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CIH Study Materials: CIH Exam

The following materials are good references when preparing for the CIH exam.  This is not a comprehensive list.  There are many other sources, but these are the ones with which I am most familiar.  Many of the texts listed are available at our Bowen EHS Bookstore.

 

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We also sell workbooks with practice problems. They are available through the Bowen EHS bookstore.

  1. DiNardi, Salvatore R., The Occupational Environment - Its Evaluation and Controlamazon, AIHA Press, Fairfax, VA.

    Comments:  Often referred to as "The White Book."  Provides basic information on every subject relevant to industrial hygienists.  A good reference source if you are just starting to build your library.  Probably not a good investment for someone with a developed library of industrial hygiene texts.

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  2. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, The Industrial Environment - Its Evaluation and Control, US Government Printing Office.  1973.

Comments:  This is considered to be the original "White Book."  It was originally published by NIOSH and has been updated twice by the AIHA.  It can be downloaded for free from the internet at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/74-117.html.  An excellent source of industrial hygiene information, but it is a bit out of date.

  1. Plog, Barbara, Niland, Jill and Quinlan, Patricia, Fundamentals of Industrial Hygieneamazon, National Safety Council, Itasca, IL.

    Comments:  Provides very basic information on most industrial hygiene topics.  Relatively easy read.  Do not recommend purchasing if you have a good library or already own the white book above.

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  2. ACGIH, Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practiceamazon, American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Cincinnati, OH.

    Comments:  The basic reference for ventilation.  Recommend reading the first five chapters.  You can pass the exam without owning this manual, but you will probably want a copy if you stay in the field for any length of time.

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  3. ACGIH, TLVs and BEIs: Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices, amazonAmerican Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Cincinnati, OH.

    Comments:  A must have.  Excellent source of information regarding the CIH exam.  Recommend reading it cover to cover.  Don't try to memorize TLVs, but you should understand the basis for TLVs.  It also provides information on many IH subjects.

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  4. Fleeger, Allan and Dean Lillquist.  Industrial Hygiene Reference & Study Guide, 2nd Editionamazon, AIHA Press, Fairfax, VA 2006.

    Comments:  I call this the "Little White Book."  It is a short list of facts and information on each industrial hygiene subject.  It is great for reviewing information, but it won't help much if you haven't studied the material in another text.

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  5. Burgess, William A., Recognition of Health Hazards in Industry: A Review of Materials and Processesamazon, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , New York, NY.

    Comments:  A great book describing health hazards in a variety of industries.  Describes many of the industries where IH really got a strong start.  Many of us no longer work in these industries, but there are still questions on the exam based on prevalent exposures in specific businesses.  Recommend reading chapters on welding, abrasive blasting, and surface coatings.
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  6. Stewart, James H., et. al., Industrial - Occupational Hygiene Calculations: A Professional Referenceamazon, Millennium Associates.

    Comments:  A spiral bound book describing every equation on the previous exam formula sheet handout.  Written by faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health.  A quick reference to review specific formulas.
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  7. 29 CFR 1910 Occupational Safety and Health Standards, United States Federal Register.

    8. Comments:  The exam is no longer focused on US specific regulations, but the regulations have excellent information on professional practices.

  8. Petersen, Dan.  Safety Management: A Human Approachamazon, American Society of Safety Engineers, Des Plaines, IL.

    Comments:  This is the first real safety management book that I've read.  It is well written, and it is definitely worth reading if you are a safety professional or industrial hygienist.  Many of the management theories are discussed in the text.  This is an excellent book.

  1. Gonick, Larry and Woolcott Smith.  The Cartoon Guide to Statisticsamazon, HarperPerennial., New York, NY. 1993

    Comments:  A great guide for statistics.  Well written and easy to read.  Very helpful for people with difficulty understanding statistical concepts.

  2. Berger, E.H et.al.  The Noise Manual: Revised 5th Editionamazon, AIHA Press, Fairfax, VA. 2003.

    Comments:  The basis text for noise and hearing protection.  A good investment for your IH library, but not absolutely necessary for the exam.

  3. Cohen, Beverly and Charles McCammon, Jr.  Air Sampling Instruments for Evaluation of Atmospheric Contaminantsamazon, ACGIH Worldwide, Cincinnati OH.  2001.

    Comments:  Describes the operation of most air sampling instruments.  A good reference book for your library.  A little pricey if you are only using it to study for the exam.

  4. Macher, Janet.  Bioaerosols: Assessment and Controlamazon,  ACGIH, Cincinnati, OH.  1999.

    Comments:  A pretty decent text covering IH issues for bacteria, viruses and fungal species.  Many IHs find themselves working with mold related issues. Another good reference source.

  5. Shapiro, Jacob.  Radiation Protection: A Guide for Scientists and Physiciansamazon,  Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.  1990.

    Comments:  A great text on radiation.  Good reference book for your library, but probably not the best investment in studying for the exam.

  6. NIOSH Criteria Document:  Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Hot Environments (Revised Criteria 1986).  Available from NIOSH at this link.

    7. Comments:  This document covers a lot of great material on heat stress, and it is free!  I frequently hear questions that people have some difficulty with the heat stress problems on the exam.

  7. HAZ-Map  Website sponsored by the National Library of Medicine.

    Comments:  This website is a good tool in looking up information regarding specific occupational chemicals.

  1. Lutrell, Jederberg, and Still. Toxicology Principles for the Industrial Hygienist, AIHA Press, Fairfax, VA 2008

    Comments:  This is a new book. It provides an in-depth review of toxicology. It is an excellent source of information on a difficult subject for the exam.
    Bowen EHS Bookstore

  1. Flashcards

    2. We are developing sets of flashcards specifically for the CIH and CSP exams. You can check them out here. People generally retain more information when they create their own cards. A low cost way for you to develop cards is to use the card lists from our bookstore, and create your own with index cards.
    Bowen EHS Bookstore

  2. Basic statistics textbook.

    Comments:  Old texts are great for reviewing material or finding additional practice problems.

  1. Basic chemistry textbook.
  2. Basic biology textbook.
  3. Basic physics textbook.

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