Abstract
Cumulative risk assessment (CRA) addresses the combined risk associated with chemical and non-chemical exposures. Although CRA approaches are utilized in environmental and ecological contexts, they are rarely applied in workplaces. In this perspectives article, we strive to raise awareness among occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals and foster the greater adoption of a CRA perspective in practice. Specifically, we provide an overview of CRA literature as well as preliminary guidance on when to consider a CRA approach in occupational settings and how to establish reasonable boundaries. Examples of possible workplace co-exposures and voluntary risk management actions are discussed. We also highlight important implications for workplace CRA research and practice. In particular, future needs include simple tools for identifying combinations of chemical and non-chemical exposures, uniform risk management guidelines, and risk communication materials. Further development of practical CRA methods and tools are essential to meet the needs of complex and changing work environments.
Highlights
IntroductionOccupational health and safety (OHS) professionals routinely assess many different chemical and non-chemical (e.g., biologic, radiologic, physical, psychological) exposures in the workplace [1,2]
Occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals routinely assess many different chemical and non-chemical exposures in the workplace [1,2].These are commonly referred to as “stressors” in the industrial hygiene and environmental risk assessment literature [1,3]
Our specific objectives are three-fold: (1) provide preliminary guidance for determining when a Cumulative risk assessment (CRA) approach may be beneficial in occupational settings and establishing realistic boundaries for analysis, (2) present several hypothetical examples of co-exposures in the workplace that could lead to combined health risks and risk management actions that can be taken in these situations, and (3) discuss important implications for occupationally based CRA research and practice in the future
Summary
Occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals routinely assess many different chemical and non-chemical (e.g., biologic, radiologic, physical, psychological) exposures in the workplace [1,2]. Aggregate exposure from all sources to multiple entities, including chemical, physical, and biological agents as well as psychosocial stressors, that affect the same or different health effects. It can include the absence of a necessity. Our specific objectives are three-fold: (1) provide preliminary guidance for determining when a CRA approach may be beneficial in occupational settings and establishing realistic boundaries for analysis, (2) present several hypothetical examples of co-exposures in the workplace that could lead to combined health risks and risk management actions that can be taken in these situations, and (3) discuss important implications for occupationally based CRA research and practice in the future. These complex issues will take time to carefully examine and will be necessary if CRA approaches are to be developed more broadly or adopted within regulatory contexts, but they do not need to be resolved before preliminary steps can be taken to evaluate worker health from a CRA perspective
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