Master Your Environment: Comprehensive Guide to Industrial Hygiene

Introduction

Industrial Hygiene is a science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, prevention, and control of those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace which may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers or among citizens of the community.

Understanding the Basics

Industrial hygiene is not just about maintaining cleanliness in the workplace. It involves a much broader scope that includes controlling environmental factors that could lead to worker illness or injury. This could be chemical hazards like exposure to vapors, fumes, gases, and dust, or physical hazards like extreme temperatures, radiation, and noise.

Anticipating Hazards

Anticipation is the first step in the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls. This involves identifying potential hazards in the workplace before they cause harm. This is often done through a process of job hazard analysis or risk assessment.

Recognizing Hazards

Recognition involves detecting the presence of hazards in the workplace. This can be done through regular workplace inspections and through the use of monitoring equipment to detect the presence of harmful substances or conditions.

Evaluating Hazards

Evaluation involves determining the severity of hazard exposures. This is often done through exposure assessment which measures the frequency, duration, and intensity of exposure to hazards.

Controlling Hazards

Control is the final step in the industrial hygiene hierarchy of controls. This involves implementing measures to eliminate or reduce the risk of exposure to hazards. Control measures can be classified into four types: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.