Identification and classification of

hazards
1. Recognition/Identification of hazards
2. Evaluation of hazards
3. Control of hazards
Identification and classification of
hazards
 It can be divided into three basic elements:
1. workplace characterization
2. exposure pattern
3. hazard evaluation
Workplace characterization
 A workplace might have from a few employees
up to several thousands and have different
activities (e.g., production plants, construction
sites, office buildings, hospitals or farms). At a
workplace different activities can be localized
to special areas such as departments or sections.
In an industrial process, different stages and
operations can be identified as production is
followed from raw materials to finished
products.
Detailed information should be obtained
about processes, operations or other
activities of interest, to identify agents
utilized, including raw materials, materials
handled or added in the process, primary
products, intermediates, final products,
reaction products and by-products. Additives
and catalysts in a process might also be of
interest to identify.
Raw material or added material which has
been identified only by trade name must be
evaluated by chemical composition.
Information or safety data sheets (MSDS)
should be available from manufacturer or
supplier.
Some stages in a process might take place in a
closed system without anyone exposed,
except during maintenance work or process
failure. These events should be recognized
and precautions taken to prevent exposure to
hazardous agents. Other processes take place
in open systems, which are provided with or
without local exhaust ventilation. A general
description of the ventilation system should
be provided, including local exhaust system.
When possible, hazards should be identified in the
planning or design of new plants or processes, when
changes can be made at an early stage and hazards might
be anticipated and avoided. Conditions and procedures that
may deviate from the intended design must be identified
and evaluated in the process state. Recognition of hazards
should also include emissions to the external environment
and waste materials. Facility locations, operations,
emission sources and agents should be grouped together in
a systematic way to form recognizable units in the further
analysis of potential exposure. In each unit, operations and
agents should be grouped according to health effects of
the agents and estimation of emitted amounts to the work
environment.
Exposure patterns
 The main exposure routes for chemical and
biological agents are inhalation and
dermal uptake or incidentally by
ingestion. The exposure pattern depends
on frequency of contact with the
hazards, intensity of exposure and time
of exposure. Working tasks have to be
systematically examined. It is important
not only to study work manuals but also to
look at what actually happens at the
workplace.
Workers might be directly exposed as a result of
actually performing tasks, or be indirectly exposed
because they are located in the same general area or
location as the source of exposure. It might be
necessary to start by focusing on working tasks
with high potential to cause harm even if the
exposure is of short duration. Non-routine and
intermittent operations (e.g., maintenance, cleaning
and changes in production cycles) have to be
considered. Working tasks and situations might also
vary throughout the year.
Within the same job title exposure or uptake might differ
because some workers wear protective equipment and
others do not. In large plants, recognition of hazards or a
qualitative hazard evaluation very seldom can be
performed for every single worker. Therefore, workers
with similar working tasks have to be classified in the
same exposure group (HEGs). (Homogeneous Exposure
Group) Differences in working tasks, work techniques and
work time will result in considerably different exposure
and have to be considered. Persons working outdoors and
those working without local exhaust ventilation have been
shown to have a larger day-to-day variability than groups
working indoors with local exhaust ventilation.
Work processes, agents applied for that process/job
or different tasks within a job title might be used,
instead of the job title, to characterize groups with
similar exposure. Within the groups, workers
potentially exposed must be identified and
classified according to hazardous agents, routes of
exposure, health effects of the agents, frequency of
contact with the hazards, intensity and time of
exposure. Different exposure groups should be
ranked according to hazardous agents and
estimated exposure in order to determine workers
at greatest risk.
Qualitative hazard evaluation
 Possible health effects of chemical, biological and
physical agents present at the workplace should
be based on an evaluation of available
epidemiological, toxicological, clinical and
environmental research. Up-to-date information
about health hazards for products or agents used
at the workplace should be obtained from health
and safety journals, databases on toxicity and
health effects, and relevant scientific and
technical literature.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) should if
necessary be updated. Data Sheets document
percentages of hazardous ingredients together with
the Chemical Abstracts Service chemical identifier,
the CAS-number, and threshold limit value (TLV),
