INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
• Is the anticipation, recognition,evaluation, and control of those
environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace,
which may cause sickness, impaired health and well being or
significant discomfort among workers or among the citizens of the
community.
• the environment and its relation to worker health was recognized as
early as the fourth century BC when Hippocrates noted lead toxicity in
the mining industry.
JOB HAZARDS
1. AIR CONTAMINANTS
2. CHEMICAL HAZARDS
3. BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
4. PHYSICAL HAZARDS
5. ERGONOMIC HAZARDS
AIR CONTAMINANTS
• commonly classified as either particulate or gas and vapor
contaminants. The most common particulate contaminants include
dust, fumes, mists, aerosols, and fibers.
Chemical Hazards
• Harmful chemical compounds in the form of solids, liquids, gases
mists, dusts,fumes, and vapors exert toxic effects by inhalation
(breathing), absorption (through direct contact with the skin), or
ingestion (eating or drinking) .
• airborne chemical hazards exist as concentration of mists, vapors,
gases, fumes, or solids some are toxic to inhalation , irritate the skin
or contact, some can be toxic to absorption through the skin or
through ingestion and some are corrosive to living tissue.
Biological Hazard
• These include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other living organisms that
can cause acute and chronic infections by entering the body either
directly or through breaks in the skin.
• any occupations that result in contact with bodily fluids pose a risk to
workers from biological hazards.
Physical Hazards
• These includes excessive levels of ionizing and nonionizing
electromagnetic radiation , noise, vibration , illumination and
temperature.
Ergonomic Hazards
• Many ergonomic problems result from technological changes such as
increased assembly line speeds, adding specialized tasks, and
increased repetitions
• any of the condition can cause ergonomic hazards such as excessive
vibration and noise, eye strain, repetitive motion and heavy lifting
problems
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11058- OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS LAW
OSH ACT
• provides that each Filipino worker is protected against injury, sickness
or death through safe and healthful working conditions and that
employers must promote strict but dynamic , inclusive, and gender
sensitive measures in the formulation and implementation of policies
and programs related to occupational.
Industrial Hygienists
• analyze, identify, and measure workplace hazards or stresses that can
cause sickness, impaired health, or significant discomfort in workers
through chemical, physical, ergonomic or biological exposures.
TWO ROLES OF OSHA INDUSTRIAL
HYGIENIST
• 1. Spot conditions
• 2. Help to eliminate or control them through appropriate measures.
Worksites Analysis
• Is an essential first step that helps an industrial hygienist determine
what jobs and work stations are the sources of potential problems.
During the worksite analysis, the industrial hygienist measures and
identifies exposures, problem tasks and risks.
Recognizing and Controlling Hazards
• Industrial hygienists recognize that engineering, work practice, and
administrative controls are the primary means of reducing employee
exposure to occupational hazards.
• Engineering controls minimize employee exposure by either reducing
or removing the hazard at the source or isolating the worker from the
hazard. Engineering controls include eliminating toxic chemicals and
substituting non-toxic chemicals, enclosing work processes or
confining work operations, and the installation of general and local
ventilation system
• Work practice controls alter the manner in which a task is performed.
Some fundamental and easily implemented work practice controls
include (1) changing existing work practices to follow proper
procedures that minimize exposures while operating production and
control equipment; (2) inspecting and maintaining process and
control equipment on a regular basis; (3) implementing good
housekeeping procedures; (4) providing good supervision; and (5)
mandating that eating, drinking, smoking, chewing tobacco or gum,
and applying cosmetics in regulated areas be prohibited.
• Administrative controls include controlling employees' exposure by
scheduling production and tasks, or both, in ways that minimize
exposure levels. For example, the employer might schedule
operations with the highest exposure potential during periods when
the fewest employees are present.
• PPE - personal protective equipment
Examples of personal protective equipment are gloves, safety goggles,
helmets, safety shoes, protective clothing, and respirators. To be
effective, personal protective equipment must be individually selected,
properly fitted and periodically refitted; conscientiously and properly
worn; regularly maintained; and replaced, as necessary.
METHODS OF RECOGNIZING
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH STRESSES/
HAZARDS
Walk-through/Ocular Inspection
• this is necessary in identifying the potential hazards and determining
the critical conditions in the workplace. It will be good to make a
checklist for inspection.
Review of the process Involved
• The identity of the chemical intermediates formed in the course of an
industrial process and the toxicological properties of these
intermediates may be difficult to establish. Undesirable chemical by-
products such as carbon monoxide resulting from the incomplete
combustion of organic material may be formed.
Knowing the raw materials, by product
and finished products
• – Knowing about the raw materials used and the nature of the
products manufactured will help you determine the specific
contaminants to which workers are actually exposed. Possible
impurities in raw materials such as benzene in some solvents should
be considered.
Gathering worker’s complaints
• the actual chemicals or substances handled may be determined by
interviewing the workers. More so, their complaints can also be
gathered and assessed in the clinic record.
Safety data sheets ( SDS)
• is a summary of important health, safety and toxicological information
on the chemical or the mixture ingredients. It should contain: a.
identification b. hazard(s) identification c. composition/information
on ingredients d. first-aid measures e. fire-fighting measures f.
accidental release measures g. handling and storage h. exposure
control/personal protection i. physical and chemical properties j.
stability and reactivity k. toxicological information l. ecological
information m. disposal considerations n. transport information o.
regulatory information p. other information
7 RULES OF OSH LAW
Rule 1070
• is OSH standard for occupational health and environmental control
Rule 1071 – GENERAL PROVISIONS
• “This rule establishes TLVs for toxic and carcinogenic substances and
physical agents which may be present in the atmosphere of the work
environment. TLVs refer to airborne concentration of substances and
represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers
may be repeatedly exposed daily without adverse effect.”
Rule 1072- TVL’S FOR AIRBORNE
CONTAMINANTS AND RULE(1073)
TABLES
• These refer to TLVs of airborne contaminants for “time weighted
concentration for an 8-hour workday and a total of forty-eight 48
hours of work exposure per week.” TLVs tables for airborne
contaminants, mineral dusts, and human carcinogens are also
established
Rule 1074– PHYSICAL AGENTS
• This refers to TLVs for physical agents particularly noise or “sound
pressure that represents conditions under which it is believed that
nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse effect
on their ability to hear and understand normal speech.
Rule 1075– ILLUMINATIONS
• All places where persons work or pass or may have to work or pass in
emergencies, shall be provided during time of use with the adequate
natural lighting or artificial lighting or both, suitable for the operation
and the special type of work performed.”
Rule 1076– GENERAL VENTILATION
• This is about General Ventilation that encompasses the workroom
condition for air supply, temperature, humidity, and odor. It states
that: “Suitable atmospheric conditions shall be maintained in
workrooms by natural or artificial means to avoid insufficient air
supply, stagnant or vitiated air, harmful drafts, excessive heat or cold,
sudden variations in temperature, and where practicable, excessive
humidity or dryness and objectionable odors.”
Rule 1077– WORK ENVIRONMENT
MEASUREMENTS
• “WEM shall mean sampling and analysis carried out in respect of the
atmospheric working environment and other fundamental elements
of working environment for the purpose of determining actual
condition therein.”