Jeremy Carter
Dip OH CMFOH CMIOSH
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
To introduce myself...
I am currently an Occupational Hygiene Consultant I practise in most aspects of mainstream Occupational Hygiene I have worked mostly in the Consultancy field but I also spent
almost 5 years in the Chemical Industry
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
When I worked in the Chemical Industry I was part of the
Occupational Health Department My boss was an Occupational Physician who had a VERY good
idea of what he thought Occupational Hygienists did But it was a long time ago and I don’t bear grudges....
So what does an Occupational Hygienist actually do?
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Is Occupational Hygiene important?
HSE recorded 133 deaths in the UK workplace due to accidents in 2013 to 2014
Over the same period HSE estimated 13,000 deaths in the UK due to occupationally induced ill-health
i.e. almost a 100:1 ratio - we need to do something about this as soon as we can!
Which is where Occupational Hygiene in the Workplace comes in
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Occupational Medicine
Occupational Hygiene
Health and Safety
Environmental Science
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
So what do Occupational Hygienists do?
Recognise - initially
Assess - secondly
Control - finally
the causes of occupationally induced ill-health within Workplaces
using Scientific and Technological methods
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
What causes occupational ill-health?
• Chemical agents • Physical agents • Biological agents
• As well as factors most Hygienists don’t usually get involved with
such as ergonomics and stress.....
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Chemical agents
Dusts – e.g. silica, wood or flour dust
Vapours – e.g. organic solvents in many workplaces
Gases – e.g. diesel exhaust emissions
Fumes – e.g. welding fume with a variety of toxic metals
NB These are all different from a technical point of view and require very different sampling techniques!
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Physical agents
Noise – common in many workplaces
Vibration – HAVs from hand tools, WBV from driving vehicles etc.
Thermal Environment – both hot and cold, but mostly the latter on the North Sea...
Radiation (Ionising and Non Ionising) – a real specialist area!
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Biological agents
Legionella Bacterium – common in many water systems
Psittacosis – bird droppings – derelict buildings
Weills disease – rat urine for sewer workers etc.
Anthrax – Animal workers rather than horse hair plaster!
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Assessing Risks
Some exposure standards exist - HSE Document EH40
Mostly for inhalation of chemical substances
But may not be the actual exposure route (e.g. organic solvents via skin exposure)
Some biological monitoring standards now exist
Noise and vibration also have exposure standards
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Assessing Risks
Accurate assessment must involve inspection of the workplace Observation of work practices are often as useful as any quantitative
measurements that are made Standard Operating Procedures often not followed and control measures often not used correctly (or at all!) For example is this operative using his Local Exhaust Ventilation hood
correctly?
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Assessing Risks
Sometimes an assessment is valid purely by inspection of the workplace
For Example do we really need to carry out dust measurements in this workplace (A Cement Mill)?
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 1 ‘Banker Masons Workshop’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
‘Banker Masons’ Fabricating Decorative Stone
A very long lived work activity – Banker Masons worked on Cathedrals in the Middle Ages
Exposure to dust has probably increased due to use of powered tools in modern workshops
Masons also exposed to Noise and Hand-Arm Vibration
We will concentrate on Assessment of exposure to Dust
Let us revisit the photograph
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
What is the layout of the Work Area?
Is the area naturally ventilated or is there LEV?
How many Masons working in Area?
Are there any other Trades Exposed?
Are they all carrying out the same Task?
Are they all using the same Tools?
Are they all using the same Controls?
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 2 ‘Pointing and Peening’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
‘Pointing and Peening’ Fence Stakes in a Wood Mill
Once more multiple exposures possible from a single Task
Wood dust
Noise
Hand-Arm Vibration
In reality dust is not a problem
The activity generates course wood shavings and the wood is not fully dried out
Which was a good job as the LEV was useless!
