This Association was formed initially as SOCIETY FOR STUDY OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE – INDIA in the year 1948 at Jamshedpur, Bihar.

On the foundation day, the 9th July 1948, in a meeting of 28 Founder Members, a constitution was drafted and adopted.  The Society was first registered at Patna.

Lt. Col. J.R. Kochar. Lt. Col. Najib Khan and Major R.C. Tarapore were elected as Founder President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

First branch of the society was formed in Ahmedabad in the year 1950. Other branches at Bombay, Calcutta and Karnataka came up subsequently.  

The name of the Society was changed to INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, popularly known as IAOH in the year 1969 and was registered at Bombay under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 27th November, 1969

Indian Journal of Industrial Medicine, the official Journal of the Association was first published as “Proceedings of the society for the study of Industrial Medicine, India” in March 1949 under the able editorship of Lt. Col. Najib Khan.