Patty's Industrial Hygiene, Hazard Recognition. Группа авторов

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СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      This is a rather simple situation, albeit common and challenging to address with management. One could imagine the need for much broader change in a company's industrial hygiene program that could benefit from this approach. For example, a company might rely on outdated occupational exposure limits, consistently underfund and under‐resource the industrial hygiene program, or depend on a supply chain riddled with unsafe and unfair practices – this issue is highlighted in Case Study 3.

6 ETHICAL GUIDANCE STATEMENTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONS

      Many professional organizations have ethical codes or guidance statements. Examples in allied fields include the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM),⁹ the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BSCP),¹⁰ and The National Association of Environmental Professionals.¹¹ Codes, since they are typically enforceable, help organizations maintain a high level of respect for their professions. Similar to a certification documenting some level of proven knowledge and experience, a code of ethics provides for a common understanding and minimum expectations. Both are evidence to those outside of the organization, or field, of the members' value and repute.

The first Code of Ethics for Industrial Hygiene was developed in 1968 by the American Academy of Industrial Hygiene (AAIH) Ethics Committee. A combined code of the AAIH, ABIH, and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) was adopted in 1981. In 1995, in response to a changing and rapidly growing profession, AIHA, ABIH, ACGIH, and AAIH (which merged with AIHA in 2000) issued the Industrial Hygiene Canons of Ethical Conduct (19). The Canons were intended as guidance and went above and beyond what was required by law (20). ABIH released a revised, enforceable, Industrial Hygiene Code of Ethics in 2007.

      6.1 ABIH Industrial Hygiene Code of Ethics

      The 2007 ABIH code provides “minimal ethical standards,” not only to those certified by ABIH, but also to candidates seeking certification. “The Code is designed to provide both appropriate ethical practice guidelines and enforceable standards of conduct for all certificants and candidates. The Code also serves as a professional resource for industrial hygienists, as well as for those served by ABIH certificants and candidates.” A revised code is due to be released in July 2020.

      There are four major sections in the Industrial Hygiene Code of Ethics:

      1 Compliance with organizational rules, policies and legal requirements – In addition to complying with laws and regulations, this section includes activities associated with applying and recertifying for the CIH including not sharing ABIH examination materials, reporting violations of the ethics code when necessary, and “refraining from public behavior that is clearly in violation of professional, ethical or legal standards.”

      2 Education, experience, competency, and performance of professional services – This section requires CIHs and those applying to honestly describe their qualifications, certifications, experience, and knowledge. This section also includes the requirement to maintain confidentiality, except where required by law, permitted by the client, or, when the failure to release the information could result in serious harm. The requirement to “recognize and respect” intellectual property rights is also located in this section.

      3 Conflict of interest and appearance of impropriety – Certificants and candidates must disclose and avoid conflicts of interest – or that which could be construed as such – that could affect a client, employer, employee, or the public; and, to avoid situations which could affect, or appear to affect, professional judgment.

      4 Public health and safety – Certificants and candidates must “Follow appropriate health and safety procedures, in the course of performing professional duties, to protect clients, employers, employees, and the public from conditions where injury and damage are reasonably foreseeable.”

      When ABIH receives an ethics complaint, it may be reviewed and acted upon by the ABIH Chief Executive Officer or a representative, Ethics Review Committee, or the Board of Directors Appeals Committee. If the ABIH finds that the charges are indeed a violation of the Code, they may result in one of the following:

       Ineligibility for recertification or certification

       Requirement of corrective action

       Private reprimand and censure

       A public reprimand and censure

       Certification probation for any period up to three (3) years

       Six (6) month to two (2) year suspension of any ABIH certification

       Revocation of ABIH certification(s).

      The full ABIH Industrial Hygiene Code of Ethics is located on the ABIH website (http://abih.org/sites/default/files/downloads/ABIHCodeofEthics.pdf).

      6.2 Joint Industrial Hygiene Associations Member Ethical Principles

      Also in 2007, AIHA and ACGIH, as professional organizations rather than credentialing organizations, adopted a set of ethical principles, which are very similar to the ABIH Industrial Hygiene Code of Ethics. They are intended “to guide the members, support the profession, and protect health and safety.” The difference in language reflects the role of the Principles as guidance. Additional differences include that members should:

       “Promote equal opportunity and diversity in professional activities.”

       “Support and disseminate the association's ethics principles to other professionals.”

       “Refrain from business activities and practices that unlawfully restrict competition.”

       “Inform appropriate management representatives and/or governmental bodies of violations of legal and regulatory requirements when obligated or otherwise clearly appropriate.”

       “Make reasonable efforts to ensure that the results of industrial hygiene assessments are communicated to exposed populations.”12

      6.3 AIHA Code of Conduct

AIHA approved a new Code of Conduct in October 2017, which addresses anti‐trust concerns, conflicts of interest, financial impropriety, respect, honesty, confidentiality, responsibility, and professionalism. Egregious violations of the Code can result in expulsion from the association.¹³

      6.4 Joint Industrial Hygiene Ethics Education Committee (JIHEEC)

      The Joint Industrial Hygiene Ethics Education Committee (JIHEEC), with representatives from AIHA, ABIH, and ACGIH, serves to promote awareness of the ABIH Code of Ethics and the ethical principles of the member organizations. It provides educational resources, including presentations and articles focused on ethical issues in the practice of industrial hygiene.¹⁴

      6.5 Code of Ethics for Registered Occupational Hygienists and Occupational Hygiene Technologists (Canada)

      In 1992, the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists adopted a code of ethics, which requires the following of its members:

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