Certified Industrial Hygienists Provide Expertise for National Preparedness Month

LANSING, Mich. - Sept. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- For the past decade, September has been recognized as National Preparedness Month.  The special designation began in 2004 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began their efforts to build awareness and preparedness in advance of any potential natural or man-made disasters.

National Preparedness Month encourages both citizens and businesses to take steps to prepare for any type emergency.  According to Ready.gov, up to 40% of businesses affected by a natural or human-caused disaster do not reopen and an Ad Council survey reported that 62% of respondents said they do not have an emergency plan in place for their business.

Emergency preparedness requires attention to not just specific types of hazards, but also to steps that increase preparedness for any type of event. These may include everything from wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes and floods to hazardous materials incidents, ionizing radiation and biological threats.  Many of these types of disasters may overwhelm the resources of even the largest public agencies if they were to occur so it is important that organizations and businesses have a plan in place and people who are trained to handle these types of situations.

“Certified Industrial Hygienists are well versed in identifying, preventing and responding to many situations that can occur following a natural or man-made disaster,” said Tracy Parsons, CIH, Administrative Program Manager at ABIH.  “This is due to their ability to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control a wide range of chemical, physical, biological and ergonomic stressors.  Even before an event takes place, CIHs can identify potential risks and plan how to respond and communicate vital information.  If an event does occur, these same professionals are trained to mitigate risks associated with wide ranging hazards including those that may not be immediately recognized.”

To learn more about the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, the accredited CIH^® program or to locate a CIH in a specific geographical region, please visit www.ABIH.org, email abih@ABIH.org  or call (517) 321-2638.

About the American Board of Industrial Hygiene

Since 1960, ABIH, a not-for-profit corporation, has been the world's largest, premier organization for certifying professionals in the practice of industrial hygiene. ABIH is responsible for ensuring high-quality certification including education, experience, examination, certification maintenance and ethics enforcement.  Currently, more than 6700 people are certified to use the CIH designation.