year's conference will run Sunday through Thursday. An extended Wednesday session will take the place of the Friday session, allowing those in attendance to go home for the weekend or spend an additional day enjoying the city of Orlando. The same amount of certification maintenance (CM) points (up to 6.5) can still be earned. Diplomates of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) will receive 0.5 CM points for each half-day attendance at AIHCE '00. Full conference attendees will earn 4.5 CM points, with additional points available for diplomates who lecture during AIHCE and poster presenters. Further information regarding CM point maintenance may be obtained by contacting ABIH at (517) 321-2638.

AIHCE will feature hundreds of sessions in various formats that will enable attendees to tailor their conference experience to maximize their professional development. Technical sessions, roundtables, crossover programs, poster sessions and case studies will include topics such as special safety environmental tracks; risk and exposure assessment; environmental and regulatory changes and issues; training and consulting; computer applications; EHS management and marketing; risk communication; performance metrics; international standards and practices; an all-day forum on prevention and a comprehensive symposium on indoor air quality.

Keynote speakers will be addressing the topics of safety, health and the environment, highlighted by Wednesday's environmental address by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper movement and senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Mr. Kennedy has developed a reputation as a staunch defender of the environment and advocate for municipal and government responsibility for environmental problems.

Professional registrants at this year's conference may register for a series of technical tours during which additional CM points may be earned. The three tours are $25 each and early registration is advised. Two different times are available for each tour. The John F. Kennedy Space Center tour will take place Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Thursday from noon to 5:00 p.m. The Circuit Semiconductor manufacturing plant tour will take place Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to noon and Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Walt Disney World Resort tour will be Tuesday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A virtual-expo, with location and booth numbers for all displays, is available online at the AIHCE Web site at www.aiha.org/conf. Attendees are able to organize and map out their agenda before hitting the showroom floor. A career advantage seminar will also take place where employers and employees can post job openings and resumes. The AIHCE '00 Job Book, a compilation of all the job postings, demographics and a recent salary survey, will be available during the seminar. To request candidate-resume forms, order the job-book or post a position description, contact AIHA at (703) 849-8888 or e-mail career@aihi.org.

All attendees registering after April 14th must register on-site in the Orange County Convention Center any day of the conference during convention hours. Contact the AIHCE '00 Hotel Reservation Bureau to reserve a room.

For more information contact the AIHA at (703) 849-8888 or check out the AIHCE Web site at www.aiha.org/conf.html.

This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2000 issue of Environmental Protection.