The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) and the Occupational Hygiene Training Association® (OHTA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that details several areas of future collaboration. AIHA and OHTA plan to build on current collaborative efforts to promote better standards of occupational hygiene practice throughout the world. Both organizations share common goals of promoting worker health and safety and training all industrial/occupational hygienists to a consistent, high standard across the globe.
OHTA promotes an international training and qualifications framework for occupational hygienists. AIHA is an OHTA Member Association, Approved Training Provider, and sponsor.
"OHTA and AIHA share similar goals of educating and training IH/OH professionals and preventing worker illness and injury globally," said AIHA Board President Deborah Imel Nelson, PhD, CIH. "By promoting better standards of occupational hygiene practice throughout the world, the marketing alliance between OHTA and AIHA will strengthen our collaboration and ability to reach these goals."
Noel Tresider, COH, CIH, who serves on OHTA's Board of Directors, estimates that an additional 44,000 occupational health professionals are needed to meet worldwide demand. Currently, there are approximately 7,600 practicing certified or registered industrial/occupational hygienists who serve around 15 countries.
"On behalf of everyone at OHTA, I am delighted that we have entered into this marketing alliance with AIHA," added Chris Laszcz-Davis, MS, CIH, FAIHA, co-chair of the OHTA Board. "AIHA has been a wonderful advocate of OHTA and its ability to bring capable talent together to produce learning modules of the finest quality for global OH/IH use. There are many ways in which our organizations' activities and goals align, particularly in strengthening the global footprint and impact of OH/IH practice. Our hope is that this new agreement will benefit both organizations and the many other risk-related partnerships being forged."
Nancy McClellan, CIH, CHMM, MPH, of the AIHA Board of Directors and co-chair of the OHTA Board, reiterated these sentiments.
"So many of the AIHA grassroots efforts already collaborate with OHTA," McClellan said. "The international objectives for both AIHA and OHTA are very similar in that both organizations work toward global prevention of worker illness and injury. This alliance is a key opportunity to further raise the global profile of both associations' activities."
About AIHA®
Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has 8,500 members - of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals who play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day. More information is available at www.aiha.org.
About OHTA®
The Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA) is an international training scheme and qualifications framework dedicated to enabling healthy work environments for a global work force. More information on OHTA is available at www.ohlearning.com.
