At Aura Health and Safety Corporation, we believe that the environment in which we work, live, and play should not pose a health risk. Industrial hygiene is often a misunderstood field, but it is gaining recognition as regulatory bodies increasingly scrutinize industry in terms of occupational and environmental exposures. To support the growing recognition of our field, we are teaching the discipline to others, sharing in our wealth of knowledge, and conducting knowledge translation activities to convey exposure assessment information and health risks in a way that is understandable to non-industrial hygienists. We also know that by conducting high-quality exposure assessments and developing practical and effective control strategies, we can increase awareness of this much-needed discipline.
Mona Shum
MSc, CIH / President, Principal Industrial Hygienist
After 20 years in the business, Mona decided in 2016 to stop working for the man, and work for herself instead. She is committed to providing high-quality occupational and environmental health services to clients wanting to reduce occupational and environmental health risks in their populations.
She is a certified industrial hygienist with over 25 years of experience in exposure assessment, indoor air quality investigations, chemical review, and environmental public health. She is also the 2020 recipient of the Elizabeth McDonald award for her contributions in the field of industrial hygiene. She is an author of 20 publications and is an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia.
We all feel very lucky to work with Mona as we know that any day now, she may make a break for the southern border and return to California sunshine, where she began her consulting career, in an effort to leave the rain and gloom of BC winters behind. In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Mona enjoys playing the role of the office foodie, as she has experienced most of the many fine restaurants and eating establishments in the Lower Mainland. Mona is also known to cut a rug and hit the dance floor any chance she gets. Perhaps one day we will see her on dancing with the stars…
Levi Kimble
MSc, CIH / Partner, Senior Industrial Hygienist
Levi is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, partner at Aura, and has over twelve years of experience in the industry. He believes everyone has the right to work and live in a healthy environment and strives to achieve this by assisting clients in the reduction of health risks to all people whether at work or within their communities.
Levi has a diverse background in various industries such as mining, metal refining, construction and manufacturing. These experiences have equipped him with the industry knowledge to better identify exposure hazards and mitigation options in a wide variety of environments. Levi also has extensive experience in areas of asbestos management and monitoring, indoor air quality, mould assessment, and exposure monitoring. Isocyanates, silica, asphalt fume, volatile organic compounds, flour dust, and welding fume are a few of the industrial exposures Levi has investigated and helped employers manage.
Outside of work, Levi is a dog-lover and enjoys taking Luna, his Bernese Mountain dog, out for long walks. He is a hockey and news enthusiast, and you can always count on him to provide the latest happenings in the world today. There is one thing that is certain about Levi and that is he always stays connected – with his notifications going off from his email, google chat, phone, and iWatch all at the same time, he never misses a beat.
Taryn Toic
MSc, CIH / Hygiene Team Lead
As a Certified Industrial Hygienist with a safety focused background, Taryn thoroughly enjoys learning about both the technical and people focused aspects of the profession and enjoys learning about a variety of industries and processes. Her passion for helping people and ensuring their safety at work, as well as in their everyday lives, motivates her to create a healthy, safe, and comfortable environment for all clients.
With over 7 years of experience as a consultant, she has experience conducting bulk and air sampling for asbestos, conducting hazardous building materials assessments, developing and implementing appropriate exposure control plans, and conducting risk assessments. Other exposure monitoring includes hazards such as noise, diesel exhaust, crystalline silica, laboratory fume hood assessment and static magnetic fields. Prior to consulting, her experience ranged from OHS positions in the oil and gas and construction industries to hygiene focused positions with local municipalities.
Her passion for health and safety doesn’t end at 5:00pm. Taryn is involved with local American Industrial Hygiene Association chapter which promotes industrial hygiene. When she has some spare time, you can find her catching up on her latest true crime podcast favourites “My Favorite Murder” or “Someone knows Something, walking her Shih tzu poodle (Shihpoo?) Billy on the seawall and experimenting with vegan recipes in the kitchen with her Vitamix.
Tristan Durrad
MSc OEH / Industrial Hygienist
Tristan graduated from the UBC Occupational and Environmental Hygiene program in 2021. During his post graduate years, Tristan studied the exposure to crystalline silica and focused on silica sampling for his practicum project.
As a young industrial hygienist, Tristan believes that occupational injury and disease is preventable and strives to achieve that in each of his projects. Having previous experience in a range of industries such as construction, remediation, film, mining and wildfires, Tristan is viewed as a respected and valuable consultant on our team.
Tristan’s passion for industrial hygiene allows him to grow and specialize in areas such as asbestos, silica, and lead management and monitoring, indoor air quality, PAHs exposure assessment, wood dust exposure assessment and noise surveys and dosimetry. He is also actively pursuing his Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation.
Outside of work, Tristan enjoys playing and watching ice hockey, cooking, hiking, and spending time with his friends.
Adrian Fung
Dip OHS, BSc / Industrial Hygienist
Adrian is an Industrial Hygienist with occupational health and safety experience who graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. He furthered his studies at BCIT and obtained an Occupational Health and Safety Diploma with distinction.
Adrian brought his previous experiences in occupational therapy consulting, ergonomics, and occupational hygiene when he joined Aura in June 2022. Since then, he has conducted exposure assessments, hazardous materials assessments, and regulatory policy and literature reviews.
Adrian is always eager to engage in new learning and taking on projects. In his spare time, Adrian enjoys travelling and being active. He has gotten a chance to combine both loves during work by travelling to remote locations in beautiful British Columbia for various sampling projects. You can also catch him on a snowboard in the mountains expertly navigating the ski hills.
