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Introduction
In todays workplace paradigm of tight budgets and employer propensities toward requiring staff
to wear many hats, safety professionals may find themselves called upon to assume new
Industrial Hygiene (IH) duties, or to monitor and manage the activities of contracted Industrial
Hygienists. As such, these professionals are often times being asked to perform tasks of which
they have little knowledge or experience. Truthfully, we all have to start somewhere any many of
us have had the benefit of good mentoring to help us avoid errors in our work early in our IH
careers; but those who do not have ready access to a mentor are potentially being set up for
failure in assuming their new duties. They may be daunted by the knowledge that failure to
maintain Industrial Hygiene data quality renders data useless and may actually bring harm to
workers, to ones organization, and to ones professional reputation; and legitimately so. There
are a wide variety of common industrial hygiene error pitfalls that one may fall prey to. By
gaining an understanding of the nature of some of the most common IH errors and how to avoid
them through virtual exploration (via this unique fast-paced speed mentoring primer on
common IH failure modes, without having to suffer the consequences of empirical experiencing
of these failure modes) interested safety professionals can rapidly further optimize their IH
performance and minimize avoidable errors pending access to mentoring. As a 20-year seasoned,
cross-trained senior certified industrial hygienist/safety professional, the following appreciable
sampling of common IH failure modes I have been exposed to or witnessed over the years
grouped into the following 14 categories is proffered in the hopes of assisting those willing to
learn:
1. Defensible Data Documentation
2. Data Retention
3. Preparation to Prevent Poor Performance
4. Avoiding Aggravating Actions
5. Accounting For All Conditions That Influence Sampling Events
6. Collecting All Needed Measurements And Data
7. Avoiding Improper Sample Result Interpretation
8. Addressing Analyte Anomalies
9. Preventing Equipment Failures
10. Eliminating Interferences
11. Avoiding Actions That Invalidate Samples
Data Retention
Even the very best records recording the best data become worthless if they cannot be located
when needed; and it is best that these records be located quickly when they are needed to
optimize credibility. Some OSHA standards require that the defensible data you labored so hard
to obtain be retained for a period of at least 30 years. Ignorance of the recordkeeping standards,
data purges of both electronic and hard copy data by unknowledgeable persons, failure to
properly back up data, and failure to store hard copy data in suitable conditions are pitfalls to be
heartily avoided. I heard of one case where records were ruined by termites, and others where
they were stored in damp conditions and destroyed by mildew. Laboratory analytical reports
should not be stored away alone. Instead, they should be stored as one component of a complete
packet that includes sampling report, chain of custody, and all other pertinent information that
paints a clear picture of all important aspects of the sampling activity. A single person should not
have sole control over recordkeeping; more than one person needs to understand and have access
to the recordkeeping system to insure continuity in case of turnover. To share information and at
the same time prevent unauthorized electronic data purges, you may wish to contact your IT staff
to set up a restricted-access SharePoint Library for your data with legal lock or other fool-proof
method to prevent unauthorized, premature records purges. Store hard copies in locked cabinets
or rooms but insure a second reliable party also has a key and access to the records storage area.
taken on a PVC filter or an uncoated binderless quartz fiber filter should be placed in a vial
containing 5 mL of an aqueous solution containing 10% Na2CO3 with 2% NaHCO3 immediately
after sampling to eliminate the interference from the acid used in the chrome plating process
which may convert trivalent chromium to hexavalent chromium, yielding a falsely elevated result.
Permit employees to monitor the sampling. Always be professional and be helpful in
answering any questions the employees may have. I have heard many horror stories from
employees about rude IH technicians acting in an unprofessional manner; do not be one of them
as this behavior also damages credibility. If I could warn of only one pitfall in this section, it
would be this: set aside the appropriate amount of time to be able to remain with the sampling
equipment throughout the entire duration of the sampling event to monitor and record activities
and conditions and make sure that nothing occurs that could invalidate samples (tampering with
the equipment or the samples, accidental shut-off of the equipment, etc.). How can you support
your sampling validity if you were not even present for the entire event? This is a very common
pitfall to be avoided. Be sure to take time to calculate needed flow rates and sampling times
before air monitoring sampling events to insure adequate sample volume and prevent overloading
of sample media; last minute calculations tend to be subject to error and must sometimes be
conducted without the benefit of a calculator. Be able to confidently defend the validity of your
samples.
aware of any hazards you may encounter in the area while you are preoccupied with sampling
activities (falls from heights, wall and floor holes, moving traffic, moving machinery, cranes,
unguarded equipment, etc.).
Dont set a poor example as a health and safety professional by not wearing all required PPE
during sampling events.
Understand any dangers posed by the equipment you are using; for example, insure you have
the appropriate training before exposing yourself or others to ionizing radiation when using an
X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer.
