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© Business & Legal Reports, Inc.
Introduction to
Industrial Hygiene
Session Objectives
Understand what industrial hygiene is
Recognize its importance in the workplace
Identify ways industrial hygiene helps
protect you
Help promote industrial hygiene on
the job
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Prequiz:
True or False?
Industrial hygiene is primarily about
cleanliness and sanitation.
Industrial hygiene has little effect
on most people’s jobs.
Industrial hygiene is entirely a
management issue.
Industrial hygiene primarily involves
hazards that affect your health.
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
What Is Industrial Hygiene?
Industrial hygiene—
science of anticipating,
recognizing, evaluating,
and controlling workplace
conditions that could cause
injury or illness
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Is IH New to the Workplace?
100 to 60 years ago in U.S.:
• Worker illness linked to
job hazards
• Government investigates
• First IH programs
• Workers’ comp laws
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
What Is the Connection
Between IH & OSHA?
“We rely on industrial hygienists
to evaluate jobs for potential health
hazards.”
—OSHA
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
What Is the Connection
Between IH & OSHA? (cont.)
Industrial hygienists are
involved in:
• Compliance
• Standards
• Technical
Technical assistance
assistance
• Enforcement
• Hazard ID & elimination
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
How Does IH Help
Protect You on the Job?
• Investigating
• Recommending
• Researching
• Anticipating
and controlling
• Training
• Advising
• Enforcing
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Which Health and Safety
Issues Does IH Cover?
IH deals with workplace hazards from A to Z.
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Choose the Right Answers
Which is the correct definition of IH?
a. The science of fitting jobs to workers.
b. The science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating,
and controlling workplace health hazards.
Which of these issues does IH cover?
a. Noise
b. Occupational diseases
c. Ergonomics
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Review
Do you understand:
• What IH is?
• The connection
between IH and
OSHA?
• How IH helps
protect you?
• Health and safety
issues IH covers?
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
How Are Workplace
Hazards Identified?
Worksite analysis
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
How Does IH Control
Workplace Hazards?
WORK PRACTICE
ENGINEERING
ADMINISTRATIVE
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Engineering Controls
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Work Practice Controls
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Administrative Controls
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Examples of Job Hazards
•
•
•
•
•
Air contaminants
Chemical hazards
Biological hazards
Physical hazards
Ergonomic hazards
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Air Contaminants
•
•
•
•
•
•
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Dusts
Fumes
Mist
Vapors
Fibers
Gases
Hazards Due to
Chemical Properties
The degree of risk
depends on:
• Nature and potency
of material
• Magnitude and
duration of exposure
• Route of entry
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Biological Hazards
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Fungi
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Physical Hazards
• Electromagnetic
•
•
•
•
radiation
Noise
Vibration
Illumination
Temperature
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Ergonomic Hazards
• Eye strain
• Repetitive motion
injuries
• Lifting injuries
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
How Can You Promote a Safe
& Healthy Workplace?
Report
Cooperate
Use engineering controls
Wear assigned PPE
Follow safe work practices
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
True or False?
IH identifies workplace hazards by
conducting administrative controls.
Engineering controls protect you by
warning you of hazards.
Work practice controls primarily involve
work schedules.
PPE is required when other controls alone
can’t protect you.
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Review
Do you understand:
• How workplace
hazards are
identified?
• How IH controls
hazards?
• How you can help
promote IH
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912
Industrial hygiene plays an important
role in your health and safety.
We can help prevent injuries and illness.
Do your part by reporting hazards and
following safety rules.
© Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 0912