Industrial Hygiene

Industrial Hygiene
Lesson 15 Study Guide

LESSON PURPOSE:
The purpose of this lesson is to provide you with information
that will help you understand industrial hygiene and work site
injury prevention.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Identify industrial hygiene monitoring and analytical
methods

Describe the methods by which workers are

protected through hazard recognition and controls

List the types of hazards that industrial hygienists

look for and methods to prevent them

Explain employer requirements regarding

industrial hygiene

183

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 Industrial Hygiene

Before you can understand what industrial hygiene is,

you must be familiar with specific terms.

Industrial Hygiene Defined The Role of an Industrial Hygienist

OSHA defines industrial hygiene as: An industrial hygienist is responsible for:

“
yy Environmental monitoring and analyt-
The science of anticipating, ical methods to detect worker expo-
recognizing, evaluating, and sure
ultimately controlling conditions yy Employ the appropriate protection
in the workplace that may cause

”
referring to:
injury or illness.
·· Engineering
·· Administrative
Hygiene Defined
Hygiene is defined as conditions and prac- ·· Work practice controls
tices that serve to promote or preserve ·· Personal Protective Equipment
health. (PPE)

Sanitary Defined
Sanitary is defined as favorable to health;
free from dirt, bacteria.protection.

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Industrial Hygiene

OSHA & Industrial Hygiene

OSHA has developed and set mandatory occupational safety and health requirements applicable
to more than 6 million workplaces in the United States.

Industrial hygienists are relied on to evalu- Industrial hygienists perform a wide variety
ate jobs and workplaces for potential health of functions:
hazards:
yy Set up field enforcement procedures
yy Over 40% of OSHA compliance offi- yy Issue technical interpretations
cers are industrial hygienists
yy Analyze, identify, and measure work-
yy Industrial hygienists help develop and place hazards
issue OSHA standards
yy Determine the extent of employee
yy Hazards include toxic chemicals, bio- exposure to hazards
logical hazards. and harmful physical
yy Decide what is needed to control job
agents
site hazards
yy Provide OSHA with technical assis-
The development of these standards in-
tance and support
volves determining the extent of employee
exposure to hazards as well as deciding
what is needed to control these hazards to
protect workers.

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Industrial Hygiene

Hazard Characteristics
To be effective in recognizing and evaluating on-the-job hazards and recommending controls,
industrial hygienists must be familiar with the hazards' characteristics.

Air contaminants are typically classified as either particulate or gas and vapor:

Types of Particle Hazards

Dusts Fumes Mists

Solid particles that are Formed when a solid Liquid suspended in
created by handling, material evaporates in the atmosphere that is
grinding, crushing, collid- cool air generated when liquids
ing, exploding, or heating yy In most cases the condense from a vapor
materials: resultant particles turn back into a liquid
yy Metal yy Coal react with the air to yy Or when a liquid is
yy Rock yy Wood form an oxide dispersed by splash-
yy Ore yy Grain ing or atomizing

Aerosols Fibers
A form of mist that is characterized by Solid particles, such as asbestos
tiny liquid particles yy The length of which is several
yy These liquid particles that are times greater than their diameter
easily breathed in

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Industrial Hygiene

Hazard Characteristics
To be effective in recognizing and evaluating on-the-job hazards and recommending controls,
industrial hygienists must be familiar with the hazards' characteristics.

Gases Chemicals
Formless fluids that expand to occupy the Chemical can affect workers by inhalation,
space or enclosure they contain absorption through the skin, or ingestion:

yy Can be atomic, diatomic, or molecular yy Some hazards are toxic through inha-
in nature lation, while some of them irritate the
skin on contact
Vapors yy Others can be toxic by absorption
Created when liquids are evaporated and through the skin or through ingestion
mix with the atmosphere
yy Some are corrosive to living tissue
yy Defined as the volatile form of mate-
rial that is usually in a solid or liquid Biological Hazards
state at room temperature or pres- Biological hazards are viruses, bacteria, fungi,
sure and other living organisms that can cause
infection by entering the body directly or via
yy Sometimes considered a gas it is be-
breaks in the skin:
cause atomic or molecular in nature
yy Occupations that deal with food pro-
cessing, plants or animals, and plant or
animal products are at risk
yy Laboratory and medical workers can
also be exposed to biological hazards,
as can those who are working in any
occupation that results in contact with
bodily fluids
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Industrial Hygiene

Hazard Characteristics
To be effective in recognizing and evaluating on-the-job hazards and recommending controls,
industrial hygienists must be familiar with the hazards' characteristics.

