April 2002
Self Nominate for an ABIH Director's Position |
In the fall of 2000 six new ABIH Directors were elected. For the first time, two of the six were nominated via the Member-at-Large self-nomination process. The Board will go through an election cycle again this fall and is seeking CIHs who are interested in serving as Directors.
While service as a board member is a challenging and rewarding volunteer assignment, it also carries important legal and fiduciary responsibilities requiring a commitment of time, skill and resources. ABIH is a working Board. Directors are asked to attend a minimum of two meetings per year, each about two days in length and to participate in committee work. There are currently four standing committees: Executive, Qualifications, Examination and Certification Maintenance. During the year, other board business is conducted via telephone, email and mail. Expenses related to board travel are covered by ABIH.
The Board consists of 19 Directors - one Public Member and eighteen CIHs. The CIH term of office is 6 years. Every two years the terms of six Directors expire and six CIHs are elected by the Board to fill the vacancies. As part of this process, ACGIH submits four nominees, two of whom will be elected and AIHA does the same. The remaining nominees will come from CIHs who submit a Nomination Packet to ABIH. Two from this group of nominees will also be elected at the Cincinnati PCIH Board Meeting September 28-29, 2002. The six newly elected Directors will take office at the Spring 2003 Board meeting.
The Member-at-Large self-nomination package is available from the Lansing office as well as the ABIH website under Forms and Publications/Prospective Director Nomination Packet. You can also pick up a package at the ABIH booth in San Diego at the AIHCE. The deadline for submission is July 1, 2002. If you have questions about serving on the ABIH Board, please call Lynn O'Donnell, CIH, the Executive Director, to discuss them.
April 2002 Board Report |
During the April 13-14, 2002 meeting the following major issues were discussed, finalized and/or voted on by the Directors.
The December 2001 Newsletter introduced the Vision, Mission and Values of the recently revised ABIH Strategic Plan. At this meeting of the Board, the Goals and Objectives were agreed to including a timeline for completion, who on the Board and/or staff is accountable for the objectives, their priority level, estimated Director/staff time required and budget implications. Following are the major goals identified by the Board:
To further the Strategic Plan goal to "Build and use marketing strategies to enhance the value of ABIH certifications", ABIH has contracted with Knapp and Associates International (K&AI), Inc. of Princeton, New Jersey. K&AI is a consulting company with in depth technical knowledge of the field of certification and the marketing of credentialing programs. They will be working with us to develop a focused communication/marketing plan to increase awareness about ABIH certifications and eligibility requirements.
A hearing was conducted to consider imposing sanctions against Avram Gold, PhD for the unethical practice of industrial hygiene, activities which discredit the profession of industrial hygiene and conviction of a felony. Dr. Gold pleaded guilty in Norfolk, Virginia Federal Court to felony charges of conspiracy to make fraudulent statements. It was reported that Dr. Gold falsified documents, including asbestos and lead air sampling results, signed off on abatement plans he had not written or reviewed and signed lead abatement training certificates for workers he had not actually trained. The asbestos and lead removal jobs were apparently conducted during the 1990s on military installations in the Virginia area.
The Board voted that sanctions should be imposed. Dr. Gold's certification has been revoked.
At its meeting on 13-14 April, 2002, the Certification Maintenance (CM) committee discussed several proposed changes to the CM process. Those changes involve the CIH/CAIH Retired/Inactive status, the annual 14-point maximum limit on point accumulation, and hardship exceptions to the CM policy. The proposed changes are designed to provide greater flexibility for maintaining certification in sometimes difficult and uncertain economic times, and to accommodate a wider range of personal hardships, life or family choices, and other extenuating circumstances without having to request special consideration from the Board.
The first change is to eliminate the annual ceiling of 14 CM points. Under the proposed policy, Diplomates will only need to accumulate 40 points per cycle (35 for CAIHs) with no annual maximums. All other point criteria will remain in effect as described in the CM Program Handbook.
In those rare cases of catastrophic illness or other long-term disability that cannot be accommodated by the proposed changes, Diplomates may still request consideration from the Board if maintenance of certification becomes difficult or impossible. Such requests will be considered by the CM Committee on a case-by-case basis. Diplomates desiring such consideration should notify the CM Committee chair as soon as it is known that the need exists (i.e., do NOT wait until the end of the cycle). Requests, which will be held in strict confidence, should be in writing and include a brief description of the illness or disability and an estimate of the expected duration, if known.
