Presentation Topic

Battle of the Bands: Alternate Strategies for Risk Management in the Workplace

Presentation Brief Description

As IH professionals, we love the details: data, measurements, numbers. The ability to measure something elusive in a quantitative way gives us a sense of control. What happens when this approach fails, due to lack of data or lack of exposure limits? What about atypical situations, where the resources required for the traditional exposure assessment aren’t there? This is where the Bands come into play: Hazard Banding (HB), Control Banding (CB)and Occupational Exposure Banding (OEB). These practical approaches provide an alternative strategy for assessing and managing workplace chemical hazards and risk through qualitative or semi-quantitative assessment frameworks. In this session, we will review the Bands, including their limitations, applicability, and relevance to the field of hazard and risk management.

Biography

Alex Mercer is an Occupational Hygienist currently working as the Senior Occupational Hygienist for Stantec. Alex sits on the executive board as the current President of the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists (CRBOH), an organization which sets standards of professional competence for occupational hygienists in Canada. Alex is also an active contributing member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Exposure and Control Banding Committee, having sole authored a publication on banding concepts in the Dec 2023 Synergist. Alex has presented a variety of topics at numerous conferences and expos, most recently the Wood Buffalo Health and Safety Expo annual PDC (2024, Fort McMurray, AB), HSPC PDC (2024, Edmonton, AB) and AIHA Connect (2024, Ohio, USA). Alex is slated to conduct a full-day PDC on hazard and control banding topics at the upcoming 2025 AIHA Connect Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Alex was also recently named to the Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) Top Women in Safety List (2025), which recognizes Canada’s top Health and Safety professionals for their commitment to continued learning, data-driven decisions, and promotion of top-tier safety culture.