AIHA Connect 2025

The Accelerate^® Platform is Here: 1 Platform, 4 Solutions

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Monday, May 19th

Knowing Your Risks—PFAS Identification and Exposure Assessment

Date and Time: Monday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m.

Presenter: Lyn, Ip, Senior Solutions Strategist, VelocityEHS and Kristi Hames, CIH, CSP, Solutions Executive, VelocityEHS

Description: Chemicals surround us in our daily lives. One particular chemical group, the per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), has even been dubbed the next asbestos. This is due to the risks that PFAS pose to human health and the environment, and their persistence due to resistance to decomposition. Companies are often hard-pressed to identify the presence of PFAS in their chemical inventory leaving them at risk of litigation and putting their employees at risk of exposure. This session will explore ways OEHS professionals can:

1. Identify the PFAS in their chemical portfolios
2. Effectively assess exposures
3. Use proactive measures to manage the risk to employees and their businesses

Why Ergonomics Deployments Fail

Innovation Station Session

Date and Time: Monday, May 19 at 4:25 p.m.

Presenter: Blake McGowan, CPE, Solution Executive, VelocityEHS

Description: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are among the most common workplace injuries. The Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index consistently shows that overexertion injuries from activities such as lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, or pulling are the leading cause of injury across industries, with awkward working postures also ranking in the top ten. The serious health impacts and associated costs of MSDs highlight the need for a strong workplace ergonomics program to predict and prevent these injuries.

Organizations that deploy a formalized and standardized approach to ergonomics often achieve best-in-class results, including significant reductions in MSDs and worker compensation costs annually.

During this session, we’ll cover the six common barriers to effective ergonomics programs, including:

• Lack of a formalized management system (e.g., ISO 45001 or ANSI/ASSP Z10)
• Inconsistent methods to assess overall MSD risks (e.g., MSD heat map of risk)
• Inadequate tools to quantify efforts and evaluate the effectiveness of controls
• Reliance on outdated or ineffective assessment tools (e.g., REBA and RULA)
• Overuse of ineffective controls (e.g., job rotation, lifting techniques, stretching)
• Misalignment of ergonomics with broader business priorities like sustainability, operational excellence, lean manufacturing, or Industry 4.0/5.0 initiatives