Occupational Hygiene Workshop

1
Occupational Hygiene Workshop

• What Constitutes an Effective Occupational
  Hygiene
• Programme?

Dr Brian Davies Mr Brett Young
2
Workshop Format

• Introductory comments (5 min)
• Key elements (25 min)
• Group exercises (45 min)
• Group feed back discussion of findings (30 min)
• A pathway forward (15 min)

3
Introductory Comments

• The aims of today's workshop are
• Explore the requirements of the Region/Oman in
  relation to Occ. Hygiene
• Discuss possible options to achieve those
  requirements
• Consider ways that those options can be taken
  forward

4
Why have an Occupational Hygiene Management
System?

• Statutory requirement
• Republic of South Africa (Mining)
• Good governance
• Asset protection (workers)
• Productivity
• Compensation payment minimisation

5
Some Key Points

• There is no one system that suites all countries
  or companies
• All systems have a number of fundamental elements
• Interpretation of data sometimes leads to
  differences in systems
• Following comments based on a system currently in
  use

6
What is Expected?

• Employees and contractors are protected from
  health risks associated with company operations
  (Corporate requirement)
• But, what does this mean
• Health risks are understood and managed

7
What is Expected?

• Operations understand workplace exposures
• Who is exposed
• What are they exposed to
• What is the extent of their exposure
• Health risks posed by exposures are assessed and
  understood
• Quantified
• Included in risk registers
• Communicated

8
What is Expected?

• Health risks are effectively managed
• Hierarchy of control is employed
• Capital maintenance programs implemented
• Health risks are at part of new plant, equipment
  projects

9
What is Expected?

• Risks to health are regularly reviewed
• Health programs are reviewed for currency and
  relevance
• Management review includes status of health and
  hygiene programs

10
Key Requirements of a Programme

• Senior management support for programme
• Sustainable professional technical resources
• Appropriate management systems

11
Key Requirements (cont)

• Guidance documents
• Regular reporting of progress to management
• Regular reviews of system

12
Management Support

• The programme must be driven from the top to be
  effective
• Link programme requirements and outcomes to
  performance assessment (salary)
• Senior management need to understand issues and
  fund improvements when necessary

13
Professional Technical Resources

• Shortage of trained occupational hygienists and
  issue of remote locations
• Government industry have not trained sufficient
  occupational hygienists over the past 8-12 years
• Many trained hygienists have entered area of
  consulting and do not wish to work in remote
  locations

14
Professional Technical Resources

• Use of technicians for sample collection
• Allows maximum use of occupational hygienists
  time
• Training should be targeted to requirements

15
Professional Technical Resources

• Consultants
• Should be employed for their specialist knowledge
  only when required
• Use of consultants to operate occupational
  hygiene programmes have not been effective

16
Management Elements

• Qualitative exposure assessment
• Quantitative exposure assessment
• Establishing the level of risk
• Reporting of risk to management and workforce

17
Management Elements

• Mitigation of risk
• Personal protective equipment
• Health surveillance
• Management review
• Management of contractors

18
Qualitative Assessment

• Chemical issues
• Dusts
• Silica
• Asbestos, SMF
• Gases Vapours
• Individual chemical agents eg Pb, As

19
Qualitative Assessment (cont)

• Physical issues
• Noise, Radiation, Vibration, Lighting
• Biological issues
• Bacteria (Legionella)
• Fungus (Histoplasmosis)

20
Quantitative Assessment

• Identification of Similar Exposure Groups (SEGs)
• Development of statistically based monitoring
  programmes
• Evaluation of data using statistical techniques

21
Guidelines and Procedures

• Exposure Assessment Guideline
• Sets out the process to determine the workforce
  exposure profile
• Occupational Exposure Limit Guideline
• Sets the exposure limits that are to be used
• in determining the exposure profile (ACGIH,
  HSE, Corporate)

22
Guidelines and Procedures

• Risk Management Guideline
• Sets the process to assess and manage any level
  of risk identified in the exposure profile
• Specific Topic Guidelines
• Hearing Conservation
• Respiratory Protection

23
Regular Reporting

• Feedback of exposure data to workforce
• Presentation of data to management
• Statutory reporting requirements
• Annual report to shareholders

24
Data Presentation
25
Controlling Unacceptable Exposures

• Risk management guideline
• should contain a control strategy linked to the
  level of risk
• Immediate interim control
• PPE in accordance with a formal program
• Readily identifiable engineering controls

26
Controlling Unacceptable Exposures

• Planned reduction of exposure to less than OEL
• Health surveillance program
• Linked to level of risk
• Always in place where PPE is a control

27
Programme Reviews

• Regular self assessment of programme
• Status of programme
• Regular auditing
• Internal to company standards
• External for benchmarking
• Senior management review
• Ensure programme is on track to meet risk
  reduction goals

28
Documentation

• Fundamental to a successful programme
• Corporate history
• Employee exposure profile linked to medical
  history
• Compensation cases
• Retrospective identification of exposure in cases
  of unforseen situation

29
Group Exercise

• Break into groups of 7 per table
• Consider the following questions
• Do the industries of Oman/Region need an
  occupational hygiene management system?
• If not, why not?
• If yes, what approach has the potential to be
  effective?

30
Group Exercise

• Further questions
• What barriers exist to limit the introduction of
  any such management system?
• How can these barriers be overcome?
• How can the concept be sold to the senior
  management / (Govt) of industries in Oman/Region?

31
Group Exercise

• Feed back session
• Condense your thoughts into 5 key points
• Elect a group spokesperson and prepare a brief
  summary of your thoughts to the group

32
Where to From Here?

• Group discussion
• How can the groups thoughts be taken forward

33
How to Implement Occupational Hygiene Program in
the Region?

• Integrate into current Safety Management Systems
  (Policy Statement)
• Awareness of Snr Mgt wrt to Occ Hygiene
• How to we achieve this?
• Govts need to include provisions into risk based
  legislation (how to drive??)
• Utilisation of competent personnel (internal and
  external training (e.g. University level)
• Do we need Technican level or Higher??
• Incorporation OH EH

34
Proposals / Way Forward

• Look at whats being done internationally
• GCC Occupational Hygiene Program
• GCC States to Agree on Common legislation
• Establish regional independent advisory body to
  GCC Council

35
Contact Details

• Dr Brian Davies
• bdavies_at_uow.edu.au
• Brett Young
• brett.young_at_pdo.co.om