An Update on the AIHA/NRCC Industrial Hygiene Chemist Certification Program BY EMILY GUY AND RUSS PHIFER

In 2020, AIHA partnered with the National Registry of Certified Chemists (NRCC) to create, develop, and administer a certification program for industrial hygiene chemists. The intent of this program is to provide a pathway to promote and maintain professionalism among analytical chemists who practice the specialty of IH chemistry within the IH profession. The AIHA Sampling and Laboratory Analysis Committee (SLAC), which is almost entirely made up of chemists, is the group providing technical assistance to this project.

In the last twenty years, commercial analytical laboratories have come to provide many areas of specialization, and for this reason, most bench chemists today will never interact with the client—that is, the IH—directly. Neither are they involved with the collection side of an IH sample. They presume that if an analyte can be extracted from its media, there is a means for the IH to measure the compound in the field. Similarly, bench chemists might never perform an airborne calculation because the laboratory information management system (LIMS) does it all for them. There might only be a handful of laboratory staff who can still do calculations by hand, which leads to an important issue: the bench chemists are following the lab’s written methods and standard operating procedures as they would a recipe in a cookbook. Without background knowledge, they may not realize the data ramifications of an anomaly in a sample set.

For these reasons, AIHA partnered with NRCC to create the Industrial Hygiene Chemist certification program. As IH chemistry is a niche field, it is important that we work toward protecting this field of expertise. However, during the few years this certification has been available, SLAC has become aware that the personnel in commercial laboratories who may need this knowledge the most are actually the client service representatives (CSRs) and project managers (PMs). As the bench chemists often have little rapport with the client, the CSRs-PMs are the ones talking to the IHs and needing to answer questions like these: “Will your reporting limit be low enough to answer my containment concern on a 15-minute sample?” “Do I need to be concerned about X being an interference for Y?” “How do I correct my badges’ results for temperature and pressure?” Today, the department supervisors, technical managers, and CSRs-PMs are often the ones who answer field clients’ chemistry questions and ensure that a new LIMS has the correct equations.

To address this realization, SLAC and NRCC met in October 2024 to discuss how to make this program more visible and target content to both bench chemists and CSRs-PMs. This group is currently collaborating on updating the NRCC’s webpage for industrial hygiene chemists and creating an examination reference guide. They are also planning to provide a means at AIHA Connect 2025 for recognition of individuals who can answer questions about the program and hope to be approved for a pop-up session on this program.

More information about the Industrial Hygiene Chemist certification program is available from NRCC and from AIHA Registry Programs.

Cast Your Ballot in the 2025 AIHA Board Election AIHA will partner once again with ElectionBuddy to provide a safe, secure web-based voting system during the 2025 Board of Directors election cycle. Instructions on how to vote in the election, which will run from Feb. 7 to Feb. 28, 2025, will be emailed to members in late January.

There’s still time to nominate a candidate by petition. In addition to nominations made by AIHA’s Nominating Committee, nominations for officers and directors may be made by petition of not less than two percent of members who are eligible to vote. Each petition must include a letter from the nominee stating the nominee’s willingness to stand for election. Petitions must be emailed to the chair of the Nominating Committee by Jan. 24, 2025.

Important information about AIHA governance is available online. Email questions to Thursa Pecoraro.

AIHA Submits Comments on OSHA’s Heat Standard In November, AIHA sent recommendations to OSHA regarding the agency’s proposed standard on heat injury and illness prevention in outdoor and indoor work settings. AIHA’s comments respond to questions OSHA posed in its notice of proposed rulemaking.

In its comments, AIHA states that heat-related illnesses and injuries are underreported, in part because individuals who provide first aid in these instances do not recognize that heat exposure is a contributing factor. AIHA supports establishing a requirement that employers report workers’ heat-related injuries and illnesses even when they require nothing more than first aid.

OSHA should adopt wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) for heat monitoring requirements, the document states. The comments propose five categories of risk ranging from less than 80 F (no risk) to 90 F and above (extreme risk).

Additionally, AIHA recommends that OSHA adopt the NIOSH recommended action levels from its “Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Heat and Hot Environments” and incorporate both radiant heat and protective clothing into the exposure limit for evaluating heat illnesses and injuries. WBGT is the best method for calculating radiant heat exposure, the document states.

AIHA’s comments are available as a PDF.

New White Paper: Safe Patient Handling and Mobility A white paper posted to the AIHA website in November discusses the need for a safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) approach to healthcare. The white paper is a collaboration among AIHA, the American Nurses Association, and the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals Inc.

The white paper explains that manually repositioning and moving patients can significantly increase the risk of low-back injuries among healthcare workers. The risks can be lowered through SPHM technology such as powered lifts when they are used consistently by properly trained healthcare workers. SPHM programs can also reduce the costs to employers of worker injuries and liability, the document states. It calls for the development of an OSHA SPHM standard.

“Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM): A Process to Protect Health Care Workers and Recipients“ is available as a PDF.

Students: AIHF Scholarship Applications Due Jan. 27 The American Industrial Hygiene Foundation (AIHF) is accepting scholarship applications for the 2025–2026 academic year. Students are evaluated on academic record, extracurricular activities, future goals as an industrial hygienist, and potential for leadership in the industrial hygiene profession. Several AIHF scholarships have specific criteria, and schools or students who meet those criteria will be given first consideration.

All application materials must be submitted by Jan. 27. For more information on AIHF scholarships and eligibility requirements, please visit the foundation’s website.

Since 1982, AIHF has distributed more than $2.9 million in scholarship funds to students pursuing degrees in industrial hygiene or occupational and environmental health and safety. More information about AIHF, including reflections from scholarship recipients, can be found online.

Award Nominations Due Soon AIHA requests nominations for the 2024 AIHA awards, which honor individuals who provide significant contributions to the industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety professions. The deadline for awards nominations is Jan. 13. The nomination form is available online.

Proposal Deadlines for AIHA Connect 2025 AIHA Connect 2025 will be held this May in Kansas City, Missouri, and proposal deadlines for certain sessions are approaching. Jan. 15 is the proposal deadline for education pop-ups, which are short, interactive sessions that deliver targeted learning. March 12 is the proposal deadline for student posters and student presentations. For more information, visit the conference website.

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Resources for Academics AIHA provides access to a variety of educational materials intended to assist academic faculty in supplementing their OEHS curricula. These resources, including case studies, training materials, and webcasts, are designed to enhance students’ learning experience and help them become better prepared professionals as they embark on their careers. Access these materials from the AIHA website.

Jan. 13 Deadline to submit nominations for AIHA awards.

Jan. 15 AIHA University webinar: “Understanding OSHA’s 2024 Revised Hazard Communication Standard.”

Jan. 15 Proposal deadline for AIHA Connect 2025 education pop-up sessions.

Jan. 24 Deadline for nominations by petition of candidates for AIHA’s Board of Directors election.

Jan. 27 Deadline for AIHF scholarship applications.

Feb. 7–28 AIHA’s Board of Directors election.

March 12 Proposal deadline for AIHA Connect 2025 student posters and student presentations.