Diplomates who become involuntarily unemployed and unable to maintain certification should immediately notify the CM Committee chair in writing. The request should include a Recertification Worksheet showing the Diplomate's maintenance activities to date. The Committee will consider requests for extension of the CM cycle on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration several factors, including timeliness of notification, total points accumulated to date, likelihood that sufficient points can be obtained in the time remaining in the cycle, and expected duration of unemployment. Diplomates who submit a deficient recertification worksheet after their cycle ends will not be considered for retroactive consideration.
The Committee is also recommending a change to the Board's policy of granting "Retired/Inactive" status to Diplomates. Only Diplomates who have retired from the full-time OR part-time practice of Industrial Hygiene will be eligible for "Retired" status, thus relieving them of any further obligation to pay dues or accumulate CM points. Those Diplomates who continue to practice will be expected to fulfill all requirements to maintain their certification in good standing. The term "Inactive" will no longer be used. The Committee believes that this change is necessary to maintain the integrity of the certification process and to ensure that practicing Diplomates are maintaining currency in the state-of-the-art of the profession. Diplomates who continue to practice, either full time or part time, but elect not to pay dues and/or submit a satisfactory recertification worksheet when due will be subject to existing Board policy concerning revocation of Certification.
The CM Committee is proposing these changes in an effort to remain sensitive to the needs of Diplomates while recognizing the need to maintain the integrity, accreditation and global reputation of the ABIH Certification programs.
Comments on these proposed changes are solicited from affected stakeholders, including Diplomates, prospective applicants, employers and the public. All comments should include the name and address of the submitter and must be received by September 1, 2002 to be considered at the Fall Board meeting on September 28-29, 2002. Final motions to adopt these changes will be submitted to the Board at that time, and, if approved, will take effect on January 1, 2003. Comments may be sent to:
American Board of Industrial Hygiene ATTN: CM Committee 6015 W. St. Joseph, Suite 102 Lansing, MI 48917 FAX: (517) 321-4624 E-mail: abih@abih.org
ABIH Liaison Activities |
Topics covered at the January 20-21, 2002 Council meeting included the integration of AIH activities with AIHA's strategic plan, mentoring initiatives, the Professional Conference on Industrial Hygiene (PCIH), the availability of the new Academy brochure "Why become a CIH" and ABET academic accreditation of bachelors and masters industrial hygiene programs. The Council will meet June 2 at the San Diego AIHCE and September 29 at the Cincinnati PCIH.
"Because the health of your employees and community is important to you....."
This is a promotional brochure for prospective employers and clients which describes the certification process and expertise of CIHs. Cost: $12.00/50 brochures plus shipping
"Why become a CIH?"
This brochure promotes the personal, peer, employer and public value of certification and is free of charge.
Both brochures can be viewed by going to www.aiha.org and clicking on the Academy. To order, contact Aisha Wright at (703) 849-8888.
The CCHEST Board met March 15-16, 2002 in Champaign, IL. In addition to the regular board meeting, the first day was devoted to strategic planning. CCHEST is operating in the black for the sixth year, primarily due to an increase in applications for the OHST (Occupational Health & Safety Technologist), CHST (Construction Health & Safety Technician) and STS-Construction (Safety Trained Supervisor in Construction). You can find out more about CCHEST, a joint ABIH/BCSP venture in operation since 1986, by going to www.cchest.org.
The annual meeting of CESB was held in Alexandria, VA on February 5, 2002. Nine certification programs were reviewed for initial accreditation or reaccreditation including ABIH's Certified Associate Industrial Hygienist (CAIH). The CAIH has been accredited through December 2006. Don Harvey, ABIH's representative to CESB has been elected Treasurer for 2002.
Representatives from ABIH, ACGIH, the Academy and AIHA participate on the JIHEEC. Their mission is to jointly promote an awareness and understanding of the Code of Ethics among all memberships. Activities include the publication of Ethics scenarios in the Synergist, submittal of questions for possible use on ABIH exams, revision of the ethics chapter of the "White Book" (The Occupational Environment - Its Evaluation and Control), making an ethics Power Point presentation available for use at local section meetings and sponsoring a dinner presentation/discussion on Wednesday, June 5th at the San Diego AIHCE.
