Occupational Hygiene and Risk Management

Megan Tranter

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000246704
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Technology & Engineering

The science of occupational hygiene is growing, as is awareness amongst Australian employers of the importance of minimising occupational health and safety risk.

Occupational Hygiene and Risk Management offers an innovative approach to learning about the practice and principles of occupational hygiene and managing risk in the workplace. This new edition of this widely used textbook has been extensively updated with new material on legislation and Australian and New Zealand standards. It also includes expanded sections on risk analysis and management. The theory of occupational hygiene is brought to life through case studies, illustrations and practical examples.

Occupational hygiene aims to minimise ill-health from exposure to hazardous events by a process of identification, evaluation and control. These three stages form the foundation of this textbook as physical, psychological and emotional health risks are examined across the following topics:

* Hazard identification
* Dusts and particulate
* Metals
* Chemical contaminants
* Noise and vibration
* Heat and cold
* Radiation and pressure
* Biological hazards
* Ergonomics
* Risk analysis
* Control
* Risk management

Occupational Hygiene and Risk Management is accompanied by a website with discussion questions, case studies, further readings and teacher resources, creating an invaluable resource for students and professionals.

Visit www.allenandunwin.com/OHRM

Chapter 1
Fundamentals of occupational hygiene and risk management

As awareness of the importance of minimising occupational health and safety risk continues to grow amongst Australian employers, so too does the science of occupational hygiene. Occupational hygiene hazards such as dusts, noise, chemicals, vibration, radiation, ergonomics, light, pressure and biological agents require an especially diligent approach to ensure they are not only identified, but the level of risk assessed and appropriate controls put in place for the long-term health of workers. Unfortunately, history shows situations where occupational hygiene risks have not been well managed: for instance, exposure to crocidolite (blue) asbestos during mining operations in Western Australia resulting in death from mesothelioma, a highly aggressive cancer of the lung pleura, is not expected to peak for another two decades. What about the effects of stonemasons' exposure to crystalline silica, excessive noise at concerts, vibration in heavy vehicles or exposure to mercury from broken thermometers in hospitals or formaldehyde in newly refurbished office buildings?

This chapter will define the term occupational hygiene, the principles of risk management and the difference between hazard and risk. It will also provide an introduction to toxicology, the concept of dose, exposure and epidemiology. Occupational exposure standards and biological exposure indices will be explained and their uses shown with some practical examples.

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE

For a long time, we have known that work can affect our health. In 1775 Percivall Pott, a surgeon at St Bartholemew's Hospital, described the occurrence of scrotal cancer in chimney sweeps. It was only later that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were identified as the cause. Manufacturing of matches with phosphorous was linked to necrosis of the jaw, felting of animal fur with organic mercury caused neurological changes, use of vinyl chloride monomer in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) caused liver cancer, and benzene from the petroleum refining industry was linked with leukaemia. Studies into the effects of electromagnetic radiation from wireless technologies such as mobile telephones continue to draw mixed conclusions.

Occupational hygiene is aimed at reducing the probability that workers' health will be affected by work. The term 'health' is very broad. It not only considers physical health but also our psychological and emotional wellbeing. For instance, exposure to nickel may cause dermatitis of the skin, which by itself is not life threatening. However, a noticeable rash may lead to a sense of isolation from the community and cause psychological scarring as the worker attempts to escape ridicule or misunderstanding about their condition. Occupational hygiene can be thought of as the identification, evaluation and control of agents

Case study 1: Identification, evaluation and control

Several workers in a restaurant have reported headaches and feeling drowsy when they serve customers through a driveway window. The serving window is closed when customers have been served and they have driven away. The building is airconditioned.

The occupational hygiene hazard was identified as the gas carbon monoxide (CO), a chemical asphyxiant which is released from motor vehicles. The exposure was evaluated and the ventilation adjusted to reduce exposure.

that can harm a worker's health. These agents can exist in a number of forms: biological, chemical, ergonomic, physical. Physical hazards can include light, noise, pressure, radiation and vibration. Chemical hazards may be in the form of aerosols, dusts, fibres, fume, gas, mists, smoke or vapours. Bacteria, fungi, protozoan and viruses are examples of biological agents. Shift work, manual handling and occupational stress are considered to be ergonomic hazards.

