AIOH is the technical authority that shapes how airborne fibre exposure is measured, interpreted and regulated in Australia, with more than 1,650 members and position papers routinely cited by regulators.
How they got started
The Institute was established in 1980 as a national body to unite Australian occupational hygienists and lift practice standards, and was formally incorporated in 1988. It is an inaugural member of the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA). In 2020 it marked its 40th anniversary with a virtual symposium summarised in Annals of Work Exposures and Health, reflecting on four decades of professional development, certification and policy advocacy.
What they stand for
AIOH's vision is to promote worker health and wellbeing, and its mission is "A healthy working environment for ALL". The Institute pursues this through raising professional standards, advocacy to regulators, public education, and operational excellence. A core tenet is that exposures to carcinogens, including asbestos and crystalline silica, should be kept as low as reasonably practicable, and that workplace exposure standards should be evidence-based and measurable in real work environments.
How they help the industry
- Certified Occupational Hygienist (COH) scheme: the leading professional credential for hygienists in Australia, internationally recognised via IOHA mutual recognition since 1 August 2020
- Annual Conference: the largest occupational hygiene conference in the southern hemisphere, with papers since 2024 published in Annals of Work Exposures and Health
- The Filter: member magazine plus technical guidance documents and the Silica Resource Hub
- Accredited training: CPD-bearing webinars and masterclasses
- Government submissions: on workplace exposure standards, dust diseases reviews and silica regulation
Notable initiatives
AIOH published its Asbestos and its Potential for Occupational Health Issues position paper in 2016 (updating an earlier 2008 paper), and its Respirable Crystalline Silica and Occupational Health Issues position paper in November 2024. In 2023 it advocated for a lower asbestos workplace exposure standard via the article "A Lower Asbestos Exposure Limit!". AIOH publicly called for a ban on high-quartz engineered stone by July 2024 and runs a free Silica Resource Hub, including a Mandarin-language version. The AIOH Foundation supports occupational hygiene research and education.
Why it matters for asbestos professionals
For asbestos assessors, licensed assessors and air-monitoring professionals, AIOH sets the technical baseline for how airborne fibre exposure is measured and interpreted in Australia. Holding or working alongside a Certified Occupational Hygienist is increasingly expected on complex asbestos and silica jobs, and AIOH's conferences and Silica Resource Hub are the main forum where evolving exposure-control practice is debated.
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