June 2001
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April 2001 Board Report |
During the April 21-22, 2001 meeting, the following major issues were discussed, finalized, and/or voted on by the Directors:
The Board has initiated an update of its Strategic Plan which was last revised in September 1999. The Executive Committee, Chairs of the Certification Maintenance, Exam and Qualifications Committees, Public Member and Executive Director will begin the process in New Orleans the weekend of June 2-3. The Academy, ACGIH and AIHA Boards have been invited to provide input to the process and Diplomates, as well as other interested parties, are invited to do the same. The current plan appears on pages 7-8 and comments can be sent to the Lansing Office. The update process will continue throughout the summer with the expectation that a revised Strategic Plan will be presented to the Board in October.
The December 2000 issue of ABIH News carried a proposal to charge a fee to CM activity providers requesting review prior to the publication of any promotional materials/marketing which would include ABIH CM points.
The CM Committee would like to thank those who took the time to offer comments. At the Board meeting held on April 21-22, the CM Committee further deliberated the extensive input received from various stakeholders. In considering all of the viewpoints expressed, we recommended to the ABIH Board of Directors not to proceed with the CM pre-approval fee. The major concern driving this decision was the inability to develop a fair and equitable fee structure that would not impose an undue financial burden on select CM activity providers.
The Board has endorsed the CM Committee recommendation and any administrative costs associated with the CM program will continue to be funded under the Board’s annual Diplomate renewal fee revenues.
Don W. Harvey, CIH, CSP Chair, CM Committee
CAIHs will be required to provide evidence of maintaining their certification on a five year cycle. The total point requirement is 35 points. A maximum of 2 points/year can be claimed for IH practice which is at least 20% or more of total practice. CIHs receive 2 points/year for IH practice > 20% but < 50% and 3 points/year for > 50% IH practice. Associates can also claim points for work relating to industrial hygiene on technical committees, publications, attending educational programs and conferences, teaching and other activities. In the educational category, 10 points/cycle are required in IH rubric subjects.
One CM point/5 questions is available for Diplomates who contribute questions to the CIH and CAIH Question Banks as well as to BCSP and CCHEST.
For Diplomates with a CM cycle beginning January 1, 2002 or after, there will be a ceiling of 5 points/cycle for "Fundamentals" of industrial hygiene or similarly titled courses as well as for general management courses (eg. accounting, marketing, etc.). Industrial Hygiene and EHS program management courses are not subject to the 5 points/cycle ceiling and can be included as part of the minimum of 10 points required in IH rubric areas.
In an effort to provide CIHs, applicants and other stakeholders with in-depth information on the new Associate certification program, each Board committee developed a series of Q&As relating to their area of responsibility. Outgoing Director Ed Bartosh volunteered to consolidate the Q&As into a single document which is now available on our website and from the Lansing office.
The Exam Committee will initiate a survey of examinees beginning with those taking the CIH or CAIH exams in New Orleans at the AIHCE and in Anaheim at the ASSE Conference. The survey will include questions related to study habits, exam review courses taken, reference material used, mentoring, etc. The results may provide data which can be related to the percentage of candidates passing the exams and allow the committee to provide applicants with guidance on beneficial study habits.
At the conclusion of the April Board meeting, seven Directors completed their terms of office. Our first Public Member, John J. Burke, JD, finished his two year term and Daniel E. Agopsowicz, CIH, Edward T. Bartosh, Jr., CIH, Ching-tsen Bien, CIH, Mary Brophy, PhD, CIH, CPE, Michel J. Crepeau, CIH, ROH and Alice Farrar, CIH completed six years of service on the Board.
Chris Laszcz-Davis, CIH continues as Chair of the Qualifications Committee which deals with applicant education and experience issues. Barbara Hargis, CIH, CSP takes over from Kirby James, CIH, ROH as Chair of the Examination Committee. The CM Committee Chair passes from Michel Crepeau, CIH, ROH to Don Harvey, CIH, CSP.
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Current CIH eligibility rules allow for one year of the experience requirement to be waived if the applicant has an industrial hygiene Masters degree from an ABET accredited program. There are 27 schools with a total of 37 programs that fall into this category (some schools have both an MPH and MS in industrial hygiene which count as two prgrams). There are also 5 schools which have an ABET accredited bachelors program in IH. The Qualifications Committee is asking for comments on the merits of awarding six months of experience credit for applicants with a bachelors from an ABET accredited program.
