TEST – INDUSTRIAL HYGENE (ENV543)

QUESTION 1

Explain 6 Code of Ethics for the Professional Practice of Industrial Hygiene.

6 Code of Ethics for the Professional Practice of Industrial Hygiene are:

1. Practice their profession following recognized scientific principles with the realization
that the lives, health and well-being of people may depend upon their professional
judgment and that they are obligated to protect the health and well-being of people.
a. Industrial Hygienists should base their professional opinions, judgments,
interpretations of findings and recommendations upon recognized scientific
principles and practices which preserve and protect the health and well-being of
people.
b. Industrial Hygienists shall not distort, alter or hide facts in rendering professional
opinions or recommendations.
c. Industrial Hygienists shall not knowingly make statements that misrepresent or
omit facts.

2. Counsel affected parties factually regarding potential health risks and precautions
necessary to avoid adverse health effects.
a. Industrial Hygienists should obtain information regarding potential health risks
from reliable sources.
b. Industrial Hygienists should review the pertinent, readily available information to
factually inform the affected parties.
c. Industrial Hygienists should initiate appropriate measures to see that the health
risks are effectively communicated to the affected parties.
d. Parties may include management, clients, employees, contractor employees, or
others dependent on circumstances at the time

3. Keep confidential personal and business information obtained during the exercise of
industrial hygiene activities, except when required by law or overriding health and safety
considerations.
a. Industrial Hygienists should report and communicate information which is
necessary to protect the health and safety of workers and the community.
b. Industrial Hygienists should release confidential personal or business information
only with the information owners' express authorization, except when there is a
duty to disclose information as required by law or regulation.

4. Avoid circumstances where a compromise of professional judgment or conflict of

interest may arise.
 a. Industrial Hygienists should promptly disclose known or potential conflicts of
interest to parties that may be affected.
b. Industrial Hygienists shall not offer any substantial gift, or other valuable
consideration, in order to secure work.
c. Industrial Hygienists should advise their clients or employer when they initially
believe a project to improve industrial hygiene conditions will not be successful.

5. Perform services only in the areas of their competence.

a. Industrial Hygienists should undertake to perform services only when qualified
by education, training or experience in the specific technical fields involved,
unless sufficient assistance is provided by qualified associates, consultants or
employees.

6. Act responsibly to uphold the integrity of the profession.

a. Industrial Hygienists shall not use statements in advertising their expertise or
services containing a material misrepresentation of fact or omitting a material
fact necessary to keep statements from being misleading.
b. Industrial Hygienists shall not knowingly permit their employees, their employers
or others to misrepresent the individuals professional background, expertise or
services which are misrepresentations of fact.

QUESTION 2

Discuss three (3) types of monitoring systems used in industrial hygiene surveillance.

Three (3) types of monitoring systems used in industrial hygiene surveillance are:

1. Personal Monitoring
a. Measurement of a particular worker’s exposure to airborne contaminants.
b. Employee must wear sampling device for the duration of the work device for
the duration of the work shift.
c. The measurement device such dosimeter is placed as close as possible to the
contaminant entry portal into the body.
d. For toxic inhaled air contaminant, the measurement device is placed close to
the breathing zone.
e. For noise, the device is placed close to the ear.
f. The elements of sampling system are pump, filter, and sampling head / size
separator.

2. Environment Monitoring
a. Measurement of contaminant concentrations in the workroom.
 b. The measurement device is placed adjacent to the worker’s normal
workstation.
c. The air contaminant concentration or physical energy stress is then
measured.
d. Example of tools are:
i. DustTrak Aerosol Monitor - Air monitoring tool
ii. LaMotte Air Sampler Test - To measure the concentration of gases
iii. VelociCalc Plus Multi-Parameter Ventilation Meters - To measure air
velocity and pressure.
iv. Q-Trak IAQ Monitor - To measure temperature, relative humidity, CO 2,
and CO.

3. Biological Monitoring
a. Biological monitoring in the workplace is an element of health surveillance
which can be used in assessment of the risks to health as an integral part of
an occupational health and safety programme.
b. Measurement of changes in the composition of body fluid, tissues or expired
air to determine absorption of a potentially hazardous material.
c. Examples: lead, cadmium and mercury in blood or in urine to determine
intoxicant absorption.
d. Biological monitoring involves analysis breath, urine or blood samples
collected from employees.
e. There are sensitive ethical issues involved in the collection, analysis and
reporting of results from such samples.
f. By establishing baseline levels - such monitoring may indicate inadequate
environmental controls or improper work methods before excessive
absorption occurs.
g. Biological monitoring is not a replacement for environmental/ personal
monitoring but may be used to complement all these monitoring.
h. It can be used as part of an overall strategy for controlling hazardous
chemicals within the workplace, by reducing uncertainty in relation to the
effectiveness of control measures in place (e.g. engineering control measures
or PPE) and by monitoring work practices.
i. Biological monitoring data reflects the total absorption of a chemical by an
individual through all routes of exposure (inhalation, ingestion, absorption
through the skin or a combination of these routes) and thus represents the
individual’s actual exposure.
j. Biological monitoring results required interpretation by experience medical
practitioners (doctor /nurse).
 k. Employees being monitored should be informed of their own results and
what they mean.
l. Biological and medical monitoring provide information only after absorption
has occurred.
m. Example of tools are Human Biomarkers ELISA kit Test – to measure the level
of biomarkers in human sample from blood, urine, sputum, body fluids.

