Annual Report

President’s Report

Providing Value

By Don Hart
2007–2008 AIHA President

AIHA’s Mission Statement states that “AIHA promotes healthy and safe environments by advancing the science, principles, practice, and value of industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety.” Our vision to accomplish this mission is that “AIHA continues to be a catalyst in growing a global community of industrial hygienists and related occupational and environmental health and safety professionals improving the quality of life, resulting in the elimination of environmentally related illness and injuries.”

But, ultimately, AIHA exists to serve its members, and in 2007–2008, a number of initiatives have been started or continued from previous years to further this mission.

Stewardship

The Directors on AIHA’s Board are really stewards of the organization, tasked with moving it in the right direction. Certainly, every President has his/her own priorities, but the primary job is to stay the course. I’m proud of progress made toward many long-term strategic initiatives.

Students are more engaged with the organization than ever before, particularly at the local section level. I devoted significant time traveling to local section meetings as President, and I was happy to see strong representation from students and young professionals at those meetings. AIHA must continue its work to attract students to the profession, but it’s clear to me that we’re gaining momentum.

AIHA also enjoys stronger relationships with local sections. AIHA listened to their needs and introduced two new programs in 2007 to provide more value to them -- partial funding for a local section membership database and collection of local section dues on the AIHA dues renewal form. AIHA also continues to offer leadership training to local section officers. These programs are the result of a deliberate, long-term effort to elevate the relationship between AIHA and local sections.

I am similarly encouraged by the work of the Academy of Industrial Hygiene (AIH) toward defining and pursuing a meaningful role within AIHA. More than half of AIHA members hold the CIH designation, making them Diplomates of the Academy. In 2007, the AIHA Board invited the AIH President to attend board meetings as a guest, a move that has helped improve our relationship and information sharing efforts and demonstrated the board’s strong commitment to AIH. The Academy has undergone a change in governance that streamlines its structure and will make it more responsive to needs of the Diplomates. The Academy will also take a more active role in the affairs of AIHA. For example, the Academy has been tasked by the AIHA Board to lead the Value of the Profession effort as we communicate the value of our profession to business leaders and the general public.

The value study itself has been a three-year project to get to where we are today. We have spent a substantial amount of our members’ funds and considerable time to reach the point where we can now begin to demonstrate in real terms that people outside our profession can understand the value of industrial hygiene in today’s world. Over the coming year, we should make significant strides in this area.

International Efforts

AIHA’s Strategic Plan supports the notion that AIHA needs to think and act globally. In the fall of 2007, AIHA partnered with the China Occupational Safety and Health Association (COSHA) and the National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCNIOHPC), to present a workshop in Beijing to enhance and advance the basic concepts of occupational health in China. I was particularly encouraged that a laboratory in Beijing demonstrated a sincere desire to earn laboratory accreditation from AIHA. In January 2008, I met with AIHA’s counterparts in India, where we made important new connections. Reaching out to developing nations, where the industrial hygiene profession is in its infancy, is morally the right thing to do since so many workers are at risk.

We continue to reach out and work with other international associations, which included hosting representatives from more than 10 different countries at this year’s AIHce and attending IH conferences in Italy, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia in 2007–2008.

An International Task Force that is run by the Board of Directors and working with the International Affairs Committee will set the future direction of AIHA’s international involvement. Because nearly 700 of our members reside in about 50 countries outside the United States, it is important that “AIHA continues to be a catalyst in growing a global community of industrial hygienists. …”

Laboratory Accreditation

AIHA continues to evolve its Laboratory Quality Assurance Program (LQAP). In addition to adding staff resources to LQAP to ensure its continued success and scope, the LQAP is in the process of changing its governance structure and becoming a limited liability corporation (LLC) within AIHA.

The LQAP has also been focusing on international involvement. It has been accepted as a member of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and as a member of the Inter America Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC). Formal recognition in these organizations will give the LQAP international recognition.

Moving Forward

AIHA is continuing its alliances with NIOSH, OSHA, and ASSE as we continue to play a major role in protecting worker health. Our Strategic Plan is our road map to the future, and we are convinced that our future is a bright one that will continue to provide value to our members, the global community of industrial hygienists and related occupational and environmental health and safety professionals, and to the world as a whole.