2. International Occupational Hygiene
Association (IOHA) - 2012
• 29 member organizations
• 19,569 members worldwide
• 11 recognized certification
programs
• 7868 certified professionals
• 352 technical certificate
holders
• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Norway
• South Africa
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• United States
3. Occupational Hygiene
Training Association (OHTA) Ltd
• A not-for-profit organization of volunteers
• Dedicated to improving protection of people
worldwide from the risks of the working
environment
• Operates a global training and qualifications
scheme in occupational hygiene
• Supported by the International Occupational
Hygiene Association and its members
• Provides free access to educational materials
through its website (www.OHlearning.com)
4. Professional
Intermediate
Foundation
Advanced
modules
Intermediate
modules
Principles
module
• Available through university
postgraduate study leading to
masters degree
• Specialist modules under
development
•Seven 1-week modules based on
practical aspects of occupational
hygiene
•One module for each topic area
•Leads to international certificate
•1-week module
•Covers the whole breadth of
occupational hygiene at an
introductory level
QualificationsTraining
2
3
4
Available Now
5. International Certificate in
Occupational Hygiene (ICertOH)
• ICertOH is an Intermediate qualification
• Award requires
– completion of at least 6 intermediate modules
– submission of a Personal Learning Portfolio
– at least 3 years practical experience before submitting the
portfolio
– at least 6 months practical experience in each core area
plus some experience in other areas
• Final assessment is by successful interview by a an
IOHA member association
6. Achievements
• 104 courses run in 28
countries (to July 2012)
• Over 1200 International
Occupational Hygiene Module
examinations taken
• 77 more courses scheduled
(at Nov 2012)
• The most popular have been
– W201 Basic Principles of Occupational Hygiene
– W501 Measurement of Hazardous Substances
– W505 Control of Hazardous Substances
• Over 38,500 website visitors from 186 countries (Nov 2012)
13. CONCLUSIONS
• OHTA courses have not yet gained popularity in North America
• Most students (Asian) have 4 year college degrees or more
• Most want to go to the next level (CIH)
• Individual Modules are valued
• Majority not going for all six modules
• Module 501 and 505 are most popular
• Some of the modules (thermal stress) are hard to find because
providers are less interested in offering those
• There are obstacles in offering non-English courses
• Instructors with field experiences should teach these courses
• Provides pathway to CIH for candidates without science degree
Editor's Notes
IOHA statistics show that although occupational /industrial hygiene is well established, with 29 national organizations as members, it is a very small profession. There are less than 8000 professionally qualified hygienists with around 2/3 of those in the USA, and another 350 holders of lower level technical certificates (mostly South Africa and Canada).Details from Noel Tresider July 2012:IOHA has 29 associations, 27 countries, 14 languages Number of members in IOHA associations = 19,569 (assume OH)Approx number of Certified IH (NAR schemes) = 7,868IH technician certified (not recognized under NAR scheme) = 352 (mostly South Africa and Canada) Number of IOHA NAR Schemes = 1111 recognized certification programs
To operate the scheme we have created the Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA) Ltd. It is:a not-for-profit organisation of volunteersdedicated to improving protection of people worldwide from the risks of the working environmentoperates a global training and qualifications scheme in occupational hygienesupported by the International Occupational Hygiene Association and its membersprovides free access to educational materials through its website (www.OHlearning.com)
The Principles module is a 5-day course that introduces the basics of occupational hygiene. The course is suitable for specialists in related fields such as safety and occupational health, as well as for managers and engineers who need a more in depth understanding than just awareness. It also provides a foundation for study at the higher levels. People taking the course receive a certificate of successful course completion. The Intermediate modules are designed for occupational hygiene technical staff. These are people who might measure exposure levels to chemicals or noise, or who might test ventilation systems to see if they are effective. They are typically taught in 5-day classroom modules, though UIC (Chicago) offers a diploma programme by distance learning. The training is very practical, which was rated as extremely important by both students and employers. Students who successfully pass six intermediate modules can apply for the Certificate in International Occupational Hygiene by submitting a portfolio of their experience and taking an oral exam. The examinations are overseen by the OHTA Qualifications Group which is drawn from the IOHA accredited examining boards of the hygiene profession.The modules at Foundation and intermediate level are delivered through a network of approved training providers including consultancies, not-for-profit organisations and universities. It is important to mention that these organisations do charge the students (or their employers) their normal rates for the training, so attending a training course is not normally free. OHTA does not derive any income from the training events.Then there are higher level courses that can lead on to academic qualifications for people aspiring to become hygiene professionals. OHTA does not offer the Advanced courses directly – they are only available through universities as part of MSc degrees. Wollongong (Australia) and Antofagasta (Chile) offer Master’s courses based on OHTA materials. Specialist modules for hygienists in particular industries are also under development to supplement the more academic material provided in Master’s classes.Master’s programmes can provide the starting point for taking professional qualifications such as the CIH qualification of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and the British Occupational Hygiene Society’s Diploma in Occupational Hygiene.
ICertOH is an Intermediate qualification, providing evidence of training and experience at a technical level.The award requirescompletion of at least 6 intermediate modules (4 core and 2 optional)submission of a Personal Learning Portfoiio of practical experienceat least 3 years practical experience before submitting the portfolioAt least 6 months practical experience in each core area plus some experience in other areasFinal assessment is by successful interview at National Association
