A 10-member panel of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals has completed an evaluation of the scope of the industrial hygiene profession in preparation for the Fall 2009 Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) examination.

The evaluation, which identified the domains, tasks, knowledge, and skills essential to the performance of a CIH, was commissioned by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH).

ABIH appointed the 10 professionals to the Job Analysis (JA) Panel in 2008, and then worked closely with the psychometric and testing services company CASTLE Worldwide, Inc., to conduct the evaluation.

The recommendations of the panel were then reviewed by a representative sample of professionals in the practice of industrial hygiene to validate the findings. The JA panel represented a variety of practice settings, geographic regions, educational levels, and years of experience.

“ABIH owes a debt of gratitude to these dedicated professionals who have taken on this important responsibility in addition to their regular jobs,” said ABIH Executive Director Lynn O’Donnell, CIH. “Their work has helped create the blueprint for the CIH exam offered beginning in October 2009.”

The American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) is the certifying organization for Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIHs). Earning the CIH requires that candidates meet rigorous education and experience requirements, pass an examination, and recertify every five years by fulfilling continuing education requirements. More than 6,500 industrial hygienists currently hold the CIH designation.