How to Avoid Florida's "I'm an Industrial Hygienist" Scam
Jason Yost • June 10, 2026
How to Avoid Florida's "I'm an Industrial Hygienist" Scam
Perhaps you've had a contractor or insurance adjuster tell you that "you need to call a IH", what does that mean to you? Well, here in the southeastern United States (U.S.), it has come to mean a lot of things, many of which have nothing to do with being an industrial hygienist (or "IH"). These scams have hurt a lot of people, seeking a competent person who can perform a hazard and risk assessment of their home, office, or other workplace. We hope that this blog helps to inform and empower you when seeking to hire an industrial hygienist.
Rather than give you our opinion of who an industrial hygienist is, let's look at some authorities:
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, industrial hygiene is defined as "that science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers or among the citizens of the community." Therefore, it stands to reason that the U.S. Department of Labor would define an industrial hygienist as someone educated and trained in industrial hygiene for the purpose of using "environmental monitoring and analytical methods to detect the extent of worker exposure and employ engineering, work practice controls, and other methods to control potential health hazards." It is for this reason that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) standards call the "competent person", who comes to evaluate an environment for hazards and risks, an "industrial hygienist". OSHA states that "Industrial hygienists analyze, identify, and measure workplace hazards or stresses that can cause sickness, impair health, or significant discomfort in workers through chemical, physical, ergonomic, or biological exposures."
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) agrees with OSHA, stating: "An industrial hygienist is a professional who applies science and engineering principles to assess, manage, and mitigate workplace hazards" including but not limited to "chemical, biological, physical, and ergonomic hazards"; additionally, they develop control strategies "to reduce or eliminate risks to workers and the community", "Ensuring compliance with occupational safety regulations and standards", and conduct "ongoing risk assessments, monitoring, and incident investigations".
Given these definitions, it is reasonable to assume the "industrial hygienist" has some education and formal training in industrial hygiene, doesn't it? Well, you'd be right. In the State of Florida, there is a law that governs who should use the term "industrial hygienist": Chapter 501 Section 937. Let's look at what that says:
501.937(1) states "Any person representing himself or herself as a "safety professional" or "industrial hygienist" must accurately disclose his or her credentials."
501.937(3)(b) states " An "industrial hygienist" is a person having a baccalaureate degree in engineering, chemistry, physics, or a closely related physical or biological science who has acquired competency in the field of industrial hygiene. The studies and training necessary to acquire such competency should have been sufficient in all of the above cognate sciences to provide the abilities to anticipate and recognize the environmental factors and stresses associated with work and work operations and to understand their effects on people and their well-being; to evaluate, on the basis of training and experience and with the aid of quantitative measurement techniques, the magnitude of these factors and stresses in terms of ability to impair human health and well-being; and to prescribe methods to eliminate, control, or reduce such factors and stresses when necessary to alleviate their effects."
501.937(4) states "Failure to comply with this section constitutes a deceptive and unfair trade practice."
That's right, it's against the law in Florida to call yourself an industrial hygienist if you don't have an education and training in industrial hygiene. This law is governed by the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA), an Act designed to protect consumers and businesses from unfair methods of competition and deceptive practices in trade and commerce. Individuals or businesses harmed by unfair practices can seek remedies, including actual damages, attorney's fees, and court costs against violators.
So, if you're thinking of hiring an industrial hygienist, ask for some sort of proof of education in industrial hygiene, occupational safety and health, or other applicable science-based degree program. Or contact the Gulf Coast Center for Indoor Air Quality Services. Our assessors are college educated and hold multiple accredited certifications, qualifying them to perform such services.
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