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 3 ‘Dust Lamps and Welding Fumes’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Mild and stainless steel fabrication on a Workbench
No LEV used as very little visible fume so no risk perceived
Switched off Workshop Lights and used a Tyndall Beam (ex B&Q)
A method devised by the HSE based upon light scattering to reveal very small particles invisible under normal conditions
A qualitative method – it does not give either particle sizing nor the airborne concentration
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 3 ‘Dust Lamps and Welding Fumes’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 4 ‘Lots of Control and All Needed’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Spraying twin pack isocyanate based paints almost whole shift
LEV in the form of a water backed booth
Air fed hood also worn by the Sprayer
PPE in form of disposable type 5 Tyvek overalls and nitrile rubber gloves
A good example of ‘lots of control and all needed’
However the Process will likely be automated in the future
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 5 ‘Benzene Bob and the Magic Overalls’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Originally task was to assess airborne Benzene levels during maintenance of a North Sea Oil Platform
The first time that some Separator Vessels and Pipework had been opened in more than 25 years!
Benzene is a carcinogen with a very low Workplace Exposure Limit of 1ppm but first time such monitoring had taken place
Containment breakage was giving far higher ‘spikes’ of Benzene exposure when the ‘HC Crust’ was broken
While Vessel Purging and RPE could cope with this the wearing of ‘Slicker Suits’ became an issue
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 5 ‘Benzene Bob and the Magic Overalls’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Example 5 ‘Benzene Bob and the Magic Overalls’
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
‘Slicker Suits’ were becoming heavily contaminated with HCs
While gloves were disposed of at the end of each shift Slicker Suits ‘regenerated’ overnight and were OK for use each morning!
An obvious problem with Information, Instruction and Training
Not an easy issue to resolve as contamination levels varied with Tasks undertaken
Pragmatic approach was taken such that contact with liquid HCs meant that they were disposed of post shift
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Hierarchy of Workplace Control
Eliminate
Substitute – but beware!
Enclose
Ventilate
Safe System of Work (including monitoring)
PPE and RPE
Information, Instruction and Training
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Reality of Controlling Risks
Often cannot be ‘Controlled’ completely
Reduce to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)
Engineering Controls preferred but in real life...
The use of PPE and RPE will still be required
Especially for the sorts of maintenance & repair tasks seen in the
‘Benzene Bob’ slides
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Reality of Controlling Risks
Controls will need monitoring & audit
Is Containment really effective?
Is Local Exhaust Ventilation working properly?
Is PPE suitable?
Has RPE been Face Fit tested?
Have Operatives been trained to use Controls?
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Personal Exposure Monitoring
Operative wearing an Isocyanate monitor
(activated filter connected to a pump)
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
LEV System in Woodworking Shop
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
LEV System Filtration and Fan Unit external to Workshop
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Testing an LEV System
Measuring extraction hood static pressure with a micromanometer
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
UK Professional body for Occupational Hygiene is the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS)
Has been in existence since 1953 and received Royal Charter on our 60th Birthday!
Membership of BOHS open to all with interest in subject
Membership of the Faculty of BOHS is open to those possessing BOHS Technical Qualifications
Their website www.bohs.org is a useful source of information
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
And finally the biggest Occupational Hygiene Issue
Currently killing over 5000 ex-workers a year in the UK alone
Despite the fact the its use in the UK was banned over 15 years ago
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
ASBESTOS.....
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
I could do a whole presentation about Asbestos but I’m not going to say anything further about it except
We know what it is (a hazard by inhalation of respirable fibres)
We know what it does (a carcinogen)
We know how it does it (by entry into to the gas exchange regions of the lung)
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Asbestos should not be an issue in the UK in the 21st Century
We are aware how, where and why it was used
We also know what control strategies can be employed to reduce
exposure
We can even achieve low airborne levels when removing it
I will leave you to ponder on why we are still exposing people!
Occupational Hygiene Workplace Examples
Thanks for your attention!
Any Questions?
Jeremy Carter
Dip OH CMFOH CMIOSH