Industrial Hygiene Profession Research Articles

Micro-environmental factors impact breathing zone exposures: A simulated petrochemical manufacturing facility task

This study investigates the impact of micro-environmental factors on worker breathing zone exposure levels in petrochemical facilities. A laboratory simulation study evaluated near-field exposure to methane for a typical maintenance task. Individual and combinations of micro-environmental factors significantly affected methane exposure. Airflow direction and speed were significant determinants of exposure concentration reduction. A side airflow direction at medium to high speed produced the lowest gas concentration in the breathing zone. Worker body orientation relative to the methane emission point was also a critical factor affecting gas concentration in the worker's breathing zone. The study provides insights into how variations in airflow and small changes in position impact near-field exposures for petrochemical tasks, guiding industrial hygiene professionals' training on qualitative exposure estimation and providing input for near-field exposure modeling to guide quantitative exposure and risk assessment.

Indoor environmental quality-based space categorization framework: the case of health-care facilities

PurposeIndoor environmental quality (IEQ) in buildings has an impact on people’s health, productivity and comfort. Maintaining the highest possible IEQ level in complex buildings, such as health care, is difficult due to economic and organizational constraints. This study aims to categorize the vicinities in a typical health-care facility in terms of importance and criticality in relation to the various IEQ factors, as well as to develop an IEQ assessment procedure.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive literature review, established standards and structured interviews with industrial hygiene professionals in health-care settings were used in this study. To test the applicability of the developed IEQ assessment procedure, a pilot study was conducted in an existing health-care facility.FindingsThis study categorized health-care facilities into various vicinities and discovered three respondents group had varying IEQ perceptions (facility managers, environmental health specialists and nurses). According to the findings, indoor air quality is the most important and dominant factor influencing overall IEQ in health-care facilities. The trial application of the framework shows that much work is needed to improve the level of response and readiness of facility management and occupants to allow for the effective use of the developed procedure.Originality/valuePrevious research did not include a detailed categorization of vicinities in health-care buildings based on IEQ requirements. The findings of this study will help to close this knowledge gap and guide facility managers and operators in recognizing the relative importance of different IEQ factors, maintaining functional requirements and identifying priorities when developing maintenance and operational procedures and allocating resources.

Characteristics of COVID-19 infection clusters occurring among workers in several Asia-Pacific countries.

The types of workplaces and occupations with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) clusters vary between countries and periods. We aimed to characterize major occupational groups with mass outbreaks of COVID-19 infections in several Asia-Pacific countries. Data on the major occupations or workplaces reporting COVID-19 cases in workplaces from January 2020 to July 2021 was collected from industrial hygiene professionals in nine countries. The proportion of workers accounted for 39.1 to 56.6% of the population in each country. The number of workers covered in the national statistics varies among nations based on their definition of a worker. None of the countries examined here have systematically collected occupational data on COVID-19 illnesses and deaths classified by type of industry, occupation, or job. Most countries experienced COVID-19 clusters among health and social care workers (HSCW) in hospitals or long-term care facilities. The types of occupations or workplaces with virus clusters in some participating countries included prisons, call centers, workplaces employing immigrants, garment facilities, grocery stores, and the military, which differed among countries, except for a few common occupations such as HSCW and those populated by immigrants. Further study is necessary in order to seek ways to control infection risks, including revisions to industrial-health-related laws.

Overview of Legal Measures for Managing Workplace COVID-19 Infection Risk in Several Asia-Pacific Countries.