QUESTION 3

Proper planning and correct stages taken to assess exposure may save ones lives, list
activities and the descriptions on Exposure Assessments Stages.

Exposure Assessments Stages are:

1. Assessment of Hazard
a. Data gathered on hazard available in the assessment area
b. Identified type of hazard available- example are chemical hazard, physical,
biological (characteristic, properties, usage, physical form).
c. Obtain process description with emphasis on raw materials used for product
development, contaminated chemicals, intermediates of the chemicals, by
product, decomposition.
d. Source info from CSDS and purchasing records.
e. Assessment should focus on opportunities for contaminated substances
released into the workplace environment including human exposure
f. Add preliminary observation on the hazard exposed to employees including
housekeeping, maintenance, and emergency.
g. Exposure modeling approach.

2. Identifying Concern
a. Once the assessment complete, the outcome of the assessment will show a
list of hazardous conditions.
b. Based on these lists, exposure assessment goal shall be develop.
c. Hypothesis can be tested using quantitative approach.
d. Proof is needed to ensure the hypothesis is correct before the program could
go any further.
e. For example, chemical hazards require a hazard rating based on systemic and
local effects.
f. Hypothesis of a condition or situation which is considered hazardous
g. Need immediate attention

3. Quantifying of Exposure
 a. Estimate the exposure of the contamination and profile.
b. Need statistical description of the population and contamination substance.
c. Variability of the source.
d. Aim to determine the amount of contamination or dose of a substance
received by individual and population.
e. This is done by examining the results of the discipline of exposure
assessment.
f. Quantification of exposure is confirmation stage used to refute exposure
hypothesis and serve as a basis for decision making.
g. Example such as air sampling, noise exposure, is common approach
quantification of exposure at workplace.
h. During data collection, the population characteristic and employees have to
be identified at the right work station to avoid any confusion (statistical
description of the population is needed to make inferences if data absence).
i. Exposure profile is important to determine the peak of exposure and
exposure level of the entire working duration.
j. Furthermore, methodological and environmental variability should be
considered.

4. Determine Acceptability
a. The role of air sampling.
b. The use of threshold level value publish by professional and capable
researchers.
c. Results from quantifying process shall be compared with the regulatory
safety values or professional values set by the safety professional body such
as ACGIH, AIHA, MIHA, and NIOSH.
d. Professional judgement is needed and these judgement should be recorded,
printed and used as a reference.
e. Example are Threshold Level Value (TLV) book – consist of guidelines to assist
the control of workplace hazards .
f. Suggestion on how to determine the scale between “safe” and ”dangerous”.

5. Decision on Appropriate Action

a. Develop a workplace program.
b. Determine the priority of control.
c. Appropriate action should be taken based on the assessment obtained from
i. The quantification of the exposure
ii. The verification of the results of the assessment by referring to a
professional judgement
iii. Regulation from the law
d. Priorities the risk according to the severity level:
 i. Risk not significant now and not likely to increase in future.
ii. Significant risk but already adequately controlled and could increase
in future.
iii. Significant risk now and not adequately controlled.
iv. Uncertain about risk; insufficient information.
v. Uncertain about risk; uncertain about degree and extent of exposure.
e. For short term planning, the safety and health committee or the safety and
health officer can conduct the following:
i. Personal protective equipment
ii. Administrative
iii. Work practices
f. Long term approach may include engineering control.

6. Periodical re-evaluation
a. Changes of work processes or substances used.
b. Develop a schedule for re-evaluation of the exposure.
c. Over a duration of time , significant work processes and workforce changes
occur in the workplace or industry due to new product and new process
emerged.
d. This requires a periodic re – evaluation of the hazard should be conducted
i. Routine schedule evaluation
ii. Instant routine schedule evaluation
e. Cycle of the exposure assessment is a continuing process to ensure the
livelihood and health of the employees are cared for at the workplace.
f. Visitors and communities also enjoy the safe environment developed through
these programme.