Occupational and industrial health at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene.

Occupational hazards have been known for centuries, but the creation of facilities capable of carrying out the testing necessary to assess these risks is a comparatively recent development. The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) created the Wisconsin Occupational Health Laboratory (WOHL) in 1937 to address this need. Since then, WOHL's range of analytical capacity has grown to include an impressive array of assays, including volatile organic compounds, asbestos, silica, environmental lead, bioaerosols, and elemental carbon. WOHL has been a leader in emerging occupational health threats, and has been the primary testing facility for the United State's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) consultation program since 1977. Through it all, WOHL has remained a fee-for-service branch of the WSLH and has not used Wisconsin taxpayer funds to support its day-to-day operations.