We've all heard of a Dental Hygienist, but what about an Industrial Hygienist? Watch this video created by American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) which explains the very important and crucial role industrial hygienists play in maintaining a safe work environment.

This video's timely release coincides with NAOSH Week which takes aim at improving education and awareness surrounding health and safety issues in the workplace.

It’s NAOSH week! In terms of North American Health and Safety, NAOSH week is kind of a big deal. Hot on the heels of the International Day of Mourning for fallen and injured workers (April 28) as well as International Workers Day (May 1), North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) week is a great opportunity to raise awareness about occupational health and safety across the continent.

As we’ve discussed recently on the EHS This Week podcast, injuries and accidents continue persist in workplaces across Canada and the U.S., and as OSHA head Dr. David Michaels recently reminded us, every day 12 American workers go to work and never come home as a result of workplace fatalities. Most workplace injuries and accidents are entirely preventable, and this week is all about seizing opportunities to make North American work environments safer.

Jointly sponsored by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE),  NAOSH week means there is an array of events, activities and ceremonies happening in cities across North America. Find out what’s going on in your community and join in to help prevent workplace accidents and fatalities by checking out NAOSH’s events page and tuning into the Intelex blog for the rest of the week as we devote special coverage to NAOSH, including a mid-week EHS This Week Podcast.

This is my first year with Intelex and what better way to get to know my fellow coworkers than by growing moustaches together?

Yes, that’s right: the Intelex family participated in this year’s Movember.  Ah, how my upper lip does miss its fuzzy warmth (sadly I had to say goodbye to it on December 1st).

In addition to Intelexians raising $2,635 throughout the month of November to help support research for prostate cancer, President and CEO Mark Jaine also pledged that the company would match all donations made during Movember, bringing the grand total to $5,270!

Intelexian Mo Bros and Mo Sistas diligently collected donations from family, friends and the local community to make this sizeable contribution.

From every Mo Bro and Sista at Intelex, thank you all for your support! And until next year, “May the Mo be with you!”

Some of the Intelex Mo Bros featured in the picture to the top right are as follows (from left to right): Avi Iliaguiev (Sales), Stephen Ross (Sales), JP Nadeau (Marketing), Mike Thompson (Marketing), Matt Conquer (GSS), Misha Raizberg (Development), Purdal Mya (Professional Development), Bryan Humphries (Professional Development), Richard Fenn (Development), Birendra Rajapreyar (Sales), Brett McLennan (Sales), Jeff Yaeger (GSS). 

What is Movember you might ask?

Movember, the month formerly known as November, invites men and women across the globe to join together and raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues. Men grow a 'Mo' (moustache) for 30 days to become walking, talking billboards, for men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer.

Men who support Movember (or ‘Mo Bros’), start by registering at Movember.com, beginning the month clean shaven, and proceeding to grow and groom their moustache, for the rest of the month, raising money along the way. Women who support Movember, called Mo Sistas, also start by registering at Movember.com. Mo Sistas champion the Mo by supporting their Mo Bros, organizing events, leading a team and spreading the important message of men’s health.

With Halloween in the dust and an honourable mention to Intelex’s very own Brandyn Berry for the stylin’ Michael Jackson costume he moon-walked through the office last Friday, today marks the start of the Movember fundraising campaign, both globally and here at Intelex. For those who haven’t heard of Movember, it’s a campaign that raises funds and awareness for prostate cancer and is best credited for the majority of entertaining and unique moustaches you’ll see during the month of November. Throughout the month Mo Bros (as they are affectionately called) “donate their face” to the cause and cultivate a fancy moustache, collecting donations for their efforts while they grow. As they effectively become walking, talking billboards for the campaign, Mo Bros raise awareness and promote discussion around the often ignored issue of men’s prostate health. And while the growing is typically left up to the men, women also have the opportunity to take part in raising awareness by becoming a Mo Sista and supporting their Mo Bros. 

To find out more about the Movember movement visit the website.

If you’d like to support Movember or start your own team, get involved here.

Moustache Season. Now Open.

A team of Intelexians participated in the Becel Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart on Sunday, June 5, 2011, and the weather could not have cooperated more.  Clear, sunny skies and warm temperatures made ideal riding conditions as Toronto shut down the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway for the annual event.

Demonstrating our commitment to healthy lifestyles, Team Intelex flexed its leg muscles and assembled the finest team of cyclists/athletes to participate in this worthy cause. The team got off to a slow start trying to meet up at the Better Living Centre Corporate check-in. Latecomers and a delicious breakfast of cheese omelette and sausages resulted in miscommunication, a late team photo session, and people being missed at the starting gate.

Once together though, the Intelex peloton shifted gears and refocused its energy to set off on their respective 25- and 50-kilometre routes. The morning ride was a wonderful success. As Intelex Project Manager Ryan Brodie noted: “Perfect weather, great company, and a fantastic cause. What more could you ask for?”

