Introduction to Occupational Hygiene (OH)

1. Introduction to Occupational Hygiene (OH) Dr. Lim Jac Fang Occupational Health Doctor Department of Health, Sabah

2. Definition • “The science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of factors and stresses (arising in or from the workplaces), which may cause sickness, impaired health and well being or significant discomfort, and inefficiency among workers or among the citizens of a community” - ACGIH

3. The science devoted to recognition (or identification), evaluation and control of hazards arising in or from the workplace, which could impair the health and well being of people at work, while also taking into account the possible impacts on the general environment - BIOH “Detection and Assessment of Occupational Hazards”

4. Industrial Hygienist • The person having a college or university degree or degrees in engineering, chemistry, physics, health physics, nursing, medicine, or related field, by virtue of special studies, training, experience, and/or certification has acquired competence in IH.

5. Scope of OH • Anticipation • Recognition • Evaluation • Control

6. Anticipation • Design of process, equipment • Future legislation/regulations • Research

7. Recognition • Raw materials, by-product, products • Process and operations • Records of accidents and diseases • Walkaround – senses, talk to workers, etc • Grab samples

8. Evaluation • Purpose • Sampling technique and strategy • Instrumentation (Real time & non Rt) • Standard, regulations etc

9. Control • Principle of control measures • Hierarchy of control measures • ALARA

10. Benefits of IH Program • Improve health and hygiene • Reduce compensation • Improve job satisfaction • Reduce absenteeism • Improve productivity • Improve workers’ attitude towards management

11. Historical Perspective of OH in Malaysia • Development of legislation • Provisions of FMA, 1967 • Industrial Hygiene Unit – 1975-1979 • Industrial Hygiene Division – 1989-1993 • Industrial Health Division, DOSH - 1994

12. Objectives • To create awareness among employers and workers on the importance of OH practices in industry to preserve and protect the health of workers from being affected by hazards in the working environment. • To investigate the effect of specific hazard on the health of workers so that the short and long term measures can be taken to control the hazard

13. Activities • Occupational Hygiene Inspection • Monitoring of occupational hazards • Biological monitoring • Enforcement • Investigation of complaints / accidents • Training

14. Industrial Hygiene Instruments • Noise level – Dosimeter, SLM • Lighting – Luxmeter • Heat – WBGT, Hygrothermometer • Gas/Vapour/Fumes – Gas detector, Drager pump • Dust – suction pump

15. Occupational Hygiene Inspection • What are you going to inspect??? - Refer to the checklist on factory inspection

16. Industrial Hygiene Monitoring • Monitoring of occupational hazards • Chemical • Biological • Physical • Ergonomic/mechanical • Psychosocial

17. Biological Monitoring • Blood – Pb, Hg, Cd etc • Lung Function Test • HCP • Textile workers • Padi mill workers • Timber processing workers • Audiometric testing

18. Enforcement DOSH

19. Accident/Incident Investigation (refer notes)

20. Training • 4 T’s • Target group • Type of training • Timing • Training techniques

21. Result and Action • Medical surveillance • Medical examination • Removal • Control • Laws (USECHH 2000) • Enforcement

22. Thank you!