Occupational Exposure Sampling
Posted on July 22, 2021
Keeping employees safe from potentially harmful exposures is a top priority in the manufacturing industry. Environmental 360 offers a wide range of industrial hygiene services designed to ensure that the working environment is safe. Proactively assessing workplace exposures, documenting compliance for federal regulations, and responding to a complaint are just a few examples of the services Environmental 360 offers to help with all your safety compliance needs.
Air sampling quantifies potential exposures to harmful gases, particulates, vapors, or fumes. After determining the airborne concentration of a constituent, we most commonly compare this to the OSHA Z table to determine if a compliance issue is present. OSHA has established standards, or Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) for approximately 600 substances. Two other organizations have published limits, these are the Threshold Limit Values (TLV) published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the Regulatory Exposure Limits (REL) established by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). These limits are commonly used as best practices.
One of the most prevalent physical hazards on any job site or facility is noise, or unwanted sound. It is a by-product of many industrial processes. If an employee is exposed to a high level of noise this can result in hearing loss. Performing a noise survey is a great way to quickly identify areas which can contribute to excessive sound exposure. A properly completed survey can save money by reducing the number of noise samples required. Personal dosimetry can then be performed for key positions to help identify and mitigate potential hearing losses before they occur.
The experienced professionals at Environmental 360 can not only assist you in identifying exceedances, but in correcting them as well. Some exposures can be eliminated while others can represent critical business processes. If those exposures are unavoidable, Environmental 360 can help you develop your respiratory protection or hearing conservation programs to ensure your employees are protected.
We are also pleased to announce that EHSTracks will have applications to aid in industrial hygiene related inspections. Stayed tuned for new releases of EHSTracks applications!