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American Industrial Hygiene Association

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The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization, whose mission is "Creating knowledge to protect worker health."[1][2] The American Industrial Hygiene Association works to provide information and resources to Industrial Hygienists and Occupational Health professionals.[3]

About

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The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is an official participant of the OSHA Alliance Program.[4] Through the AIHA-OSHA Alliance, AIHA helps OSHA provide AIHA members and the general public information on OSHA's rule making and employer compliance laws, in order to fulfill the mutual mission of ensuring safe and healthy conditions for workers.[5][6] The actionable plan is twofold: 1). raise awareness, and 2). be a source of outreach and communication.[4] AIHA worked with OSHA to provide resources available to employers and employees regarding specific hazards pertaining to relevant industries,[7] in order to create awareness with workers and employers. AIHA has provided several additional educational documents through the OSHA Alliance program, specifically on the construction industry,[8] which has been widely affected by the silica rule.[9]

Role in Industrial Hygiene

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The practice of industrial hygiene, also known as occupational hygiene or occupational health, is a relatively modern idea, pioneered principally by Alice Hamilton and is often referred to as the "mother of industrial hygiene."[10]

History

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The AIHA was founded in 1939[1] by a cross-disciplinary group of professionals and government agencies concerned with worker health.[11]

The history of the American Industrial Hygiene Association began in the 1930s with interested people already meeting together under the auspices of other organizations to include the American Public Health Association, the American Chemical Society, the National Safety Council, and the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers. In 1938 the board of directors of the American Association of Industrial Physicians and Surgeons (AAIPS) organized a permanent American Conference on Occupational Diseases in response to a massive outbreak of lead poisonings in the automotive industry. Dr. Carey P. McCord as chairman of the Conference proposed the creation of an independent association of industrial hygienist who were not physicians and would operate under the name of the American Industrial Hygiene Conference.

The 24th annual meeting of the AAIPS was held in June 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio during which an organizational meeting for the establishment of an industrial hygiene association was held on June 6, 1939. Initially the association was to be named the Society of Industrial Hygienists however was not supported and the consensus agreed on the name of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Three officers for the new association were elected with William Yant, president; Warren Cook, president-elect; and Gordon A. Harrold, secretary-treasurer. The AIHA had 160 members at its start and paid annual dues of $3.00. Harrold reported from the first board of directors meeting on October 18, 1939, that the four major goals of the Association were: 1. The advancement and application of industrial hygiene and sanitation through the interchange and dissemination of technical knowledge on these subjects. 2. The furthering of study and control of industrial health hazards through determination and elimination of excessive exposures. 3. The correlation of such activities as conducted by diverse individuals and agencies throughout industry, educational and governmental groups. 4. The uniting of persons with these interests. [12]

Since 1940, the AIHA Has published an academic journal on matters related to public health, the AIHA Journal.[13]

The AIHA is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia,[1] and has chapters throughout the United States.[11] AIHA celebrated their 70-year anniversary in 2009, and cited a timeline of historical milestones, including publication of The Synergist, which started as a quarterly newsletter in 1989.[14][15]

Mission

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The AIHA often collaborates with NIOSH on matters of public education,[16][17][18] and is frequently cited in the news media as an authority on public health issues.[19][20][21]

The AIHA also gives an annual award for social responsibility.[22]

Role in 2014 Ebola Crisis

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After two people within the United States were diagnosed as having contracted Ebola,[23][24] AIHA Executive Director Peter O'Neil sent letters to infectious disease expert and then director of the CDC, Tom Frieden,[25] the White House,[26] former director of NIOSH John Howard,[27] and former Assistant Secretary of Labor at OSHA Dr. David Michaels[28] urging readiness and protection of workers particularly vulnerable to contracting the virus, such as health research laboratory facility workers.[29] O'Neil identified industrial hygienists as having an increasingly important role in mitigating the crises, as more workers become involved in containing the outbreak.[30] AIHA further provided additional resources[31] and guidances in light of a potential pandemic.[32]

Role in Protecting Workers from Silicosis

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AIHA hosted a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill[33] at the Longworth Office Building on February 15, 2017. Government relations director, Mark Ames organized the event; the panel included AIHA CEO Larry Sloan,[34] epidemiologist[35] and former Assistant Secretary of Labor at OSHA Dr. David Michaels, past president at AIHA Dan H. Anna.[36] Russ Hayward, CIH,[37] was also on hand to provide support with expertise, as AIHA's Managing Director of Scientific and Technical Initiatives.[38] The purpose of the event was to emphasize the importance of keeping the silica standard[39] enforceable, backed by the silica rule,[40] which is based on 19 years of active research[41]

Role in Emergency Preparedness and Response

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Committees

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Education and Certification

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Outreach

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AIHA sponsors several annual awards and honors recognizing excellence in the field of industrial hygiene, as well as designating members as AIHA Fellows and Honorary Members of the organization.[42]

Edward J. Baier Technical Achievement Award

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Founded in 1984 and named after, this award recognizes significant contributions in industrial hygiene in the area of technical expertise or innovation, significant research or advancement, and influence and interaction with other scientific disciplines.[43] Notable recipients of the Baier Award include: Dennis J. Paustenbach (2010) and Don B. Chaffin (1994).

