§ 39-1-80 — Industrial hygiene and safety professionals; certification requirements; penalties.

(A) As used in this section: (1) "American Board of Industrial Hygiene" means a nonprofit corporation established to improve the practice and educational standards of the profession of industrial hygiene by certifying individuals who meet its education, experience, examination, and maintenance requirements. (2) "Board of Certified Safety Professionals" means a nonprofit corporation established to improve the practice and educational standards of the profession of safety by certifying individuals who meet its education, experience, examination, and maintenance requirements. (3) "Certified Industrial Hygienist" means a person who has received the designation "Certified Industrial Hygienist" by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and whose certification has not lapsed or been revoked. (4) "Certified safety professional" means a person who has been certified by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and whose certification has not lapsed. (5) "Industrial hygiene" means the science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of those environmental factors and stresses arising in or from the workplace that may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers and that may also impact the general community. (6) "Safety profession" means the science and discipline concerned with the preservation of human and material resources through the systematic application of principles drawn from such disciplines as engineering, education, chemistry, the physical and biological sciences, ergonomics, psychology, physiology, enforcement, and management for anticipating, identifying and evaluating potentially hazardous systems, conditions, and practices; developing, implementing, administering, and advising others on hazard design, methods, procedures, and programs. (B)(1) A person may not wilfully practice or offer to practice as a certified industrial hygienist, or use in any advertisement or on a business card or letterhead, or make any other verbal or written communication that the person is a certified industrial hygienist or acquiesce in such a representation, unless that person is certified as an industrial hygienist by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. (2) A person may not wilfully practice or offer to practice as a certified safety professional, or use in any advertisement or on a business card or letterhead or make any other verbal or written communication that the person is a certified safety professional or acquiesce in such a representation, unless that person is certified as a safety professional by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. (3) A person who violates subsection(B)(1) or (2) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars or more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned for not less than thirty days or more than six months, or both. Each violation constitutes a separate offense, and each day's violation constitutes a separate offense. (4) A person may file a suit in equity with an administrative law judge as provided under Article 5 of Chapter 23 of Title 1, alleging the facts and paying for a temporary restraining order or a permanent injunction against one whose conduct appears to violate subsection (B)(1) or (2), commanding him to obey the law and to desist from any further misrepresentation. This injunctive relief is in addition to any other remedy or criminal prosecution for violation of subsection (B)(1) or (2). It is not necessary to establish the absence of an adequate remedy at law. (C) An entity of state or local government may not by rule, regulation, or otherwise prohibit or restrict the practice of industrial hygiene or safety by individuals practicing within the scope of "industrial hygiene" or "safety profession" so long as the individual does not use the title, initials, or represent himself to the public as a "certified industrial hygienist" or a "certified safety professional". (D) The State is not liable for the misrepresentation of credentials of an employee while engaged in the duties of a governmental employee, unless wilful on behalf of the employee.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 235, SECTION 2, eff May 19, 2004. Editor's Note 2004 Act No. 235, SECTION 1, provides as follows: "This act may be cited as the 'Certified Industrial Hygiene and Certified Safety Profession Title Protection Act'."