Introduction
Placing emphasis on industrial hygiene has been a key priority to safeguard worker’s welfare, health and safety. The motive has led to creation of bodies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Notably, they share a common goal in their purposes in hazardous conditions identification, mitigating on attendance risks towards averting traumatic injuries and potential workplace fatalities. The outfits emphasize on creating value on industrial hygiene. The paper analyses the given four organizations by comparing their missions and influence on the industrial hygiene field.
Discussion
When Congress established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) its principle and primary mission was to foster a healthy and safe working environment for all by putting in place and enforcing standards, training, educating, assisting, and through outreach programs. According to Michaud (2017) o ver years, OSHA has formed part of the United States Department of Labor by ensuring that workers environment is maintained according to its set standards. Due to its strict regulatory measures and policies, OSHA has contributed to a better working environment for workers. Closely related to health and safety at the workplace is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH’s vision is also focused on worker’s health and safety. According to Loeppke, Hohn, Baase, Bunn, Burton, Eisenberg and Hymel (2015) t he organization’s mission is pegged on the advancement of knowledge in the sector of occupational safety and the transfer of the same knowledge into active practice within and outside the workplace. At the same time, NIOSH pegs its value on quality, diversity, impact, transparency, partnership, and relevance. Its chief aim is to promote, advance and enhance health and safety of workers at the workplace.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH) is a non-profit association of professional that includes practitioners, industrial hygienists ( Michaud, 2017) . The primary mission and vision of the body are to advance and protect workers by way of providing objective, timely, and technical information on environmental health and occupation as a whole. Within its framework of operations and mission, the body recommends and establishes occupational exposure limitations for physical agents and chemical substances. It mandates itself to the promotion and enhancement of safety and health within the workplace. The American Industrial Hygiene Association is also a non-profit organization whose chief mission is the creation of knowledge that aims at protecting worker’s health.
Over the years, the four organizations have showcased a commonality in their missions in promoting and establishing relevant regulations and standards that promote safety and health practices within the workplace. Employers together with workers have also taken a great interest in safety and health as a significant factor contributing to quality work engagement in addition to increased productivity ( Loeppkeet al., 2015) . At the same time, the organizations have fronted national attention on the importance of health and safety within any working environment, not necessarily the workplace. The outfits have not only pushed for regulations and legislation targeting the workplace, but have also had major impacts on production and innovation of appropriate tools and equipment’s that are safe and healthy to use.
The OSHA Act
The OSHA Act of 1970 governs federal laws regarding occupational safety and health within the private sector and federal government. The Act remained the number one contributor to great significance paid on safety and health standards at the workplace. According to Loeppke et al., (2015) the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH) regulations, standards, and values have heavily been drawn from the OSHA Act of 1970. When the non-profit organization was first convened in 1938, June 27th, its chief purpose was to promote industrial hygiene. The professional personnel aimed at engaging different sectors towards the same on matters hygiene and health. With the passage of the OSHA Act in 1970, ACGIH ratified majority of its standards to include several aspects of the Act that promoted hygiene and safety among industrial workers. The association has continued to draw the majority of its regulation from the OSHA Act and uses it as a base of reference in all its standards of engagement. Towards promoting health and safety of workers and as the most significant contribution by the body, OSHA has taken it upon itself to have two days off for the purpose of addressing health and safety measures within the workplace. Numerous deliberations and engagements are carried out together with other like-minded organizations within the locality that promote health and safety within the workplace.
References
Loeppke, R. R., Hohn, T., Baase, C., Bunn, W. B., Burton, W. N., Eisenberg, B. S., ... & Hymel, P. A. (2015). Integrating health and safety in the workplace: how closely aligning health and safety strategies can yield measurable benefits. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine , 57 (5), 585-597.
Michaud, P. A. (2017). Accident prevention and OSHA compliance . CRC Press.