Distinguished Service Awards

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Founded in 1978, this award recognizes unique contributions to the advancement of the field and the mandate of the association.[44]

Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award

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Established in 1943, recipients of this award have demonstrated a lifelong contributions to the profession as well as acknowledgments of their contributions outside of their field.[42] Notable recipients of this award include: Mary O. Amdur (1974), Anna M. Baetjer (1964), Robert A. Kehoe (1962 and 1975), Philip Drinker (1950) and Alice Hamilton (1948).[42]

Alice Hamilton Award

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Established in 1993, the Alice Hamilton award recognizes women in the profession who have made a definitive and lasting achievement in the field of occupational and environmental hygiene.[45] Notable recipients of this award include: Notable recipients of this award include: Eula Bingham (1995), Anna M. Baetjer (1997, posthumous award), Linda Rosenstock (1999), and Earl Dotter (2001).[45][46]

Kusnetz Award

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Founded in 1987 and named after donors Florence and Howard Kusnetz, this award recognizes a certified industrial hygienist that demonstrates high ethical standards and shows promise of leadership in the profession.[42] Notable recipients of this award include: Dennis Pustenbach (1992).[42]

Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award

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Established in 1981, this award recognizes the contributions of individuals to the improvement of public welfare.[47] Notable recipients of the Smyth Award includes: Dennis Paustenbach (2010), Eula Bingham (1998), and Mary O. Amdur (1984).[47]

Social Responsibility Award

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Established in 2009, this award recognizes an individual, group, or organization that works to promote practical solutions to social responsibility issues related to industrial hygiene or environmental health and safety.[48]

William P. Yant Award

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Founded in 1964 and named after founding president William P. Yant, this award recognizes individuals for their "outstanding contributions in industrial hygiene or allied fields" who reside outside the United States.[49] Notable recipients of the Yant award include Karen Messing (2014) and René Truhaut (1980).

Scholarship

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International

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Annual Conference

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An annual conference of industrial hygienist has been an essential element of the AIHA as in 1938 when the board of directors of the American Association of Industrial Physicians and Surgeons (AAIPS) organized a permanent American Conference on Occupational Diseases.

It was at this conference that Dr. Carey P. McCord, as chairman of the Conference, proposed the creation of an independent association of industrial hygienist who were not physicians and would operate under the name of the American Industrial Hygiene Conference.

The 24th annual meeting of the AAIPS was held in June 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio during which an organizational meeting for the establishment of an industrial hygiene association was held on June 6, 1939, that the AIHA was created. The AAIPS and the AIHA would continue to meet together annually until 1960 when they split apart. The AIHA joined with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH) in 1961 to sponsor an annual industrial hygiene conference. Despite concerns of the recent split with the AAIPS, the first conference was a success as all exhibit spaces were sold out, scientific exhibits were so numerous that they had to be placed in the halls and 688 industrial hygienists attended the meeting held in Detroit, Michigan.

With the stimulation by the OSHA Act of 1970, attendance at the annual conferences continued to grow so much that by 1980 the meetings had to be held at convention centers with the Houston Texas conference held in the Albert Thomas Convention Center. Attendance at the 1980 meeting was 5,006 and by 1990 it grew to 8,620 attendees.

A major reason for the growth and success of the conference has been attributed to the technical program that also grew from 233 presentations in 1973 to 456 in 1990.[50]

International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) International Scientific Conference

