1. Background 1. Purpose and Grades of Membership 2. Membership Application Process
2. Application Guidance 1. Academic Qualifications 2. References 3. Reports 4. Interviews 5. Special Case Applicants 6. Full Member Application Process Flow 7. Provisional Member Application Process Flow
3. Unsuccessful Applications 1. Appeals and Mentoring
The Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH) is• a not-for-profit organisation• incorporated and governed by Victorian laws and• established for reasons outlined in its Rules and
• The application process for Provisional and Full Membership is administered by: • AIOH Membership Coordinator (one staff member) • Membership & Qualifications (M&Q) Committee
Chair (one volunteer) • M&Q Committee and Panel (several volunteers).
• M&Q Committee members are Full or Fellow Members who act as a Panel to conduct the detailed assessment of applicants against Rule 6.2.1 (for Full Members) and 6.2.2(for Provisional Members)
• The purposes of the AIOH are served by recognising the increasing ‘knowledge and competence and standing’ of its Members who progress through the 3 Professional Membership grades, being:
1. Provisional2. Full (denoted by Member AIOH or MAIOH) and 3. Fellow ( denoted by FAIOH).
• The Fellow grade of Professional Membership is AIOH Council appointed and is out of scope of this Guide.
• Under AIOH Rules, Certified Occupational Hygienist ® is not an AIOH membership grade but a status conferred by AIOH Council where recommended by the independent AIOH Certification Board.
• Full Membership is a pre-requisite to sit the COH® exam.
• Applicants intending to progress to Certification, are advised to lodge their Full Membership application by April 30 if they hope to sit that year’s COH Exam -typically only offered at annual AIOH Conference in Dec .
All applicants must supply transcripts or other academic records to prove they meet Rules 6.2.1(a) or 6.2.2(a) • Both Provisional and Full Members must “have a first
degree or diploma in Science or Engineering … or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the Council”.
• Qualifications acceptable to Council include:• Physical sciences, applied sciences, or engineering qualifications meeting Australian
Qualifications Framework Level 7 and above. Social sciences are not qualifying sciences.• Any internationally recognised qualification that is equivalent to AQF Level 7/above.• A Certification provided by a ‘NAR Accredited IOHA society or organisation e.g. Certified
Industrial Hygienist (CIH) • AIOH Accredited Course e.g. RMIT, Edith Cowan and Wollongong accredited courses• OHTA International Certificate in Occupational Hygiene (ICertOH).
• Successful completion of AIOH Basic Principles Course and Exam is acceptable qualification for Provisional Membership
REFERENCES • Along with qualifications, strong references may be
sufficient of themselves to satisfy Rule 6.2.1(d) or 6.2.2 (d) and demonstrate to AIOH Council that the applicant has • Two (2) references that speak to applicants ‘satisfactory level of
professional competence ‘ for Full Membership • One (1) reference that attests to applicants ‘acceptable level of
understanding of basic principles of occupational hygiene ‘ in the case of Provisional Membership
• A reference template is available from AIOH office is most useful as it ensures referees address this criteria.
• Applicants should choose referees who can confidently • attest to their personal knowledge of applicants hygiene experience • lend their name and Membership status in support of the applicant• declare any Conflict of Interest in the application.
• Referees from Full or Fellow Members are most valued
• A M&Q Panel of 3 will assess all applicants reports for‘professional competence’ in• Hygiene principles of Recognition, Evaluation and Control (REC)• To the standard described in Rule 6.2.1(d) or 6.2.2 (d)
• Applicants are advised to submit reports that de-identifyworkers and workplaces, are recent within 4 years andstructured per the AIOH Report Writing Guideline
• Applicants are advised not to submit reports• Without interpretation of sampling results• Without discussion of the range of potential controls• Such as policy documents, management plans or hazardous
materials surveys unless they specifically demonstrate REC.
• ADF personnel are a special case and their applications are assessed in a specific assessment process which acknowledges that for reasons of national security, Defence personnel cannot release workplace reports.
• Applicants working in ‘one of the specialist branches’ of OH are also assessed as special cases as they have depth of technical knowledge in areas such as epidemiology, acoustics or analytical chemistry but may not actively practice general occupational hygiene.
FULL MEMBER INTERVIEWSAll applicants for Full Membership need to provide:
• Two (2) references and two (2) reports AND• Transcripts of qualifications that meet AQF7 or are
Accredited by an IOHA Member Society and demonstrateapplicants ‘satisfactory level of professional competence’
• Interviews are mandatory only if the applicant cannotdemonstrate the above to the satisfaction of M&Q Chair
• If a face-to-face interview is required, the applicant willbe contacted by the AIOH Membership Co-ordinator andthe interview time and place will be agreed to suit bothapplicant and interviewers where possible.
• From 2017, there are 2 types of Full Member interviews: 1. Confirmatory (phone) Interview
• required where M&Q Panel or Council identify minor gaps. • allows M&Q Chair to call referees and/or applicant, resolve
minor issues and avert need for Detailed Interview
2. Detailed (face-to-face) Interview • required where references or reports are inadequate or
unavailable and if there are deficiencies in submitted reports that raise questions about the ‘professional competency’ required to achieve Full Member (MAIOH)
• conducted by two Full or Fellow AIOH members. Of about 90 minutes duration, it includes an assessment of the applicants experience with a range of OH hazards
• Where the level of competence suitable for Provisional or Full Member has not been demonstrated by an applicant, mentoring may be recommended.
• The AIOH offers a Mentoring Program for this purpose.• The AIOH Mentoring Committee has representatives in
each state to pair mentees with mentors who can assist with technical knowledge gaps, oral or written communication and if wanted, subsequent reapplication.
• Mentors are encouraged to research the current Membership process and contact the M&Q Chair about their Mentee’s specific opportunities for improvement.
