AIHA members are at the heart of the profession and the association. Our members, many for decades, have spent hours upon hours volunteering, and have been invaluable contributors to the profession in innumerable ways. These members are influencers and role models that students, early career professionals, and many others look up to and aspire to be.

Here are some simple ways you can harness that mighty power of influence each one of you possesses and use it for the greater good of the profession!

I AM IH: Ever since AIHA launched the “I Am IH” membership renewal campaign in the fall of 2016, members and non-members alike have been joining the conversation and proudly announcing “I Am IH” in several different ways: by posting their stories or selfies @AIHA #IAmIH on Twitter and by submitting their stories as to why they became an IH professional for an AIHA video contest. Those story submissions will result in a documentary about the profession, due to premiere at AIHce EXP 2017. In fact, in late December, USA Today did a full page article about IHs in a special supplement on workplace safety. Several more new public education tools will be rolling out throughout 2017 and available for you to use (for free) via the AIHA website.

IH Professional Pathway Program ™: Do you know a student or early career professional who could benefit from some mentoring and professional guidance? Why not start by sharing this detailed infographic about the path to technical, management, and leadership success developed by an AIHA board-appointed task force of IH professionals. It’s a great jumping-off point for that go-getter to start planning for the future.

AIHA's IH Professional Pathway program was created from a desire to align association resources and development opportunities with the various career levels of the profession in an engaging way that speaks to younger audiences. The resulting program encourages and supports the attainment of credentials such as certifications and registrations. Help AIHA build a solid pipeline of future IH professionals by sharing this engaging program with kids in your area who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Safety Matters: AIHA has partnered with NIOSH to develop a training module called Safety Matters​. Safety Matters is designed to raise awareness among teen workers about staying healthy and safe at work through learning to identify hazards in real-world situations, stories from teens injured at work, and interactive group discussions. The module takes only one hour to deliver, so it’s perfect for use by AIHA members, many of whom are already connected to students and schools in their local areas. Now we have a ready-made, professionally designed module that we can present to any group of young people—from a ninth-grade health or shop class to a local scout troop. Become an advocate for teen safety in the workplace!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about getting started: [email protected]. Help AIHA help the profession!