Exposure Assessment

Industrial Hygiene
Industrial hygiene is a process for preventing occupational illnesses and disease

What is Industrial Hygiene?
Industrial hygiene is a process for managing the health risks associated with workplace exposures to chemical, physical, and biological agents

What is the process for managing workplace exposures?
Recognize exposures Differentiate “acceptable” from “unacceptable” exposures Control “unacceptable” Exposures

Exposure Assessment
The process of defining exposure profiles and judging the acceptability of workplace exposures to environmental agents

Exposure Assessment
Exposure assessment is a judgment
Acceptable health risk
Unacceptable health risk
Undetermined health risk

Professional Judgment
Vital for identifying SEGs Necessary for designing sampling strategies
Essential for judging exposures
Important for choosing health hazard control strategies
...but what is “Professional Judgment?”

Comprehensive strategy
Directed at assessing all exposures for all workers on all days Why?
Exposures occur whether we’re there or not!

Basic Characterization
Collect and organize information on the
- Workplace
- Workforce
- Environmental Agents

Workplace Factors
- Understand the production/ manufacturing process
- Identify potential emission and control Points

Workplace Factors
o Considerations
o Building type
o Energy inputs
o Equipment
o Ventilation


o Additional considerations
o Routine versus auxiliary operations
o Maintenance
o Start-up/ shut-down
o Changes over time

Workforce Factors
Understand the division of labor and work practices
· Considerations
Exposure patterns (jobs and tasks)
Routine versus non-routine
Exposure frequency and duration
Personal protective equipment
Potential for skin contact
Sources of information
Plant rosters/organizational charts
Job descriptions
Workplace observations
Operating procedures
Interviews
Workers
Management

Environmental Agents
· Identification of agents
o Chemical
o Physical
o Biological
· Potential health effects
· Exposure routes
· Quantities
· Physical properties
· Exposure limits
· Materials inventory/MSDSs
· Considerations
o Raw materials
o Intermediates
o Products
o Additives
o Maintenance/construction materials
o Lab chemicals
o Hazardous waste
o Physical agents
o Noise/vibration
o Radiation
o Temperature extremes
o Biologic agents
o Pathogens

Establishing Exposure Limits
Occupational exposure limits (OELs)
§ Regulatory OEL
§ Authoritative OEL
§ Internal OEL
§ Working OEL