davies, ohs unit, october 2006 the role of occupational hygiene in oh management dr brian davies am

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