INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE

ENGR. JOSEPH NATHAN B. MARQUEZ

INSTRUCTOR
• Implementing safety
and health in the
workplace is the
ultimate goal of labor
protection. Industrial
hygiene is one of the
disciplines necessary
in the implementation
of safety and health in
the workplace.
 Objectives

Working on this module should help you to:

• recognize the potential occupational health hazards in the workplace.
• explain the process of evaluating the different hazards in the workplace
through Work Environment Measurement (WEM), including the instruments
used and the standards to be observed
• understand the concept of Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and interpret their
numerical values.
 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
• Industrial hygiene is “the science and
art devoted to the recognition,
evaluation, and control of
environmental factors or stresses
arising in or from the workplace,
which may cause sickness, impaired
health, and well-being, or significant
discomfort and inefficiency among
workers or citizens of the community.”
 Recognition Of Occupational Health Hazards

• Classification of occupational health hazards The various environmental

stresses or hazards, otherwise known as occupational health hazards can be
classified as chemical, physical, biological, or ergonomic.
 Chemical Hazards

• Occupational health hazards arise

from inhaling chemical agents in the
form of vapors, gases, dusts, fumes,
and mists, or by skin contact with
these materials. The degree of risk of
handling a given substance depends
on the magnitude and duration of
exposure.
a. Gases are substances in gaseous state are airborne at room temperature.
Examples are chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, carbon monoxide,
sulfur dioxide, phosgene and formaldehyde.
b. Vapour results when substances that are liquid at room temperature
evaporate. Examples are the components of organic solvents such as
benzene, toluene, acetone, and xylene.
c. Mist is a fine particle of a liquid floating in the air (particle size of 5 to 100 um
approximately. Examples: nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
d. Dust is a solid harmful substance is ground, cut, or crushed by mechanical actions and
fine particles float in the air (particle size of about 1 to 150 um). Examples are metal dust
and asbestos.
e. Fume is a gas (such as metal vapor) condensed in air, chemically changed, and becomes
fine solid particles that float in the air (particles size of about 0.1 to 1 um). Examples are
oxides generated from molten metal such as cadmium oxide, beryllium oxide, etc
 Physical Hazards

• Problems relating to such things as extremes of temperature, heat stress,

vibration, radiation, abnormal air pressure, illumination, noise, and vibration
are physical stresses. It is important that the employer, supervisor, and
those responsible for safety and health are on guard to these hazards due to
the possible immediate or cumulative effects on the health of the
employees.
a. Extreme temperature. Extreme
temperatures (extreme heat and extreme
cold) affect the amount of work that people
can do and the manner in which they do it.
In industry, the problem is more often high
temperatures rather than low temperatures.
• Heat stress may be experienced by workers
exposed to excessive heat arising from work.
Workers at risk of heat stress include outdoor
workers and workers in hot environments
such as firefighters, bakery workers, farmers,
construction workers, miners, boiler room
workers, factory workers, etc. workers aged
65 and older, those with heart disease,
hypertension or those taking medications are
at a greater risk for heat stress.
• Cold stress. Workers exposed to
extreme cold or work in cold
environments such as those in ice plants
or refrigerated workplaces may be at risk
of cold stress.
 Radiation
• Electromagnetic waves are produced
by the motion of electrically charged
particles. These waves are also called
“electromagnetic radiation” because
they radiate from the electrically
charged particles. They travel through
empty space as well as through air and
can penetrate some other substances.
Radio waves, microwaves, visible light
and X-rays are all examples of
electromagnetic waves.
 EXTREME PRESSURE

It has been recognized as from the beginning of

caisson work (work performed in a watertight
structure) that men working under pressures
greater than at a normal atmospheric one, are
subject to various illnesses connected with the
job. Hyperbaric (greater than normal pressures)
environments are also encountered by divers
operating under water, whether by holding the
breath while diving, breathing from a self-
contained underwater breathing apparatus
(SCUBA), or by breathing gas mixtures supplied
by compression from the surface.
 Inadequate illumination

The measure of the stream of light falling on

a surface is known as illumination. The key
aspects of illumination include lux,
luminance, reflectance, glare and sources of
lighting.
 LUX VS LUMENS

• The lux is the SI derived unit of illuminance, measuring luminous flux

per unit area. It is equal to one lumen per square meter. In photometry,
this is used as a measure of the intensity, as perceived by the human
eye, of light that hits or passes through a surface.
• The difference between lumen and lux is that the lux takes into
account the area over which the luminous flux (lumens) is
spread. A flux of 1000 lumens, concentrated into an area of one
square metre, lights up that square metre with an illuminance of 1000
Lux.
 Excessive vibration

