Risk Assessment Expert to Receive AIHA’s Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award

FALLS CHURCH, Va., July 22 -- The American Industrial Hygiene Association issued the following news release:

Frederick W. Boelter, CIH, PE, BCEE, an industrial hygienist with more than 40 years of experience in environmental engineering, risk characterization, and risk management, will receive the Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award at the AIHA Fall Conference 2014 (https://www.aiha.org/events/AIHAFallConference/Pages/default.aspx), being held Oct. 18-22 in Washington, D.C. This honor is bestowed annually by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) on an industrial hygienist who has recognized the needs of the IH profession and contributed to the improvement of the public's welfare

"The IH profession is continuing to change and adapt to the needs of the public and the nature of the workplace. But at our core, we are exposure scientists. While exposures exist everywhere at all times, not all exposures are unacceptable, nor do they always create unacceptable risk. Conclusions about what is safe and unsafe are not intrinsic but, rather, emerge from the process of assessing, characterizing and managing risk," said Boelter, a principal at ENVIRON, a technical and scientific consultancy providing scientific strategic risk management assistance to an international client base.

Boelter, who provides expert services on exposure analysis and risk assessment, trained as an environmental engineer at Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind. His areas of expertise include source-pathway-receptor analysis, risk-based assessments and closure plans, air quality management in the built environment, exposure reconstruction, statistical analyses, and modeling. Over the span of his career, he has investigated and designed controls for a wide range of issues involving air, water, soil, and occupational hygiene for stakeholder communities, private industry and federal regulatory agencies.

An AIHA Fellow and a past recipient of the AIHA Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement Award, Boelter will present the Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award lecture at the Fall Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 21. His lecture will discuss the IH profession's focus and where it fits in the broader scheme of global risk assessment.

"There are numerous arenas beyond traditional occupational safety and health in which we find AIHA's professional members actively characterizing, communicating, and influencing. Our professional work will never be done because each new generation will need to trust the lessons learned from previous generations and then figure out how to interpret and manage newly discovered unacceptable risks. We have much to offer to the past, present and future dialogue on concerns regarding sustainability, stewardship, water, energy, workplace exposures, and public exposure," added Boelter.

The Henry F. Smyth, Jr. Award was dedicated in 1981 in honor of the late teacher and researcher who recognized the need for sharing ideas and communicating his achievements with his students and peers through publications and presentations. A complete list of past award recipients is available on AIHA.org.

[Category: Facilities Management]

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