OccuSafe Industrial Hygiene Consulting

Industrial hygiene is based on the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of hazards. These may include chemical, biological, airborne, physical, and ergonomic hazards. By reviewing facility designs, chemical inventories, and operational tasks ahead of time, worker illness and injury can be anticipated and prevented. Actions may include:

• Identifying the processes at the facility or location. This may include studying building plans, manuals, facility maps, engineering plans, and job flow. 
• Reading the Safety Data Sheets and facility procedures to determine the raw, intermediate, and product materials. This will identify the chemicals, their composition, exposure limits, personal protective equipment and other information.
• Observing the processes and stressors on site that may be involved.
• Watching how employees work. Do they follow safety procedures, minimize hazard exposures, use available ventilation, work near noise, radiation, and non-ionizing radiation? Do they follow procedures  to reduce exposure risks.
• Determining if there are airborne dusts, toxic gases, metal fumes, and skin-absorbable liquids.
• Identifying physical hazards such as excessive machinery noise, vibration, radiation, and extreme thermal or cold conditions.
• Determining if there are biological agents such as mold growth, bacteria, or bloodborne pathogens.
• Pinpointing ergonomic hazards. Do employees perform repetitive heavy lifting, work in awkward or stressful physical postures, and use equipment that places an avoidable burden.
• Determining if there are engineering and administrative controls in place to eliminate or reduce hazards.
• Pinpointing the personal protective equipment used to supplement engineering and administrative controls.
• Training employees to effectively perform their jobs. They should be able to demonstrate how to safely and effectively do all facets of the work. This may include all the items listed above.

The best way to avoid accidents is to anticipate how employees may be hurt in the workplace.  Hazards can then be recognized, evaluated and controlled.