Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene

Albert L. Asprec, M.D., M.O.H.

What is SAFETY ?
  Freedom from accidents
  Freedom from harm, injury and loss
An accident is
usually the
result of contact
of a body with a
source of
energy above
the threshold
limit of that body
Causes of Accidents are Classified as:
 Unsafe Condition - seen as a
physical or chemical property in the
material
 Unsafe Act - a violation of safe
procedure
•  act of omission
•  act of commission
Three Steps to Control Accidents &
Work-related illness:
  Identify
  Evaluate
  Correct
Identify the
Hazard
  Inspection
(Before)
  Investigation
(After)
Evaluate the Hazard
  OSHA standards

  NPC Safety Code

  NIOSH

  OEL / PEL

  ACGIH

  TLV
When is it time to change the tire?
Correct the Hazard
  Engineering Control

  Administrative Control

  Personal Protective Equipment

Engineering Methods
- eliminate or reduce the hazard
•  Initial design specification

•  Substitution

•  Isolation (Place)

•  Ventilation
 Initial Design

110 volts 220 volts

Administrative Methods
- control of employees exposure
•  Scheduled reduced work hours in
contaminated areas
•  Increased breaks

•  SOP’s

•  Isolation (Time)

•  Medical Exams
Personal Protective Equipment
- barrier aids in controlling individual
exposure to hazards
Hazard Identification
Occupational Health

The promotion and maintenance of

the highest degree of physical, mental
and social well-being of workers in all
occupations

ILO/WHO 1950
TYPES OF HAZARDS
 Physical

 Chemical

 Biological

 Ergonomic

 Mechanical

 Electrical
Physical Hazards
 Noise
 Vibration
 Heat Stress / Cold Stress
 Illumination
 Pressure
Physical Hazard

Noise
Harmful / unwanted Sound:
  Frequency - measured in (Hertz)
cycles per second
  Loudness or intensity - Decibel (dB)
  Duration
 Permissible Noise Exposure*

Duration/day Sound Level

(hours) (dB)
8 90
4 93
2 96
1 99
0.5 102
0.25 or less 105

*without the need of hearing protection

OSHA 1981
Health Effects Of Noise
Acute Effects:
  Acoustic Trauma (Explosion, gunshot)
  Temporary Threshold shift (Disco)
  Poor communication
  Increase in blood pressure & stress
Control of Noise
  Engineering methods
Purchase new equipment
Preventive maintenance
Isolation/damping
  Administrative Control
Job rotation / breaks
  PPE
Ear plugs / ear muffs
Heat Stress
Exposure settings:
  High temperature
  High humidity
  Poor ventilation
  Multiple heat sources
 Thermoregulatory Mechanism

  The body’s attempt

to maintain a
temperature of
37.0ºC (+0.5ºC) at
all times, in the
response to change
of outside
temperature
Mechanisms of heat removal

  Conduction
  Convection
  Radiation
  Evaporation
 Cross
Cross Section
section ofofskin
the Skin
Acute Health Effects of Heat
  Prickly heat - immature sweat glands
  Heat fatigue - bad mood (water loss)
  Heat cramps - muscle spasm(water + salts)
  Heat exhaustion - fatigue, diaphoresis,
dehydration, nausea, vomiting
(water + salts + electrolytes)
  Heat stroke - overheating, seizure, coma
(failure of thermoregulatory system)
Acute Health Effects of Heat
  Prickly heat - immature sweat glands
  Heat fatigue - bad mood (water loss)
  Heat cramps - muscle spasm(water + salts)
  Heat exhaustion - fatigue, diaphoresis,
dehydration, nausea, vomiting
(water + salts + electrolytes)
  Heat stroke - overheating, seizure, coma
(failure of thermoregulatory system)
Control of Heat Problems
  Engineering control
Ventilation
Water sources (fountains/showers)
  Administrative control
Job rotation/breaks
  PPE
Cotton clothes, multiple changes
 PHYSICAL HAZARD

Cold Stress
  Ice plants
  Food processing plants
  Deep sea diving
  Semi-conductor
  Broadcast industry
Acute Health effects of Cold
  Hypothermia
  Chills
  Frostbite
  Trench foot
Vibration
  continuous low frequency oscillation
that is more likely felt than heard
  affects the body through direct contact
  exposure settings:
  hand held grinding tools
  jack hammer, chain saw
  transportation
Health Effects of Vibration
Localized
  Inflammation (wrist, elbow, shoulder) VWF
  Carpal tunnel, Tenosynovitis
Whole-body
  Fatigue
Vibration Analysis Meter
Hand Vibration Meter
 Illumination

