"AIHA and ACGIH realize that a partnership such as this will strengthen the OEHS profession by utilizing resources from each organization and providing collaborated projects that will compliment both organizations and the profession," said Donna Doganiero, AIHA president. "This MOU will strengthen the organizations' working relationship and allow each to serve the profession while maintaining separate identities."
Collaboration between the organizations is not a new concept, noted Cindy Coe Laseter, ACGIH board chair. The two groups collaborate on the annual American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo, and share a common mission, "to make workplaces safer for employees worldwide," said Laseter. "The MOU puts a mechanism in place that allows us to continue to seek means to collaborate to that end," she added.
AIHA and ACGIH have decided to:
- Form an Interaction Committee to accomplish mutually agreed upon goals.
- Develop guidelines that will steer the direction and intent of future collaborations.
- Do their best to fairly represent the interests of their respective organizations and the profession.
- Work together to develop common products, education programs and other services for the benefit of both organizations' membership and the profession at-large.
- Be responsible for clearly defining and documenting the known or reasonably anticipated costs and professional impacts for any action considered.
- Document any recommendations for the respective boards of directors to consider.