INTRODUCTION TO INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this topic, students should be able to:
• Define the industrial hygiene.
• Explain the history of industrial hygiene.
• Explain the principles or elements of industrial hygiene.
• Describe the role of industrial hygienist.
• Discuss the code of ethics of industrial hygienist.
 INTRODUCTION
• Estimated 3.5 billion people are working in the world
• Almost 2 MILLION people die from work related causes each
year.
• 19 occupational risk factors, including
– exposure to long working hours
– workplace exposure to
• air pollution,
• asthmagens,
• carcinogens,
• ergonomic risk factors,
• noise.
• Workplace exposure to air pollution (particulate matter, gases
and fumes) was responsible for 450,000 DEATHS.
• Work-related diseases and injuries strain health systems,
reduce productivity and can have a catastrophic impact on
household incomes.
 DEFINITION OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
• “Science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition,
evaluation, and control of those workplace environmental
factors which may cause sickness, impaired health and well-
being, or significant discomfort and inefficiency among
workers or among citizens of the community”. (American
Industrial Hygiene Association- AIHA)

“Industrial hygiene is about the prevention of ill health caused by

work activity”
 Why “SCIENCE” & “ART”?
• Each workplace and situation is unique
• Industrial hygienist must develop and adapt scientifically based
methods to understand and control hazards. (SCIENCE)
• However, when the industrial hygienists work in the field, they
interact with workers, they must understand how to
communicate, professional judgement, etc. (ART)
 PRINCIPLES OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
1. ANTICIPATION
– Involves identifying potential hazards in the workplace before they
are introduced.
– considered a vital skill - usually requires considerable experience,
assistance is now provided by safety data sheets (SDS) and abundant
advice available in the literature, various databases and electronic
sites.
 PRINCIPLES OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
2. RECOGNITION
• Identifying the potential hazard (physical, chemical, biological,
ergonomics, etc.) that poses to health.
• Knowing the hazards through knowledge of:
– Materials
– Operations
– Processes
– Conditions
 PRINCIPLES OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
3. EVALUATION
• Measuring exposures, comparing against standards, evaluating
risk.
• Evaluation of environmental factors through:
– Measurement of exposure intensity
– Determination of exposure frequency, and duration
– Comparison with regulatory, professional, and internal standards
– Judgement: weight all factors
 PRINCIPLES OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
3. CONTROL
• Employ methods to eliminate or reduce exposure resulting in
elimination or reduction of the occurrence of occupational
disease through:
– Engineering (including process) interventions
– Administrative/programmatic measures
– Personal protective equipment
HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
 HIPPOCRATES ( 470 – 410 B.C.)
• Greek physician
• Father of Medicine
• Observed lead toxicity in mining industry
(among miners)
 Pliny the Elder (23 – 79 A.D.)
• Roman scholar
• Perceived health risks - those working with
zinc and sulphur
• First to recommend respiratory protection -
devised a face mask made from animal
bladder to protect miners from exposure to
dust and lead fumes
 Galen (130 – 200 A.D.)
• Greek physician
• Accurately described the pathology of lead
poisoning and also recognised the hazardous
exposures of copper miners to acid mists.
Georgius Agricola (1494 – 1555)
• German scholar
• Wrote De Re Metallica – mining, smelting and
refining.
– Need for ventilation and fresh air in mines
– Environmental contamination
– Management techniques (shift work)
– Ergonomics, mechanical lift processes
– Butter is antidote for lead toxicity
– Goat’s bladder is used as respiratory protection.
Georgius Agricola
(1494 – 1555)
 Paracelsus (1493 – 1591)
• All substances are poisons; there is none
which is not a poison. The right dose
differentiates a poison and a remedy.
• Father of Toxicology
• Established concepts of acute and chronic
toxicity
 Bernardino Ramazzini
(1633 – 1714)
• Known as the “Father of industrial
medicine”
• Published in Italy the first comprehensive
book on industrial medicine, De Morbis
Artificum Diatriba (The Diseases of
Workmen).
 Bernardino Ramazzini
(1633 – 1714)
• The book contained - descriptions of the
occupational diseases of most of the
workers of his time.
• Ramazzini greatly affected the future of
industrial hygiene because he asserted that
occupational diseases should be studied in
the work environment rather than in
hospital wards.
 Ulrich Ellenborg (1474)
• published a pamphlet on occupational diseases and injuries
among gold miners.
• Ellenborg also wrote about the toxicity of carbon monoxide,
mercury, lead, and nitric acid.
 Percival Pott (1713 – 1788)
• Identified relationship between an
occupation (chimney sweep), a toxin (poly-
aromantic hydrocarbons) and malignancy
(testicular cancer)
• As result of his findings on the insidious
effects of soot on chimney sweepers, was a
major force in getting the British
Parliament to pass the Chimney-Sweepers
Act of 1788.
 Alice Hamilton
• A pioneer – the filed of industrial disease
• Investigate the cause and effect of worker
illness
• Interview workers in their homes and at
their dangerous jobs
• Reviewed the evaluation and control of
industrial hazards such as lead and silica
 Alice Hamilton
• She also presented definitive proposals for
eliminating unhealthful working
conditions.
• At about the same time, U.S. federal and
state agencies began investigating health
conditions in industry.
 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST
• Scientists and engineers committed to protecting the
health and safety of people in the workplace and the
community.
• Has comprehensive knowledge of work place
– physical factors such as noise and heat stress.
– chemical factors - have knowledge of safety concepts (e.g.
flammability, water reactivity, etc.).
– biological factors and ergonomics (especially in the case of
specific environments such as office buildings)
 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST
• Concerned with the broader (extra-workplace) environment,
for example with respect to workplace discharges to the
natural environment.
 GOALS OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST
• To keep workers, their families, and the community healthy
and safe.
• Play a vital part in ensuring that federal, state, and local
laws and regulations are followed in the work environment.
IH - TECHNICAL CORE COMPETENCIES
IH - TECHNICAL CORE COMPETENCIES
 FUNCTIONAL CORE COMPETENCIES OR SOFT SKILLS