  Visibilityof a workplace
- as a result of light
- (natural or artificial)
  lumens or lux
 Importance of Illumination

OSHA standards
  active storage - 50 lux
  production line - 300 lux
  clerical work - 500 lux
  fine movement - 1000 lux
Hazardous light sources
  Infrared
  LASER
  UV
  Welding sparks
  Blue light beam
  Halogen bulbs
Acute effects
  eye strain
  dizziness
  headache
  neck pains
  teary eyes
Pressure

Atmospheric force that is constantly

applied on the body, as a result of
normal changes in altitude or artificially
induced conditions.
Altitude Pressure

Altitude Pressure
Diving operations to inspect piers and pipes
Barometer
Barometer
Mt. Pulag 9800 ft. above sea level
Oxygen Temperature
Chemical Hazards
Exposure settings
  Oiland fuel
  Solvents
  Metal welding fumes
  Acids and Alkalis
  Lead (organic & inorganic)
  Dust (Silica, asbestos)
Skin Absorption
Important “accidental” route of entry
  skin acts as protective barrier
  local irritation (allergy)
  general sensitization
  absorption and vascular dissemination
Ingestion
  accidental swallowing
  eating in contaminated
area
  smoking on the job with
contaminated fingers and
hands
  ingestion of inhaled
materials
  wak-tu
Inhalation
most important route of exposure
Determinants:
  concentration in the air
  duration of exposure
  amount of air inhaled
Organ systems of
the body that are
affected:
 Skin
 Lung
 CNS
 Kidney
 Liver
 Blood
 Heart
General Health effects
•  Disorientation
•  Euphoria
•  Light headedness
•  Confusion
•  Unconsciousness
•  Headache
•  Nausea, vomiting
•  Paralysis, convulsion, death
Biologic Hazards
  Tuberculosis
  AIDS
  Hepatitis A,
B, C, E
  Chicken pox
  URTI
  Sore eyes
  Lice
  STD
Biologic hazards
Characterized by organisms that have:
  life
  the ability to multiply
Eye contamination
  conjunctivitis / syphilis

Inhalation - entry by droplet infection

  Influenza virus
  TB bacilli
  SARS
  Bird flu
Ingestion - infected food & water
  Improperly cooked food - parasites
  Contaminated water - Amoebiasis
  Feco-oral route - Hepatitis A
  Urine on lids of canned drinks
  Soft drinks in ice coolers
Pests
Dermal contact
  Perspiration – steering wheel, golf clubs
  Skin scales - clothes
  Body hair - lice, crabs, fleas
  Candidiasis, Syphilis, Gonorrhea
Fungal infection
Injection - through a break in the skin
  Cuts - knife, blades - Hepatitis B
  Punctures - ice pick, needles - Tetanus
  Abrasions - grinding stone - foreign body
  Lacerations – Rabies, HIV
Ergonomic hazards
these are conditions that:
  Cause low productivity / output
  Lead to muscle and skeletal pains
Ergonomics
It is a technique that brings
together several disciplines to
solve problems at work
Tools and Equipment
  Electric typewriter
  Telephone / calculator
  Hand tool design: pliers
  Driving
Ergonomic Injuries
  Neck pain
  Leg pain
  Low back pain
  Trigger finger syndrome
  Carpal tunnel disorder
  Eye strain
  Varicose veins
  Fatigue
Risks in Ergonomics:
Position / Posture
Force
Frequency
Position
 Position
Elbow 90° – 100°
Wrist – straight
Going beyond the
work zone is
called reaching
What’s wrong with the picture?
Keep the
hand
straight
Position
 Hand
 Wrist
Force
Weight limit - 25 kilos
Share the load
Observe proper lifting posture
Don’t lift with your back …
Use a cart
Carry items close to your body
Frequency
or
repetitions
Provide for task interruption
 Mechanical Hazards

The handling of equipment

with moving parts, either
motorized or manually
activated
Points of operation
 Electrical hazards

 Wiring
 Grounding / Bonding
 Power Panels
 Outlets / Switches
Hazard Recognition
  Visible dust clouds or fumes
  Eye or skin irritation on walk-through
  Road excavation
  Need to raise voice to communicate
  Change of nail polish
  Poor work practice
  Poor plant layout
  Noontime sun
  Octopus connections