WHAT IS INDUSTRIAL

HYGIENE?
 ITS BOTH SCIENCE OR ART DEVOTED TO
ANTICIPATION, RECOGNITION, EVALUATION &
CONTROL OF VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS & STRESSES ARISING IN OR FROM
WORKPLACE THAT MAY CAUSE SICKNESS,
IMPAIRED HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, OR
SIGNIFICANT DISCOMFORT AND INEFFICIENCY
AMONG WORKERS
 Why art?
• This is the ART you gain by consistent approach, sound
basics & will to safeguard your people.
• Because you must anticipate potential hazard based on
bare facts
• You use your experience & judgment in best possible
way to avert danger
& why science?
• Because you have to make use of fundamental
principles of Engineering, Medicine, Physics, Chemistry,
& Biological sciences.
 A WORD – INDUSTRIAL
HYGIENE

HYGIENE – Condition or practice to maintain health and

preventing disease among factory personnel,
especially through cleanliness.
 Types of hazard
• Chemical
• Noise
• Thermal
• Ergonomic
 Chemical hazard
• Chemical handling

• Chemical storage

• Chemical disposal

If guidelines are not followed properly

manifests into disaster such as
CHEMICAL SPILL !
CASE 1 : CHEMICAL SPILL- RELATIVELY CLEAN ENVIRONMENT BUT PERSONAL
HEALTH & SAFETY ARE COMPROMISED.
CASE 2 : CHEMICAL SPILL- CLEAN & NEAT WORKING ENVIRONMENT
WITH DUE CONSIDERATION FOR HEALTH & SAFETY OF
WORKING PERSONNEL.
 IDENTIFY SPILL HAZARD BY

• ANTICIPATION,

• RECOGNITION,

• EVALUATION &

• CONTROL OF VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL

FACTORS
 HOW TO ANTICIPATE ?

• You must see!

• Check inventory of chemicals, identify chemicals used

frequently, have lower exposure limits, highly volatile & used
in unventilated places.

• Determine whether workers may be exposed to sources of

infectious diseases, molds, toxic or poisonous plants, or
animal materials capable of causing allergic reactions or
occupational asthma.
 HOW TO RECOGNIZE?

• Check past medical records of employees

• Conduct incident investigations for injuries,

close calls & near misses

• Talk to people! Establish communication as

people working at site are the best judges to
recognize potential hazard!
 HOW TO EVALUATE?

MEASURE IT

• QUALITATIVELY –THEORITICALLY ASSESSING, ESTIMATING

USING MATHEMATICAL MODELS, RATING LOW, MODERATE &

HIGH RISKS

• QUANTITAVELY – MEASURE IT ! BY DIRECT READING

INSTRUMENTS OR MEASURE FOR ENTIRE SHIFT LENGTH.

 HOW TO CONTROL?

• ASSESS AVAILABLE ENGG CONTROLS, IF NECESSARY

ENHANCE CAPACITY OF PRESENT CONTROLS OR REPLACE

WITH MORE EFFECTIVE ONE

• CHECK ADMIN CONTROLS SUCH AS JOB ROTATION,

SHORTER WORKING WEEKS/DAYS

• AS A LAST RESORT OPT FOR SUITABLE PPEs

 WHY I NEED TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT THIS?

• ON A PROACTIVE SIDE I CAN HELP SAVE A LIFE OR MAKE

ANYONE’S DAY BY ENSURING SAFE, ACCIDENTFREE DAY!

• A SENSE OF WELL BEING IS GENERATED IF WORK

ENVIRONMENT IS CLEAN & SAFE TO WORK. PEOPLE TEND TO
GIVE THEIR BEST & GENERAL EFFICIENCY INCRESES MAKING
YOUR MANAGEMENT HAPPY!

• YOU BEING PART OF THE TEAM ENSURE YOUR OWN SAFETY!

• FINALLY, THERE ARE LAWS WHICH WILL TAKE ITS OWN

COURSE IN CASE OF ANY MISHAP!
 Forms of chemical spill
Small / Minor spill Large / Major spill
 Chemical Hazards and Controls
• Exposure entry routes:
• Inhalation: Breathed in (most common route)

• Ingestion: Swallowing via eating or drinking

• Absorption: Drawn through skin or eye surface

Your response to chemical spill
Your response to small chemical spill
Your response to large chemical spill
 Ways to contain spill