More than 13,000 cyclists participated on Sunday event which, in its 24th year, raised $3.9 million for the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

“We together fundraised $986.00 as a team,” explained Intelex President and CEO Mark Jaine. “Our goal was $1,000.00, but as a company, we successfully surpassed that goal since Intelex matched our contributions.”

The biggest show of appreciation however was for Gretchen Herrada who organized the Intelex team.

“Thank you Gretchen for organizing such a successful event!” said Account Manager Rafi Yablonsky, with Project Manager Claudio Shimabukuro adding “I am looking forward for the next event!”

Application Developer Richard Fenn summed up everybody’s sentiment by proclaiming “I enjoyed the part with the bikes”.

Thanks to all the participants, sponsors and organizers!

Carmela with Intelex Training Specialist Steph DiRaddo

On Monday, April 25th, I was one of a few Intelexians who spent their afternoon at Daily Bread Food Bank to help sort through food donations from the organization's Spring Drive. It was my first time volunteering at the Food Bank. For years I’ve donated food items and dropped them off at the local fire hall but I had never known or considered what happened to my bags full of canned tuna, KD, and pasta, or exactly how they reached people in need.

What happens is that the Daily Bread relies on people in the community to volunteer their time to sort the food and prepare it for distribution to various agencies across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). On the day that we volunteered, after a 10-minute lesson from our team leader, our group of 15 volunteers dove right in and worked very well together sorting the food into their respective categories, disposing of expired or soon-to-be-expired items, and setting aside dented cans for a higher level of quality assurance. In the end we successfully sorted every last food and household item they brought to us.

Volunteering has always been something I've been interested in. In fact, I would easily use vacation time or personal days to take time off work for volunteering. However, as an employee at Intelex, I don't have to use either. Time off for volunteering is just one of the many benefits that Intelex offers its employees. Check out the complete list of Intelex’s comprehensive employee benefits program here.

As the hub of the food bank community in Toronto, Daily Bread supports approximately 170 member agencies in running different kinds of food relief programs. Its agencies run neighbourhood food banks where people go to access food hampers, as well as meal programs where people can access prepared meals such as soups or casseroles.

Daily Bread Food Bank is the largest provider of emergency food relief in the GTA. Its member agencies see a monthly average of 73,000 client visits and serve the majority of the clients accessing food bank hampers in the city and many of the clients accessing prepared meals.

In an effort to help the Canadian Red Cross provide relief and aid to those affected by the Japan earthquake and tsunami, Intelex Technologies pledged to match all employees’ donations for the month of April. Intelexians raised over $1,000 and Intelex then matched dollar for dollar. Together, we were able to make a contribution of over $2,000 for relief in Japan.

A powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011. It was the worst in Japan's history and triggered a tsunami warning across 20 countries along the Pacific coast. Local volunteers with the Red Cross have been working around the clock to support emergency response efforts including evacuation, search and rescue and emergency first aid.

To help the Canadian Red Cross with their efforts in Japan, please visit their website and make a donation today.

Thank you, Intelex, for supporting our effort by matching our contributions!

Is it true, as suggested in a recent Greenbiz.com article, that interactive, online sustainability, CSR, and integrated reporting is the wave of the future?

In her fine analysis of what makes a CSR report great, strategic environment consultant Deborah Fleisher makes the case for easy-to-find and engaging CSR reports and argues the best venue for reports is an online, interactive format.

Symantec, which might be the best example of this approach, has practically devoted an entire website to its CSR report. It is an attractive, interactive, and eminently readable online report that actually makes reviewing a CSR report…fun.

For the second year in a row, Intelexians were invited to make monetary and food donations to help Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank with its Fall Drive. Our goal for 2010 was $1,250.00 and as many non-perishable food items as we could gather. Intelex staff donated a total of $2,015 and just like last year, President and CEO Mark Jaine pledged that the company would match all donations made during the drive, which ran at our office from September 20, to October 15, 2010.

Thanks to the many generous people in our office, Intelex was able to contribute a total of $4,030 toward Daily Bread’s goal for its 2010 Fall Drive. We also collected about 50 lbs of non-perishable food items and delivered them to our local fire hall a couple of days before the end of the Fall Drive.

Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that is fighting to end hunger in communities across the Greater Toronto Area. Every year thousands of people across the GTA rely on food banks and Daily Bread serves the majority of these people through neighbourhood food banks and meal programs in its member agencies. In 2009, there were over 872,000 client visits to over 170 of Daily Bread’s member agencies food banks and meal programs.

Thanks again to everyone who donated to Daily Bread Food Bank!

Intelex is pleased to announce it has achieved Gold-Level certification within the Microsoft Partner Network.

Secifically, Intelex has achieved three specific competencies within the partner program, including Application Integration, Independant Software Vendor (ISV), and Mobility.

Head over to our Press Room to learn more.