AIHA, the association dedicated to occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS), will host the ninth Occupational and Environmental Exposure of the Skin to Chemicals (OEESC) Conference from September 23-25 in Dulles, VA. This event will gather leading experts from fields such as occupational health, toxicology, risk assessment, dermatology, product stewardship, and consumer safety. The OEESC conference, which first took place in Washington, D.C. in 2002 under the sponsorship of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has since been held predominantly in Europe and Canada, with its last edition in Dublin, Ireland in 2019.
This year’s conference marks a return to the U.S. as AIHA aims to further advance worker safety related to skin exposure. The American Chemistry Council (ACC), Insight Exposure and Risk Sciences Group, and Peter Greven US Corporation have partnered with AIHA for this event.
Rebecca Burton, CIH, CSP, a member of AIHA’s Dermal and Surface Sampling Working Group, highlighted the evolving nature of skin protection. “With the introduction of new chemicals in the workplace and stricter inhalation exposure limits, dermal exposure has become increasingly critical. However, assessing this exposure is challenging due to a lack of standardization and scientific consensus. Various methods for evaluating dermal exposure and setting limits exist, leading to diverse guidance for industrial hygienists. OEESC aims to foster scientific consensus and advance prevention strategies through global expert collaboration.”
The conference will feature sessions across several tracks, including surface sampling, dermal risk assessment, skin decontamination, sensor technologies, dermal biological exposures, uptake and modeling, and health effects. Burton noted, “This conference will offer valuable insights for anyone involved in managing occupational dermal exposure, particularly in industries where skin exposure or hazardous chemicals are prevalent, such as pharmaceuticals or medicine.”
