IOHA has identified certain key topics as a focus for ongoing projects.

Control Banding - Growth in the use of chemicals in small and medium sized businesses (SME's) and in emerging economies, where access to people with the experience to assess and control exposure to chemicals is limited, has led to the development of a new approach to the control of chemicals. Called Control Banding, the approach uses information that is readily available to users from the suppliers of chemicals taking the users through a series of simple steps allowing them to choose practical control solutions that should reduce exposures to levels which present no danger to health.

Recognition of National Occupational Hygiene Accreditation Schemes  - Globalization (e.g. due to corporate search for reduced manufacturing costs) has resulted in the rapid and widespread dispersal of hazardous materials and processes to areas where there may well not be the resident expertise to address the associated risks; there may be greater need to engage specialists with credentials that are recognized in a trans-boundary manner. Increasingly, multinational corporations are applying a consistent set of health, safety and environment (HS&E) standards to their work sites, no matter where they may be located. Consequently, there is a need for (some) global harmonization of the principles and standards of Occupational Hygiene (OH). On the other hand, existing widely-accepted workplace guidelines may not be directly applicable to all regions; judicious local application may be required. For these (and many other) reasons, the rationale for the development of national professional OH credential granting systems now applies internationally.

In 1999 IOHA decided to set up a committee to identify and designate national "IOHA Recognized Certification Boards". In 2005 the committee was redesignated the 'IOHA National Accreditation Recognition Committee'. The work of this committee and its publications are described in the IOHA Main Site.