Southwest Chapter ASSP Quarterly Technical Meeting

Virtual Zoom Meeting 

Join us for the Southwest Chapter ASSP Quarterly Technical Meeting, where we’ll kick things off with a few Chapter updates and announcements before diving into the good stuff. Breathing Room: The Technical Gaps in Respiratory Protection will take a practical look at common gaps in respiratory programs and how we can close them with clarity and confidence. Join us for CEUs!

Title:

Breathing Room: The Technical Gaps in Respiratory Protection

Presentation Description:

Respiratory protection programs often look solid on paper – hazard assessments completed, respirators issued, fit tests passed. Yet workers can remain exposed because compliance does not guarantee protection. This presentation takes a critical look at the technical gaps that quietly undermine respiratory protection programs long before an incident or inspection brings them to light.

This session examines how respiratory protection programs break down under real-world conditions. Rather than focusing on a single failure point, it explores a pattern of small technical assumptions that compound over time – hazard evaluations that don’t reflect how work is actually performed, selection decisions made for convenience rather than conservatism, and program elements that function in isolation instead of as an integrated system. Together, these gaps create a false sense of security where protection appears adequate, but meaningful margins of safety are quietly eroded.

Attendees will leave with a practical framework for stress-testing their respiratory protection programs- identifying weak links, challenging assumptions, and creating real breathing room where it matters most.

Objectives:

1. Identify common technical gaps in respiratory protection programs that create false confidence despite apparent regulatory compliance.
2. Evaluate how real-world work conditions, assumptions, and program disconnects affect the actual level of respiratory protection provided.
3. Apply a practical framework to stress-test respiratory protection programs and prioritize improvements before exposure, illness, or enforcement occurs.

Speaker Bio

Abby Holovach, MS, CHMM, CSP, REM

Owner and Principal Consultant/Trainer at Vibe Environmental

Abby is the owner and principal consultant/trainer of Vibe Environmental, where she helps organizations turn complex EHS requirements into clear, practical, and engaging compliance solutions. Her background spans state and federal regulations, hazardous materials and waste management, emergency spill response, EHS training, and full program development and implementation. In addition to leading Vibe Environmental, she serves as the ASSP Region III Regional Vice President and is the founder of DFW Environmental Pros, a free networking group connecting environmental and safety professionals across North Texas.

Outside of work, Abby can usually be found with a latte in hand, sneaking in a long nap, or spending time with her family and critters.

Register Here: https://sw.assp.org/events/southwest-chapter-assp-quarterly-technical-meeting/