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About PNS-AIHA

About the Pacific Northwest Section of the AIHA

The PNS-AIHA is a regional section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).

The AIHA is a professional society of persons dedicated to the prevention of workplace-related illness or injury that may affect the health or well-being of workers or the community. With more than 12,000 members, AIHA is the largest international association serving the needs of occupational and environmental health professionals practicing industrial hygiene in industry, government, labor, academic institutions, and independent organizations.

Mission

The objective of the PNS-AIHA shall be to increase the knowledge of industrial hygiene through interchange and dissemination of information; to promote the study and control of environmental factors affecting the health and well being of workers; to correlate such activities as are conducted by individuals and agencies throughout industrial, educational and governmental groups; and to bring together persons interested in industrial hygiene.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy

AIHA fosters diversity and inclusion of all people within our membership and adheres to a diversity policy built around respect for individuals regardless of where they are on life's journey. AIHA does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of age, citizenship, color, cultural background, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity/expression, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or veteran status. Furthermore, AIHA will not tolerate harassment or threatening behavior at any level.

History

The PNS-AIHA was born in Portland, Oregon in 1956. A one day organizing meeting was held in the Multnomah Hotel. The meeting was attended by: Frank Adley, Russell Scott, and Kenneth Skillern of the Atomic Energy Commission from Richland WA; M. Chain Robbins and Walter Poppe of the Boeing Company; Daniel Bessemer from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; Walter Eide from Oregon Department of Labor; and Mario Storlazzi from University of Washington.

Officers were elected and bylaws were developed. The section was to encompass Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and British Columbia. The bylaws were forwarded to the AIHA for approval. It was at this meeting that it was decided to rotate the annual meetings of the Section between Portland, Richland, and Seattle.

The Local Section met with local occupational health nurses and physicians the following year for a two day meeting. Individual disciplines met for one day and all three groups met for a joint meeting the following day, establishing the Pacific Northwest multidisciplinary occupational health conference that continues today.

Current Officers, Directors and Leaders are listed on our Membership page

Past Presidents

R. N. Scott (1956); K. Skillern (1957); M. Chain Robbins (1958); W.H. Poppe, Jr. (1959); Daniel Bessmer (1960); Frank Adley (1961); John Horan (1962); Peter Breysse (1963); Darrel Douglas (1964); Wallace Gill (1965); Hal Bovee (1966); H.L. Burkhardt (1967); J.T. Collins (1968); L.A. Hanson (1969); Don Anderson (1970); Carl Mangold (1971); Ross Kusian (1972); Stan Cothrin (1974); Ralph Anderson (1975); Art Schoenborn (1976); Arvin Apol (1977); Stan Fergin (1978); Maureen Hamilton (1979); R.J. Hollingsworth (1980); Paul Carlson (1981); Dave Bissonnette (1982); Aage Anderson (1983); Ralph Rodia (1984); Michael Pittman (1985); Robert Gilmore (1986); Donald Olsen (1987); Doris Wunsch (1988); Dave Lewis (1989); Barbara Woodhull (1990); Michael Krause (1991); Scott Walker (1992); Rose Ann Moorman (1993); Gary LeMoine (1994); David Chawes (1995); Sanford Eguchi (1996); Stephen Benedict (1997); Arlene Stebbins (1998); Greg Baker (1999); Janice Camp (2000); Darrell Tsujii (2001), Philip Peters (2002); Tami Froelich (2003); Venetia Runnion (2004); Kathie Lavaty (2005); Michael Smith (2006);Patrick Hintz (2007); David Johnson (2008); Phil Peters (2009); Stephanie Carter (2010); Greg Baker (2011); Silvette Boyajian (2012); Jim Bushnell (2013); Guy Silvey (2014); Denise Pitts (2015); Dana Stahl (2016); James Martin (2017); Nadine Grady (2018); Ivory Iheanacho (2019); Theresa McCollom (2020); Gary Bangs (2021); Sue Swan (2022).

Distinguished Industrial Hygienist Award Winners

Ralph Sullivan (1958), Lloyd Farner (1959), Ross Kusian (1960), Frank Adley (1961), Walter Poppe, Jr (1962), Thrift Hanks (1963), Sherman Pinto (1964), Peter Breysse (1966), G.L. Voelz (1967), Daniel Bessmer (1968), Lester Hansen (1970), William Wilson (1974), Richard Hibbard (1977), Thomas Kenney (1979), Stan Fergin (1980), Darrel Douglas (1981), Arthur Schoenborn (1982), Robert Hollingsworth (1983), Maureen Hamilton (1984), Lee Monteith (1985), Donald Anderson (1986), Phil Peters (1987), Arvin Apol (1988), Tony Horstman (1989), Dave Bissonnette (1990), Jim Lake (1991), Steve Cant(1992), Barbara Woodhull (1993), Ralph Rodia (1994), Marija Janko (1995), Doris Wunsch (1996), Julie Norman (1997), Michael W. Krause (1998), Michael S. Morgan (1999), Donald R. Olsen (2000), Scott L. Walker (2001), Arlene Stebbins (2002), Janice E. Camp (2003), Don Lofgren (2004), Rick Gleason (2005), Troy Corbin (2006), Annie Moorman (2007), Venetia Runnion (2008), Julie Hart (2009), Stephen Miller (2010), Michael Smith (2011), Terry Spear (2012), Kermit McCarthy (2013), David Chawes (2014), Illa Gilbert-Jones (2015), Silvette Boyajian (2016), Stephanie Carter (2017), Dede Montgomery (2018), Nancy Simcox (2019), Barb Epstien (2020); Lorri Birkenbuel (2021); Marty Cohen (2022).

Code of Ethics
For the Professional Practice of Industrial Hygiene

At its meeting, Dec. 14, 1994, the American Industrial Hygiene Association Board of Directors adopted, and commends to every member of AIHA, the following Code of Ethics. This Code of Ethics was developed jointly with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, and the American Academy of Industrial Hygiene and has also been approved by the other IH groups.

Ethical Objective

This canon provides standards of ethical conduct for Industrial Hygienists as they practice their profession and exercise their primary mission to protect the health and well-being of working people and the public from chemical, microbiological, and physical health hazards present at, or emanating from, the workplace.

Canons of Ethical Conduct

Industrial Hygienists shall:

  • Practice their profession following recognized scientific principles with the realization that the lives, health, and well-being of people may depend upon their professional judgment and that they are obligated to protect the health and well-being of people.
  • Counsel affected parties factually regarding potential health risks and precautions necessary to avoid adverse health effects.
  • Keep confidential personal and business information obtained during the exercise of industrial hygiene activities, except when required by law or overriding health and safety considerations.
  • Avoid circumstances where a compromise of professional judgment or conflict of interest may arise.
  • Perform services only in the areas of their competence.
  • Act responsibly to uphold the integrity of the profession.

Copyright 1997, American Industrial Hygiene Association

This page is provided as a service to PNS-AIHA members and other professionals allied with the industrial hygiene profession. Comments and suggestions are encouraged. Please send e-mail to Jeannette U at administrator@pnsaiha.org.