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AIHA won the bid to host the 11th Annual IOHA conference in Washington DC.[51]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Martin B. Stern; Zack Mansdorf (29 June 1998). Applications and Computational Elements of Industrial Hygiene. CRC Press. pp. 15–. ISBN 978-1-56670-197-6.
  2. ^ "About AIHA". aiha.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-17. Retrieved 2016-07-13.
  3. ^ "The Value of Being Involved and Connected". 2017-02-09.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b "OSHA National Alliances - American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)". Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  5. ^ "About OSHA Page". Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Archived from the original on 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  6. ^ "Industrial Hygiene News". rimbach.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  7. ^ "OSHA Alliance Program - Alliance Program Participants Developed Products)". Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  8. ^ "OSHA Alliance Program - OSHA's Areas of Emphasis". Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  9. ^ Valentic, Stefanie (7 November 2016). "New Respirable Silica Rule Poses Problems for Construction Industry". EHS Today.
  10. ^ "Healthy Workplaces". Occupational Health Clinical Center. Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  11. ^ a b Debra Nims (28 January 1999). Basics of Industrial Hygiene. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 6–. ISBN 978-0-471-29983-7.
  12. ^ Clayton, George and Florence, ed. (1994). The American Industrial Hygiene Association: its history and personalities 1939-1990. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association. ISBN 978-0-932627-58-2.
  13. ^ "AIHA Journal". Taylor & Francis Online. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  14. ^ "Login".[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "The Synergist". American Industrial Hygiene Association. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  16. ^ "NIOSH Honored with Top Awards at the 2015 American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exposition". Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  17. ^ "Safety and health curriculum coming to U.S. classrooms". SafetyBLR.com. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  18. ^ "ERC Workshop to Address Health and Safety of the Temporary Workforce". University of Cincinnati. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  19. ^ Wood, Graeme (15 April 2016). "Mould plaguing Richmond Ice Centre". Richmond News. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  20. ^ "AIHA fact sheet addresses PPE for engineered nanoparticles". Safety and Health Magazine. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  21. ^ LeVine, Marianne (March 2016). "Businesses shed health and safety experts". Politico. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  22. ^ "AIHce 2014: Perry Gottesfeld Recognized for World Leadership in EHS". EHSToday. 2014-06-05. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  23. ^ "Cases of Ebola Diagnosed in the United States - Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever". CDC. 2018-05-22.
  24. ^ "Ebola virus disease". World Health Organization.
  25. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-04-11. Retrieved 2017-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. ^ McMahon, Shannon A.; Ho, Lara S.; Brown, Hannah; Miller, Laura; Ansumana, Rashid; Kennedy, Caitlin E. (1 November 2016). "Healthcare providers on the frontlines: a qualitative investigation of the social and emotional impact of delivering health services during Sierra Leone's Ebola epidemic". Health Policy and Planning. 31 (9): 1232–1239. doi:10.1093/heapol/czw055. PMC 5035780. PMID 27277598.
  30. ^ "AIHA Urges Government to Protect Health Care Workers During Ebola Outbreak". 15 October 2014.
  31. ^ "Ebola Coverage and Resources". aiha.org. Archived from the original on 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  32. ^ "What is a pandemic?". WHO. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014.
  33. ^ Kevin Druley (March 26, 2017). "Congressional briefing focuses on silica rule". Safety+Health Magazine (April 2017).
  34. ^ "AIHA Board Names Lawrence D. Sloan, CAE, as Next CEO". AIHA. Archived from the original on 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  35. ^ "What is Epidemiology?- Teacher Roadmap - Career Paths to Public Health". CDC. 2018-10-09.
  36. ^ "Dan H. Anna". LinkedIn.
  37. ^ "Russ Hayward". LinkedIn.
  38. ^ "AIHA Hires Russell Hayward, CIH, as Managing Director, Scientific & Technical Initiatives". aiha.org. Archived from the original on 2017-03-04. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
  39. ^ ""Crystalline Silica Exposure" Health Hazard Information for General Industry Employees". Occupational Safety & Health Administration. 2002. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  40. ^ "OSHA's Final Rule to Protect Workers from Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica". Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
  41. ^ "History". Silica Safe.
  42. ^ a b c d e "AIHA Awards and Honors". 2017-07-07. Archived from the original on 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  43. ^ "Edward J. Baier Award". 2016-04-02. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  44. ^ "Distinguished Service Award". 2016-04-03. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  45. ^ a b "Alice Hamilton Award". 2016-04-02. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  46. ^ "Earl Dotter Received The Alice Hamilton Award". The Alicia Patterson Foundation. 29 December 2000. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  47. ^ a b "Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award". 2017-07-08. Archived from the original on 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  48. ^ "Social Responsibility Award". 2016-04-03. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  49. ^ "Yant Award". 2017-08-18. Archived from the original on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  50. ^ Clayton, George and Florence, ed. (1994). The American Industrial Hygiene Association : its history and personalities 1939-1990. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association. pp. 95–100. ISBN 978-0-932627-58-2.
  51. ^ "IOHA's 2018 Scientific Conference Set for Washington, D.C. -".
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