1.) Welding fumes are a common occupational exposure. Several different welding fumes can cause similar adverse health effects. Personal sampling of a welding operation at a manufacturing facility produced the following 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) results for individual metal fumes. Please see attached document for sampling results.

Briefly summarize the primary health effects associated with overexposure to each type of metal fume, including both acute and chronic health effects. Explain what analytical methods you would use for evaluating health hazards in the workplace.

Identify the types of metal fumes that would produce similar health effects on an exposed worker. Assume that each listed metal can cause respiratory irritation. Use the equation in 1910.1000(d)(2)(i) to calculate the equivalent exposure (in relation to OSHA PELS) for the metal fumes with similar health effects based on the “Result” column in the table above. Discuss whether you believe any of the individual metal fume exposures or the combined exposure exceeds an OSHA PEL or an ACGIH TLV.

Your homework assignment should be a minimum of two pages in length.

2.) Choose an operation for a workplace where you once worked or with which you are familiar where either chemical hazards or noise exposures were present. If you have never worked in a location where chemical hazards or noise are present, read about some examples on OSHA’s website and choose one that interests you. Complete the following tasks in a minimum two-page (500 word) essay:

· Summarize the steps you would take to perform a hazard assessment of your chosen operation. Make sure you list the chemical hazards or noise hazards that are present using the example hazard assessment from OSHA’s website or one with which you are already familiar.

· Discuss the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for controlling occupational hazards in relation to the operation you chose.

· Choose one hazard that you identified. The hazard can be a chemical or noise hazard. Summarize how you would evaluate employee exposures to the hazard. Include information about any sampling method you would use, how many samples you would collect, the types of samples you would collect (e.g., personal or area, TWA or short-term), and to which standards you would apply the results.

· Assume there are several results indicating that employees are exposed to levels exceeding the applicable OSHAPEL. Using OSHA’s Hierarchy of Controls, summarize the control methods you would employ to reduce the risk for employees to an acceptable level. Your summary should include examples from each level of OSHA’s Hierarchy of Controls with a discussion of why you think the control would or would not be an effective method for reducing the exposure to an acceptable level.

· Discuss how you would evaluate the effectiveness of the control methods you chose, both in the short-term and for the next 5 years.

Your essay must be in APA format, and include a minimum of two sources. Industrial Hygiene Essay Assignment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Industrial Hygiene

Introduction

Industrial hygiene is the study of workplace hazards and how to control them. This includes engineering controls, administrative controls, personal protective equipment (PPE) and toxicology.

Industrial Hygiene

Industrial hygiene is the science of identifying and controlling workplace hazards. It is a multidisciplinary field that draws from biology, medicine, engineering, chemistry and other sciences to protect the health of workers and improve working conditions.

Industrial hygienists assess the effectiveness of workplace controls in preventing or reducing potential harm to workers before they enter into an area where there may be potential for exposure to hazardous materials (e.g., chemicals). They also evaluate whether existing control methods are effective at reducing these types of exposures from occurring at all!

Key Terms

Risk assessment

Occupational health and safety

Industrial hygiene engineering controls

Administrative controls Personal protective equipment Toxicology

Engineering Controls

Engineering controls are used to help prevent the spread of contamination. They include:

• Pesticides and other pesticides-based products (e.g., paints, emulsions) must be applied according to manufacturer’s directions; if not, they may inadvertently contaminate food or equipment where they are stored.

• Wearing clean clothing while working with these chemicals is especially important since they can cause allergic reactions in some people.

• Gloves should be worn when handling these materials because they provide additional protection from accidental contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment parts during cleaning operations such as mopping floors or dusting shelves with a rag soaked by cleaning solution containing solvents such as alcohols and ketones which are harmful if inhaled into lungs directly

Administrative Controls

Administrative controls are the means by which industrial hygiene programs are implemented. Examples include:

• Worker education and training

• Worker participation in the development of control measures (e.g., safety committees)

• Safety and health programs, including medical surveillance or preemployment screening for job applicants with high levels of exposure to hazardous chemicals or other hazards (e.g., drug testing). * Hazard communication about chemical hazards at workstations that require specific personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required if sufficient hazard information is not provided by employers on labels affixed to PPE containers and labels affixed inside PPE containers.* Accident prevention programs that educate workers about accident causes and prevention techniques.

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a safety and health protection measure that prevents workers from exposure to hazardous materials. PPE includes respirators, coveralls, gloves and eye protection.

When engineering controls are not feasible or do not provide adequate protection, then personal protective equipment must be used in the workplace.

Toxicology

Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. It is a branch of pharmacology, which is the study of drugs and their effects on humans and animals. In other words, toxicologists are interested in determining which substances can be harmful to human health.

Toxicologists also study harmful substances in the environment that cause harm when they are released into our air, water or soil by industrial processes such as manufacturing or mining operations.

Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is a process that enables you to evaluate the probability and severity of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to a chemical. It’s a tool for making informed decisions about workplace hazards.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• What is risk assessment?

• The three steps of risk assessment (assess, determine and communicate)

Conclusion

Industrial hygiene is a field that has been around for over a century and has evolved into an important part of our everyday lives. It helps protect workers from hazardous conditions, as well as prevent accidents at work sites. This course will teach you about how industrial hygienists assess risk and make recommendations to help prevent injuries in industries such as mining, construction, manufacturing and many more.