Using A Comprehensive Exposure Assessment Strategy to Assess Workplace Health Risks

1. Using A Comprehensive Exposure Assessment Strategy to Assess Workplace Health Risks Elizabeth L. Pullen, CIH APOSHO 26 & Australasian Safety Conference 2011

2. What is Industrial Hygiene? • Industrial hygiene is a process for managing the health risks associated with workplace exposures to chemical, physical, and biological agents

3. What is the process for managing workplace exposures? • Assess and prioritize ALL exposures into “exposure control categories” to focus resources on highest risks. • Differentiate “acceptable” from “unacceptable” exposures • Control “unacceptable” exposures

4. Health Risk Very High High Exposure Medium Low Toxicity

5. Comprehensive Strategy • Why? • Exposures occur whether we’re there or not! • A comprehensive strategy best manages risk and resources • Comprehensive strategy • Directed at assessing all exposures for all workers on all days • Transparent system provides foundation for feedback into “Professional Judgment”. • Helps prevent occupational illnesses

6. Outcomes of Comprehensive Exposure Assessment & Management • An assessment of the potential health risks faced by all workers • Assurance that exposure controls are properly identified and utilized • Demonstration of compliance with government and exposure guidelines • The establishment of a historical record of exposure for all records • Efficient and effective allocation of time and resources

7. Exposure Assessment is the Core Activity Hazardous Materials Management and Procurement Exposure Monitoring Personal Protective Equipment Medical Surveillance Hearing Conservation Exposure Risk Assessment & Management (ERAM) Education And Training Engineering Controls Hazard Communication Work Practice Controls Compliance Administrative Controls Epidemiology Environmental

8. Start BasicCharacterization Exposure Assessment AcceptableExposure UnacceptableExposure Uncertain Implement Controls Further Information Gathering Reassessment AIHA’s Exposure Risk Assessment & Management Strategy “A Strategy for Assessing and Managing Occupational Exposures”, 3rd edition

9. Exposure Assessment Strategy • Reflects iterative “continuous improvement cycle” or real-world assessment programs • Assessment include a combination of qualitative and quantitative information

10. Exposure Assessment • The process of: defining exposure profiles and judging the acceptability of workplace exposures to environmental agents

11. Exposure Assessment Strategy – 7 Steps • Basic Characterization • Exposure Assessment • Define similar exposure groups (SEGs) • Define the exposure profile • Judge acceptability of the profile for each SEG • Further information gathering

12. Exposure Assessment Strategy • Control measures • Ventilation, Enclosures, PPE • Re-assessment • Communication and documentation • Implementation

13. Start BasicCharacterization Exposure Assessment AcceptableExposure UnacceptableExposure Uncertain Implement Controls Further Information Gathering Reassessment AIHA’s Exposure Risk Assessment & Management Strategy “A Strategy for Assessing and Managing Occupational Exposures”, 3rd edition

14. Basic Characterization • Collect and organize information on the • Workplace • Processes, equipment, controls • Workforce • Jobs, tasks, personnel, shiftwork • Environmental Agents • Chemical, physical, biological, radiological

15. Exposure Assessment Establish Similar Exposure Groups Define Exposure Profile Select/Define OELs Compare: Exposure Profile and its Uncertainty OEL and its Uncertainty Acceptable Uncertain Unacceptable

16. Similar Exposure Group • SEG – a group of employees having: • the same general exposure profile because of the similarity and frequency of the tasks they perform, • the similarity of the materials and processes with which they work, • and the similarity in the way they perform the tasks.

17. SEG Concept Workforce SEG Environmental Agents Workplace

18. Establishing Exposure Limits • Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) • Different Sources • Regulatory OEL • Authoritative OEL • Internal OEL • Working OEL • Different Endpoints • Local, Systemic, Acute, Chronic • Averaging Time • STEL, Ceiling, TWA, Excursion • Inhalation, Dermal (REACH DNEL)

19. Initial Exposure Rating Inputs QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE DATA DATA EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT

20. Initial Exposure Assessments May use worst-case assumption and then compare the overestimate to the OEL, which will account for the uncertainty May separate out ‘acceptable’ and ‘unacceptable’ exposures, to focus on ‘uncertain’ exposures

21. Exposure Rating (ER)

22. Exposure Assessment • Exposure assessment is a judgment • Acceptable health risk • Uncertain health risk • Unacceptable health risk

23. SEG Exposure Control Category Follow-up ** - Decision statistic = 95th percentile

24. Delivering Value • Risk based prioritization and management of IH programs • Material substitution • Engineering controls • Work practice controls • Personal protective equipment • Medical surveillance

25. Exposure Assessments Start BasicCharacterization Exposure Assessment AcceptableExposure UnacceptableExposure Uncertain Control Further Information Gathering Reassessment This is a cyclical process Initial assessment is usually based more on judgment and less on quantitative data It may have a higher degree of uncertainty Note: Spreadsheets are good tools for managing Basic Characterization and Initial Exposure Assessments!

26. Continuous Improvement • Make opportunities to verify and refine initial exposure assessments • Each re-evaluation will build upon information collected and documented in past assessments • We can’t do it all at once, so start the process and build on it

27. Further Information • References: • “A Strategy for Assessing and Managing Occupational Exposures”, 3rd edition, AIHA Press • AIHA Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee • www.aiha.org