The February Technical meeting was conducted February 14, 2024, at the SRU Strain Safety Building. The topic was Industrial Ventilation Workshop presented by Sergio A. Caporali Fihlo, PhD, CSP, CIH. The workshop covered the fundamental concepts in industrial ventilation systems, ventilation hoods, and troubleshooting local exhaust ventilation system problems. The workshop included a scaled industrial ventilation system set-up in the Strain Safety Building safety lab and the use of various instruments by the attendees.

There were 6 ASSP WPA Professional Members, many SRU Student Section members, as well as about 40 AIHA members and members from their student section.

Thank you to Barry Momyer and AM Health & Safety for coordinating the event with Rona Smeak of SRU.

The official slate of candidates for the Executive Committee for the 2022-2024 Chapter year is listed below:

President: Chris Sarracino, CSP (uncontested)
Vice President: Alec Kinslow, CSP (uncontested)
Treasurer: Robert “Mac” McAninch MS, CSP (uncontested)
Secretary (contested):
– Leif Lindgren
– Trudy Hayes, SMS
Advisory Group Members (contested):
– Daniel Wible, MS, CSP
– Fran Sehn, CSP, ARM
– Jocelyn Milby MS, CSP
– Josh Muth
– Trudy Hayes, SMS

All candidates listed above are members in good standing of ASSP and ASSP Western PA. The Chapter Election will be open from April 01, 2024, through April 15, 2024.

The electronic ballot will be emailed from ASSP (not the Chapter) notifying each Chapter member of the election.

Thank you! to the 2024-2026 Nominations & Elections Committee: Melissa Heike, Chair.

The January Technical meeting was hosted by and held at the Master Builders’ Association in Pittsburgh PA. Mr. Bob McCall, Director of Safety, of the Master Builders’ Association of Western PA was the Speaker. The topic was “Yinz Good? Mental Health Resources for Construction Workers”. This program is a mental health initiative founded by the Constructors Association of Western PA (CAWP) and the Master Builders’ Association of Western PA (MBA). With the help of a few mental health and wellness experts and construction industry partners, Yinz Good? offers a digital library of free materials to assist in strengthening mental health and wellness our industry.

We had 10 people at the meeting.

Thank you to Bob McCall and the Master Builders’ Association for hosting the meeting and for speaking!

Jason Malatak, CSP, MBA, Director of Risk Management, Mosites Construction Company was recognized as the Master Builders’ Association (MBA) Safety Professional of the Year for 2023. He was also named the 2023 March of Dimes Frontline Worker of the Year for his efforts to raise mental health awareness in the construction industry. (From the 2023 Member Report from the MBA of Western PA, Jan 12, 2024)

The Western PA Chapter of ASSP offers a scholarship program for students who have shown a career interest in a safety or safety-related degree program. The Chapter also offers a grant program for members who are looking to pursue a professional certification (Examples: CSP, CIH, CHST, etc.) or who are seeking funding to attend a professional development event such as regional or national safety conference or continuing education. The application period is January 01 – March 01 each year with selection no later than April 01.

More information, the selection criteria, and applications are here.