CIH Testimonials

I am a national industrial hygiene program manager working in the U.S. federal government. Early in my career, I was well informed that the CIH credential was the gold standard for professional certification in industrial hygiene. To be very candid, the real motivator was getting a higher salary, but I also had a desire to be recognized as an IH practitioner who had met an established level of professional experience and academic background. It was a source of pride to acquire the CIH.

The CIH provides value to me in so many ways. It is so much more than just a piece of paper hanging on my wall in a nice frame. It represents a personal commitment to my noble cause: “I’m making the world a better place by mixing art and science in the reduction or, preferably, mitigation of safety and health hazards in the workplace, community, and environment with the goal of preventing occupational illness, injury, and disease.” When I sat for my exam, I had the mindset that if I passed, it would support me in my noble cause. The CIH also brings value in that it’s a promise to my customers that I will practice ethically. The CIH also provides value when I need contracted industrial hygiene support. Knowing that an IH professional is certified by the Board for Global EHS credentialing as a CIH gives me a level of confidence that it is much more likely my agency will be getting high quality products and services from that individual. I highly recommend the CIH credential to people calling themselves an industrial hygienist or OEHS professional. It’s one of the best things you will ever do for yourself professionally and for the customers you serve

I’ll start by saying I’m 48 years old, and it’s never too late to learn. I spent the majority of my career as a CSP in Construction Safety. In construction, there is not a big push for the CIH. Two years ago, I decided to get into General Industry and took a job as a safety manager at NASA in Cleveland, Ohio. The majority of the supervisors on the Federal Level are CIHs. That was a big motivator to me. Not only do you get recognition from your peers by passing this exam, but you also get a wealth of knowledge. The older you get, I think, it becomes a little more important to you the knowledge you get out of it rather than what people think. I was able to learn a lot of things that I never knew. I feel like, with the knowledge base, I can solve any safety issue that I am confronted with.

I was a career Air Force Bioenvironmental Engineer (BE) from 1987 through 2012. The BEs are commissioned officers in the Air Force with wide-ranging expertise and responsibilities in human and environmental health risk management, including all industrial hygiene services. For the first half of my Air Force career, I was an installation-level BE and provided environmental and occupational health risk management services (including industrial hygiene) for the Airmen of the Air Force in New Mexico, Alaska, and throughout Europe. For the latter half of my time in the Air Force, I was a senior program manager and/or senior executive. As a program manager, I authored policies and oversaw the worldwide implementation of Safety and Occupational Health, Energy and Sustainability, and wartime health risk management for the 680,000-employee organization while twice assigned to Headquarters Air Force in the Pentagon. As a senior executive, I was the equivalent of a CEO of an EHS and Occupational Health service firm and separately the CEO/administrator at a large healthcare organization as a squadron and then group commander. After the Air Force, I joined private industry with Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) where I directed their Environmental, Safety, and Energy programs, overseeing 120 employees and a $30 million dollar portfolio. After CTC, I established and operated my own consulting company (Hickman Group, LLC). As a professional Industrial Hygienist, I sought and obtained my CIH credentials (General Practice) in 1995. The Air Force encouraged the BEs to obtain professional certification, and for me, it also opened professional opportunities as a diplomate. As a practitioner, the CIH credential provided professional “gravitas,” particularly when I was a senior program manager at the Pentagon in Washington DC. In that role, I coordinated with peers within the Department of Defense, OSHA, the EPA, and the Department of Energy as well as the state regulatory agencies. Obtaining and using the CIH credential means far more than passing a test. It means you are committed to your profession and to the highest quality of outcomes. It is a clear differentiator between you and those who are not certified.

After graduation from Loras College [BS, Biology ’72] and the University of Wisconsin – Madison [MS, Civil & Environmental Engineering ’73], I accepted [after some quick research into just what in the world did “industrial hygiene” mean (!!)] an analytical chemist position in the industrial hygiene laboratory of George D. Clayton & Associates in Southfield, MI. Fortunate to be mentored by some of the most respected professionals in the burgeoning field, I quickly developed not only an interest but also a passion for the IH field and its extensions into the environmental field. The IH field provided an interesting, multi-faceted, ever-evolving, challenging profession that, by focusing on worker safety & health, made me feel good — that I was really making a difference. As my experience and knowledge of the field grew, I wanted confirmation of that growth and respect for that expertise. BGC certification provided that confirmation and value, and after many hours of “hitting the books,” I achieved my CIH (Chemical Practice) credential in 1977. Challenging? Yes! Worth it? Yes! After progressing into laboratory management for a few years, I transitioned into EHS management in the industrial world, specifically the primary metals industry, with its massive industrial hygiene and environmental issues and challenges. Never a dull day! With my broader responsibilities, I soon felt I should pursue a second, broader confirmation, CIH (Comprehensive Practice), which I then earned in 1979. When I retired in 2019, I felt I had utilized both my formal and continuing education on a daily basis, had worked with teams that successfully met many challenges, had positively impacted worker health & safety, had earned the respect of my fellow professionals, and really had “made a difference.” I will always consider my CIH credentials a key component of my professional career journey — the BGC CIH designation is THE recognized and respected validation of an industrial hygienist’s knowledge and experience.”

I am an EHS Manager for SugarCreek Packing in Washington Courthouse, Ohio. I was motivated to apply for the CIH credential for career potential, increased credibility, and personal growth. I was already a CSP and finally decided to pursue the next step in my field and apply for the CIH. The value the CIH credential gives me as a practitioner is it lends credibility to what we or I may be trying to achieve or institute at locations. A broader knowledge base has also allowed me to see not only problems but solutions from multiple angles and help justify the implementation. I would recommend the CIH to someone because it is another steppingstone in our profession’s progression and people notice it when you are potentially looking for advancement or positions. Organizations continually seek out outside services for help with issues, and if you are able to provide some of those services in house, you can make yourself invaluable to your employer(s) and potential clients.

A decade ago, I was an HSE professional at a project yard for short-term oil rig commissioning activities where the contractors and rig manufacturer were used to report noise survey, LUX survey, Vibration study, Ventilation study, etc. One fine day, two of the simultaneous engines’ noise output were 85 dBA and 87 dBA. The project occupational hygiene team calculated the overall noise as average value (85+87)/2 ) = 86 dBA…Which is the wrong answer. However, the right answer is to calculate the logarithmic value 10 log and answer will be 89.12 dBA. Those days, the project HSE general manager was not ready to accept the right way of logarithmic calculation which says the combined noise level was 89.12 dBA, as explained by me. Further, many of the occupational hygiene-related calculations for ventilation and radiography activities were incorrectly calculated by the project hygiene team. Henceforth, I decided to enhance my skills level to the Industrial/Occupational Hygiene discipline recognized by the International accreditation body. By obtaining a professional body-approved Industrial/Occupational Hygienist designation, I can demonstrate and deliver correct occupational hygiene calculations/study reports to employers.