ABET stands for Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The listing of schools with accredited programs is as follows:
Comments can be directed to the Lansing Office.
ABIH Liaison Activities |
On February 5-6, 2001, Norm Henry, CIH attended his first Academy Council meeting as the new Councilor representing ABIH.
Some of the key issues discussed included whether Certified Associate Industrial Hygienists (CAIHs) should be eligible for membership in the Academy and possible formation of an AIHA Special Interest Group (SIG) for Occupational Health & Safety Technologists/Construction Health & Safety Technicians who are certified by the Council on Certification of Health Environmental and Safety Technologists (CCHEST), a joint venture of ABIH and BCSP. Diplomates will receive a survey on whether to admit CAIHs to the Academy with their AIH ballots this summer.
The next Council meetings are scheduled for June 3 at the AIHCE in New Orleans and October 7 at the PCIH in St. Petersburg.
ABIH Director Dave Gioiello, CIH, CSP attended his first Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists (CCHEST) meeting on March 16-17, 2001 in Phoenix. The Council is governed by eight safety and health specialists and one public member. It operates nationally accredited certification programs for safety and health practitioners at the technologist/technician level including the OHST (Occupational Health and Safety Technologist), CHST (Construction Health and Safety Technician) and STS-Construction (Safety Trained Supervisor in Construction). CCHEST is a joint ABIH/BCSP venture.
Board member Don Harvey, CIH, CSP attended the annual meeting of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards which was held in Alexandria, Virginia on February 13, 2001. CESB is the independent accrediting body which provides basic criteria and guideleines for the establishment and operation of specialty certification programs for engineering and related scientific professionals. In addition to ABIH, member Boards which have accredited certification programs related to EHS include the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, American Board of Health Physics, Board of Certified Safety Professionals, Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists (formerly the ABIH/BCSP Joint Committee), Institute of Hazardous Materials Management and Institute of Professional Environmental Practice.
The National Safety Council (NSC) hosted the annual Intersociety Forum on March 10, 2001 at their headquarters in Itasca, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Jimmy Perkins, PhD, CIH, ABIH Vice Chair and Lynn O’Donnell, CIH, ABIH Executive Director represented the Board at the meeting. The Forum, founded in 1974, provides a medium for communication among organizations whose primary concern is with the health and safety of the worker. The objectives are to exchange information and cooperate in activities of mutual interest. In addition to ABIH and NSC, this year’s attendees included the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics, AIHA, American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, ACGIH, American Board for Occupational Health Nurses, Board of Certified Safety Professionals and National Society of Professional Engineers. Representatives from the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine and Joint Council for Health, Safety and Environmental Education of Professionals planned to attend, but had last minute conflicts.
Will Popendorf, PhD, CIH represents ABIH on the Joint Council whose primary mission is to assist and encourage the integration of health, safety and environmental concepts into undergraduate and graduate education (www.ilstu.edu/~edorner/jchseep/jchseep.htm). A work in progress you may be interested in checking out is the EHS Matrix, a collection of EHS ready-to-use modules, case studies and other resources of potential interest to engineering educators assembled by Professor Don Bloswick (bloswick@eng.utah.edu). He categorized this information into a matrix to allow a user to identify and select information based on a type of hazard matched to a relatively classic course topic within mechanical, civil and electrical engineering. Try www.mech.utah.edu/ergo, then select "educational material".
Board member Harry Beaulieu, PhD, CIH, CSP completed his four year term with the committee at the AIHc&e in New Orleans. Moving into the ABIH position will be Frieda Fisher-Tyler, CIH. The committee, composed of members from ABIH, ACGIH, AIH and AIHA, promotes an awareness and understanding of the Industrial Hygiene Code of Ethics among industrial hygienists through educational programs at the conferences, development of case studies, newsletter articles and other appropriate means.
Requirement for Industrial Hygiene |
Beginning in 2002, candidates applying to take either the CIH or CAIH examination will be required to have completed course work applicable to the core topics of industrial hygiene. The required IH coursework must cover the subjects of toxicology and industrial hygiene fundamentals, measurements and controls. This new requirement was adopted as a part of the Board’s continuing effort of improving the practice and educational standards of the profession of Industrial Hygiene. This additional qualification requirement along with the experience and testing requirements, will help to assure that our candidates are better prepared not only to pass the examination but also to deal with the wide range of technical issues facing practicing professionals.
