Registered Industrial Hygienist (RIH)

The Registered Industrial Hygienist (RIH) certification from the American Institute of Safety Professionals develops the professional competency to anticipate, recognise, evaluate, and control workplace health hazards. Industrial hygiene is the science and practice of protecting worker health from chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic hazards through exposure assessment and control. While safety addresses acute injury hazards (falls, struck-by, electrocution), industrial hygiene addresses chronic health hazards (chemical exposure causing cancer, noise causing hearing loss, vibration causing Raynaud's, ergonomic exposure causing MSDs) — hazards that develop over months and years of exposure rather than in a single incident.

The curriculum covers the AREC framework (Anticipate, Recognise, Evaluate, Control), chemical hazards (gases, vapours, dusts, fumes, mists — routes of exposure, health effects, dose-response), physical hazards (noise, vibration, heat, radiation — ionising and non-ionising), biological hazards (pathogens, mould, allergens), ergonomic hazards (MSD risk factors), exposure assessment methodology (personal sampling, area sampling, direct-reading instruments, biological monitoring), occupational exposure limits (OSHA PEL, ACGIH TLV, NIOSH REL — TWA, STEL, Ceiling), industrial ventilation (general dilution, local exhaust, capture velocity, hood design, ductwork, air cleaning, fan selection), PPE selection for health hazards (respiratory, hearing, chemical protective), exposure control strategies (hierarchy applied to health hazards), health surveillance programmes, and IH programme management.

All training is delivered 100 percent online through leading delivery platforms and the American Institute of Safety Professionals Learning Management System (LMS). On successful completion, you receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, a professional wallet card, and an official transcript, all employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Apply the AREC framework: Anticipate health hazards before exposure occurs (process review, material review), Recognise hazards in the workplace (identification of agents and exposure scenarios), Evaluate exposure magnitude (quantitative assessment), and Control exposure below occupational limits (engineering, administrative, PPE).
• Conduct exposure assessments: personal air sampling (pumps, media, flow rates, sampling duration), area sampling, direct-reading instruments (photoionisation detectors, sound level meters, heat stress monitors), biological monitoring, and the assessment methodology that quantifies worker exposure.
• Interpret occupational exposure limits: OSHA PELs (legally enforceable), ACGIH TLVs (health-based recommendations), NIOSH RELs (research-based recommendations), TWA versus STEL versus Ceiling, and the exposure comparison that determines compliance and guides control.
• Design ventilation controls: general dilution ventilation (adequate for low-toxicity, low-generation), local exhaust ventilation (capture at the source — hoods, slots, canopies, enclosures), capture velocity, ductwork design, air cleaning devices, and the ventilation engineering that is the primary control for airborne chemical exposure.
• Manage health surveillance programmes: pre-placement evaluations, periodic monitoring (audiometric testing, biological monitoring, pulmonary function), medical removal criteria, and the health surveillance that detects early effects before disease develops.
• Manage industrial hygiene programmes: survey methodology, exposure database management, trending analysis, regulatory compliance documentation, and the programme governance that sustains systematic health hazard management.

Core Topics

• AREC Framework: anticipate, recognise, evaluate, control — the IH methodology
• Chemical Hazards: gases, vapours, dusts, fumes, mists, routes, health effects, dose-response
• Physical Hazards: noise (dBA, TWA, audiometry), vibration (HAV, WBV), heat (WBGT), radiation
• Biological Hazards: pathogens, mould, allergens, sampling, controls
• Ergonomic Hazards: MSD risk factors, assessment tools, interventions
• Exposure Assessment: personal/area sampling, direct-reading, biological monitoring
• Sampling Methods: pump-based (filter, sorbent tube, impinger), passive, grab
• Occupational Exposure Limits: OSHA PEL, ACGIH TLV, NIOSH REL, TWA/STEL/Ceiling
• Industrial Ventilation: general dilution, local exhaust, capture velocity, hood design, air cleaning
• Respiratory Protection Selection: APF-based selection, cartridge/filter matching to contaminant
• Hearing Conservation: audiometric testing, STS, noise control, HPD selection and NRR
• Health Surveillance: pre-placement, periodic, medical removal, programme design
• IH Programme Management: surveys, exposure database, trending, compliance, reporting

• Safety professionals expanding into industrial hygiene
• IH technicians advancing to professional IH practice
• Safety managers who need IH competency for chemical/physical hazard management
• Occupational health professionals supporting exposure assessment
• Environmental professionals transitioning to occupational health
• Anyone seeking the RIH professional designation

• No prior training required
• No academic degree required
• All instruction in English

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. Employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Introduction to Industrial Hygiene (IH awareness and fundamentals)
• Registered Industrial Hygienist — YOU ARE HERE (professional certification)
• Respiratory Protection (RPE programme management)
• Hearing Conservation Program (noise programme management)
• International Diploma in Advanced Industrial Hygiene (academic diploma)

Participants receive online training delivered through leading delivery platforms and the institute's Learning Management System (LMS). Training is provided directly by American Institute of Safety Professionals as well as through its network of Accredited Training Providers (ATPs), all backed by expert instruction and official study materials. Assessments are conducted online, and successful participants are awarded internationally recognized certificates.

To suit individual needs and schedules, participants can access training through the student dashboard and choose from a range of flexible delivery options, including blended learning, e-learning, remote and distance learning, and face-to-face instruction.