Physical Hazards
Physical hazards are excessive levels of:

yy Noise
yy Vibrations
yy Illumination
yy Temperature
yy Ionizing and non-ionizing electromag-
netic radiation
Ergonomic Hazards
Ergonomic hazards involve a full range of
tasks including excessive vibration and
MEDICAL ALERT noise, eye strain, repetitive motion, and
heavy lifting problems.
Sorting, assembling, and data
entry can cause carpal tunnel yy These injuries may occur because of
syndrome. technological changes (i.e. increased
assembly line speeds, addition of
specialized tasks, etc.)

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Industrial Hygiene

Biological, Physical, & Ergonomic Prevention

You might feel fine today, but repetitive motions and exposure to hazards can wear your body
down and cause lasting health problems or disabilities over a long period of time.

Industrial hygienists point out the positive

Physical Hazard Prevention –
effects of hazard prevention. Not only does
Ionizing Radiation
it increase efficiency, cause fewer accidents,
and lower operating costs – it also ensures
that workers are comfortable and able to
perform their duties.

Biological Hazard Prevention

Laboratory and medical workers in contact

with bodily fluids can be exposed. Biological In occupations where there is exposure to
hazards are an expectation in work envi- ionizing radiation, the following are import-
ronments related to medical and animal ant tools in ensuring worker safety:
care. Here are some of the requirements for
hazard prevention include: yy Time – Danger from radiation in-
creases with the amount of time
yy Prevent and control diseases in ani-
exposed
mal population
yy Distance – Radiation levels can be
yy Properly care for and handle infected
estimated by comparing the squares
animals
of the distances between worker and
yy Practice effective personal hygiene
source
yy Hospitals should provide proper:
yy Shielding – The greater the protective
yy Ventilation
mass between a radioactive source
yy PPE, such as gloves and respirators
and a worker, the lower the radiation
yy Infectious waste disposal systems
exposure
yy Controls, including isolation in in-
·· Shielding can also be an effective
stances of highly contagious diseas-
control method in certain cases
es like tuberculosis

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Industrial Hygiene

Biological, Physical, & Ergonomic Prevention

You might feel fine today, but repetitive motions and exposure to hazards can wear your body
down and cause lasting health problems or disabilities over a long period of time.

Noise Hazards Prevention

OSHA requires that workers in
noisy surroundings get peri-
odic hearing tests to prevent
hearing loss. Occupational
noise exposure –loud noises for a long peri-
od of time – can cause permanent damage
or hearing loss disabilities.
The industrial hygienist performs a work
It is possible to reduce exposure to noise by:
site analysis to determine the sources of
yy Creating sound barriers at worksta- potential hazards in the workplace and
tions around deafening operations makes recommendations for different types
yy Increasing the distance between the of controls to prevent injury.
source and the receiver
yy Isolating workers in acoustical booths
yy Limiting workers' exposure time to noise
yy Providing hearing protection

Ergonomic Hazards Prevention

Ensuring that employees are comfortable
and putting as little strain on their bodies as
possible is an important part of maintain-
ing health and safety standards. Employers
should provide the following to their employees:
During the job site analysis, the industrial
yy The use of appropriate engineering hygienist takes the appropriate measures to
controls identify exposures, problem tasks, and risks.
yy Teaching correct work practices The basic job site analysis performed by an
yy Employing proper administrative controls industrial hygienist includes the following:
yy Shifting workers among different tasks yy Inspection of all jobs, operations, and
yy Reducing pro- work activities
duction demand yy Research/analyze how specific chem-
yy Increasing icals or physical hazards at that job
breaks site affect worker health
yy Providing and yy If a situation hazardous to health is
mandating PPE discovered, recommend the appropri-
ate corrective actions
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Industrial Hygiene

Hierarchy of Controls
OSHA's hierarchy of control methods help reduce risk and exposure to hazards.

OSHA's hierarchy of control methods

Industrial hygienists recognize that engineering, work practice, and administrative controls are the
primary means of reducing employee exposure to occupational hazards.

Where other controls focus on the employee, engineering controls involve designing the work
environment and the job itself to eliminate or reduce exposure to hazards.

