Mission
The SSOH is committed to protecting the interests of its members in the field of occupational hygiene. It does this by working with the umbrella organisation suissepro and in exchange with the government institutions in Switzerland that are responsible for health at work or in the context of public consultations on changes to legislation or existing good practices.
The SSOH promotes occupational hygiene through the professional activities of its members, and by exchanging information and knowledge among its members and with other occupational health and safety specialists.
It contributes to the promotion of occupational hygiene by increasing knowledge in the field of occupational practice and disseminating this knowledge through the exchange of experts and other specialists. It provides regular updates on developments in the field of occupational hygiene.
The SSOH can give its opinion on current issues concerning legislation and the practice of occupational hygiene, for example, by participating in consultations on changes to guidelines or laws.
Finally, it works closely with the authorities and with other organisations and associations that pursue similar goals.
Statutes and rules
The tasks and operating methods of the SSOH and the Certification Committee (CCOH) are set out in the statutes, which can be viewed via the link below.
Among other things, the SSOH awards the title of Certified Occupational Hygienist in Switzerland and monitors its maintenance on the basis of a certification system recognised by the IOHA (National Accreditation Recognition).
The statutes also describe the rules for continuing education, in particular with regard to the legal requirements for the practice of occupational hygiene in Switzerland. More specifically, they describe the steps for maintaining the status of occupational hygienist in accordance with the ASA-Guideline (guideline in the national languages for occupational health and safety specialists; that include occupational physicians, hygienists, safety specialists and some other safety and health specialists).
These statutes also describe the Code of Ethics for the practice of occupational hygiene.
Board
The Board is responsible for the management of the association. It consists of the President (or two Co-Presidents), the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and other members whose number is determined by the SSOH.
The tasks of the Board are as follows:
- Implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly
- Preparation, organisation and execution of events that serve the objectives of the association
- New members: determining admission criteria, making admission decisions and administrative management
- Nomination of honorary members (must be confirmed by the General Assembly)
- Monitoring violations of the Code of Ethics (the general assembly must confirm any necessary exclusion from the professional association)
- Managing the SSOH Treasury
- Managing donations from third parties
- General Assembly: preparation, invitations and administration
- Administration of the list of SSOH/IOHA-certified and/or ASA-recognised Occupational Hygienists
- Administration of the SSOH Secretariat
- Processing of appeals concerning certification or recognition as an occupational hygienist
- Maintaining an information page on the possibilities of recognised further training days
- Maintaining the international network
- Contribute to legal topics related to the field
- Establish and lead SSOH-specific working groups
Organizational Chart and Profiles
Iris Schilling
Vice President and Secretary
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Christophe Iseli
Treasurer
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Thomas Eiche
Committee Member
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Silke Büchl
Committee Member
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Kaspar Schmid
Committee Member
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Samantha Connell
Committee Member
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Matthieu Perrenoud
Committee Member
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The committee sets up and manages working groups to support it in fulfilling its tasks and missions. The working groups are composed of members of the association and at least one member of the committee.
The ‘Communication’ working group is responsible for the following tasks:
- Implementation of a communication strategy for the SSOH
- Evaluation and updating of methods of communication with members
- Informing members about networking and recognised training events
- Regular publication of current information in the field of occupational hygiene
- Continuous maintenance of the SSOH website
The working group for professional development courses (PDC) has the following tasks:
- Organisation of ECHEX meetings (exchange of experience)
- Organisation of PDCs
- Contributions to the ‘journées suissepro’ (suissepro days)
- Cooperation with other professional associations
Working Groups
Certification committee
The Swiss Certification Commitee for Occupational Hygienists (CCOH) is an organisation independent of the SSOH committee and is concerned with the certification of occupational hygienists according to the standards of the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA). Its working method is described in the statutes of the certification body.
Its tasks are:
- examining applications for the title ‘Occupational Hygienist ASA cert. SSOH’. This includes organising the written examinations for the candidates (once a year) and awarding the title
- examining applications for the title ‘Occupational hygienist ASA’
- ensuring that all the requirements of the regulations on continuing education and training for SSOH members are met
- provides the committee of the SSOH with the information necessary for the management of the register of certified ASA Occupational Hygienists and ASA Occupational Hygienists cert. SSOH
- is the disciplinary body for violations of the Code of Ethics (ethical principles) of the SSOH.
The certification body consists of the following members:
Olivier FAVRE
Fabia SCHLÄPPI
David VERNEZ
Jean PARRAT
