0920_elizabeth pullen hygiene presentation

8/12/2019 0920_Elizabeth Pullen Hygiene Presentation

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Using A Comprehensive Exposure

Assessment Strategy to Assess

Workplace Health Risks

Elizabeth L. Pullen, CIH

APOSHO 26 Australasian

Safety Conference 2011

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What is Industrial Hygiene?

Industrial hygiene is a process for

managing the health risks

associated with workplace

exposures to chemical, physical,

and biological agents


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What is the process for managing

workplace exposures?

Assess and prioritize ALL

exposures into exposure control

categories to focus resources on

highest risks.

Differentiate acceptable from

unacceptable exposures

Control unacceptable

exposures


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Health Risk

VeryHigh

High

Medium

Low

Toxicity

Ex

posure


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Comprehensive Strategy

Why?

Exposures occur whether were there or not!

A comprehensive strategy best manages risk

and resources

Comprehensive strategy

Directed at assessing all exposures for all

workers on all days Transparent system provides foundation for

feedback into Professional Judgment.

Helps prevent occupational illnesses


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Outcomes of Comprehensive

Exposure Assessment & Management

An assessmentof the potential healthrisksfaced by all workers

Assurance that exposure controls are

properly identified and utilized Demonstration of compliancewith

government and exposure guidelines

The establishment of a historical

record of exposure for all records Efficient and effective allocation of time

and resources


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Hazardous Materials

Management and Procurement

Hearing Conservation

Engineering Controls

Administrative Controls

Work Practice Controls

Personal Protective Equipment

Medical Surveillance

Epidemiology

Hazard Communication

Education And Training

Exposure Monitoring

Environmental

Compliance

Exposure

Risk

Assessment&

Management

(ERAM)

Exposure Assessment is the Core Activity


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Start

Basic

Characterization

Exposure

Assessment

Uncertain

Implement Controls

Reassessment

Further Information Gathering

Unacceptable

Exposure

Acceptable

Exposure

AIHAs Exposure Risk

Assessment & Management Strategy

A Strategy for

Assessing and

Managing

OccupationalExposures,

3rdedition


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Exposure Assessment Strategy

Reflects iterative continuous

improvement cycleor real-world

assessment programs

Assessment include a combination

of qualitativeand quantitative

information


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Exposure Assessment

The process of:

defining exposure profiles

andjudging the acceptability

of workplace exposures to

environmental agents


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Exposure Assessment Strategy7 Steps

1. Basic Characterization

2. Exposure Assessment

Define similar exposure groups

(SEGs)

Define the exposure profile

Judge acceptability of the profile for

each SEG

3. Further information gathering


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Exposure Assessment Strategy

4. Control measures

Ventilation, Enclosures, PPE

5. Re-assessment

6. Communication and

documentation

7. Implementation


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Start

Basic

Characterization

Exposure

Assessment

Uncertain

Implement Controls

Reassessment


Unacceptable

Exposure

Acceptable

Exposure

AIHAs Exposure Risk

Assessment & Management Strategy

A Strategy for

Assessing and

Managing

OccupationalExposures,

3rdedition


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Basic Characterization

Collect and organize information on

the

Workplace

Processes, equipment, controls

Workforce

Jobs, tasks, personnel, shiftwork

Environmental Agents Chemical, physical, biological,

radiological


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Establish SimilarExposure Groups

Define ExposureProfile

Select/DefineOELs

Compare:

Exposure Profileand its

Uncertainty

OELand its

Uncertainty

Acceptable

UnacceptableUncertain

Exposure

Assessment


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Similar Exposure Group

SEGa group of employees

having:

the same general exposure profile

because of the similarity andfrequency of the tasks they perform,

the similarity of the materials and

processes with which they work, and the similarity in the way they

performthe tasks.


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SEG Concept

Workforce

WorkplaceEnvironmentalAgents

SEG


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Establishing Exposure Limits

Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) Different Sources

Regulatory OEL

Authoritative OEL

Internal OEL

Working OEL

Different Endpoints Local, Systemic, Acute, Chronic

Averaging Time STEL, Ceiling, TWA, Excursion

Inhalation, Dermal (REACH DNEL)


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Initial Exposure Rating Inputs

QUALITATIVEDATA

QUANTITATIVE

DATA

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT


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Initial Exposure Assessments

May use worst-case assumption and

then compare the overestimate to the

OEL, which will account for the

uncertainty May separate out acceptable and

unacceptable exposures, to focus on

uncertain exposures


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Exposure Rating (ER)

Rating % OEL Description

4 >100 Poorlycontrolled

3 50 100 Controlled

2 10

50 Wellcontrolled

1


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Exposure Assessment

Exposure assessment is a judgment

Acceptable health risk

Uncertain health risk

Unacceptable health risk


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SEG Exposure Control Category Follow-up

** - Decision statistic = 95thpercentile

Exposure

Rating**

Recommended Follow Up

/ Exposure Control

0 (


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Delivering Value

Risk based prioritization and

management of IH programs

Material substitution

Engineering controls

Work practice controls

Personal protective equipment

Medical surveillance


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Exposure Assessments

This is a cyclical process

Initial assessment is usually

based more on judgment and

less on quantitative data

It may have a higher degree of

uncertainty

Note: Spreadsheets are good tools for

managing Basic Characterization and Initial

Exposure Assessments!

Start

BasicCharacterization

ExposureAssessment

Uncertain

Control

Reassessment


UnacceptableExposure

AcceptableExposure


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Make opportunities to verify and refine

initial exposure assessments

Each re-evaluation will build upon

information collected and documented

in past assessments

We cant do it all at once, so start the

process and build on it

Continuous Improvement


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Further Information

References:

A Strategy for Assessing and

Managing Occupational

Exposures, 3rdedition, AIHA

Press

AIHA Exposure Assessment

Strategies Committee

www.aiha.org

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