Fund Created to Sustain TLVs and BEIs
The Foundation for Occupational Safety and Health yesterday announced the creation of a new Sustainable TLV®/BEI® Fund intended to develop sustainable financial support to ensure the continued development of Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices, also known as TLVs® and BEIs®, which are developed by the Cincinnati-based American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The fund will initially be managed and overseen by a four-member board consisting of two representatives appointed by the FOHS Board of Trustees and two representatives appointed by the ACGIH Board of Directors, and the fund's chair will rotate annually between the two organizations' representatives.
FOHS says the fund was created because:
- Since its inception, the core purpose and "cause" of ACGIH has been to protect workplace employees through the development of science-based occupational exposure guidelines widely known as the TLVs® and BEIs®. These guidelines have become recognized throughout the world as a basis for development of workplace standards. The potential loss of the TLVs® and BEIs® would result in a significant loss of basic worker protection.
- Current economic conditions and recent legal challenges put the continuation of ACGIH's core mission and value at risk, namely the continued development of TLV® and BEIs®.
- FOHS has the ability to solicit and receive donations and grants from corporate, governmental and private entities alike. There are potentially many entities that would provide support for sustaining the TLV® and BEI® processes, and creation of the Fund provides the mechanism for receiving that support, in furtherance of FOHS' mission.
To make a contribution or obtain more information about the fund, visit www.fohs.org/SusTLV-BEIPrgm.htm. FOHS has an alliance with ACGIH.