if any. They also contain information about health
hazards, protective equipment, preventive actions,
manufacturer or supplier, and so on. Sometimes the
ingredients reported are rather rudimentary and
have to be supplemented with more detailed
information.
Monitored data and records of measurements should
be studied. Agents with TLVs provide general
guidance in deciding whether the situation is
acceptable or not, although there must be allowance
for possible interactions when workers are exposed
to several chemicals. Within and between different
exposure groups, workers should be ranked
according to health effects of agents present and
estimated exposure (e.g., from slight health effects
and low exposure to severe health effects and
estimated high exposure).
Those with the highest ranks deserve highest
priority. Before any prevention activities start it
might be necessary to perform an exposure
monitoring programme. All results should be
documented and easily attainable. A working
scheme is illustrated in Figure 30.3.In occupational
hygiene investigations the hazards to the outdoor
environment (e.g., pollution and greenhouse
effects as well as effects on the ozone layer) might
also be considered.
 EVALUATION OF THE WORK
ENVIRONMENT
 Hazard Surveillance and Survey
Methods
Occupational surveillance involves active programmes to
anticipate, observe, measure, evaluate and control
exposures to potential health hazards in the workplace.
Surveillance often involves a team of people that includes
an occupational hygienist, occupational physician,
occupational health nurse, safety officer, toxicologist and
engineer.
Depending upon the occupational
environment and problem, three surveillance
methods can be employed: medical,
environmental and biological. Medical
surveillance is used to detect the presence or
absence of adverse health effects for an
individual from occupational exposure to
contaminants, by performing medical
examinations and appropriate biological tests.
Environmental surveillance is used to document
potential exposure to contaminants for a group of
employees, by measuring the concentration of
contaminants in the air, in bulk samples of
materials, and on surfaces. Biological surveillance
is used to document the absorption of contaminants
into the body and correlate with environmental
contaminant levels, by measuring the concentration
of hazardous substances or their metabolites in the
blood, urine or exhaled breath of workers.
Medical Surveillance
 Medical surveillance is performed because
diseases can be caused or exacerbated by
exposure to hazardous substances. It requires an
active programme with professionals who are
knowledgeable about occupational diseases,
diagnoses and treatment. Medical surveillance
programmes provide steps to protect, educate,
monitor and, in some cases, compensate the
employee.
It can include pre-employment screening
programmes, periodic medical examinations,
specialized tests to detect early changes and
impairment caused by hazardous substances,
medical treatment and extensive record
keeping. Pre-employment screening involves
the evaluation of occupational and medical
history questionnaires and results of physical
examinations.
Questionnaires provide information
concerning past illnesses and chronic diseases
(especially asthma, skin, lung and heart
diseases) and past occupational exposures.
There are ethical and legal implications of
pre-employment screening programmes if
they are used to determine employment
eligibility.
However, they are fundamentally important when used to
(1) provide a record of previous employment and
associated exposures, (2) establish a baseline of health for
an employee and (3) test for hypersusceptibility. Medical
examinations can include audiometric tests for hearing
loss, vision tests, tests of organ function, evaluation of
fitness for wearing respiratory protection equipment, and
baseline urine and blood tests. Periodic medical
examinations are essential for evaluating and detecting
trends in the onset of adverse health effects and may
include biological monitoring for specific contaminants
and the use of other biomarkers.
Environmental and Biological
Surveillance

 Environmental and biological surveillance starts

with an occupational hygiene survey of the work
environment to identify potential hazards and
contaminant sources, and determine the need for
monitoring. For chemical agents, monitoring
could involve air, bulk, surface and biological
sampling. For physical agents, monitoring could
include noise, temperature and radiation
measurements.
If monitoring is indicated, the occupational
hygienist must develop a sampling strategy that
includes which employees, processes, equipment or
areas to sample, the number of samples, how long
to sample, how often to sample, and the sampling
method. Industrial hygiene surveys vary in
complexity and focus depending upon the purpose
of the investigation, type and size of establishment,
and nature of the problem.
There are no rigid formulas for performing
surveys; however, thorough preparation prior
to the on-site inspection significantly
increases effectiveness and efficiency.
Investigations that are motivated by
employee complaints and illnesses have an
additional focus of identifying the cause of
the health problems. Indoor air quality
surveys focus on indoor as well as outdoor
sources of contamination.