It is important to realize that this requirement will present no additional burden for anyone graduating from an accredited IH program at either the BS or MS level. However, a six year "phase-in" implementation schedule was adopted to allow adequate lead time for those prospective candidates already at work and accumulating experience without any or much "off the job" training in IH. The primary criteria is the "contact hours" that can be either from academic courses (those involving multiple weeks, a rigorous evaluation procedure, and are documented on an applicant’s college or university transcript) or from continuing education courses (typically involving a small number of multi-hour sessions that may only require attendance and yield no academic credit on a transcript). Tables listing the implementation schedule by year are listed within the Candidate Handbooks which can be downloaded from www.abih.org (select "Forms & Publications").
The eventual goal is for all applicants to have completed courses in all four of the above essential topics. However, in order to accommodate candidates who enter the field without this full compliment of courses, the Board simultaneously adopted a policy to accept some credit for multiple courses each covering a narrow spectrum of IH such as asbestos, ergonomics, biohazards, heat stress, etc., provided that at least half of a candidate’s IH courses are in the above core topics. An IH Coursework Documentation form can also be downloaded from www.abih.org.
While the criteria for CIH and CAIH candidates have the same structure and similar IH education requirements for the first four years the total coursework required of CIH candidates is greater than that of CAIH candidates by year six. Also, an important nuance affects CAIH candidates with a bachelors degree in other than IH or a cognate science that doesn’t apply to CIH candidates.a For CAIH applicants with a non-cognate degree, the same IH courses cannot be counted as meeting both the IH and the requirement for at least 30 semester hours of science. In contrast, the IH coursework requirement will be satisfied even if the necessary contact hours were completed as part of 60 or more semester hours of science required of a CIH applicant’s academic degree or subsequent coursework.
The Board feels that this IH coursework requirement with the implementation schedule described above provide a feasible route to achieve its goal of improving the practice and educational standards of the profession of Industrial Hygiene. Further information and application materials can be obtained at www.abih.org.
a CAIH cognate degrees include a bachelors degree in biology, chemistry, chemical, mechanical or sanitary engineering or physics or a bachelors/masters degree from an ABET accredited IH or safety program.
Certification Exams and the International Applicant |
The number of individuals overseas who are seeking American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) professional certification has grown in recent years. A review of applications indicates that the professional reference requirement appears to pose a challenge to some international applicants. If you are involved in international activities, the Board requests your assistance in helping your international colleagues to successfully meet this application requirement. With your help, the Board seeks to minimize any potential language and/or cultural barriers that could interfere with a qualified applicant’s application.
The following is provided to clarify the professional IH experience verification required for the application. A minimum of two professional references must be provided. There must be a reference from the applicant’s immediate supervisor(s) covering the entire time period for which experience credit is requested. A reference is also needed from a CIH with knowledge of the applicant’s industrial hygiene responsibilities, who can attest to the candidate’s professional level of practice. Applicants from international companies or subsidiaries may not be aware that a CIH from their parent company might be able and willing to be a reference, even though they don’t have direct supervisory responsibilities for the applicant.
In the even that no CIH reference is available, the applicant may substitute a reference from an individual holding the Canadian Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH) or the United Kingdom Diploma of Professional Competence in Occupational Hygiene. If such references are not available, the applicant can submit three written work examples which demonstrate IH practice at the professional level, spanning the time period claimed as professional experience. The examples must be the applicant’s actual work product; paraphrased descriptions or summaries are not sufficient. Proprietary or sensitive information can be deleted. An example of work product is available from the ABIH Office. CIH’s practicing in foreign countries or in-country professionals in academic institutions may be well-positioned to advise applicants in selecting appropriate work product, or partner with the applicant and the ABIH Office to facilitate review and translation of work product, if necessary. If you are able to serve in this capacity, please contact Bee Snow in the ABIH Office, (517) 321-2638, Ext. 3.
If you are planning to sponsor an ABIH Certification Exam in a foreign country or are assisting an applicant, please be advised that the length of time necessary for processing international applications can be longer than U.S. based applications due to verification of transcripts, academic institution accreditation and the reference/work product issues outlined above. Do plan to allow sufficient lead time so that all materials necessary for processing the application(s) are received in advance of the application deadlines.
Proactive efforts to facilitate the exam application process for your international colleagues could help to increase the number of qualified candidates gaining approval to sit for ABIH examinations, resulting in positive outcomes for individuals and the profession.
