Davies, OHS Unit, October 2006

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 SEG’s

–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, 95%UCL, 95%ile

–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