From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia.
The American Conference of
Governmental Industrial Hygienists
(ACGIH) community of
professionals advance
worker safety and health
through education and the
development and dissemination of
scientific and technical
knowledge.
History
The independent National
Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (NCGIH)
convened on June 27,
1938, in
Washington, D.C.. NCGIH
originally limited its full
membership to two representatives
from each governmental industrial
hygiene agency. In
1946, the organization changed
its name to the ACGIH and offered
full membership to all
industrial hygiene personnel
within the agencies as well as to
governmental industrial hygiene
professionals in other countries.
Today, 12 ACGIH committees
focus their energies on a range of
topics: agricultural safety and
health, air sampling instruments,
bioaerosols, biological exposure
indices, computer, construction,
industrial ventilation, infectious
agents, international, small
business, chemical substance TLVs,
and physical agent TLVs.
TLVs and BEIs
The ACGIH establishes the
Threshold Limit Values (TLVs)
for chemical substances and
physical agents and Biological
Exposure Indices (BEIs).
Undoubtedly the best known of
ACGIH's activities, the Threshold
Limit Values (TLV) for Chemical
Substances Committee was
established in 1941. This group
was charged with investigating,
recommending, and annually
reviewing exposure limits for
chemical substances. It became a
standing committee in 1944. Two
years later, the organization
adopted its first list of 148
exposure limits, then referred to
as Maximum Allowable
Concentrations. The term
"Threshold Limit Values (TLV)" was
introduced in
1956. The first Documentation
of the Threshold Limit Values was
published in
1962 and is now in its seventh
edition. Today's list of TLVs
includes 642 chemical substances
and physical agents, as well as 38
Biological Exposure Indices for
selected chemicals.
The TLVs and BEI are developed
as guidelines to assist in the
control of
health hazards. These
recommendations or guidelines are
intended for use in the practice
of industrial hygiene, to be
interpreted and applied only by a
person trained in this discipline.
In certain circumstances
individuals or organizations may
wish to make use of these
recommendations or guidelines as a
supplement to their occupational
safety and health program. ACGIH
does not oppose their use in this
manner, if the use of TLVs and
BEIs in these instances will
contribute to the overall
improvement in
worker protection.
