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Abstract This workshop will focus on the following priorities with an objective of options to address the priorities with speakers from Australia, Malaysia, the USA, and Chile. Each speaker will speak for a few minutes, followed by a discussion with workshop participants on their workable solutions. A white paper will be an outcome of the workshop. Qualified OH Professional Gap OHTA estimated that 45000 qualified OHs are needed against about 12000 available. 10% of the qualified available OHs are in emerging economies with enormous IH needs and limited resources. Applied approaches include IOHA-NAR accredited certifications, company-specific training, and university degree programs in Chile and Guatemala. Some of the IOHA Associations (e.g., MIHA) were effective in their efforts to bridge this gap. Quality Assurance in OH Assessment An experience at 200+ workplaces in 30+ countries has identified that more than 50% of the exposure monitoring results are not reproducible, representative, or reliable. The life of the working people depends on the exposure monitoring results OHs provide. Malaysia and Singapore regulatory agencies require OH practitioner certifications. Universally acceptable IOHA Code of Practice, EN 689, AIHA’s Principles of Good Practices are the most effective in defining minimum recommended QA guidelines that may be adopted by regulatory agencies. Accredited laboratories emerging economies and related costs Most of the accredited labs are located in the US and EU. Shipping of the OH monitoring samples and the analysis cost are significant concerns. A universally recognized Proficiency in Analytical Testing is one option. Cost and Integrity of OH Consultants BOHS Good Practice Guidance on Consultants is one of the options.
Mehta et al. (Sat,) studied this question.