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Nearly 90 years ago, AIHA was founded, in part, to promote improvements in the practice of industrial hygiene. That focus has governed our association ever since. Today, efforts to improve practice fall under the “Advancing the Profession” domain of our strategic plan, which states, “AIHA will identify, develop, improve, and promote excellence in OEHS practices, research, and applied science.”

The strategic plan identifies three goals AIHA will work to achieve toward this end. Operationally, activities associated with advancing the profession largely fall under our Scientific Initiatives department and our three LLCs: AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs (LAP), AIHA Proficiency Analytical Testing Programs (PAT), and AIHA Registry Programs. As with my previous post, this one will report on what AIHA accomplished toward our goals last year and what we plan to work on in 2026.

Goal 1: Identify, develop, and improve recommended practices with support from members, allied organizations, and federal agencies. Much of the work toward this goal involves initiatives such as Principles of Good Practice (PGP), which documents best practices in risk management based on guidance extracted from AIHA publications and other resources; State of the Art vs. Practice (SOTAvP), which identifies gaps between current and best-in-class OEHS practices; and Defining the Science (DTS), which identifies areas where current practice hasn’t kept pace with scientific findings and maintains the association’s national research agenda. In 2025, we began developing a Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) to increase adoption of the AIHA exposure assessment strategy using IH statistics. We also launched a new website for the Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs) and launched our new AIHA Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) Program.

This year, we will publish the next edition of PGP, translate them into French and Spanish, conduct new SOTAvP surveys on waterborne pathogens and thermal stress, add sections on noise and respiratory protection to the CIP, and introduce a new self-assessment tool. We will also explore ways to incorporate DTS into the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda and raise awareness among volunteer groups of the barriers to practice identified through DTS. Our marketing team will also spread the word about the ERPG and OEL programs.

Goal 2: Advance competency in specialty areas such as laboratory accreditation, proficiency testing, and registry programs. While AIHA’s LLCs are separate organizations with their own leadership structures, they form—together with AIHA—a single enterprise with a common mission: to empower OEHS professionals to protect all workers and their communities from occupational and environmental hazards through the application of scientific knowledge. Each LLC has a significant presence in AIHA’s strategic plan.

LAP. Among LAP’s achievements in 2025 was maintaining its status as a signatory of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). This status signifies that LAP is equivalent to other bodies around the world that accredit laboratories to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. Other accomplishments last year included plans for a new testing program for sensor performance and a new training program for our site assessors who conduct LAP’s assessments of laboratory sites seeking accreditation. In 2026, LAP plans to pilot the sensor performance testing program, train five new site assessors under the new training program, and expand its accreditation of field/mobile laboratories.

PAT. Last year, PAT successfully maintained its accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17043 standard, which specifies requirements for providers of proficiency testing, and launched programs for conducting rapid, on-demand proficiency testing. In 2026, PAT plans to grow its on-demand PT programs and to launch pilot programs for proficiency testing of plant material, microplastics, and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).

Registry Programs. Current registries exist for asbestos analysts, exposure decision analysts (EDA), and authors of safety data sheets (SDS) and chemical labels. AIHA Registry Programs continues to support the EDA and SDS registries through social media campaigns, partnerships with like-minded organizations, and coordinated e-learning through AIHA’s educational offerings.

For several years, AIHA also operated the Product Stewardship Society (PSS) as a separate organization for professionals in that area of expertise. To make this society viable, AIHA drafted a plan to integrate PSS into AIHA’s existing operations, but the PSS board of directors decided instead to leave AIHA. This transition was completed in December.

Goal 3: Build OEHS capacity in regions globally where there is an identified need. We’ve known for a long time that there aren’t enough OEHS professionals to protect all workers and communities around the world from occupational hazards. In recognition of this problem, our Emerging Economy Microgrants Program encourages the efficient deployment of resources to projects with the potential to make lasting impacts. Each year, an advisory group assesses proposals based on their feasibility, their potential to address worker health issues, and other defined criteria. To help achieve this goal, AIHA’s marketing team has promoted the microgrants through LinkedIn, SynergistNOW, and like-minded organizations such as the Consortium on Universities for Global Health. This year, marketing will explore the possibility of conducting a video interview with a grant recipient that will air at AIHA Connect. We will also work with the International Occupational Hygiene Association to promote AIHA resources to global audiences, including the availability of courses at reduced cost for individuals in developing countries.

Help Advance the Profession

Much of the work to advance the profession relies on contributions from volunteers. If you’d like to get involved with initiatives like PGP, DTS, SOTAvP, or another committee or working group, please let us know by completing this form on the AIHA website.