2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 43 - PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES (§§ 43-1-1 — 43-51-15) › Chapter 21A - INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE, HEALTH PHYSICS, AND SAFETY PROFESSION RECOGNITION AND TITLE PROTECTION ACT (§§ 43-21A-1 — 43-21A-10) › Section 43-21A-3 - Definitions

As used in this chapter, the term:
(1)
"Accredited college or university" means a United States college or university that holds accreditation from one of the six regional accrediting bodies or the Distance Education and Training Council which are recognized by the Council on Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education. A degree must be awarded during the time for which the institutional accreditation was issued. A college or university that is located outside of the United States will be considered on the basis of its accreditation status in the education system that has jurisdiction.
(2)
"American Academy of Health Physics" means the nonprofit corporation established to improve the practice and educational standards of the profession of health physics through certification of individuals by the American Board of Health Physics which establishes education, experience, examination, and maintenance requirements for certification and prepares, administers, and grades the certification examinations and issues certification to successful candidates.
(3)
"American Board of Industrial Hygiene" means the 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.
(4)
"Board of Certified Safety Professionals" means the 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.
(5)
"Certified associate industrial hygienist" means a person who has received the designation "certified associate industrial hygienist" by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and whose certification has not lapsed or been revoked.
(6)
"Certified health physicist" means a person who has received the designation "certified health physicist" by the American Board of Health Physics and whose certification has not lapsed or been revoked.
(7)
"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.
(8)
"Certified safety professional" means a person who has been certified by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and whose certification has not lapsed or been revoked.
(9)
"Construction health and safety technician" means a person who, by virtue of education, experience, and examination, is recognized by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and Board of Certified Safety Professionals Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists.
(10)
"Health physicist" means a person having education or experience equivalent to a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in health physics, radiation safety, radiation protection, biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, or a closely related physical or biological science who, by virtue of special studies and training, has acquired competence in health physics. Such special studies and training must have been sufficient in such cognate sciences to provide the ability and competency to:
(A)
Anticipate and recognize the interactions of radiation with matter and to understand the effects of radiation on animals, people, and the environment;
(B)
Evaluate, on the basis of training and experience and with the aid of quantitative measurement techniques, the magnitude of radiological factors in terms of their ability to impair human and environmental health and well-being; and
(C)
Prescribe methods to prevent, eliminate, control, or reduce radiation exposure to workers, patients, the public, and the environment.
(11)
"Health physics" means that science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of radioactive material releases and potential radiation hazards in or from the workplace that may cause impaired health and well-being or injury among workers and may also impact the general community and the environment.
(12)
"Industrial hygiene" means that science and practice 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 may also impact the general community.
(13)
"Industrial hygiene certification organization" means an organization which has been in existence for at least five years and which has been established to improve the practice and educational standards of the profession of industrial hygiene by certifying individuals who meet its education, experience, and examination requirements. The organization shall be accredited by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies, the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards, or a nationally recognized accrediting body which uses certification criteria equal to or greater than that of the National Commission of Certifying Agencies or the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards. The organization shall maintain criteria at least equivalent to that of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.
(14)
"Industrial hygienist" means a person having a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university in industrial hygiene, biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, or a closely related physical or biological science who, by virtue of special studies and training, has acquired competence in industrial hygiene. Such special studies and training must have been sufficient in such cognate sciences to provide the ability and competency to:
(A)
Anticipate and recognize the environmental factors and stresses associated with work and work operations and understand their effects on people and their well-being;
(B)
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 their ability to impair human health and well-being; and
(C)
Prescribe methods to prevent, eliminate, control, or reduce such factors and stresses and their effects.
(15)
"National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists" means the nonprofit corporation established to promote the education and training of radiation protection technologists and, by so doing, to promote and advance the science of health physics and to provide incentives and services to encourage personnel to maintain and expand radiation protection education and training.
(16)
"Occupational health and safety technologist" means a person who, by virtue of special studies and training, has acquired proficiency in one or more areas of occupational health and safety recognized by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and Board of Certified Safety Professionals Council on Certification of Health, Environmental and Safety Technologists.
(17)
"Registered radiation protection technologist" means a person who has received the designation "registered radiation protection technologist" from the National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists, whose registration has not lapsed or been revoked, and who is engaged in providing protection to the radiation worker, the general public, and the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation.
(18)
"Safety profession" means the science and art concerned with the preservation of human and material resources through the systematic application of principles drawn from such disciplines as engineering, education, psychology, physiology, enforcement, and management for anticipating, identifying, and evaluating hazardous conditions and practices; developing hazard control designs, methods, procedures, and programs; implementing, administering, and advising others on hazard controls and hazard control programs; and measuring, auditing, and evaluating the effectiveness of hazard controls and hazard control programs.
(19)
"Safety profession certification organization" means an organization which has been in existence for at least five years and which has been established to improve the practice and educational standards of the safety profession by certifying individuals who meet its education, experience, and examination requirements. The organization shall be accredited by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies, the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards, or a nationally recognized accrediting body which uses certification criteria equal to or greater than that of the National Commission of Certifying Agencies or the Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards. The organization shall maintain criteria at least equivalent to that of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Added by 2005 Ga. Laws 320,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2005.