The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) today announced two recipients of the 2016 Yant Award, which is presented annually to an individual residing outside of the United States to recognize outstanding contributions in industrial hygiene or allied fields. This year marks the first time that AIHA will honor two individuals with this prestigious award. The 2016 Yant Award recipients are:

Roger Alesbury, CFFOH, and Stephen R. Bailey, CFFOH

Roger Alesbury and Stephen Bailey have jointly contributed to the training and development of occupational hygienists worldwide, particularly helping to spur the growth of professionals in developing economies. Alesbury and Bailey both previously held global responsibilities in senior management positions at multi-national corporations. Alesbury worked in the oil industry, and Bailey worked in pharmaceuticals.

By 2005, the pair identified a recruitment crisis in the profession, which led to their work over the next decade to develop a training framework where trainees would develop transferable practical skills using peer-reviewed training materials that would be available globally. The process to build such a framework included a discussion document; debate at national and international hygiene conferences; and extensive negotiations. Their strong leadership resulted in an overarching, consistent international framework for the training of occupational hygienists, which was formalized by the establishment of the International Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA) in 2010. Alesbury and Bailey were among the organization's founding directors.

Website provides remote access

OHTA received support and funding to develop OHlearning.com, a website providing remote access to OH training materials and information globally. To date, the website has delivered more than 500 training courses in 38 countries with more than 5,000 exam candidates. A number of students from this program have advanced their careers by attaining professional certifications such as the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

Alesbury and Bailey will be honored on Wednesday, May 25, during the second annual Mark of Excellence Awards Breakfast at the 2016 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in Inner Harbor Baltimore, Md. The awards event is a celebration to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by dedicated members and volunteers to the industrial hygiene profession. These two honorees are among a group of nine who will receive AIHA's most coveted awards this year.

"Roger and Stephen have both made tremendous contributions to occupational hygiene on a global scale," said AIHA President Daniel H. Anna, PhD, CIH, CSP. "By creating a training framework that has reached 38 countries around the world they found a way to provide access to basic occupational hygiene training in areas that needed it most. Their efforts are a significant step toward protecting worker health and advancing the occupational hygiene profession worldwide. We are honored to recognize these individuals at AIHce 2016."

The Yant Award was established in 1964 to honor the contributions of William P. Yant, AIHA's first president, and is sponsored by Mine Safety Appliances (MSA). Recipients of the Yant Award are asked to present a lecture at AIHce on a topic of their choice related to occupational hygiene or health. A list of past Yant Award winners is available on AIHA's website.

Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is the premier association of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals. AIHA's 10,000 members play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day. Members represent a cross-section of industry, private business, labor, government and academia. AIHA's annual conference (AIHce) is the premier event for IH and OEHS professionals to learn the latest education and outcomes pertaining to worker health and safety. More information is available at www.aiha.org.