New Technology Always Brings New Challenges

“The Occupational Health and Safety workshop is a mandatory step for all engineering students at ÉTS,” says Alain Binette, Professor in the General Education Department. 

Emerging Risks, Special Challenges

The risks associated with working in the presence of electricity, while not negligible, are well known and widely documented. Nonetheless, recent technologies such as 3D printers or nanotechnology are bringing new challenges. Alain Binette refers to the possible toxicity of microparticles emitted by 3D printers. He also raises the dangers associated with handling many chemical substances in factories and laboratories, often underestimated, misunderstood or downplayed, despite evidence of their harmfulness. His responsibilities at ÉTS include presenting and explaining hazards, risks and preventive measures.

From an early age, Alain Binette expressed a keen interest in chemistry. He showed good aptitude for this science, which describes the concepts and organization of matter. This affinity was to determine his course of studies. “I like to understand the behaviour of matter, especially at the molecular or atomic levels,” he explains.

In 1996, he earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Université du Québec à Rimouski. For seven years, he taught this passion at Rimouski CEGEP. During that time, he completed a master’s degree in oceanography at Université Québec à Rimouski. His research focused on the selective organic functionalization of a marine-derived biopolymer. “I used oceanography in applied organic chemistry,” he says. He worked on the development of an enantioselective catalytic support from chitosan. Alain Binette’s objective remains unchanged: using fundamental research to find a practical solution to a given situation.

From Chemistry to Occupational Hygiene

Life’s unpredictability brought Alain Binette back to Montreal in the midst of a financial crisis. The local pharmaceutical sector was going through a period of turbulence, forcing many experienced chemists to rethink their career plans. With job prospects clowded by this context, Alain decided to enroll in a D.E.S.S. in Occupational Hygiene offered by the Université de Montréal’s École de santé publique (School of Public Health). Doors quickly opened for him, even though he had just graduated. 

Alain Binette was hired by Agnico Eagle Mines as an industrial hygienist to conduct a noise exposure study in a heavy industrial environment. The following year, he was hired by Montage Saint-Laurent as a health and safety prevention officer for the Jacques-Cartier Bridge rehabilitation project. His new career was taking off. Since then, Alain has been advising companies on the prevention of occupational illnesses including hearing loss, asbestosis, silicosis and cancer. “I try to include all aspects when analyzing a situation,” explains Alain Binette.

The Importance of Working Safely

Alain Binette raises the question: “Which costs more: a workplace accident that brings operations to a halt, or a safe workforce?” The answer is obvious. Alain Binette’s dual expertise as a chemist and industrial hygienist gives him a broad v when it comes to assessing workplace risks. 

He is eager to share his knowledge and experience with ÉTS students. A lecturer since the fall of 2024, he became a professor in the Department of General Education at ÉTS in January 2025. Already, Alain is hard at work designing a course specifically for software engineering and IT students.

Each environment has its own specificities. Alain Binette characterizes the workforce environment and establishes a framework for short-, medium- and long-term health protection. This is the occupational hygienist’s mission: to preserve the overall health of the workforce, at all costs.