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Lately it seems that business cards need an extra line just to list all the
certifications behind one's name. When it comes to IAQ, there is quite alphabet
soup of titles available. To name a few, CIAQP, CIAQT, CIE, CIH with an IEQ sub
specialty. So many titles create so much controversy- What do they really
certify or signify? Many question what organization has the authority and
background to certify such a diverse discipline.
Perhaps it is time to take a pragmatic review of the programs, certifications
and representations available to practitioners. Not only is it important to the
practitioners to understand what these titles represent, it is also important to
those who listen to, read about, contract with or rely upon persons with a
string of letters behind their name.
Most IAQ professionals think of certification as "a guarantee or
reliable endorsement," while most certifying organizations are acting on
the definition of awarding a certificate to (a person) attesting to the
completion of a course of study or the passing of a qualifying examination. The
difference between these two definitions is the crux of the controversy over
certification.
With this in mind, do the alphabetical titles diminish in value? Absolutely
not. It is however imperative to recognize the differences between them and what
the requirements of each are in order to evaluate what is most important or
applicable to your needs.
Link
to Summary of Indoor Air Quality Certification Programs Here
Certification Programs
There are four primary organizations providing certification in IAQ. They
are:
- American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)
- Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)
- Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA)
- American Indoor Air Quality Council (AmIAQ)
Each IAQ certification program has different requirements for education,
experience and examination. These requirements are based in part on the target
audience of each program. However, all certification programs are open to all
persons who meet the minimum requirements regardless of their chosen field.
American Board Of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH)
The certification offered by the ABIH is actually a subspecialty exam in
indoor environmental quality and not a certification. It is offered only to
practicing CIHs (certified industrial hygienists) with at least five years
full-time experience. Employment documentation and references are required for
application. The purpose of the designation is to document expertise in a
specialized area of Industrial hygiene practice. There is no additional
designation provided to CIHs who successfully pass the exam however they are
listed on the ABIH Sub Specialty roster. The closed book exam is offered twice a
year concurrent with the CIH exams. There are no prerequisite courses. There are
no specific continuing education requirements for the subspecialty.
Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)
The AEE provides two levels of certification, the certified indoor air
quality professional (CIAQP) and the certified indoor air quality technician (CIAQT).
The primary difference is the level of education and experience. The CIAQP
requires a 2 or four-year college degree or an AEE designated certified energy
manager (CEM) with varying levels of experience based on educational level. The
CIAQT has no minimum educational level but does require two years field
experience along with a required three-day course provided by AEE. Both
designations require a passing score on a half-day open book exam and continuing
education credits on a three-year basis.
Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA)
Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE) is the designation offered by IAQA.
Prerequisites include a minimum high school education and five years field
experience. Additional education may be substituted for field experience on a
year for year basis. To obtain certification an application, a four-day
comprehensive IAQA course of study and a 4-hour open book exam are required.
Four continuing educational credits are required on an annual basis. This
program replaces an expired program previously known as the Certified HVAC
Hygienist (CHH). The program was changed to incorporate the multidisciplinary
professionals practicing in the field. The course and exam are currently being
revamped to include critical aspects of 15 different IEQ disciplines.
American Indoor Air Quality Council (AmIAQ)
The AmIAQ is offering the CIAQP and the CIAQT through the AEE. The only
difference is the requirement for a 20 hrs AmIAQ review course for the CIAQP.
This course is the same required course for the CIAQT for this organization.
Under new development at AmIAQ is the certification for Microbial Remediation
Supervisor (CMRS). According to their website, this designation is for anyone
who " specifically addresses mitigation of molds, bacteria, yeast, etc.
found in buildings." The program is expected to be available soon.
More information regarding all these certifications, courses and seminars can
be found on the website for each organization. For comparison purposes, refer to
Table 1 for a summary of the IAQ certification programs including their
requirements and fees.
Role Of Certification
It is my opinion that most IAQ certifications are more a qualification
provided by a professional organization as an acknowledgment of further study by
the individual as it applies to their field of expertise. In some cases the
emphasis is on a particular area of IAQ, in others it represents a comprehensive
overview of the IAQ discipline. The objective is to provide an understanding of
what part each field plays in IAQ, how to recognize potential problems, how to
perform their tasks better to minimize IAQ impact and what other disciplines are
necessary to maintain a healthy indoor environment. Regardless of whether the
individual is an engineer, scientist, contractor or maintenance technician, the
programs serve to educate one on the diversity and complexity of IAQ as
discipline.
Ideally, as in most disciplines, there would be only one certifying
organization. However, unlike other disciplines, IAQ is too diverse to be
governed by one sanctioning organization. The best resolution would be a
multidisciplinary cooperative organization to provide certification
comprehensively. Even then who among us would dare to assume expertise in every
aspect of IAQ?
Ultimately the role of certification is to inspire awareness of the concerns,
knowledge of the issues, appreciation for the expertise necessary to solve
problems and better performance by each individual involved in maintaining an
indoor environment.
Lisa Rogers is president of Compass Environmental Solutions Inc. in Tampa,
Fla. She has previously written for IE Connections on air monitoring equipment.
You can reach her by calling (813) 251-2710 or by e-mail at lisarogers@earthlink.net.
READER UPDATE
Wednesday 2/20/2002 1:55 PM
ABIH Staff
Hi,
One of our CIHs asked us to take a look at your IAQ Certifications Article (http://www.ieconnections.com/archive/sep_00/9_00_article2.htm)
and had some suggestions (actually to reflect changes that have taken place
SINCE the article was written! Sorry about that.).
I thought the article looked fine and was a good overview. Since the article
was written, however, ABIH has discontinued our Indoor Environmental Quality
(IEQ) Sub-Specialty. It was last offered in October 2000. We do, of course,
still have CIHs who hold the designation, so it isn't gone completely. There
just aren't any new ones and it isn't available to people any more.
The other thing that I noticed was a typo in the table at http://www.ieconnections.com/archive/sep_00/9_00_table1.htm.
It says that you "Must Be CHH [with] 5 yrs full time" experience. I
think you meant "CIH," not "CHH" (Certified HVAC Hygienist,
as you know). Easy enough to do with the alphabet soup in our field!
Also, the statement that "there are no specific continuing education
requirements for the subspecialty" is not quite accurate. CIHs who have
this sub-specialty certification have to show the equivalent of one day of
coursework/meetings in IAQ for each year when they go through recertification
(i.e., 5 "CM Points" in IAQ for each 5 year certification cycle).
Thank you for your consideration.
Lyle Edinger, CIH
Manager of Technical Affairs
American Board of Industrial Hygiene
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