Section § 20700

Explanation

This law defines key terms related to the field of industrial hygiene. It explains that industrial hygiene involves managing environmental factors to prevent sickness and discomfort among workers and the community. A certified industrial hygienist (CIH) is someone who has fulfilled certain educational, experience, and exam criteria set by a recognized certification body. The industrial hygiene certification organization is responsible for setting high standards for certification, ensuring exams are evaluated by a national testing service and maintaining standards similar to the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

As used in this chapter:
(a)CA Business & Professions Code § 20700(a) “Industrial hygiene” means the science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental factors or stresses which may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort and inefficiency among workers or among the citizens of a community.
(b)CA Business & Professions Code § 20700(b) “Certified industrial hygienist (CIH)” means a person who has met the education, experience, and examination requirements of an industrial hygiene certification organization.
(c)CA Business & Professions Code § 20700(c) “Industrial hygiene certification organization” means a professional organization of certified industrial hygienists that has been established to improve the practice and educational standards of the profession of industrial hygiene through a certification process, by certifying industrial hygienists through an examination administered by the certification organization. The organization shall have the certifying examinations evaluated by a national testing service and shall maintain certification criteria that are at least the equivalent of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.