BackgroundDespite the lack of official COVID-19 statistics, various workplaces and occupations have been at the center of COVID-19 outbreaks. We aimed to compare legal measures and governance established for managing COVID-19 infection risks at workplaces in nine Asia and Pacific countries and to recommend key administrative measures.MethodsWe collected information on legal measures and governance from both general citizens and workers regarding infection risks such as COVID-19 from industrial hygiene professionals in nine countries (Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) using a structured questionnaire.ResultsA governmental body overseeing public health and welfare was in charge of containing the spread and occurrence of infectious diseases under an infectious disease control and prevention act or another special act, although the name of the pertinent organizations and legislation vary among countries. Unlike in the case of other traditional hazards, there have been no specific articles or clauses describing the means of mitigating virus risk in the workplace that are legally required of employers, making it difficult to define the responsibilities of the employer. Each country maintains own legal systems regarding access to the duration, administration, and financing of paid sick leave. Many workers may not have access to paid sick leave even if it is legally guaranteed.ConclusionSpecific legal measures to manage infectious disease risks, such as providing proper personal protective equipment, education, engineering control measures, and paid sick leave are recommended to be stipulated in Industrial safety and health-related acts.

Safely Returning America to Work Part II: Industry-Specific Guidance.

Safely Returning America to Work Part II: Industry-Specific Guidance.

Acoustic standards for education of hearing conservation and industrial hygiene professionals

The practice of hearing conservation and industrial hygiene requires that workers’ noise exposures and hearing be evaluated. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has supported the development of new standards to assess hearing, hearing protector effectiveness and examined methods to best assess noise exposures to better understand the risk of workers developing noise induced hearing loss. This talk will consider noise measurement using both American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Standards Organization (ISO) acoustic standards. The paper will compare and contrast the hearing protector evaluation and rating standards for ANSI and ISO. The potential for using applications with mobile devices will be discussed.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's Occupational and Environmental Medicine Competencies-2014: ACOEM OEM Competencies Task Force*.

The preventive medicine foundation of occupational medicine impacts all the different practice areas of OEM, whether it involves preventing illness related to a hazardous exposure, treating injury due to an employee health condition, or addressing unnecessary work disability after an occupational injury. The OEM physicians are required to effectivelyinteractwithawiderangeofother professionals and provide guidance not only to patients but also to other clinicians and occupational health nurses, employers, safety and industrial hygiene professionals, human resource managers, attorneys, labor unions, and public health care professionals. In these interactions,OEMphysiciansshouldfollowa strict code of ethics related to matters of confidentiality and potential conflicts of interest. Detailed guidance in this area is provided in ACOEM Code of Ethics. 16 Effective communication in OEM includes risk communication, patient education, workforce education, development of policy and guidance documents, and medical/legal document preparation. Physicians practicing OEM typically

Commentary

Dr. Michael P. Wilson of UC Berkeley delivered his keynote address before the general assembly of the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exhibition (AIHce) in Portland, Oregon, in May 2011. Here, Dr. Wilson again discusses the political and economic drivers of occupational disease in the United States and proposes a role for AIHA in helping to highlight and resolve them. He proposes that until these underlying drivers are acknowledged and ameliorated, the toll of occupational disease will persist, despite the hard work of industrial hygienists in the workplace. Among these drivers, Dr. Wilson points to the decline of labor rights and unionization; economic inequality; economic insecurity; political resistance to public health protections for workers, notably the OSHA and NIOSH programs; and weaknesses in the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). Of these, Dr. Wilson calls on the AIHA to participate in the historic effort to rewrite TSCA. He points to weaknesses in TSCA that have produced a chemicals market dominated by the function, price, and performance of chemicals, with little attention given to their health and environmental effects. Under these conditions, he argues, hazardous chemicals have remained economically competitive, and innovation in inherently safer chemicals—in green chemistry—has been held back by a lack of market transparency and public accountability in the industry. TSCA reform has the potential to shift the market toward green chemistry, with long-term implications for occupational disease prevention, industrial investment, and renewed energy in the industrial hygiene profession. Dr. Wilson proposes that, like previous legislative changes in the United States, TSCA reform is likely to occur in response to myriad social pressures, which include the emergence of the European Union's REACH regulation; recent chemicals policy actions in 18 U.S. states; growing support from downstream businesses; increasing public awareness; and a social movement that reaches across traditional boundaries. Dr. Wilson urges the AIHA to involve itself in this effort by building alliances with professional associations and other groups that share similar goals.