Risk Management

Effective identification, evaluation and control can manage occupational hygiene hazards. These are also known as the principles of risk management. Identification or recognition of the agent requires knowledge of the workplace and its processes, materials, by-products and outputs. Some practical methods that might assist in correct identification include conducting a walk-through survey of the conditions of the workplace, review of information such as labels or material safety data sheets and discussion with workers. The evaluation stage will consider the probability that exposure will cause harm and the magnitude of this effect. This is also known as assessment or risk assessment. Implementation of controls may depend upon the nature of the agent, cost, feasibility and the results of the evaluation. Once steps have been taken to control exposure, the effectiveness of such interventions should be reviewed.

Following these principles is crucial to the occupational hygiene process. Incorrect identification of the nature or type of occupational hygiene hazards will result in time and resources being spent investigating aspects that may not in fact require it. Equally, if the agent is not evaluated against valid criteria, the potential outcome will not be recognised and controls may not be sufficient to protect the worker. More details about hazard identification techniques are discused in Chapter 3. Strategies for managing risk are included inChapter 14.

Hazard and Risk

The terms hazard and risk are often used synonymously, although their meanings are quite separate. Hazard is defined in AS/NZS4360: 1999 as a source or situation with potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill health, damage to property, environment, or a combination of these. In other words, hazard relates to a possibility. Risk, on the other hand, is the likelihood or probability that the hazard will cause damage or harm. The degree or the magnitude of the risk is determined by the duration of exposure, most likely outcome from exposure and the frequency of exposure.

For instance, a bath containing hydrochloric acid (used for etching metal) may be hazardous but only presents a risk to workers if they are working nearby and could be exposed to the acid and sustain an injury.

Asbestos fibres, which are firmly embedded in a matrix such as asbestos-cement sheeting (found on roofs from the 1950s), can be hazardous. However, a risk will only exist if the fibres are released from the matrix, become airborne and are inhaled. This may occur if the roof is cleaned using a high-pressure water spray or if the roof is broken.

Hazard = potential that an event sequence will cause damage or harm

Risk = likelihood that an event sequence will cause damage or harm. The combination of frequency, duration and severity of exposure.

The concept of risk assessment lies core to Australia's occupational health and safety legislative framework. This extends to occupational hygiene hazards with some States prescribing the conduct of mandatory risk assessments for specific hazards such as manual handling and chemicals. While risk per se can be assessed using a number of methods, it is important to identify the assumptions and limitations that go with the process. Quantitative risk assessments of occupational hygiene hazards generally involve measuring exposure and comparison against a scientifically validated benchmark. Consideration is made of the nature of the hazard, the cycle or pattern of exposure and knowledge about the acute and chronic health effects of the agent. Due to the complex issues associated with interpretation of data, these types of risk assessments are best performed by qualified and experienced occupational hygienists. Misinterpretation of exposure results is a serious issue with both legal ramifications for an employer managing risk and potentially compromising workers' health.

Qualitative risk assessment is made by evaluating the three components of risk and the most likely event sequence. For instance, the frequency of exposure may be judged as 'rare' or 'occasional'. The duration of exposure may range from 'constant' to 'less than once each day'. Severity of outcome can be measu...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of Abbreviations
• Chapter 1 Fundamentals of occupational hygiene and risk management
• Chapter 2 Working out the human body
• Chapter 3 Hazard identification
• Chapter 4 Dusts and particulate
• Chapter 5 Metals
• Chapter 6 Chemical contaminants
• Chapter 7 Noise and vibration
• Chapter 8 Heat and cold
• Chapter 9 Radiation and pressure
• Chapter 10 Biological hazards
• Chapter 11 Ergonomics
• Chapter 12 Risk analysis
• Chapter 13 Control
• Chapter 14 Using a systematic approach to risk management
• Index