Go back to the home page for this issue of the Diplomate

By Jas Singh, PhD, CIH

Imagine a global organization of professional industrial hygienists dedicated to protecting worker health and wellbeing anywhere on the planet. Now stretch your imagination a little further and imagine PCIH 2020. Certified professional industrial hygienists from many corners of the world are gathered to discuss emerging industrial hygiene issues in the fast changing workplace in a flat world and figuring out how industrial hygiene resources can be made available to millions of workers in every corner of the world. Represented at this conference are academy chapters from around the world. Many others who could not be there in person are gathered in auditoriums linked to this great event via web links. Looking around you notice a cultural mosaic of nationalities, languages, and a myriad of colorful costumes instead of the standard drab gray business attire we are used to seeing.

Now come down to earth. While PCIH 2020 may be just a wild dream at this point, the idea of a professional organization representing the core of the industrial hygiene profession is not so wild. The Academy is unique in the sense that while there are now many IH associations, some of those well established and active, The Academy of Industrial Hygiene is the only organization (as far as I know) that is composed of certified industrial hygienists.

While we earnestly explore ideas for the Academy to play a more significant role than its current activities, one area where I am convinced that the Academy (its 5,000 members) can play a major role is in promoting the IH profession, in addition to fulfilling the interests of its Diplomates on a global level.

While practicing industrial hygiene in various parts of the world, I have always felt that the AIHA has much to offer to the global occupational health and safety community. More recently, I have observed that even if the overall sentiment in a particular country is not very pro-American these days, they all admire what the United States has done to the development of the Industrial Hygiene profession. This includes the contribution of AIHA to enhance the IH profession through various programs such as the ABIH certification, the Laboratory Accreditation program, and two excellent conferences—AIHce and PCIH among others.

Of the various programs, products, and concepts that AIHA has given to the worldwide health and safety community, three of its institutions/concepts are particularly notable in my opinion. These include preparation materials for ABIH certification exams, lab accreditation, and the concept of the Academy of Industrial Hygiene which is composed of certified, core professional hygienists. It amazes me (and pleases me) how sought after the CIH examinations are becoming especially in the developing Asian countries. Although the number of CIHs and CIH applicants in the developing Asian economies at this time is increasing, this number is likely to grow rapidly as more and more candidates acquire IH work experience and become eligible to sit for the exam.

While we have begun to export the ABIH certification and the lab certification programs (not actively enough in my opinion), we have not given much thought to globalize the Academy concept to forge partnerships and foster the creation of a global organization. Developing this will certainly put AIHA in a solid lead as the premier organization in the IH profession.

I know questions will be raised as to how long we can sustain our leadership role in granting IH certifications or accrediting industrial hygiene labs before others come up with their own certification/accreditation programs and what about IOHA? Does the global academy concept bump against what the IOHA is doing? Well, I am not sure to what extent we will encounter those “bumps” and to what extent, if any, the Academy concept conflicts with IOHA’s mission but we haven’t even explored this issue at a basic level.

I believe the time is now to do this before the opportunity slips away.

Singh is the president-elect of the Academy of Industrial Hygiene. He can be reached at JSingh@golder.com.