After polling members, AIHA has identified the top public policy IH issues for 2005-2006:

Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) — AIHA continues to facilitate a working group of industry and labor professionals striving to reach a consensus on the best way to update the PELs. OSHA shows no interest in doing the heavy lifting: many PELs have not been updated since the 1970s.

Emergency Preparedness and Response — EHS pros play a crucial role in anticipating, detecting, evaluating and controlling risks to emergency responders and communities in the uncertain post-9/11 world.

Safety and Health Programs — AIHA supports efforts to ensure that employers incorporate a written safety and health program into workplace policies, even though OSHA dropped the idea of mandating written programs years ago.

Ergonomics — AIHA remains sold of the need for an ergonomics standard, but in Washington that's a minority view and so the AIHA/OSHA alliance focuses most of its efforts on ergonomics issues.

Hazard Communication/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) — Global commerce might eventually force a global strategy for hazard communication, and AIHA continues to make an issue of the accuracy (or lack thereof) of MSDSs.