Additional information regarding the examination application process is available in the ABIH Candidate Handbooks and at www.abih. org.
| ABIH Exams will be offered in Thailand on July 29 and Korea on October 13, 2001. |
Not CertifiedIn response to inquires, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene reports that the following individuals have never been certified by the Board and are not authorized to use the designation Certified Industrial Hygienist or CIH.
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James C. Barrett |
Jim Barrett, age 76, passed away on January 17, 2001 after a brief illness. Jim served as ABIHs first Executive Secretary from 1979 through 1990.
Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Jim served in WWII as a co-pilot in the US Air Force. He graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and then went to work from 1949 through 1979 for the Michigan Department of Public Health in the Occupational Health Division. Industrial ventilation was a primary area of interest for Jim throughout his career. Beginning in the mid 50's, he chaired the Michigan Industrial Ventilation Conference and participated on ACGIH’s Industrial Ventilation Committee. These two activities continued for more than twenty years. During this time Jim was also active on the Engineering Committee of AIHA. He achieved certification in Comprehensive Practice from ABIH in 1963, holding certificate number 492. Jim served on the Board of Directors of ABIH as well as ACGIH which he chaired in 1975. He received ACGIH’s Meritorious Achievement award in 1957 as a member of the Industrial Ventilation Committee and again in 1978 as an individual. Jim was an honorary member of AIHA and in 1987 was presented with the Borden Award.
My first memory of Jim was when he came to Ann Arbor as a guest lecturer for the University of Michigan Industrial Hygiene masters program. In 1977, I was hired as an industrial hygienist at the Michigan Department of Public Health, Division of Occupational Health and worked with Jim until he left the Department in 1979 to take on the position as ABIH’s first Executive Secretary. For those who have wondered why the Board’s office is in Lansing, Michigan, it’s because that’s where Jim was when he opened the first ABIH office and hired staff. My next opportunity to work with Jim was during my six years as an ABIH Director from 1983-89. When Jim decided to retire at the end of 1990, he encouraged me to apply for the position and, I am glad, as usual, that I listened to him. Even after Jim’s move from Lansing to Cystal Lake, Michigan, he maintained his ties with those of us working in the ABIH office as both a mentor and friend.
In all of the years I knew Jim, my stongest memories are of his focus on improving workplace conditions for workers and striving for technical and scientific excellence. Jim is and will continue to be missed by those of us who worked closely with him during his industrial hygiene career.
Lynn C. O’Donnell, CIH
ABIH Question Writing Workshops |
On Saturday, February 3, 2001, the Academy and AIHA hosted a question-writing workshop at AIHA headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. The session, held in conjunction with an Academy of Industrial Hygiene (AIH) Council meeting, was well attended, bringing in a number of CIHs from the Washington D.C. area along with the Council. The session was very successful, generating quite a few good questions for potential use on future ABIH exams.
ABIH question-writing workshops are one-day events, usually (but not always) on a weekend. The Board offers one CM Point for the day (plus food). We also pay travel expenses. But more importantly, it offers CIHs a chance to help keep the ABIH certification exams current and relevant. It is an opportunity to have input in identifying what aspects of industrial hygiene practice are important enough to include on the CIH exam and the new CAIH exam.
The workshops themselves are usually interesting exercises. They are also a chance to interact with your colleagues in a little different environment than a typical work setting or a professional meeting. People can work individually, in pairs or small groups of three or four.
What the Board is looking for are questions that will have applicability to a broad range of industrial hygienists, not just specialists in any given area. The exams are intended for generalists. The focus needs to be on what every hygienist should know/be able to do to be considered a CIH. Questions asking the examinees to understand and be able to apply general concepts and principles (while more difficult to write) are better than "trivia" questions. Also, if participants can come up with the kernel of the question, the specific knowledge or skill for which we are testing, the rest of the question can be developed later. It’s really the basic premise of the question that is important.
Prior to the sessions, the Board supplies some question-writing guidance (from CASTLE Worldwide, Inc., our examination consultant), and we usually try to put together a list of appropriate references. It is also helpful sometimes to identify topics and often divide the topics up into several subareas ahead of time. We also provide a copy of the "Role Delineation and Task Analysis" (RDTA), which includes a list of knowledge and skill statements that the Board hopes to test.
The security and confidentiality of the examination questions are, of course, of the utmost importance. Questions which are submitted must not be (1) available for review courses aimed at preparation for the ABIH examination or (2) distributed to potential examinees, including persons who may seek an additional certification or who may be reexamined for Certification Maintenance. The questions should not be discussed outside of the workshop and all copies of questions must be left with the Board representative at the conslusion of the session.
