ATLANTA — ASHRAE and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) formalizing the relationship between the organizations.

The agreement defines the parameters by which ASHRAE and AIHA will work cooperatively on common public affairs goals and the coordination of technical activities and emerging research to accelerate the transformation to more a sustainable built environment, a press release from ASHRAE said.

“ASHRAE and AIHA will leverage our respective areas of expertise to develop comprehensive strategies and solutions for ensuring safer, healthier indoor environments,” said ASHRAE president Ginger Scoggins. “This collaboration will draw upon ASHRAE’s deep understanding of building systems and standards and AIHA’s broad knowledge of industrial hygiene and occupational health to address the complexities of indoor air quality. Together, we will work towards establishing indoor spaces that benefit occupants across various settings and enhance the overall well-being and productivity of individuals worldwide.”

“Through this collaboration AIHA and ASHRAE will advance indoor air quality to the benefit of public and worker health,” said AIHA president Dina Siegel. “Our associations will advocate on local, national, and international levels – amplifying the reach of our indoor air quality policies, standards, communications, and technical publications. The combination of AIHA and ASHRAE expertise is an invaluable step towards improving worker safety.”

The MOU includes, but is not limited to, the following initiatives: 

• Joint promotion of codes and standards at the local, state, and federal levels.

• Promotion of mutually beneficial positions during the development and passage of state and federal legislation.

• Exploration of the feasibility of creating new guidance documents that help interpret relevant ASHRAE standards vis-a-vis industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety practices.

• Investigation of opportunities to jointly develop new courses or other training programs that take advantage of overlapping and complimentary expertise.

In addition to these initiatives, ASHRAE’s and AIHA’s specific areas of potential collaboration include advocacy; joint conferences and meetings; consistent leadership communication; publications, education and professional development, technical activities coordination; local involvement, public outreach and communications, and research.