Industrial Hygiene: Identifying and Controlling Workplace Hazards

Posted on Aug 2, 2024 in Biology

Industrial Hygiene

Industrial hygiene is the science of anticipating, identifying, assessing, and controlling risks that arise in the workplace or in connection with it and that may endanger the safety and health of workers.

Branches of Industrial Hygiene

  • Theoretical Hygiene: Studies the effects of pollutants on the health of workers by establishing reference limits.
  • Field Hygiene: Assesses the exposure of contaminants in the workplace.
  • Analytic Hygiene: Analyzes contaminants detected in the health field.
  • Operational Hygiene: Control measures to reduce exposure levels to contaminants.

Procedure for Action in Industrial Hygiene

  1. Identify risk factors in the workplace.
  2. Evaluate and compare with risk limits.
  3. Propose and implement corrective measures.
  4. Check whether the measures take effect.

Vibrations

Vibrations are any movement of a solid swinging on both sides of a reference position.

Important Variables

  • Frequency: Number of times the complete cycle is performed.
  • Amplitude: Intensity of vibration.

Types of Vibrations

  • Vibrations Transmitted to the Hand-Arm: Mechanical vibration transmitted to the hand-arm system that endangers the safety and health of workers, causing vascular, bone or joint, nerve, and muscle disorders. The limit value for a period of 8 hours is 5 m/s², but from 2.5 m/s² actions must be taken.
  • Vibrations Transmitted to the Whole Body: Mechanical vibration that is transmitted throughout the body and can lead to back pain and spinal injuries. It is a value limit of 1.5 m/s², but from 0.5 m/s² must be taken.

Corrective Actions

  • Vibration Reduction at Source: Making anti-vibration tools.
  • Isolation of Vibration: Vibration insulation are used as springs.
  • Exposure Time Reduction: Use of PPE. Information and training for workers. Specific medical examinations.

Noise

Noise is any sound that is unpleasant or unwanted.

Classification

  • Continuous Noise: One who remains in time, stationary, fixed intermittent, variable intermittent, or fluctuating.
  • Impact Noise: It has a very high maximum intensity, duration inferred to 0.5 seconds, and once completed may not appear until after 1 second.

Elements that Define Noise

  • Sound Pressure Level: The level of variation of noise or sound pressure is measured in dB.
  • Frequency: The number of cycles per second of a sound pressure wave.

Effects of Noise

  • Auditory Effects: A sudden, intense noise can cause the decrease of the hearing. The fibers are first injured that decode high-pitched sounds of frequencies near 4000 Hz is 3-phase damage: Masking. Auditory fatigue. Permanent hearing loss.
  • Non-Auditory Effects: Nervous system: Electroencephalic disorders. Cardiovascular system: Cardiac rhythm disturbances. Respiratory system: Increased respiratory rate. Gastrointestinal: Increased acid secretion. Psychic effects: Mood.

Noise Monitoring

  • Actions on the Outbreak: Design and purchase of machines that meet the specifications for maximum noise allowed. Isolation of noisy focus.
  • Actions on the Means of Transmission: Absorption. Coating barriers. Walls. Increasing the distance from the generator focus.
  • Actions on the Worker: Health surveillance. PPE. Decreasing the number of hours exposed and the number of exposed workers.

Radiations

Radiations may occur either in the form of subatomic particles as waves.

Non-Ionizing Radiation

  • Infrared Radiation: They affect the skin and eyes may cause burns.
  • Microwaves: They mostly affect less vascularized organs such as eyes or testicles.
  • Laser (Light Amplified by Stimulated Emission of Radiation): A beam of monochromatic radiation and has negative effects on the skin and eyes.
  • Ultraviolet Radiation: It is present in sterilization equipment, photocopiers, and solder arc. The most important effects are the eyes (conjunctivitis) and skin (erythema, cancer).
  • Visible Radiation: Situated between the ultraviolet and infrared.

Ionizing Radiation

Almost all ionizing radiation is produced in nuclear processes. There are two types of risk: Radioactive Contamination and external irradiation and the effects may be somatic and genetic.

Heat

Humans are warm-blooded animals, i.e., self-regulation mechanisms have thermal. Thermal aggressions have a feature that differentiates them from other attacks, and this is her way of appearance. The body has mechanisms for exchanging heat to the environment:

  • Evaporation of Sweat: It depends on two factors, humidity, and air velocity.
  • Convection: The skin loses heat to the surrounding air.
  • Radiation: Heat exchanged for that occurs between two bodies.

Effects of Heat

  • Heatstroke: Influencing factors such as obesity, lack of acclimatization, drinking…
  • Exhaustion: It is caused by circulatory deficiency of water, sweat, or salt.
  • Skin Disorders. Psychoneurotic Disorders.

Risk Prevention Heat

Must act on two factors: thermally isolating apparatus by shielding, etc… and reduce the exposure time of workers.