Alyssa Ehman
MSc, CIH / Senior Industrial Hygienist
Alyssa lives life to the fullest and believes that everyone deserves to have a healthy retirement, free from occupational illness and disease, allowing them to enjoy the people, places and life they have worked for.
Prior to joining Aura Health and Safety Corporation, Alyssa gained over 10 years of industrial hygiene field and project experience in underground metal ore mining and open pit coal mining. As a certified industrial hygienist, Alyssa’s experience includes qualitative and quantitative exposure risk assessments, project design review and optimization for occupational exposure controls, training development and facilitation, and program development and implementation. Alyssa has mentored many technicians and junior hygienists to promote interest and quality work in industrial hygiene. She enjoys learning new industrial processes, sharing knowledge on occupational health hazards and how to prevent exposure. Where occupational exposure challenges exist, a creative solution awaits.
Outside of Alyssa’s dedication to preventing occupational illness and disease, she is also a dedicated jet setter. Kilimanjaro, the Panama Canal, Angkor Wat, and Oktoberfest are just a few of her favorite spots on the map. When Alyssa is on home turf, you are likely to find her at the curling rink, cross country skiing, disc golfing, and spending time with her two cats, Shelby and Meeka, and her dog, Jengo.
George Woo
MSc, LEED-AP AHERA / Hazardous Materials Specialist
George has over 25 years of experience working in environmental indoor air quality and on hazardous materials assessments. He began his career as a R-2000 builder and project manager and his special interest in indoor air quality and environmentally friendly construction led him to become an USGBC LEED-AP in the 2000s and an internationally accredited indoor environmental consultant. With such vast experience, George has worked on various consulting and remediation projects in Hong Kong & China in the areas of mould, asbestos, radon, formaldehyde and other hazardous materials. In Canada, he continues to conduct indoor air quality assessments and hazardous building-materials assessments for a variety of clients including clean energy and the film and television industries.
His computer science background is definitely welcome at Aura as we pepper him with mundane IT questions. George is also a foodie and knows all the secret spots in the Vancouver area to enjoy a delicious meal. When he isn’t working, he is spending time with his beloved pets.
Sakshi Chaturvedi
B.Tech. / Office Manager
As an Office Manager, Sakshi Chaturvedi excels in executive-level accounting support and administrative operations, with a focus on optimizing efficiency and streamlining processes. She is adept at managing office accounts, processing payroll, reconciling finances, and overseeing critical HR tasks such as employee relations and performance management. Her deep proficiency with Sage 50 Premium and QuickBooks, paired with her strong technical skills, allows her to identify operational improvements and deliver accurate financial reporting.
With a background in Computer Science Engineering and specialized training in bookkeeping, Sakshi blends her technical knowledge with her financial expertise. Her passion for learning and growth ensures that she not only meets current demands but is always ready to tackle new challenges in the dynamic field of office management.
Sakshi joined Aura from the United Kingdom and is constantly teaching us UK lingo, such as “boot” of the car, and calling our get togethers “do’s”. In her spare time, Sakshi enjoys spending time with her family and her black lab Korra.
Jake Hartman
AOHS / Junior Industrial Hygienist Technologist
Jake Hartman is a Junior Industrial Hygienist Technologist at Aura Health and Safety. After completing an Associate’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety from the University of Fredericton, he brings a strong foundation in various safety protocols and industry standards to his role. His journey into occupational health was preceded by a career in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC-R), where he earned his Red Seal Journeyman certification. His versatile background spans across construction, hospitality and retail.
With a solid technical skill set, including experience with hazardous building material surveys and chemical exposure assessments, Jake is dedicated to helping clients maintain safer work environments. Jake's keen attention to detail extends to his administrative tasks as well. Proficient in Microsoft Office, he creates clear and comprehensive reports using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
With a passion for ensuring the health and safety of workers in all environments, Jake is always looking for ways to enhance his expertise and contribute to the well-being of those around him. When he is not working you, will find Jake biking or hiking all around British Columbia, spending time with his daughter, and his dogs Rip and Percy.
Paul Olurankinse
B.Sc. / Industrial Hygiene Technologist
Paul is an Industrial Hygiene Technologist with two years of experience in occupational health and safety. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science and has served as a Health and Safety Coordinator in the construction industry.
He has experience in personal monitoring for hazards such as crystalline silica, dust, and noise, as well as developing and reviewing safety programs.
Paul is passionate about continuous learning and embraces new challenges with enthusiasm. He is committed to ensuring that every worker returns home safe and healthy. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music, reading, and playing soccer.
Aura Affiliate Partners
Aura’s affiliate partners expand our services to better meet our clients’ needs whether in the environmental and waste management fields or in health and safety management systems. In addition, our affiliate members provide decades of experience in industrial hygiene, which expand our capacity to serve client needs on large projects.
VICTOR LEUNG
MSc,CIH,ROH,CRSP
As an affiliate partner of Aura, I am a certified industrial hygienist, Canadian registered safety professional, and a process chemist with over 30 years of experience in health and safety, oil & gas, construction, mining, environmental monitoring, manufacturing, quality control, teaching, and research experience. Described as a professional who is an open forward-thinking leader, I have a proven record in delivering cost effective and practical health and safety programs through proactively understanding business challenges and partnering with line management in ISO certified environments.
GREG TAN
MSc,EP
As an affiliate partner of Aura, I am an Environmental Health and Safety Consultant with over 16 years of occupational safety and hygiene and environmental projects, both in technical and management roles. I have a wide range of experience in hazardous materials, mining, oil and gas, utilities sectors, as well in various industrial and commercial institutions. My environmental experience includes environmental investigations and remediation and emergency spill response services. I have also assisted in the design and supervision of various cost effective treatment/remediation technologies for soils as well as groundwater.