Page 100 - OHS, September 2022

90TH ANNIVERSARY
Industrial hygienists have been playing a vital role in worker safety for thousands of years.
Unlike the name, industrial hygienists work in more than just an industry setting. They work for colleges, governments, firms, unions and many other organizations.9 Self-employed or consulting IH is the “fastest-growing segment,” the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) notes.
As times change so do the demands of worksites. To stay current with the times, industrial hygienists may use new approaches or practices. In 2003, Total Worker Health was started by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).10 This approach is the “policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness-prevention efforts to advance worker well-being.”
Total Worker Health focuses on the concept that “work is a social determinant of health.”11 A worker’s well-being is impacted by more than just hazards. It involves factors like pay, coworker interactions, paid time off and more, NIOSH says.12 Industrial hygienists can look at many areas that affect a worker’s health or safety in and out of work.13
The role of the industrial hygienist has also changed recently since the start of COVID-19.14 The pandemic changed a lot overnight, including worker health and safety. For many employers, there was an immediate need for additional measures, like PPE or ventilation, to keep workers safe.
Organizations called for new safety measures during the pandemic. AIHA, alongside other organizations, recommended OSHA and the CDC publish COVID-19 guidelines for workers.15 AIHA also published an updated document called “The Role of the Industrial Hygienist in a Pandemic” in 2022.16 Originally published in 2006, the document covers information from three pandemics: H5N1 avian flu, the H1N1 swine flu and COVID-19.
As the pandemic continues, the focus on infectious disease prevention will remain essential. Industrial hygienists can play a vital role in helping companies keep workers safe as COVID-19 and other infectious diseases continue in the workplace.
The Future
The role of industrial hygiene is always changing. The future of industrial hygiene may include a lot of change. At AIHce EXP 2020, an AIHA professional development conference and exposition, Bernard Fontaine gave a speech on industrial hygiene. In his speech, he discussed where he thinks industrial hygiene will be in the future. His ideas included Big Data, online options like healthcare solutions or trainings, “sports and recreation” and new technologies. “My vision is that the profession will become more integrated with other disciplines,” he said.17
Fontaine also suggests that industrial hygiene may eventually focus more on diversity, equity and inclusion. A workplace with employees from many backgrounds can offer a multitude of ideas and thought patterns, the article about his speech noted.18 He also suggested industrial hygienists may work more with media to tell the story of industrial hygiene. This can help employers know more about the value of industrial hygiene and the role it can play in health and safety.
Paul Zoubek, CSP, CIH, CESCP, president of Zoubek Consulting, also has ideas on the future of industrial hygiene. In an interview with the American Society of Safety Professionals, Zoubek suggested the focus of industrial hygiene will change. “In the future, I believe there will be less emphasis on industrial workplaces. They won’t go away, of course, but I believe as a profession we will be more focused on health issues in non- industrial environments. We have lots of learning to do,” Zoubek said in the article.19
A lot has changed in the world and will continue to change, including industrial hygiene. As history shows, the one thing that will stay the same is the need for worker health and safety.
Alex Saurman is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety magazine.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/training-library_industrial_ hygiene.pdf
2. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/training-library_industrial_ hygiene.pdf
3. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/training-library_industrial_ hygiene.pdf
4. https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/what-is-industrial-hygiene/ 5. https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/what-is-industrial-hygiene/
6. https://www.1ssh.com/industrial-hygiene/guide-to-industrial-hygiene. aspx
7. https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/what-is-industrial-hygiene/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC4292192/#:~:text=Estimates%20are%20that%20there%20 are,academic%20programs%20at%20all%20levels.
9. https://www.aiha.org/ih-careers/discover-industrial-hygiene 10. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/twh/history.html
11. http://www.who.int/social_determinants/sdh_definition/en/ 12. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/twh/totalhealth.html
13. https://www.assp.org/resources/total-worker-health
14. https://us.anteagroup.com/news-events/blog/ehs-industrial-hygienist-
occupational-career
15. https://ohsonline.com/articles/2021/02/12/health-organizations- petition-safety-agencies-to-issue-occupational-covid19-guidance.aspx
16. https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/01/11/ih-pandemic- response/
17. https://www.aiha.org/blog/the-future-of-work-and-the-reimagined- industrial-hygiene-profession
18. https://www.aiha.org/blog/the-future-of-work-and-the-reimagined- industrial-hygiene-profession
19. https://www.assp.org/news-and-articles/q-a-how-to-prepare-for-the- future-of-industrial-hygiene
96 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2022 www.ohsonline.com