Update Your Address on the Web |
You can now update your address, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address on the ABIH web site. From the ABIH Home Page (www.abih.org), then log in. This requires your last name and your ABIH I.D. number, which is NOT the same as your certification number. Your ABIH I.D. number is printed on your dues notice (under the bar code) and also on your dues receipt.
When you have logged in, you will see the "Diplomate Services Menu." (You may also return to the menu from a page you are viewing using the link at the bottom of other Diplomate Services pages.) The "Update Your Contact Information" choice brings up a form for entering changes. Please also note that there is a button beneath the last box to indicate whether or not you want to be listed as a consultant. If you check "yes," your address, phone numbers, and e-mail address will appear in both the "Public Roster" and the "Diplomate Roster." If you are not listed as a consultant, your contact information appears only in the "Diplomate Roster."
The roster, of course, contains only those CIHs, CAIHs, and IHITs who are in good dues standing.
Once you have entered your changes and clicked on "Submit Update to ABIH," the changes will NOT appear in the online roster immediately. The changes are imported into our database in the office and the online roster is updated from that database. This is done about once a week, so expect it to be a couple of days before you see the changes. (Note: If your mailing address is in the U.S.A., please leave the "country" field blank. You only need to list a country if you are outside the U.S.)
"Lost" CIHsThe following individuals were due to report for certification maintenance by February 1, 2002, but we have been unable to locate them. We have listed last known employer and state.
If you know where these CIHs are, please write, call, fax or e-mail us with their current locations. |
Update on Examination Issues |
Beginning with the 2002 Spring Examinations, ABIH will be using a new method of establishing the passing scores. In the past, ABIH has used the "modified Angoff method." The method to be used going forward from here is a method known as "equating."
The modified Angoff method uses a panel of raters to assign difficulty values ("Angoff scores") to each of the questions on an exam. The score is the rater's estimate of what percentage of candidates meeting the minimum qualifications for certification (the "baseline CIH," for example) would be able to answer the question correctly. The Angoff scores for all of the questions on the exam are averaged, and that is the passing score. If the average estimate for all of the questions is, for example, 65, then the "minimally acceptable" candidate (for certification) should score 65%, and that is set as the passing score. This is still the process used for the "anchor" version of the exam, the one to which subsequent exams will be equated.
"Equating" is a statistical process that is used to adjust scores on different versions of a test to account for differences in difficulty between those two different tests. It is a method of comparing two different groups of examinees and two different examinations to determine comparability. The intent is to assure, to the extent possible, that the exam is neither more nor less difficult for candidates to pass from one year to the next.
The equating procedure examines candidate scores (as a group) on a set of questions common to both examinations and also on the unique questions on each exam (as a group). Comparing the performance of the two groups of examinees on the common questions provides an evaluation of the relative strengths of the two groups of candidates. Then, comparing the two groups' performance on the unique questions (with adjustments from the first analysis) provides information on the relative difficulty of the two exams.
Using this evaluation of the relative difficulty of the two exams, the passing score of the second examination is set to be similar in difficulty to the first. Again, this is to attempt to assure that the exam is neither more nor less difficult for candidates to pass from one year to the next.
The passing score for each year's examination will not be determined until after the analysis described above has been completed. Since that analysis relies on data collected by the year's exam, the passing score obviously cannot be announced prior to the administration of the exams. We do not anticipate a big change in the passing score from previous years. The passing score will be provided with the results letter sent to each examinee approximately six to eight weeks after the examination date.
Beginning with the 2002 Spring Examinations, ABIH will no longer allow examinees to use programmable calculators during the exams. Candidates should obtain a non-programmable calculator that does base ten and natural logs, exponents, and e raised to an exponential power. These calculators are readily available in the $10-$12 range from such manufacturers as Casio, Sharp and Texas Instruments, among others, and can be found at most office supply and electronics stores. Candidates should obtain a calculator well in advance of the exams and become familiar with its use.
ABIH will no longer be providing pencils for use during the examinations. Candidates should bring at least a couple #2 pencils, and would be wise to bring a small, manual sharpener as well. Scanners have become better at picking up different densities of marks, making it less important that we assure that candidates use specific pencils (although #2 pencils are still recommended). The logistics involved in handing out pencils, collecting them afterwards, sharpening them, if necessary, repeating the process, and returning them to the examination service just doesn't seem necessary any longer.
Letters to examinees have informed them of the calculator and pencil changes, but if you have employees, friends or associates who are taking one of the exams, please remind them of these changes.