Assessing Outcomes of Industrial Hygiene Graduate Education

To ensure that industrial hygiene professionals continue to be prepared for current and future trends, it is important to regularly assess the value of their education. Described here are the results of discussions with employers and a mailed survey of graduates. Comparisons are made with past mailed surveys of both groups. Two sets of discussions were held in late 2005 with employers of industrial hygienists and other health and safety professionals. Twenty-eight participants were asked to discuss current and future needs for professionals in their organization and economic sector, their expectations for knowledge and skills when hiring professionals, methods for finding and hiring, and the importance of ABET accreditation. At the same time, a survey was mailed to 71 industrial hygiene students graduating in the last 15 years. Respondents were asked to rank the value of and their proficiency in 42 competencies. Questions also assessed employment experience, certification, the importance of ABET accreditation, and demographic characteristics. There was a lot of agreement between the two stakeholder groups (employers and graduates) about the most important skill and knowledge areas. Most employers identified communicating effectively and exposure assessment among the most important skills, with designing and initiating research as among the least. Hazard recognition, exposure measurement principles, and personal protective equipment were the most highly ranked knowledge areas. Employers discussed the need for good “business skills” such as teamwork, communication, and project management, and the importance of problem-solving skills. Graduates reported that skills in the areas of recognition, evaluation, and control were most valuable in their first jobs and generally reported high levels of proficiency in these skill areas. There was a similar dichotomy in opinions about accreditation within each stakeholder group. The reputation of the academic program was important when making hiring decisions; accreditation became an important factor only when a program's reputation was not known. Graduates strongly supported ongoing accreditation but did not apply or attend on the basis of accreditation.

2006 Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award Lecture Historical Review—Employer Responsibility for Workplace Health and Safety

The Academy of Industrial Hygiene established the Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award in 1981. The Award is presented to that individual who has recognized the needs of the industrial hygiene profession and has made major contributions to fulfill those needs, thereby contributing to the improvement of the public welfare. This year's Award was presented to John L. Henshaw, CIH, at the 2006 Professional Conference on Industrial Hygiene (PCIH) in San Jose, California.

2006 Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award Lecture Industrial Hygiene: The Founders, The Pioneers, and The Next Generation

The Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award was established in 1943 as a tribute to Donald E. Cummings, AIHA's third president. The award is given for outstanding contributions to the knowledge and practice of the profession of industrial hygiene.

Industrial noise control engineering principles and standard practices applicable to engineers and industrial hygienists

Industrial organizations have accepted the notion that noise control is no longer 100% of one person’s responsibility, but a collaborative effort among engineers and industrial hygiene professionals. Proven noise control measures exist and are commercially available for many industrial noise sources. There are also noise control concepts and techniques that can be adopted by maintenance and other personnel as standard practices. Awareness of the elements of noise control engineering can offer benefit in areas such as equipment procurement, workplace risk assessment, and manufacturing program planning. The focus of this presentation is to discuss the elements of noise control engineering that manufacturing engineers and industrial hygiene professionals would need to apply out of their university education into practice, and the benefits that would be derived from this information.

Henry Smyth Jr. Award Lecture–

The Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award is presented to an individual who has recognized the needs of the industrial hygiene profession and has made major contributions to fulfill those needs, thereby contributing to the improvement of the public welfare. The American Academy of Industrial Hygiene (now the Academy of Industrial Hygiene) established the Henry F. Smyth Jr. Award in 1981. Henry F. Smyth Jr. was a dedicated teacher and a productive researcher whose projects enhanced the profession. This year's Award was presented to Harry Ettinger, CIH, PE, at the 2004 Professional Conference on Industrial Hygiene (PCIH) in Montreal, Canada.

The 1998 Donald E. Cummings Memorial Award Lecture. The industrial hygiene paradox, dilemmas, and a vision for the future.

