1. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE – METHODS OF CONTROL
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON –
DOWNTOWN CAMPUS
FALL 2014

2. DEFINITION
Industrial Hygiene (IH) is that science devoted to the anticipation, recognition, measurement, evaluation, and control of adverse stresses or agents which could cause sickness and impaired health among workers and the community. The basic goal of IH is to promote a safe and healthful work environment.

3. IH ELEMENTS
Anticipation
Recognition
Evaluation
Control

4. RECOGNITION
Detailed information to be obtained regarding types of hazardous materials used, type of job operation, worker exposures and patterns, levels of air contaminants, exposure duration, control measures, etc. Consult product information including MSDSs.

5. EVALUATION
Involves monitoring and analytical methods required to detect the extent of exposure; decision-making process resulting in an opinion on the degree of health hazard that exists; extent of potential health hazards based on comparisons of environmental measurements with current governmental regulations and recommended guidelines.

6. CONTROL
Involves the reduction of environmental stresses to levels that the worker can tolerate without impairment of health or productivity; various general control methods employed.

7. CONTROL METHODS
Engineering – remove the hazard; should be considered first. Administrative – reduce exposures through scheduling; also included is employee training; not generally favored. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – use should be secondary to engineering.

8. ENGINEERING CONTROLS Substitution Change in process Isolation
Enclosure
Wet methods
Ventilation
General
Dilution

9. ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS
Examples: - Arranging work schedules and the related duration of exposure to limit employee exposures to health hazards. - Transferring employees at PELs to an environment where no additional exposure will be experienced. - Housekeeping

10. ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS
Administrative controls must be designed only by knowledgeable health and safety professionals, and used cautiously. Not as satisfactory as engineering controls and have been criticized as a means of spreading exposures instead of reducing or eliminating the exposure.

11. PPE
PPE may be used to protect the worker when it is not feasible to render the working environment completely safe. This is considered a secondary control method to engineering and administrative controls and should be used as a last resort.

12. EFFECTIVE IH PROGRAM
Applies knowledge to the anticipation and recognition of health hazards arising out of work operations and processes, evaluation and measurement of the magnitude of the hazard based on past experience and study, and control of the hazards.

13. POTENTIAL HAZARDS
Chemical
Physical
Biological
Ergonomic

14. CHEMICAL HAZARDS
Various forms – vapors, gases, dusts, fumes, mists, or by skin contact
Degree of risk depends on magnitude and duration of exposure
Hazard identification through use of MSDSs

15. PHYSICAL HAZARDS Noise Radiation - Ionizing - Non-ionizing Lighting
Heat/Cold Stress
Pressure Extremes

16. BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS Bioaerosols Surface/Bulk Contamination Tuberculosis
Bloodborne Pathogens
Indoor Air Quality Issues

17. ERGONOMIC HAZARDS Musculoskeletal Disorders
Cumulative Trauma Disorders
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Material Handling/Lifting
Workplace Design Considerations

18. OTHER HAZARDS Confined Spaces Waste Management Lab Health and Safety
Emergency Planning

19. FEDERAL REGULATIONS
Occupational Safety and Health Act Enacted on December 29, 1970 Effective on April 28, 1971 Purpose: “assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve out human resources.”

20. OHS GOAL
Prevent occupational injury and illness by anticipating, recognizing, evaluation, and controlling occupational health and safety hazards.

21. VITAL COMPONENTS
Effective health and safety program is the commitment of Senior Management and Line Management.
Includes visible involvement; assignment of authority as well as the responsibility to carry out the health and safety program.

22. IH PROGRAM ELEMENTS Written Program/Policy Statement
Hazard Recognition Procedures
Hazard Evaluation and Exposure Assessment
Hazard Control
Employee Training
Employee Involvement
Program Evaluation and Audit
Recordkeeping

23. OST TEAM COMPONENTS Industrial Hygienist Safety Professional
Occupational Health Nurse
Occupational Medicine Physician
Employees
Senior Line Management

24. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST
Industrial Hygienists are occupational health professionals concerned primarily with the control of environmental stresses or occupational health hazards that arise as a result of or during the course of work.

25. SAFETY PROFESSIONAL
Specialized knowledge in the physical and social sciences
Understand factors contributing accident occurrence along with motivation, behavior and communication to control safety hazards
Potential combination of IH and Safety positions due to relatively common responsibilities

26. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSE
Key to delivery of comprehensive health care services to workers
Focused on promotion, protection, and restoration of workers’ health within the context of the work environment
Critical link between employee’s health status, work process, and the determination of employee ability to do job.
Case management approach to return injured employees to work on a timely basis

27. OCCUPATIONAL PHYSICIAN
Goal is to prevent occupational illness and when illness occurs, to restore employee health within the context of a health and safe workplace
Regulations require medical surveillance programs with specific criteria
Determination of work-relatedness of disease

28. OTHER COMPONENTS
Employee
Safety and Health Committee