Additional Information

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).


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