A body is said to vibrate when it is in an

oscillating motion about a reference point.
The number of times a complete motion cycle
takes place during the period of one second is
called the frequency and is measured in hertz
(Hz). Vibration usually refers to the inaudible
acoustic phenomena, which are recognized by
through touch and feeling. It is a vector
quantity described by both a magnitude and
direction.
 NOISE

Noise or unwanted sound is a form of vibration conducted through solids,

liquids, or gases. The level of noise in an industrial operation can constitute a
physical hazard to the exposed workers. The extent of the hazard depends not
only on the overall noise level but also on the time period and frequency and
type of noise to which the worker is exposed.
 Biological Hazards

• Biological hazards are any virus, bacteria, fungus, parasite, or living

organism that can cause disease in human beings. They can be a part of the
total environment or associated with certain occupations such as medical
professions, food preparation, and handling, livestock raising, etc.
• Diseases transmitted from animals to humans are common infectious and
parasitic which can also result from exposure to contaminated water,
insects, or infected people.
 Ergonomic Hazards

• “Ergonomics” literally means the customs, habits, and laws of work.

According to the International Labor Organization it is “… The application of
human biological science in conjunction with the engineering sciences to
achieve the optimum mutual adjustment of man [sic] and his [sic] work, the
benefits being measured in terms of human efficiency and well-being.”
 Special Considerations

Special Considerations: The following items have become important OSH

issues that need to be addressed by Industrial Hygiene professionals and
employers:
• a. Confined space is an enclosed or a partially enclosed space. It has
restricted entrance and exit (by location, size, and means) thus, the natural
airflow is limited. This can cause accumulation of “dead” or “bad” air” and
airborne contaminants. Confined spaces are not designed, and intended for
human occupancy.
• b. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air inside buildings as
based on the concentration of pollutants & thermal (temperature & relative
humidity) conditions that affect the health, comfort and performance of
occupants.
 Sources of IAQ problems

• Ventilation system deficiencies

• Overcrowding
• Tobacco smoke
• Microbiological contamination
• Outside air pollutants
• Off gassing from materials in the office, furniture and mechanical
equipment.
• Poor housekeeping
 Indoor Air Pollutants

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• Formaldehyde
• Carbon Dioxide
• Carbon Monoxide
• Nitrogen Oxides
• Sulfur Dioxide
• Ammonia
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Dust
 Other Factors Affecting Occupants

• Comfort problems due to improper temperature and relative humidity

conditions
• Poor lighting
• Unacceptable noise levels
• Adverse ergonomic conditions
• Job-related psycho-social stressors.
 Evaluation of occupational stresses/hazards

• Now that we are familiar with the classification of hazards, we can now
discuss how to identify the different hazards through a combination of the
following methods:
• Walk-through/ocular inspection – this is necessary in identifying the
potential hazards and determining the critical conditions in the workplace. It
will be good to make a checklist for inspection.
• Review of the process involved – The identity of the chemical
intermediates formed in the course of an industrial process and the
toxicological properties of these intermediates may be difficult to establish.
Undesirable chemical by-products such as carbon monoxide resulting from
the incomplete combustion of organic material may be formed.
• Knowing the raw materials, by-products and finished products –
Knowing about the raw materials used and the nature of the products
manufactured will help you determine the specific contaminants to which
workers are actually exposed. Possible impurities in raw materials such as
benzene in some solvents should be considered.
• Gathering workers’ complaints – the actual chemicals or substances
handled may be determined by interviewing the workers. More so, their
complaints can also be gathered and assessed in the clinic record.
• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a summary of important health, safety and
toxicological information on the chemical or the mixture ingredients.
Determining the magnitude or level of hazards using
industrial hygiene equipment through Work
Environment Measurement (WEM)

• Once the hazards have been recognized, it is necessary to measure the

levels of the hazards and the magnitude of workers’ exposure to them. This
is done through the WEM which employs direct measurement of hazards.
WEM is conducted for the following purposes:
• determine the magnitude of harmful environmental agents.
• physically check the environment through measurement.
• predict harmfulness of new facilities, raw materials, production processes
and working methods.
• monitor worker’s exposure to harmful substances.
• evaluate the effectiveness of environmental control measures adopted to
improve the workplace.
• maintain favorable environmental conditions.
 Types of Environmental Monitoring

