Many industrial hygienists have long recognized a need for credentialing in industrial hygiene which would
supplement the only credentialing processes available before July 1994 -- that of ABIH as a Certified
Industrial Hygienist. On July 1, 1994, Tennessee Code Annotated Title 62, Chapter 40 became effective,
providing a legal definition of the requirements for persons to represent themselves as an industrial
hygienist or professional industrial hygienist.
Thus APIH was
formed to offer credentialing to industrial hygienists who meet the legal definitions of industrial hygienist or
professional industrial hygienist regardless of their geographical location.
The definitions in the Tennessee law which were adopted by APIH as its basis for credentialing of industrial
hygienists are very much like the definitions that have been used by the national industrial hygiene
organizations for the past 25 years.
"Industrial Hygienist" means "a person who possesses a baccalaureate degree, issued by an accredited
college or university, in industrial hygiene, engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, medicine or related
physical and biological sciences and who, by virtue of special studies and training, has acquired competence
in industrial hygiene."
"Professional Industrial Hygienist" means "a person who possesses a baccalaureate degree, issued by an
accredited college or university, in industrial hygiene, engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, medicine or
related physical and biological sciences who has a minimum of three (3) years full-time industrial hygiene
experience. A completed master's degree in a related physical or biological science, or in a related
engineering discipline, may be substituted for one (1) year of the experience requirement; and a similar
doctoral degree may be substituted for an additional year of the experience requirement."
The Association of Professional Industrial Hygienists (APIH) was established to maintain, publicize, and
distribute a registry of those persons working in the field of industrial hygiene who meet the above education
and experience criteria. Each application for registration is evaluated by the APIH Registration Committee and
information submitted is verified and documented in the member's record. Registrants must update their
records on the fifth anniversary of their initial registration date.
Recently, the Association adopted procedures to register Industrial Hygiene Technologists.
To qualify, a member must meet one of the following criterion; (a) have an associate degree in industrial
hygiene; or (b) an associate degree in an allied field and one (1) years experience, or (c) three (3) years of
full-time experience. Note: "experience" means under the supervision of an RPIH, RIH, CIH, or other health
& safety professional that is acceptable to the Registration Committee.
MEMBERSHIP:
To become a member of APIH and receive an application for registration, please complete a membership
application and mail with the first years membership dues of $45.00 (full member) or $35.00
(associate member). Upon becoming a member we will send you an application package for registration.
With this application, you will be asked to provide proof of degree(s) and/or work experience.
A fee of $95 is required for initial registration and a maintenance fee of $30 per year thereafter.
After verification, you will be provided a numbered certificate of registration and will be authorized to use the
title Registered Industrial Hygienist (RIH), Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist (RPIH), or
Registered Industrial Hygiene Technologist (RIHT).