Following discussions at the fall 2001 Board meeting, the ABIH voted this winter to change the frequency with which candidates may take an examination. The previous policy required unsuccessful examinees to wait approximately one year before retaking an exam. The policy has been changed to requiring a three-month wait between attempts, meaning that unsuccessful spring examinees could now retake the exam in the fall of the same year and unsuccessful fall examinees could retake the exam the following spring. Our examination consultant, CASTLE Worldwide, Inc., has indicated that examinees do not accurately remember enough of the examination after such a waiting period to give them an advantage. In addition to not accurately recalling the various questions, the candidates do not know which items they answered correctly. CASTLE believes that offering the same examination after a three month interval is reasonable and consistent with generally accepted psychometric practice.
CM Points for Distance Learning Activities |
CIHs and CAIHs with restricted travel budgets or who are unable to travel for a variety of reasons may want to consider distance learning/home study activities as an option for accruing CM points.
Distance learning activities include the following formats: audio, video/CD ROM, manuals, web-based or a combination of several formats. CM points are awarded based on content and time frame. Acceptable content topics include industrial hygiene, management and safety. CM points are awarded at a rate of 0.5 CM point per 3 hours/1.0 CM point per 6 hours. Distance learning activities are capped at 5.0 CM points per activity regardless of duration or content. Fundamental industrial hygiene and non-EHS management courses are capped at 5.0 CM points per course and 5.0 CM points per 5-year cycle. ABIH awards CM points for distance learning activities in Category 4. Attendance at Meetings and Educational Programs.
During each 5-year cycle, a minimum of 10 CM points in IH rubric areas must be accumulated in Category 4.
ABIH reviews distance learning/home study activities with the submission of the following information:
For a listing of distance learning/home study activities which have been reviewed for CM points or to obtain a copy of the Certification Maintenance Point Inquiry Form, please visit the ABIH website download page at abih.org or call the ABIH office at 517-321-2638; ext. 5. Please note, ABIH does not accredit, certify or endorse any courses, seminars, conferences or educational programs.
17th Annual Professional Conference on Industrial Hygiene |  |
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Join the nation's most influential industrial hygienists - from government, industry, academia and consulting - at this dynamic meeting:
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2001 Application/Examination/Certification Statistics/Accounting Resources |
Applications
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. Examinations
Certification Maintenance
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Cumulative Total of CIH Certificates Issued
CIHs/IHITs/CAIHs in Active StatusThrough December 31, 2001 there were:
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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 2001 audited financial statement, prepared by Lewis M. Aronow, CPA, is presented below. The accompanying notes to the statement are maintained on file at the ABIH office in Lansing, Michigan. The full statement may be viewed on this web site when posted.
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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2001
ASSETS
Cash
Merrill Lynch - WCMA Account $364,486
Fifth Third Bank - Savings Account 23,285
Total Cash $387,771
Marketable Securities 575,120
Accrued Interest Receivable 3,478
Prepaid Expenses and Deposit 11,890
Office and Computer Equipment 129,113
Less: Accumulated Depreciation 67,329
61,784
Trademark Costs, Net of Amortization 17,237
Investment - CCHEST Joint Venture 53,544
TOTAL ASSETS $1,110,824
LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Liabilities
Deferred Membership Dues $342,930
Accounts Payable 3,451
Accrued Expenses 2,171
Total Liabilities $348,552
Unrestricted Net Assets 762,272
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $1,110,824
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STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2001
Revenues
Application Fees $ 57,438
Examination Fees 89,080
Dues 499,957
Net Investment Income 29,257
CM Worksheet Late Fees 7,280
Seals, Videos, and Other Income 10,255
Total Revenues $693,267
Expenses
Meetings - Board and Committee $ 54,909
Regional Examination Administration 8,154
Examinations 33,892
Executive Director's Office 585,339
CESB Accreditation 4,500
Loss On Disposition Of Investments 34,055
Net Unrealized Loss on Investments 53,927
Total Expenses 774,776
Equity in Net Income of CCHEST Joint Venture 21,255
Decrease in Unrestricted Net Assets ( 60,254)
Unrestricted Net Assets - January 1, 2001 790,237
Add: - Investment in CCHEST Joint Venture 32,289
(Prior Period)
Unrestricted Net Assets - December 31, 2001 $762,272
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This was posted on May 30, 2002.