Engineering controls include:

yy Eliminating toxic chemicals

yy Replacing harmful toxic materials
with less hazardous ones
yy Enclosing work processes
yy Confining work operations
yy Installing general and local ventilation
systems
Engineering controls are the first and best strategy for
controlling a hazard at its source.

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Industrial Hygiene

Hierarchy of Controls
OSHA's hierarchy of control methods help reduce risk and exposure to hazards.

OSHA uses the term administrative controls

Work Practice Controls
to define other measures that reduce employ-
Work practice controls include the com-
ee exposure to hazards.
pany's general workplace rules and other
operation-specific rules. These measures can include:
yy Additional relief workers
yy Exercise breaks
yy Worker rotation

These controls can alter the way a task is performed.

Some work practice controls include:

yy Following proper procedures that
minimize exposures while operating
production and control equipment
yy Inspecting and maintaining process Administrative controls also include con-
and control equipment on a regular basis trolling employees' exposure by scheduling
yy Implementing good housekeeping production and workers' tasks, or both, in
procedures ways that minimize exposure levels.
yy Providing good supervision
yy Mandating that eating, drinking,
smoking, chewing tobacco or gum EXAMPLE
and applying cosmetics in regulated The employer might schedule
areas be prohibited operations with the highest hazard
exposure potential during periods
when the fewest employees are
present.

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Industrial Hygiene

Hierarchy of Controls
OSHA's hierarchy of control methods help reduce risk and exposure to hazards.

If the previous three measures do not pro- Safety shoes

vide enough protection for the safety of the
worker, then personal protective equipment
(PPE) may also be required.

Examples of PPE include:

Gloves

Protective clothing

Safety Goggles
To be effective, PPE must be:
yy Individually selected, properly fitted,
and periodically refitted
yy Conscientiously and properly worn
yy Regularly maintained
yy Replaced as necessary

Helmets

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Industrial Hygiene

Employer Requirements for Industrial Hygiene

Under the OSHA General Duty Clause, employers are required to furnish each of its employees a
workplace free from recognized hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm.

An essential part of any safety and health

Emergency Preparation
system is the prevention, preparation, and
correction of potentially hazardous work
conditions using the hierarchy of controls.
Despite the overall controls used to prevent
hazards, correctional programs may still be
necessary.

Preventive Maintenance Systems

yy Good preventive maintenance plays

a major role in ensuring that hazard
controls continue to function effec-
tively yy Provide a record of the hazard
·· Helps ensure hazard controls con- yy Document the discovery of hazards
tinue to function effectively yy Describe the hazard and its correction
·· Keeps new hazards from arising yy Employers must be prepared for emer-
due to equipment malfunction gencies on the job site
yy Emergencies are hazards that are not
normally found in the workplace:
·· Natural causes
·· Events caused by humans, but were
beyond their control
·· Unforeseen circumstances
yy Some of the steps in emergency plan-
ning include:
·· Conduct surveys for possible emer-
gencies
·· Plan actions to reduce impact on
the workplace
Documentation ·· Provide employee information and
training
yy Provide a record of the hazard ·· Organize emergency drills as need-
yy Document the discovery of hazards ed
yy Describe the hazard and its correc-
tion

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Industrial Hygiene

Employer Requirements for Industrial Hygiene

Under the OSHA General Duty Clause, employers are required to furnish each of its employees a
workplace free from recognized hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm.

ing in company policies and proce-

Safety & Health Training
dures, as well as hazard detection
and control
yy OSHA considers training vital to every
workplace ·· OSHA recommends long-term work-
ers whose job changes because
·· Trainees should understand the
of new processes or materials be
purpose of the training
retrained
yy It is most effective when integrated
·· Entire workforce needs periodic
into performance requirements and
refresher training in responding to
job responsibilities
emergencies
·· People learn best when they can
yy Important training design includes the
immediately practice and apply
identification of needs
newly acquired knowledge and
skills ·· Information should be organized to
maximize effectiveness
yy The training program should reflect
needs and characteristics of work- yy Everyone should be included in the pro-
force cess to develop effective training

·· Training should be targeted to ·· People learn in different ways, so an

new hires, contract workers, effective program will incorporate a
employees who wear PPE and variety of training methods
workers in high-risk areas ·· As trainees practice, they should
·· Supervisors should receive train- receive feedback

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 Industrial Hygiene

NOTES:

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 Industrial Hygiene

NOTES:

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