About CIHC

Purpose

  • Establish a legislative presence in the State Capitol through professional representation
  • Keep the industrial hygiene profession intact by opposing any further erosion or limitation of practice by legislation or regulation
  • Seek recognition in statute to define, recognize, and protect the profession of industrial hygiene
  • Provide sound scientific and technological input to the legislative and regulatory process

Legislative Services:

  • CIHC contracts with Sacramento Advocacy to provide legislative support
  • Professional legislative support is essential especially during the current state economic climate where many health and safety programs are or have been considered for elimination or modification
  • CIHC Directors, representing five local sections of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), volunteer their time to support CIHC activities

CIHC Activities:

  • Review and monitor legislation (each year, the CIHC Board reviews hundreds of bills, screened by the CIHC Legislative Office, which may impact the industrial hygiene profession)
  • Sponsor legislation
  • Review regulations
  • Sponsor the annual CIHC Conference
  • Coordinate with AIHA National Governmental Affairs

CIHC's Major Accomplishments:

  • Defined Industrial Hygienist in State Law (H&S Code 117672)
  • Initiated and Sponsored the Industrial Hygienist Definition and Registration Act (B&P Code Sections 20700-20705)
  • Established a legislative presence in Sacramento
  • Negotiated by reducing the number of days for lead training course for CIHs to three days
  • Negotiated the exemption for Trauma Scene Waste Management Practitioner requirement
  • Monitored rewrite of the Professional Engineers Act
  • Sponsored laboratory accreditation legislation
  • Sponsored successful legislation to allow a CIH or other qualified professional to provide lead poisoning prevention services
  • Garnered strategic legislative amendments to the Toxic Mold Protection Act of 2001 assuring the participation of IH’s in developing standards to identify, evaluate, and abate mold
  • Submitted formal input on the following proposed regulations: heat illness prevention, green chemistry, lead in paint from developing countries, globally harmonized hazard communication systems, and building standards

Annual CIHC Conference:

  • Provide a statewide forum to discuss issues of concern to the industrial hygiene profession
  • Provide educational opportunities for industrial hygienists and allied professionals
  • Strengthen ties and establish alliance among the occupational health and safety professionals
  • Provides an opportunity to consult, network, collaborate among industrial hygienists and other professionals
  • Raise funds to support the CIHC organization by continuing services provided by Sacramento Advocacy