The National Registry in Clinical Chemistry was organized in 1967 to certify clinical chemists and clinical chemistry technologists who meet the standards for certification. There are educational, experience, and examination standards for certification by NRCC. Applicants voluntarily present their educational and experience credentials to the Registry as part of an application to sit for examination. After applications are approved, candidates sit for examination. Candidates who pass the examination are then certified. Certification is renewed in one- and three-year increments after a review of continuing experience, education , and training.

NRCC started a certification program for toxicological chemists in 1987.

A Task Force on Safety Certification met in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and proposed the creation of a certification program for persons with responsibilities of Chemical Hygiene Officers as outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Laboratory Standard. In 1996 a national panel of chemists developed guidelines for an examination based certification program and NRCC assumed the responsibility of developing, implementing, and administering a certification program for Chemical Hygiene Officers. NRCC certification of Chemical Hygiene Officers began in 1997.

A Task Force on Environmental Certification met in Washington, D.C. in 1994 and recommended establishing a certification program for Environmental Analytical Chemists. The Task Force saw a need for a certification program to identify chemists and technicians prepared to handle specific environmental problems. The Task Force believed a certification program for Environmental Analytical Chemists and Environmental Analytical Technicians would provide a critical service for the chemical industry while primarily helping to protect the environment in the public interest. . In 1997 a national panel of chemists developed guidelines for an examination based certification program and NRCC assumed the responsibility of developing, implementing, and administering a certification program for Environmental Analytical Chemists and Environmental Analytical Technicians. NRCC certification of Environmental Analytical Chemists and Environmental Analytical Technicians began 1998.

In 1997 the Center for Laboratories of the Health Care Financing Administration recognized certification by NRCC as a means of qualifying individuals as clinical consultants and directors of high complexity testing under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. Various states have passed legislation recognizing NRCC certification as a method of obtaining licensure of certain laboratory personnel. Certified chemists may use their listing in the NRCC annual directory as one credential supporting their expert witness status. Basically, individuals seek certification to enhance their professionalism in their career fields and among their peers.

In 1999 the name changed to National Registry of Certified Chemists.

The Registry is a non-profit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia. Its sponsors include major chemical organizations in the United States. Each of these organizations periodically nominates individuals to serve on the Registry’s Board of Directors. Those elected to the Board of Directors may be re-elected and may serve a maximum of three full, consecutive, three-year terms.

The responsibility for evaluating applicants is vested in a Credentials Committee of the Registry. Three members of the Board of Directors are selected at random and on a rotating basis to serve as a Credentials Committee for each completed application. If a Credentials Committee does not reach a unanimous decision to approve or disapprove an application, the application is referred to the full Board of Directors for action.

Applicants must be of high ethical and professional standing as attested to by references.

Applicants may sit for an examination, under one application, a maximum of three times within five years.

Certificates are valid for the year of initial certification and may be renewed thereafter in one- or three-year increments. Names of holders of initial certificates and renewed certificates are published annually in a directory. To be valid, certification must be continuous from the year of initial certification.

Certificates are not transferable.

Applicants who are denied approval to sit for an examination or who are denied certification due to failing an examination or who are denied renewal of certification may appeal such actions to the Board of Directors within sixty days after notification of denial has been mailed by NRCC.

Emeritus status may be granted, without fee, for reasons of (1) normal retirement from active practice, (2) permanent disability precluding active practice, or (3) retirement for other reasons after 20 years of NRCC certification.

The right to deny certification is reserved. Certificates granted by the Registry may be suspended, their surrender may be requested, or they may be revoked for either of the following reasons:

(1) A misstatement or misrepresentation in an application for certification or in any other communication to the Registry, the correction of which would render the individual ineligible for certification.

(2) Conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction, of an applicant for certification or holder of a certificate, of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude.

(3) Issuance of a certificate contrary to or in violation of any of the rules, laws, or regulations governing the Registry at the time of certification.

No adverse action concerning a certificate will be taken by the Registry without providing the individual involved at least thirty days advance notice of the charges and an opportunity to rebut such charges.

Applicants must posses an earned degree in one of the chemical, physical, biological, industrial hygiene, environmental, or health and safety sciences from an institution acceptable to the NRCC Board or have academic training in chemistry, physics, or biology with at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in chemistry. Acceptable institutions are those accredited by regional associations. Transcripts must be sent directly by educational institutions to NRCC.

Applicants with education obtained at institutions outside the United States and Canada must, at their expense, have credentials evaluated by one of the agencies for foreign transcript evaluations acceptable to the Board. Reports must be sent by the evaluating organization directly to NRCC.

Applicants must have at least one year of employment experience in a laboratory using chemicals as reagents or reactants or employment experience relevant to safety and health issues in laboratories.

Applicants who meet the requirements described above will be admitted to an examination designed to test their knowledge of both the fundamental and practical aspects of chemistry as it relates to health and safety and to the OSHA Laboratory Standard.

1. The history and purpose of the Laboratory Standard;
2. Development of and information to be contained in the standard;
3. Knowledge of other pertinent regulations;
4. Who is and is not subject to the standard;
5. Standard operating procedures;
6. Hazard assessment;
7. Safe work practices;
8. Personal hygiene practices;
9. General laboratory practices;
10. Special procedures (by hazard class);
11. Procedures for select carcinogens, reproductive toxins, highly toxic substances, and substances with unknown toxicity;
12. Finding information sources;
13. Deviation from standard operating procedures and prior approval;
14. Control measures, including respirators, laboratory ventilation, and exposure monitoring;
15. Employee training and information;
16. Medical consultation and examination;
17. Emergencies, including plans for power failure, spills, etc.;
18. Laboratory visitors, contractors, maintenance personnel, etc.;
19. Record keeping and documentation;
20. Audits, inspections, and self evaluations;

Answer sheets are scored and reports of the scores, along with normative data, are reviewed by the Board of Directors of the Registry. Candidates are identified in the scoring process only by number. The Board of Directors sets the passing grade for examinations and pass-fail results are reported to the candidates.

tentative Dates/Sites for

CHEMICAL HYGIENE OFFICER EXAMINATION
2001




                    04-01-2001....................San Diego, CA (ACS meeting)

                    04-25-2001....................Ithaca, NY (SEHSA meeting)

                    06-05-2001....................New Orleans, LA (AIHA meeting)

                    06-05-2001....................local sites/proctors

                    07-26-2001....................Alexandria, VA (LS&EM Conference)

                    08-13-2001....................Arlington, VA (WTQA '01)

                    08-26-2001....................Chicago, IL (ACS meeting)

                    10-01-2001....................local sites/proctors