Secondary containment Chemical hood

LEVs Spill kit
 Responsibilities
• Department Heads, Lab Managers, Lab
supervisors & End users are primarily
responsible for ensuring that the work
and learning environment are
maintained in accordance with the
guidance set forth in the Laboratory
Safety Handbook.
• acquire knowledge and information needed to provide safe working conditions for all
laboratory personnel;
• continually educate all laboratory personnel on the potential hazards associated with a
specific task and the precautionary measures (laboratory practices, engineering controls, and
personal protective equipment) appropriate for the hazards;
• monitor staff to ensure safe work practices are followed;
• advise and assist in improvement/development of safe work practices;
• investigate accidents and initiate corrective actions which ensure safe working conditions;
• implement new work practices or policies recommended by JNJ corporate ;
• meet the legal requirements of governmental legislation for occupational health and safety;
• decide who is responsible for the collection and maintenance of the material safety data
sheets (MSDSs);
• keep abreast of chemical storage procedures including chemical segregation, and waste
disposal in the laboratory as advised by EHS dept;
• provide procedures to lab personnel for working with particularly hazardous chemicals
(select carcinogens, reproductive toxins, substances with a high degree of toxicity).
 Types of Chemical agents
• Irritants are materials that cause inflammation of the
body surface they come into contact E. g. Ammonia
• Simple Asphyxiants deprive the tissue of oxygen such
as carbon dioxide
• Primary anesthetics have a depressant effect upon the
central nervous system, particularly the brain eg. Ethyl
alcohol
• Hepatotoxic agents cause damage to the liver eg. CCl4
• Neurotoxic agents damage the nervous system e.g.
Lead, mercury.
• Carcinogens, mutagens & teratogens.
 Handling of chemicals
• Do not work alone in the laboratory. If you do need to work alone notify someone.
• Use required personal protective equipment.
• Label all containers with chemical content.
• Wear disposable nitrile gloves to prevent skin exposure
• Keep your hands and face clean. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling
any chemical and whenever you leave the lab.
• Avoid direct contact with any chemical. Always wear a laboratory coat.
• Keep chemicals off your hands, face and clothing, including shoes.
• Never smell, inhale or taste a chemical.
• Smoking, drinking, eating and the application of cosmetics is forbidden in
areas where hazardous chemicals are used or stored.
• Always use chemicals with adequate ventilation or in a chemical fume hood. Refer to
the MSDS and the standard operating procedure to determine what type of ventilation
is needed.
• Use hazardous chemicals only as directed and for their intended purpose.
• Electrically ground and bond containers using approved methods before
transferring or dispensing a flammable liquid from a large container.
 Chemical Storage
• Do Not Store Chemicals Alphabetically,
except within a hazard class. Check
compatibility
• Provide physical segregation (sills, curbs,
trays)
• Use approved storage containers and safety
cans for flammable liquids. Use spill trays under
containers of strong corrosive reagents.
• Do not store liquids above eye level
 Hazardous Waste Characteristics

• Ignitability (Flammability) - Has a flash point of less than 60

degrees C.

• Corrosivity - Can destroy or burn skin tissue

• Reactivity - Is normally unstable and can readily undergo violent

change without detonating

• Toxicity - A toxic waste is one that is dangerous to humans,

animals, aquatic life or the environment

 Spill Cleanup Material Disposal
• All materials (paper towels, absorbent materials, PPE, etc.) used to
clean up a chemical or waste spill should be considered to exhibit
the same characteristics as would the chemical or waste that was
spilled.
• Unless you have written approval from EH&S, disposal of chemicals
by way of the sanitary sewer system is prohibited.
• To determine if the chemical you want removed from your laboratory
or work area is a regulated hazardous
• waste, contact EH&S Dept.
• All lab personnel must be familiar with the location and composition
of all wastes produced in the lab.
• Waste containers must remain closed except when actually adding
waste.
• Waste chemicals must not be placed or left for removal in
hallways.
 Sampling Techniques
• ‘Monitoring’ or ‘Sampling’ -the use of valid and suitable techniques
to derive a quantitative estimate of the Personal Exposure.

• Only validated monitoring methods should be used. OSHA, NIOSH

or Other International Standards

Types of sampling:

• Personal Exposures.

• Static Sampling.
 Calculation of Exposure
Concentration (mg/m3) = Weight gain (μg) / Flow rate (litre/min) x Time (min)
OR
= Weight gain (mg) / Flow rate (m3/min) x Time (min)

ACTIVE & PASSIVE SAMPLING

 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE STANDARDS AND OCCUPATIONAL
EXPOSURE LIMITS (OELS)
• They are not an index of toxicity.

• They do not represent a fine demarcation between good and bad practice.

• They are based on the current best available information and are liable to change.

• If there is not a hygiene standard set for a chemical substance, it does not mean that substance is
safe.

• Good occupational hygiene practice is to keep airborne contaminants to as low a level as

possible, not to just below the relevant hygiene standard(s).

• They apply to occupational exposure of adults. They are not applicable to environmental exposure
where more susceptible groups exist e.g. pregnant women, children, infirm.

• For chemicals they generally relate to airborne concentrations i.e. they only take into account the
inhalation route of entry.

• They generally refer to single substances, although some guidance may be given on mixed
exposures.
 STANDARDS PRESCRIBED BY VARIOUS COUNTRIES
• TLV –Threshold Limit Value, USA
• PEL, REL - USA
• MAK –Maximale Arbeitsplatz-Konzentration, Germany
• WEL –Workplace Exposure Limit, United Kingdom
• IOELVs (Indicative Occupational Exposure Limit Value), Europe
• WES –Workplace Exposure Standards, Australia
• WES –Workplace Exposure Standards, New Zealand

 Long Term Exposure Limits are expressed as a Time Weighted Average

(TWA)normally over an eight-hour period. This allows for exposures to vary through
the working day so long as the average exposure does not exceed the limit.
 Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL) normally over a 15 minute period are used
when exposure for short periods of time occurs.
 Ceiling Limits are sometimes used and are concentrations that should not be
exceeded during any part of the working exposure.