Our first step is to conduct an assessment of the hazards at a given worksite.

 

An assessment typically consists of:

 

· Evaluating occupational hygiene hazards in accordance with the occupational hygiene program and Provincial Regulations.

 

 

These 4 materials are:

 

Asbestos – Found in many buildings materials;

 

Lead – Found in paint coatings, solder, bell & spigot pipe fittings, etc.;

 

Mercury – Found in thermometers, pressure gauge's, electrical switches, relays, etc. ; and

 

Silica – Found in concrete, masonry, stone, refractory, etc.

 

· Performing sample collection of occupational hygiene hazards.

 

· Evaluating and inspecting a variety of worksites.

 

· Working in a cooperative fashion with our clients to help identify control measures.

 

· Writing reports and communicating the results and recommendations with the client groups.

 

Examples of Hygiene Assessments can include evaluation of exposure to contaminants such as:

 

· Solvents

 

· Isocyanates

 

· Toxic Dust and Metal Fumes

 

· Bioaerosols

 

· Metal Working Fluids

 

· Noise exposure

 

· Heat Stress

 

 

 

​​Industrial Hygiene Survey (IH) Testing in an office or industrial environment may be conducted to determine if the quality of air meets or exceeds legislative standards or guidelines.

 

Chemical air sampling is a test in which indoor air is sampled and analyzed to see what it contains. A direct reading instrument may be used or equipment may be used where samples are collected for laboratory analysis. Sampling can be conducted to determine the concentration in air of a specific chemical or for a broad range of chemicals.

 

Work place Monitoring

Monitoring Worker Exposure to Chemicals and Airborne Contamination

After the hazards have been identified and a plan has been drawn up, ongoing monitoring of workers is essential to ensure that the measures taken to limit or reduce exposure to contaminating substances are effective.

 

Typical monitoring may include:

 

· Continuous sampling for contaminants

 

· Personal sampling from workers to determine actual exposure (i.e. sampling the immediate area around workers most likely to be exposed)

 

 

Certain industries require specific and stringently controlled conditions for manufacturing – a pharmaceutical company being a good example. A ‘cleanroom’ is a closed environment where products are manufactured and the standards are often set by legislation.

 

Naturally, a cleanroom necessitates a higher level of vigilance than most others when it comes to monitoring environmental conditions. In particular, the concentration of airborne particles is most often a crucial parameter. Particle concentrations must be sampled and monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure optimal conditions and reduce the likelihood of any downtime due to contamination

 

 

Clean room

Sampling

The Law Says

Businesses benefit from identifying and controlling health hazards in the workplace as:

 

Addressing health hazards in the workplace can demonstrate compliance with the law and minimize work stoppages, as well as Ministry of Labour fines or orders

Healthy workers require fewer days off to cope with illness

Healthy workers are generally more productive while at work

Controlling health hazards reduces costs for workers’ compensation

GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Ontario has legislation that governs workplace exposure to chemical, physical and biological health hazards. The legislation includes:

 

Occupational Health and Safety Act

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Designated Substances Regulation (Ontario Regulation 490/09)

Regulation for Control of Exposure to Biological and Chemical Agents (Ontario Regulation 833)