Happy Father's Day! And a new manga.

In honor of Father's Day, I drew this for my father. He's the guy everyone calls when they have a question about computers, or cars, or electrical issues, or pretty much anything...it makes my mother crazy sometimes, but she appreciates his efforts to serve others.

My freshman year in college, I was in multiple car accidents, all minor, one partially my fault. He kept my 1990 Honda Civic (affectionately named Sterling) running from my senior year of high school until I was able to sell it and buy my first new-ish car after I got my first real job out of college.

I learned most of my computer troubleshooting skills from him as well. 

A few years ago, he had a scary encounter with off-the-job chemical exposure that I have memorialized here. 

Thanks for everything you do for me, Dad!

Happy Father's Day from the Industrious Hygienist!

Thoughts from AIHce 2014 + a new manga!

Howdy, all! I recently returned from the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in San Antonio, Texas. It was my first time at this conference, which is a little embarrassing since I am a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and have been practicing industrial hygiene for 8 years now. But conferences are expensive (!?!) and this year I was self-funded - paid my way entirely from my Spore Consulting, LLC budget. Yay for small business success!

I signed up for the Personal AIHce Liaison (PAL) program at AIHce, and, admittedly, had low hopes for the program. I thought, "Why would someone who has been coming to this conference for years want to hang out with silly little me and show me the best things to do?" It is the first year for the PAL Program at AIHce, and in my opinion, it was a resounding success. My PAL checked in with me every day, made sure I knew when the "cool" parties were, introduced me to some spiffy new people, and even bought me lunch one day. 

To say thanks for my PAL's attention and efforts, and to remember the new colleagues I met, I drew a new manga. If you're new to this blog, the art (actual drawing) is mine, but the character stylings are borrowed from Hiromu Arakawa and Fullmetal Alchemist - my most favorite manga and anime. 

The Personal AIHce Liason (PAL) Program at AIHce 2014 was great!

Celebrate NAOSH Week!

I'm so excited I found a few minutes to post about the 12th Annual North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. Tomorrow (May 7) I'm celebrating Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day with one of my safety and professional mentors. Courtesy of an awesome new contract, I've been busy as ever and loving every minute of it. 

Per AIHA's website, this year's theme is "Workplace Safety Works for Everyone." I couldn't agree more. My family and friends likely get annoyed when I bring up safety hazards in the work they are doing.

NAOSH Logo

Per ASSE's website, NAOSH week is an opportunity to share your knowledge about the positive benefits a safe workplace provides - for workers, their families, friends, and community. It's a way for us to let people know that they have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and that the skills they learn about safety at work are directly transferable to their home life.

More information about Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day here. 

If you like, you can "Salute Your Safety Pro" and recognize them on ASSE's website here. 

A neat aspect of NAOSH week is the two listed sponsors: Disney and URS. Kudos for Disney's commitment to health and safety!

Banner for NAOSH Week! Live it and love it!

So take a minute tomorrow, or this week, or as soon as you can, and please let your safety professional know that you appreciate their efforts. I'll be sending an email to my mentors and colleagues and hope you'll do the same. 

Also, since I'm an artist, I felt these ASSE 2014 "Safety on the Job" posters deserved some additional attention.

My favorite:

Geek Chic - Lab Safety is Always in Style (Abbigael H, Age 8, Massachusetts)

My runner-up (creepy and surprisingly effective):

Gamble with Safety? Risk Your Life! (Riley J, Age 10, Texas)

Say thanks to your safety professional and look for new and intriguing posts soon!