An inspiring story of commitment and collaboration
Through the years, the global occupational hygiene profession has advanced through the combined efforts of committed volunteers. The synergy that results from their commitment and collaboration is particularly evident in the development of occupational hygiene in India.
In this edition of Global Link, we are pleased to share the story of occupational hygiene in India and how OHTA is helping to create a bright future for the profession in this country. We are grateful for the contributions to this newsletter provided by Ms. Priyanka Katoch, CIHA President, and Mr. Maharshi Mehta, OHTA Approved Training Provider with International Safety Systems, Inc.
The need for occupational hygienists in India is great given the huge industrial growth in this populous nation. A 2016 AIHA Synergist article noted that India needs another 5,000-10,000 occupational hygienists to meet the needs of their workforce. OHTA is proud of the volunteers who provide OHTA training courses in India to help meet this tremendous need and we are pleased to share the latest updates with you, our Global Link readers.
India workplace statistics
As of 2020 Statista.com reports that India is the second most populous country in the world with an estimated population of 1.38 billion. Available data indicates that agriculture is a key industry with 41.49% of the workforce in India working to produce products such as rice, wheat, cotton, and tea. The remaining portion of the workforce is divided equally between industry and services. India is one of the largest producers of iron ore, the fifth largest producer of bauxite, and the third largest producer of coal in the world. Other large industries and services include automobiles, textiles, steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement, telecommunications, and software development.
In India, only 18% of those employed actually work in the organized sector with the remaining 82% working in the unorganized sector. Workers in the unorganized sector are not typically covered by governmental regulations regarding the conditions of employment and they receive little to no benefits such as paid leave or medical coverage. The major occupational hazards in India include chemicals, dust (silica), fibers (asbestos), manual handling, and fire. India has a huge population suffering from lung/ respiratory disorders due to asbestos and grain dust exposures.
Meeting the need for occupational hygienists
Given the large industrial workforce and the shortage of trained health and safety professionals in India, occupational hygienists from around the world have stepped in to help meet the need. Maharshi Mehta, a native of India who was trained and working in the United States, took the lead in this effort working with his alma mater, the University of Cincinnati. In 1996, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed whereby Cincinnati provided the basic course curriculum for a master’s degree program in occupational hygiene at the Sardar Patel University program in India. Maharshi modified the curriculum for local needs and moved back to India to teach the course. Faculty from University of Cincinnati also visited annually to assist in the effort. Books and training materials were donated from hygienists around the world and equipment vendors donated equipment to support the program. As of early 2021, Maharshi advised OHTA that there have been 285 graduates from the program and a photo of some proud graduates is shown below.
The success and energy from the university program in occupational hygiene helped to fuel the creation of the Central Industrial Hygiene Association (ciha.in) in 2004 with the goal “to educate and influence society to adopt safety, health and hygiene policies, practices, and procedures that prevent and control occupational health related problems”.
CIHA currently has 100 members under the following leadership:
Priyanka Katoch - President
Jignesh Vadher - Secretary
Amit Rayani - Treasurer
Baiju Verghese – Academic Support
CIHA offers their members an annual conference and continuing education opportunities throughout the year such as quarterly webinars on Industrial Hygiene Awareness topics including:
Applied Ergonomics
Lessons learned from Chemical Incidents
Heat Stress and its Management
The CIHA annual conferences have included some keynote speakers such as:
OHTA’s Steven Verpaele who presented information on OHTA Courses, ICertOH certification, and the FOH Licentiate Process and Benefits. (FOH Licentiate is the grade of BOHS membership that is open to those who hold the ICertOH or the CertOH).
Prasanth Kumar, Director - GE APAC (Retired), who shared his insights on the Traits of a Successful EHS Leader.
Enjoy the images below of occupational hygiene graduates and notes from CIHA events:
A graduating class from the Masters of Industrial Hygiene program offered through Sardar Patel University. Maharshi Mehta is in front sitting next to Dr. Carol Rice from University of Cincinnati (UC). Dr. Scott Clark from UC can be seen in the back left.
OHTA training initiatives in India
To further advance the profession, OHTA began offering courses in India approximately 10 years ago through the help of Approved Training Providers (ATPs) including:
The OHTA courses have helped to increase both the number and the expertise of occupational hygienists and to prepare them for professional certification.
The Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC®) provided OHTA some compelling evidence of the impact OHTA is having in India:
Approximately 20 years ago, there were only two certified industrial hygienists (CIHs) in all of India. But as of January 2021, the number of CIHs in India has grown to 35. Of particular interest is the fact that CIH applicants from India frequently include OHTA course hours in their documentation and most of the increase in CIH numbers occurred over the 10 years that OHTA courses have been offered there. This is encouraging news not only for India but for other developing nations who may be looking for ways to increase the number of CIHs in their country.
OHTA online learning expands the reach
The need for trained occupational hygienists will continue to increase in this populous country and OHTA is ready to make a significant contribution to this effort. In a previous edition of this newsletter, we shared new OHTA initiatives for online learning. The online format will make international training and qualifications more accessible and affordable to all. At the time of publication, OHTA training providers in India are approved to teach Live Online courses as follows:
W201 and all W500 series modules | International Safety Systems Inc and Sustainable EHS
W201 and all W500 series modules except W504 | Nayati International
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If you have any feedback on this newsletter or would like to suggest a topic for a future edition, please email Deborah Dietrich (dfdietrich@sbcglobal.net) or Jason Hodgkiss (jason@onadvice.co.uk).
