Introduction to Occupational and Industrial Hygiene

Occupational Hygiene is the science-based discipline of identifying, assessing and controlling exposure to harmful substances in the workplace, such as biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards, with the objective of proactively protecting worker health.

With the recent developments in the workplace due to COVID-19 and the significant impact this pandemic has had upon all industries, employers are now more than ever beginning to understand the severity of the consequences of not having adequate hygiene practices or decontamination protocols in place. We all continue to adapt to the ever-evolving circumstances, but even in a post-pandemic society, emphasis will need to remain on the development of effective hygiene programs which consider training, PPE selection, use, care and maintenance, transmission prevention and infection control, and a process for measuring and improving the efforts of the programs, in order to prevent any potential for recurrence at some point later in time.

Occupational Hygiene Services

Depending upon the activities of your organization, your employees may be exposed to any one (or more) of the following:

• Biological agents- bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, insects, plants, birds, animals, humans, etc.

• Chemical agents (including dusts, vapors, gases, and fumes)- asbestos, silica, carbon monoxide, beryllium, lead, benzene, isocyanates, etc.

• Ergonomic issues- repetitive movements, improper set up of workstation, poor lighting, poor design of tools, etc.

• Physical agents - extreme temperatures, noise, vibration, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, magnetic fields, pressure extremes (high pressure or vacuum), etc.

• Psychosocial issues- stress, violence, bullying, harassment, lack of recognition, etc.

The challenge with trying to control worker exposure is that in many cases, the symptoms of occupational illness only show up later on and over a long period of time; this is what is referred to as latency. This lack of perception of immediate risk contributes to the lack of urgency and diligence on the part of workers to follow safe work practices and procedures, supervisors and managers to enforce worker compliance with safe work practices and procedures, and senior management to continually review the effectiveness of the practices and procedures and make any improvements they determine are required to further decrease the rates and severity of worker exposure.

Daedalus, as part of our Occupational Hygiene client services, can:

• Conduct Worker Exposure Surveys

• Facilitate noise surveillance and sound mapping of high-noise work areas (maintenance bays, fabrication shops, welding and grinding bays, etc.)

• Assess the ergonomic conditions of administrative work spaces including offices, filing rooms, work stations, board and presentation rooms, etc.

• Confined and Restricted Space Evaluations

• Conduct targeted occupational health inspections and audits

• Assist in the development of occupational health practices, procedures, and programs such as Hearing Conservation, Respiratory Protection, and Respiratory Protective Equipment

These services will provide your organization with the support resources needed to ensure you are proactively and effectively mitigating worker exposure to the occupational hazards identified in your workplaces.

For more information, or to schedule a review of your company’s current Occupational Hygiene Program, click on the button below.