• Collaborative teamwork • Listening skills

• Communication
• Creative thinking /
innovation
• Influencing / advocacy skills
• Leadership management
• Lifelong leaning
• Negotiation skills
• Planning and organization
• Problem solving
• Professional demeanour
• Strategic thinking
• Relationship building
Code of Ethics For the Professional Practice of
Industrial Hygiene
 Code of Ethics For the Professional
Practice of Industrial Hygiene
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.
 Code of Ethics For the Professional
Practice of Industrial Hygiene
2. Counsel affected parties factually regarding potential health
risks and precautions necessary to avoid adverse health effects.

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.
 Code of Ethics For the Professional
Practice of Industrial Hygiene
4. Avoid circumstances where a compromise of professional
judgment or conflict of interest may arise.

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

6. Act responsibly to uphold the integrity of the profession

 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
MIHA (Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association)
• non-profit professional organization founded in May 2003.
• It is amongst the pioneer of its kind in South East Asia.
• More than 100 members within its first year
• serving the needs of
– promoting the field of Industrial Hygiene, providing education and training, forums for the
exchange of ideas and information plus representing the interests of Industrial Hygienists and
those they provide service for.
• MIHA is also an affiliate member of the International Occupational Hygiene
Association (IOHA) in pursuit of international recognition and standing.
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
• AIHA (American Industrial Hygiene Association)
• Founded in 1939, AIHA is a non-profit organization devoted to
achieving and maintaining the highest professional standards
for its members.
• Administers comprehensive education programs that keep
occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS)
professionals current in the field of industrial hygiene.
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
• AIHA is one of the largest international associations serving
OEHS professionals practicing industrial hygiene and is
a resource for those in large corporations, small businesses and
who work independently as consultants.
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
• IOHA (International Occupational Hygiene Association)
• The International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) is
an association of occupational hygiene organisations from
across the world and represents the global community of
occupational hygienists.
• Since its creation in 1987, IOHA has grown to 27 member
organisations, representing over 20,000 occupational
hygienists worldwide.
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
• Aims to improve, promote and develop the practice of
occupational hygiene throughout the world so as to
improve and protect worker health and well being.
• IOHA operates a National Accreditation Recognition
programme to promote global respect for and recognition
of professional certification programmes which meet or
exceed the "IOHA Model Certification Programme”.
• A non-government organization, recognized by the ILO and
WHO
 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
(ACGIH)
• Founded 1938, approximately 5000 members
• Full members government and academic His
• Increased role for associate members
• Publish threshold limit values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure
Indices (BEIs)
THANK YOU