The Role of Occupational Hygiene in OH Management

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The Role of Occupational Hygiene in OH Management

• Dr Brian Davies AM

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What is Occupational Hygiene ?

• 'Occupational Hygiene is the discipline of
  anticipating, recognising, evaluating and
  controlling health hazards in the working
  environment with the objective of protecting
  worker health and well-being and safeguarding the
  community at large.' (Source IOHA)

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The Scope of Occupational Hygiene

• Recognition of health problems created within the
  industrial environment (chemical, physical
  biological)
• Evaluation in terms of long and short term
  effects
• Development of corrective measures to control
  problems

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Functions Performed by Hygienists

• Examination and evaluation of the work
  environment
• Interpretation of gathered data
• Preparation of control measures
• Education
• Ongoing audits
• Research

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Occupational Hygienists

• Are trained to recognise conditions that give
  rise to potential health problems
• What health effects are possible in the
  workplace?
• Need to understand the process
• What is causing the health effect?
• How are people being exposed?

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Occupational Hygienists

• Develop appropriate and cost effective monitoring
  programmes to establish worker exposures
• What type of monitoring programme is required?
• Number of samples to give an accurate estimate of
  exposure?
• Participate in the development of control
  technologies
• Control technologies need to be effective
  practical

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Occupational Hygienists

• Develop and participate in education programmes
• Use of monitoring data is important in getting
  over a message to the workforce
• Need to have the appropriate skills to undertake
  the above tasks
• How do we develop these skills?
• University professional training

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Training Occupational Hygienists

• University post graduate programmes
• Provide the theoretical understanding but not
  always the practical experience
• Professional training
• BP/Petroskills/UOW pilot course to impart
  practical knowledge (October 2006)
• Currently being developed into modular programme
  (first two modules available early 2007)

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Training Occupational Hygienists

• Certification
• Professional societies/Accreditation bodies
  (BOHS/ABIH/AIOH)
• Mentoring
• Overview by an experienced OH
• CES at Occupational Hygiene conferences

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Development of the Profession

• International Occupational Hygiene Association
• Represents 25 associations in 23 countries
• Co-operation in Occupational Hygiene Programme
  (establishment of local societies)
• Accreditation of certification schemes
• NGO status with WHO ILO

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Links to Other Professions

• In the industrial environment there few (if any)
  professionals who are skilled in all aspects
  necessary to protect worker health
• Need for all professionals to work as a team to
  address issues

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Exposure Assessment
Source AIHA
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How can hygienists help here?
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Sydney Harbour Bridge

• Old paint containing lead
• Organic vapours
• Hand- arm vibration
• Noise

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Sydney Opera House

• Vapours from ceramic resins
• Noise

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Coal Mining
Dust Noise Diesel emissions Hazardous
substances Fungi Vibration
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Aluminium Smelter
CTPV Heat stress Metal fumes
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Welding
Welding fumes Toxic gases vapours Radiation
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Sand Blasting
Silica exposure Noise RPE
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Pipe Laying
Welding fumes Heat stress UV radiation
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Aviation Industry
Composites Cu Beryllium Hazardous
substances Noise Confined spaces-fuel vapours
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Oil Gas Industry
Noise Hydrocarbons Hydrogen sulphide Heat stress
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Monitoring Programmes

• What are they?
• What programmes are effective?
• What actually is overexposure?

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What is Monitoring?

• Process of conducting measurement (s) of the
  concentrations of airborne contaminants.
• To estimate risk the following are required
• 1) a reliable estimate of exposure
• 2) an exposure limit for the contaminant

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Occupational Exposure Limits

• Regulatory limits (HSE EH40, MAK)
• Professional societies - eg ACGIH (TLV list),
  AIOH - (DP Heat Stress)
• Corporate limits

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Why Monitor Workplaces?

• To establish the level of risk of adverse heath
  effects in a workplace
• To meet regulatory or corporate requirements
• To develop appropriate control measures

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Why Monitor Workplaces?

• To measure the effectiveness of control measures
• For research purposes such as epidemiology
• To dispel anxiety

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Points to Consider

• For a health hazard to exist there has to be both
  a toxic agent and the possibility of exposure
• Is monitoring warranted ?
• Can the issue be resolved without monitoring?
• Need to know what you are looking for in order to
  develop an effective monitoring programme

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Points to Consider

• What is the overall intention of the monitoring
  programme?
• Statutory or corporate compliance
• Settlement of industrial issues
• Ongoing risk management
• Epidemiology

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Limitations of Data

• Single worker, single day samples
• Errors of space (location) and time
• Validity to real exposure questionable?
• Accounting for as many influencing factors as
  possible improves validity of result

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Statistically Based Monitoring

• What constitutes statistically valid monitoring
  and data treatment
• Defined SEGs
• Predetermined sampling plan
• Statistical treatment of data

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What is overexposure ?

• Which exposure standard should be used?
• TWA, STEL, Ceiling (Peak)
• Which metric should be used?
• GM, MVUE, 95UCL, 95ile
• Significance based on toxicity

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How do we link all this together?

• Hygienists need to
• Decide what needs to be monitored
• Decide how to monitor
• Decide how to interpret the data
• Decide how to present data to the workforce and
  management
• Assist in the development of solutions

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Summary

• Occupational hygienists are part of a team
  necessary to protect worker health and all
  contribute to this goal
• They fill the role of identifying, measuring
  controlling worker exposures
• There is a shortage of trained experienced
  hygienists but industry is moving to address this
  issue

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Acknowledgements

• Dr Nasser Al-Maskery
• University of Wollongong