If you are interested in holding a question-writing workshop, we are more than happy to come to where you are and put together a session. What we need are a few volunteers who can make it on a specified day, and we can take care of the rest. For more information, please contact Lyle Edinger at (517) 321-2638, ext. 21 or at abih@abih.org.
Annual report to Diplomates |
As reported in this and the previous two (September and December 2000) issues of ABIH News, the year 2000 saw major progress towards many of the goals that make up the ABIH Strategic Plan.
The Role Delineation/Task Analysis (RDTA) which drives the exam structure and areas to be tested was validated for both the CIH and CAIH. Additional applicant educational requirements are being phased in (see article page 4). Trademark protection for CIH was achieved. Third party accreditation through the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB) is maintained. On the international front, the Board continues to look for ways to make the ABIH certification process available to interested, qualified foreign applicants as well as participating on the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) Certification Committee which will assist countries developing their own IH certification programs. Effective Board communication with applicants, Diplomates and other stakeholders is a continuing effort. Directors are nearing completion on a formal Communication Policy/Plan. This newsletter as well as direct mailings, submission of articles to association/trade publications, forums at conferences, the ABIH web page, presentations to Local Sections and active contacts with EHS organizations are some of the means the Board uses to communicate and receive input.
| New applications | 294 |
| Reapplications | 579 |
Reapplicants include IHITs requesting approval to take a second level examination, those previously approved who have delayed taking the exam(s) and those who are retaking an exam.
| Examination | # Examinees | # Who Passed | % Who Passed |
|---|---|---|---|
| CORE | Spring 115 Fall 158 Total 273 |
67 63 130 |
47.6 |
| COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE | Spring 202 Fall 265 Total 467 |
63 66 129 |
27.6 |
| CHEMICAL PRACTICE | Spring 6 Fall 5 Total 11 |
3 3 6 |
54.5 |
| INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY | Spring 6 Fall 5 Total 11 |
5 4 9 |
81.8 |
| Categories | 1994 - 1999 Cycle |
|---|---|
| Certificates Due for Renewal | 1191 |
| Retired, Deceased or Previously Lapsed | 212 |
| Worksheets Due - February 1, 2000 | 979 |
| Certificates Renewed | 929 |
| Certificates Not Renewed -October 29, 2000 | 40 |
| Categories | 1995 - 2000 Cycle |
| Certificates Due for Renewal | 1233 |
| Worksheets Due - February 1, 2001 | |
| Certificates Not Renewed | |
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The resources required to meet the purpose of the Board include the financial support of the Diplomates, applicants and examinees; the fulltime staff in Lansing, Michigan headquarters; and the time and talent of the Board members and others involved in Board activities.
The 2000 audited financial statement, prepared by Lewis M. Aronow, CPA, is presented below. The accompanying notes tothe statement are maintained on file at the ABIH office in Lansing, Michigan. The full statement may be viewed on this web site.
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2000
ASSETS
Cash
Merrill Lynch - WCMA Account $210,024
Old Kent Bank - Savings Account 2,552
Total Cash $212,576
Investments 846,323
Accrued Interest Receivable 2,282
Prepaid Expenses and Deposit 9,945
Office and Computer Equipment 112,181
Less: Accumulated Depreciation 51,318 60,863
Trademark Costs, Net of Amortization 10,777
TOTAL ASSETS $1,142,766
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Liabilities
Deferred Membership Dues $345,595
Accounts Payable 5,503
Accrued Expenses 1,431
Total Liabilities $352,529
Unrestricted Net Assets 790,237
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $1,142,766
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STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2000
Revenues
Application Fees $ 60,472
Examination Fees 121,893
Diplomate Dues and Roster Fees 365,041
Net Investment Income 62,389
Net Unrealized Gain on Investments 11,023
Seals, Videos, and Other Income 10,920
Total Revenues $620,715
Expenses
Meetings - Board and Committee $ 51,011
Regional Examination Administration 10,722
Examinations 29,101
Executive Director's Office 583,551
CESB Accreditation 4,500
Loss On Disposition Of Investments 19,151
Net Unrealized Loss on Investments 83,016
Total Expenses 781,072
Decrease in Net Assets (160,357)
Add: AAIH Net Assets Transferred In - Jamuary 1. 2000 296,215
Unrestricted Net Assets - January 1, 2000 654,379
Unrestricted Net Assets - December 31, 2000 $790,237
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This was posted on August 2, 2001.