How do we move from diatribe to dialogue? Since the Donald E. Cummings Award was first established in 1943, the profession of industrial hygiene has seen many changes. The traditional hazards Alice Hamilton addressed in her 1948 Cummings lecture have been controlled. However, the advent of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has changed the approach of many of today's industrial hygienists from "best professional practices" to regulatory compliance or OSHA industrial hygiene. Further, the dialogue that has existed between academia, business, government, and labor that allows industrial hygienists to identify and resolve health hazards is now threatened by lawsuits and lobbyists. Industrial hygienists have a professional responsibility to workers, employers, clients, and the public. Our vision for the future must refocus on this responsibility as we once again embrace dialogue instead of diatribe. This lecture was presented at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition in Atlanta, Ga., on May 13, 1998.

A Computer Software Application for Managing Occupational Exposure Data

The Health Hazard Information Module is the U.S. Army's computer software application for managing occupational exposure data. The project mission is to utilize automated information systems technology to improve the overall effectiveness of industrial hygiene programs. Field industrial hygiene professionals document their survey methods, findings, conclusions, and recommendations with a portable, pen-based computer. Back at the office, the data are electronically transferred to a desktop workstation. Users can generate standard or customized reports in hard copy or electronic formats. Annually, users transfer their data to a corporate mainframe computer. The software incorporates appropriate information and represents an excellent template worth examining during the ongoing international effort to standardize occupational exposure data. Planned refinements include distributing the software to other Department of Defense agencies and making it commercially available for a nominal fee through the National Technical Information Service in the near future.

A computer software application for managing occupational exposure data.

The Health Hazard Information Module is the U.S. Army's computer software application for managing occupational exposure data. The project mission is to utilize automated information systems technology to improve the overall effectiveness of industrial hygiene programs. Field industrial hygiene professionals document their survey methods, findings, conclusions, and recommendations with a portable, pen-based computer. Back at the office, the data are electronically transferred to a desktop workstation. Users can generate standard or customized reports in hard copy or electronic formats. Annually, users transfer their data to a corporate mainframe computer. The software incorporates appropriate information and represents an excellent template worth examining during the ongoing international effort to standardize occupational exposure data. Planned refinements include distributing the software to other Department of Defense agencies and making it commercially available for a nominal fee through the National Technical Information Service in the near future.

2020 Vision: The Future of the Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Profession

Strong and unstoppable technologic, scientific, social, and business trends are already dramatically influencing the industrial hygiene profession. As it moves into the third millennium, change will accelerate at an even faster pace. Hygienists will have little control over events and trends, so they must attempt to respond to them effectively and positively. This paper is a review and analysis of the literature. It identifies several significant trends and their potential impact on occupational and environmental hygiene. The trends include the continuing shift from a manufacturing to information economy, the globalization of manufacturing, the impact of genetic engineering on medicine and agriculture, the growth of world populations and their impact on the environment.

2020 Vision: The Future of the Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Profession

Strong and unstoppable technologic, scientific, social, and business trends are already dramatically influencing the industrial hygiene profession. As it moves into the third millennium, change will accelerate at an even faster pace. Hygienists will have little control over events and trends, so they must attempt to respond to them effectively and positively. This paper is a review and analysis of the literature. It identifies several significant trends and their potential impact on occupational and environmental hygiene. The trends include the continuing shift from a manufacturing to information economy, the globalization of manufacturing, the impact of genetic engineering on medicine and agriculture, the growth of world populations and their impact on the environment.

Optical remote sensing for air pollutants--review.

Air monitoring techniques need to be simple, unobtrusive, acquire real-time data, have increased sensitivity, and the ability to analyze many compounds simultaneously. Optical remote sensing techniques address many of these criteria for air monitoring methods. Optical remote sensing uses light energy between ultraviolet and midinfrared to detect and measure contaminants in situ. While optical remote monitoring techniques provide similar monitoring accuracy compared to conventional monitoring methods, they also provide certain unique advantages. Advantages and disadvantages of specific optical remote sensing techniques is discussed in this review, which focuses on the techniques most useful to the industrial hygiene profession. Detailed information about every technique will not be supplied; rather the review attempts to provide an understanding of the development of the remote sensing techniques, and briefly explains typical applications, so that readers can understand and evaluate applications appropriate to their work.

The Development of the Industrial Hygiene Profession in Italy

The Development of the Industrial Hygiene Profession in Italy