Occupational hygiene

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Occupational Hygiene is both a technical field of study and a profession.

The term Occupational Hygiene (used in the UK and Commonwealth Countries as well as much of Europe) is synonymous with Industrial Hygiene (used in the US, Latin America, and other countries that received initial technical support or training from US sources). Environmental Hygiene involves similar issues to Occupational Hygiene, but may not be limited to the workplace context.

The International Occupational Hygiene Association defines Occupational Hygiene as the discipline of anticipating, recognising, evaluating and controlling health hazards in the working environment with the objective of protecting worker health and well-being and safeguarding the community at large.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association has described Industrial Hygiene as that science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, prevention, and control of those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace which may cause sickness, impaired health and well being, or significant discomfort among workers or among citizens of the community.

According to the British Occupational Hygiene Society, hygiene is defined as the science behind health, or the conditions or practices conducive to health. But in common usage it has taken on a much narrower definition linking it to cleanliness, frequently leading to the misunderstanding of the term occupational hygiene: it's NOT about washing your hands or handling food properly at work, it's about minimising the risks of ill-health caused by the working environment.

The Occupational Hygienist may be involved with the assessment and control of chemical, physical or biological hazards in the workplace that could cause disease or discomfort. Physical hazards may include noise, temperature extremes, illumination extremes, ionizing or non-ionizing radiation, ergonomics. Indoor air quality (IAQ) and safety may also receive the attention of the Occupational Hygienist. As part of this activity, the Occupational Hygienist may be called upon to communicate effectively regarding hazard, risk, and appropriate protective procedures; to evaluate and occasionally to design ventilation systems; and to manage people and programs for the preservation of health and well-being of those who enter the workplace.

Education

Academic programs offering industrial hygiene Bachelors or Masters degrees in United States may apply to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) to have their program accredited. As of October 1, 2006, 27 institutions have accredited their industrial hygiene programs. Accreditation is not available for Doctoral programs.

Professional Societies

The International Occupational Hygiene Association was formed in 1987. Its membership are the national professional associations, now numbering more that 20 organizations and representing over 20,000 occupational hygienists worldwide.

National professional societies include the following (in alphabetical order):

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)

Formed in 27 June 1938 as the National Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, renamed American Conference... in 1946. This organization was originally conceived as a gathering of the governmental organizations that employed industrial hygienists and membership was limited to two from each organization. From 1946, all industrial hygiene personnel employed by government agencies and educational institutions were eligible for membership. Today, membership is open to all practitioners in industrial hygiene, occupational health, environmental health, and safety.

American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)

Founded in 1939, AIHA has more than 75 local sections and 11,800 members, making it the largest of the national professional associations.

Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists

Formed in 1980

Belgian Society for Occupational Hygiene

Brazilian Association of Occupational Hygienists

British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS)

Founded in 1953, its aim is to help reduce work-related ill-health. With approximately 1300 members, it is the biggest occupational hygiene society in Europe and the voice of occupational hygiene in the UK.

Dutch Occupational Hygiene Society

French Occupational Hygiene Society

Finnish Occupational Hygiene Society

German Society for Occupational Hygiene

Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

Italian Occupational Hygiene Association

Japan Occupational Hygiene Association

Japan Association for Working Environment Measurement

Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association

Mexican Industrial Hygiene Association

New Zealand Occupational Hygiene Society

Norwegian Occupational Hygiene Association

Occupational Hygiene Society of Ireland

Polish Association of Industrial Hygienists

Southern African Institute for Occupational Hygiene

Swedish Association of Occupational and Environmental Hygienists

Swiss Society of Occupational Hygiene

Taiwan Occupational Hygiene Association

Related Journals

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene [1] - published jointly since 2004 by the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, replacing the American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal and Applied Occupational & Environmental Hygiene

Annals of Occupational Hygiene [2] - published since 1958 by the British Occupational Hygiene Society

Professional Credentials

United States of America

Practitioners who successfully meet minimum education and work-experience requirements and pass a written examination administered by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) are authorized to use the term Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) or Certified Associate Industrial Hygienist (CAIH). Both of these terms have been codified into law in many states in the United States in order to identify minimum qualifications of individuals having oversight over certain activities that may affect public health.

ABIH Certification examinations are offered twice each year in the US, and are also offered at locations outside the US, including Australia and East Asia among other locations.

Canada

In Canada, a practitioner who successfully completes a written and oral examination administered by the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists can be recognized as a Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH).

United Kingdom

The Faculty of Occupational Hygiene, part of the British Occupational Hygiene Society, represents the interests of professional occupational hygienists.

Membership of the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene is confined to BOHS members who hold a recognised professional qualification in occupational hygiene.

There are three grades of Faculty membership:

Licentiate (LFOH) holders will have obtained the BOHS Certificate of Operational Competence in Occupational Hygiene and have at least three years’ practical experience in the field.

Members (MFOH) are normally holders of the Diploma of Professional Competence in Occupational Hygiene and have at least five years’ experience at a senior level.

Fellows (FFOH) are senior members of the profession who have made a distinct contribution to the advancement of occupational hygiene.

All Faculty members participate in a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) scheme designed to maintain a high level of current awareness and knowledge in occupational hygiene.

Examples of occupational hygiene

• See the Related Journals listed above for many examples of the science underlying occupational hygiene and its practical application
• Analysis of occupational hygiene effects can lead to worker protection plans. For example it is common in high noise environments to use earplugs or earmuffs. These are available over a range of applications, effectiveness and quality.
• Occupational Hygienists are among the experts planning the controls to protect against exposure in the event of a flu pandemic.
• Occupational/Industrial Hygienists are responsible for monitoring and testing the air for hazardous contaminants that can lead to potential worker illness and sometimes death.

Examples of occupational hygiene careers

• Compliance officer on behalf of regulatory agency
• Professional working on behalf of company for the protection of the workforce
• Consultant working on behalf of companies
• Researcher performing laboratory or field occupational hygiene work

Academic resources

• Annals of Occupational Hygiene, ISSN: 1475-3162 (electronic) 0003-4878 (paper), Oxford University Press

See also

• Ergonomics
• ISO 8528
• ISO 10882
• ISO 12894
• ISO 15011
• Indoor air quality
• Noise Control
• Occupational health and safety
• Toxicity

Additional External links

• IH Laboratory Information
• Government of Hong Kong Occupational Safety and Health Council, Air Contaminants in the Workplace
• View a PowerPoint Presentation Explaining What Industrial Hygiene Is - developed and made available by AIHA