Susen Trail is an Industrial Hygienist who founded Practical Safety and Health Solutions, LLC, located in Appleton, WI, in 2015. She works with general industry and construction businesses to create a safe and OSHA-compliant work environment.
Her journey began as an OSHA Consultant in Colorado, working with private sector businesses, such as foundries and marble countertop manufacturers. Later, she accepted a job at the Department of Commerce enforcing OSHA standards and the State of Wisconsin codes in public sector workplaces, such as Fire Departments, schools, and Universities. She also conducted workers ’ compensation Accident investigations for the Department of Workforce Development. After retirement, she returned to her ‘roots’ working as an Interim Chemical Hygiene Officer. After which she opened Practical Safety and Health Solutions a consulting business to help businesses protect their employees from chemical and other workplace hazards.
Ms. Trail became certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygienists in 1998. In 2003, she was one of the 42% who passed the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) exam. OSHA requires that businesses hire a CIH to conduct employee exposure assessments to verify abatement of violations.
Her degrees include an AS in Molecular Biology, a BS in Zoology from Michigan State University and a MS in Industrial Health from the University of Michigan. She has served on the boards of both the Wisconsin Section American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and the Nicolet section of the American Society for Safety Professionals. She has also served on the National AIHA committee to help develop a mobile app for data analysis.
Qualifications
While running Practical Safety and Health Solutions, LLC Susen has worked in many areas including but not limited to:
The American Board of Industrial Hygienists (ABIH) is a trademarked certification process that requires the applicant to complete at least 180 academic hours. The focus of the hours includes ethics, toxicology, physics, biostatistics, biochemistry, epidemiology, air and noise sampling techniques, engineering, work practice, and administrative control selection, and least 4 years of professional level comprehensive Industrial Hygiene practice.
When you have completed the certification process, then you are eligible to send in the necessary documentation, with the cost of $150 to have it reviewed. Once you are accepted you will study a minimum of 36 hours a week, pay $350. The exam is given in which is an additional 8 hour drive there the applicants take an 8-hour exam. This exam has a pass rate that has exceeded 50% only 3 times since 2003.
Once you pass you then have to maintain your certification through continuing education, every 5 years including at least one course in ethics.
Once OSHA determines that a violation has occurred involving an employee being over exposed to noise or air contaminants, OSHA then requires that the employer verify that the exposure has been controlled. This happens by hiring a Certified Industrial Hygienist to conduct testing and provide a written report that documents the current exposure levels for employees.
OSHA requires this because:
Many businesses have found it more efficient and economical to start with a Certified Industrial Hygienist for both the quality of their work and to access their wide range of knowledge regarding employee exposure and controls. It is more productive to identify and correct hazards before employees can be harmed.