Episode 14

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Published on:

15th Jan 2024

Embracing Digital Technology in Industrial Hygiene with Mona Shum

Welcome to The Manufacturers Network podcast with your host, Lisa Ryan. In this episode, Lisa interviews Mona Shum, owner and principal industrial hygienist at AURA Health and Safety. Mona's extensive experience in exposure assessment, indoor air quality investigations, and environmental public health brings valuable insights into occupational health and safety within the manufacturing sector.

Mona shares her journey into occupational hygiene, highlighting the importance of understanding workplace exposures to chemicals, biological hazards, and physical hazards such as noise and radiation. She emphasizes the need to assess and control these exposures, ensuring the well-being of workers in various industries.

During the conversation, Mona discusses the most common challenges in manufacturing related to air quality and exposure control, citing examples from food-related facilities experiencing dust and chemical hazards. The impact of climate change, including heat stress and wildfire smoke, on occupational settings is highlighted, shedding light on the broader implications for business operations and worker safety.


Lessons Learned:

1. **Refusal of Unsafe Work**: Workers hold the power to refuse unsafe work, creating a platform for change and improved safety standards within organizations.

2. **Proactive Planning for Exposures**: Proactive planning, utilizing resources, and creating exposure control plans are vital for reducing risks associated with heat stress and wildfire smoke.

3. **Digital Technology in Industrial Hygiene**: The incorporation of digital technology, such as user-friendly apps, is shaping the field of industrial hygiene, enabling more individuals to assess and address occupational health risks.


Key Themes:

- Occupational Health and Safety

- Workplace Exposure Assessment

- Impact of Climate Change on Manufacturing

- Proactive Safety Planning

- Digital Technology in Industrial Hygiene


Fun Fact:

Mona Shum discusses the development of an app tailored for the film industry, designed to assess the risk of heat stress based on relative humidity and temperature, showcasing the integration of modern digital solutions in addressing occupational health concerns.


To learn more about AURA or continue the conversation with Mona Shum, visit www.aurahealthsafety.com.


Thank you for tuning in to The Manufacturers Network podcast. Join us next time for more insights into the world of manufacturing.

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About the Podcast

The Manufacturers' Network
Connecting Manufacturers with Manufacturers
The Manufacturers' Podcast is THE place for manufacturers to connect with and learn from other manufacturers. Not only will listeners get to learn from their manufacturing colleagues, but they will also discover HOW they can help each other as a resource or as a source of help and inspiration.

As a manufacturer, it's easy to get pigeon-holed into only focusing on your own industry, whether it be through your industry trade association or your industry colleagues. While trade associations are an excellent source of information for their members, sometimes it's gaining a perspective from someone else in a completely different industry that gives you the solution to your dilemma.

Stay tuned for new episodes every week on "Manufacturing Monday's." This drive-time length podcast will give you the information, tips and strategies you need to get your week off to a fantastic start.

About your host

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Lisa Ryan

As a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), an award-winning speaker and author of ten books, Lisa Ryan, CSP, works with her clients to develop employee and client engagement initiatives and strategies that keep their top talent and best clients from becoming someone else’s.
Lisa’s expertise includes: strengthening workplace culture, improving employee engagement, increasing customer retention, and initiating gratitude strategies (“Grategies”) for personal and professional benefit. Lisa’s participants enjoy her high energy, enthusiastic delivery and quick wit and they leave the session with ideas they are committed to acting on immediately to make positive workplace culture changes.
Lisa costars in two films with other experts including Jack Canfield of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” She is the Past-President of the National Speakers Association, Ohio Chapter and holds an MBA from Cleveland State University.

Relevant Experience

• Keynote, breakout or workshop speaker at more than 100 national and international conferences
• Thirteen years of industrial marketing and sales experience, including seven years in the welding industry – and yes, she does weld
• Host of “Elevate Your Engagement Levels: What You Need to Know” on the Elite Expert Network and the C-Suite Network
• Creator of “The Seven Mistakes Managers Make to Crush Company Culture” video series
• Best-selling author of ten books, including “Manufacturing Engagement: 98 Proven Strategies to Attract and Retain Your Industry’s Top Talent”
• Award-winning speaker