• Personal Monitoring – the measurement of a particular

employee’s exposure to airborne contaminants. The measuring
device is placed as close as possible to the contaminant’s entry
port to the body. For example, when monitoring a toxic air
contaminant, the measuring device is placed close to the
worker’s breathing zone. The data collected closely approximates
the concentration of contaminants to which the worker is
exposed to.
• Area/Environmental Sampling – Environmental sampling is the
measurement of contaminant concentration in the workroom.
The measuring device is placed adjacent to the worker’s normal
workstation or at fixed locations in the work area. This kind of
monitoring does not provide a good estimate of workers’
exposure but helps to pinpoint work areas with high or low
exposure levels of contaminants.
INSTRUMENTS USED TO MEASURE THE DIFFERENT
HAZARDS
Lux Meter - illumination
Psychrometer - humidity
Anemometer - air movement
Smoke Tester - air direction
Globe Thermometer - heat
Sound Level Meter – Noise
• Biological Monitoring – involves the measurement of
changes in the composition of body fluids, tissue or
expired air to determine absorption of a potentially
hazardous material. Examples are measurement of lead
and mercury in blood or in urine.
 Analysis of results
The collected samples from the WEM are analyzed in the
laboratory. Some of the analytical instruments used are as
follows:
• UV-VIS Spectrophotometer for analyzing acids, AAS for
heavy metals, Gas Chromatograph for organic solvents, and
X-ray Diffractometer, Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR)
Spectrocopy, and Phase Contrast Microscope (PCM) for
quantitative and qualitative analysis of asbestos and silica.
 Comparison Of Measurement Results With
Standards

• Laboratory analysis results are compared with the Threshold

Limit Values (TLVs). These are exposure guidelines that have
been established for airborne concentration of many chemical
compounds. Concentrations of hazards that exceed the TLVs can
cause adverse effects to humans. There are three categories of
TLVs:
• Time-Weighted Average (TLV-TWA) is the time-
weighted average concentration for a normal 8-hour
workday or 48-hour workweek to which nearly all
workers may be repeatedly exposed, day after day,
without adverse health effects.
Computation for Time Weighted Average:
 Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL)

• is the maximum concentration to which workers can be exposed

continuously for 15 minutes without suffering from any of the following:
a. Irritation
b. Chronic or irreversible tissue damage
c. Narcosis of sufficient degree to increase the likelihood of accidental injury,
impair self-rescue or materially reduce work efficiency.
 Ceiling (TLV-C)

• is the concentration
that should not be
exceeded during any
part of the working
exposure; otherwise,
the exposed workers
might be vulnerable to
serious risks.
 Occupational Safety and Health Standards
(OSHs) Rule 1070

Rule 1070 is OSH standard for occupational health and

environmental control. It has seven (7) rules:
• Rule 1071 – General Provisions “This rule establishes TLVs for
toxic and carcinogenic substances and physical agents which may
be present in the atmosphere of the work environment. TLVs
refer to airborne concentration of substances and represent
conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may
be repeatedly exposed daily without adverse effect.”
• Rule 1072 – TLVs for Airborne Contaminants and Rule 1073
(Tables) These refer to TLVs of airborne contaminants for “time
weighted concentration for an 8-hour workday and a total of
forty-eight 48 hours of work exposure per week.” TLVs tables for
airborne contaminants, mineral dusts, and human carcinogens
are also established.
• Rule 1074 – Physical Agents This refers to TLVs for physical
agents particularly noise or “sound pressure that represents
conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may
be repeatedly exposed without adverse effect on their ability to
hear and understand normal speech.
• Rule 1075 – Illumination “All places where persons work or pass or may have
to work or pass in emergencies, shall be provided during time of use with
the adequate natural lighting or artificial lighting or both, suitable for the
operation and the special type of work performed.”
• Rule 1076 – General Ventilation This is about General Ventilation that
encompasses the workroom condition for air supply, temperature,
humidity, and odor. It states that:
“Suitable atmospheric conditions shall be maintained in workrooms by natural
or artificial means to avoid insufficient air supply, stagnant or vitiated air,
harmful drafts, excessive heat or cold, sudden variations in temperature, and
where practicable, excessive humidity or dryness and objectionable odors.”
• Rule 1077 – Work Environment Measurement “WEM shall mean sampling
and analysis carried out in respect of the atmospheric working environment
and other fundamental elements of working environment for the purpose of
determining actual condition therein.”
• It also includes the responsibility of the employer that WEM “shall
be performed periodically as may be necessary but no longer than
annually.” Industrial hygiene is also concerned with the
development of corrective measures to control hazards by reducing
or eliminating the exposure. These control procedures may include:
1. Engineering controls such as substitution of harmful or toxic
materials with less dangerous ones, changing work processes, and
installation of exhaust ventilation system.
2. Administrative controls such as safety and health policies and
programs (i.e.: hearing conservation program, healthy lifestyle
project)
3. Provision of personal protective equipment like earplugs, face
shield, and dust mask.
THANK YOU!!!