On March 4, Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health announced the availability of a five-day, online Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene course covering the foundations of safety practices and professions, which include anticipating, evaluating, preventing, and controlling workplace health and safety hazards.
The course runs from July 7 to 11.
The course is offered as an entry point into or a refresher in industrial hygiene practice. Changes in artificial intelligence, equipment, and other technologies have shifted how workplace hazards are evaluated and controlled. The COVID-19 pandemic also changed many ventilation and indoor air quality testing protocols.
“The course allows you to improve skills in your specific area while also allowing you to expand your horizons,” Louis J. DiBerardinis, MS, an instructor of industrial hygiene at the Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health, said in a statement.
According to the Chan School, the fundamentals of industrial hygiene course may benefit professionals other than industrial hygienists, including those in biotech, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and research.
The course covers topics like ergonomics, noise reduction, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, sampling and instrumentation, and ventilation. Topics and skills covered in the course may allow workers to perform tasks and projects that employers might otherwise have to outsource, according to the Chan School.
The summer course features speakers in various fields, addressing emerging issues in their particular industries, and provides a toolkit of case studies, references, videos, and opportunities to problem-solve real-world issues in the course.
AIHA releases survey of EHS field
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) recently published the results of its survey of occupational and environment, health, and safety (OEHS) professionals, revealing key issues on the current state of the field and future demand for the OEHS profession in the United States.
The survey follows up a more extensive assessment conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 2011 titled “National Assessment of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce.”
The AIHA surveyed its membership base, affiliated academic universities, and partner associations, focusing on hiring trends, training support, and retention/recruitment challenges, including the average number of new OEHS hires anticipated over the next three years. The group received more than 2,140 responses, and 1,106 individuals completed the entire survey. “Partner” safety organizations included the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), and the National Safety Council (NSC).
Most respondents (56.5%) planned to use in-house OEHS staff for the safety and health role and responsibilities, while 1.6% are considering outsourcing, 37.5% are considering a combination of in-house and outsourced staff, and 4.5% aren’t sure.
Complementary certification training is provided by 87.9% of surveyed employers, and no certification training is provided by 12.1% of respondents.
Key issues surrounding OEHS training include time constraints; the availability, effectiveness, and relevance of training; cost and funding; a lack of tools, support, or guidance from respondents’ employers; turnover and workload; and variability of skills and knowledge among those in safety and health roles.
The survey found that 52% of respondents reported that their employers plan to add OEHS staff in the next three years, while only 9% reported their employers have no plans to hire additional staff in the near future.