When conducting noise dosimetry dont forget to also check on workplace or non-occupational
exposure to ototoxins (chemicals that damage hearing without regard to noise exposure
including a plethora of over the counter drugs, prescription pharmaceuticals, and pesticides;
lead; carbon monoxide; etc.) They too may cause hearing loss and need to be taken into
consideration.
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields can interfere with the proper operation of industrial
hygiene instruments. This interference is called electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS).
Determine if there is a potential for such interference. Likely sources of radio frequency
interference are walkie-talkies, vehicles equipped with mobile radio transmitters, RF heat
sealers, and more. If there is a potential for such interference, select sampling instruments that
are properly rated for EMS to avoid faulty data or malfunction.
Account for confidence limits; e.g., if the PEL is 5 mg/m3 and the sample result is 4.8 mg/m3,
is regulatory compliance truly demonstrated? Confidence limits are values at each end of
the confidence interval, which is the probable range of the true value (for a full explanation
see https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_ii/otm_ii_1.html ).
When sampling for longer than 10 hours, use prescribed OSHA formulas to adjust OELs for
lead and noise. For unusual work schedules, ACGIH refers to the Brief and Scala model to
reduce the TLV proportionately for both increased exposure time and reduced recovery (nonexposure) time
When ascertaining whether the NRR of existing hearing protection PPE is adequate protection
based on measured noise levels and noise dosimetry, be certain to de-rate hearing protection
based on the OSHA or NIOSH method and properly calculate noise reduction ratings of dual
hearing protection when used.
coatings of several types of fluxes used in welding, various chlorinated hydrocarbons are used
in degreasing or other cleaning operations are a concern because the heat and ultraviolet
radiation from the arc will decompose the vapors and form highly toxic and irritating phosgene
gas, welding and cutting may produce significant amounts of carbon monoxide, ozone is
produced by ultraviolet light from the welding arc, and the ultraviolet light of the arc can
produce nitrogen oxides.
Eliminating Interferences
When sampling, use the correct media. For example, the OSHA Hexavalent Chromium wipe
sampling protocol W4001 stipulates that when wipe samples are collected on baby wipes, paper
filters such as Whatman filters, glass fiber filters, and mixed cellulose ester filters, Cr(VI)
decomposes to trivalent chromium (Cr(III)). For this reason these samples should be collected
using PVC filters or binderless quartz fiber filters.
When taking wipe samples, one pair of gloves per sample taken should be used to avoid cross
contamination of samples. Bring plenty of sampling gloves and dont forget your template.
During indoor air quality testing, chemical products located in the subject building should be
documented to account for potential contributions from these chemicals.
Many of the direct-reading instruments that have been designed to detect one particular
substance also detect other substances and, consequently, may give false readings. For example,
when using direct-reading carbon monoxide monitors, a CO-specific filter must be used
because significant interferences can be encountered from ethylene, acetylene, hydrogen,
hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, and sulfur dioxide. Also many colorimetric
tubes are cross-sensitive for multiple compounds or can be hindered by certain interfering
compounds.
Combustible Gas Indicators (CGI) may be damaged by certain compounds such as silicones,
halides, tetraethyl lead, and oxygen-enriched atmospheres and as a result provide incorrect
readings. Also CGIs do not provide valid readings under oxygen-deficient conditions.
Oxidizers, such as ozone, can affect oxygen meter readings
Flame ionization detectors (FIDs) should not be used at temperatures less than 40 degrees F.
Ultraviolet (UV) Photoionization Detector (PID)s responses are affected by high humidity
Fibrous substances, if present, may interfere with asbestos analysis:
Fiberglass
Anhydrite
Plant Fibers
Perlite Veins
Gypsum
Some Synthetic Fibers
Membrane Structures
Sponge Spicules
Diatoms
Microorganisms
Wollastonite
Check experience, credentials, and satisfied customer recommendations before hiring industrial
hygiene contractors. Also take nothing for granted and observe their activities carefully asking
questions as needed. Be especially aware of obvious mistakes such as the presence of no
calibration equipment for air sampling, inadequate documentation of sampling activities, and
placement of sampling equipment and media under workers Tyvek suits.
exposures from ancillary processes (chain saw noise, hazardous waste response contaminants,
bloodborne pathogens, etc.)
There is growing concern among industrial hygienists that cases of chronic beryllium disease
(CBD) are continuing to occur among dental laboratory technicians working with dental alloys
containing beryllium; do your research before sampling.
Commercial kitchens emit an unexpectedly wide variety of very hazardous air contaminants
including:
Acrylamide
Benzo[a]pyrene
Carbon Monoxide
Formaldehyde
Nitrogen Dioxide
Particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Particulates NOS
Again, do your research before sampling.
Indoor air pollution may expose workers to a wide variety of biological and chemical hazards
that take great research and thoughtfulness to properly assess.
Summary
By safely gaining an understanding of common IH errors and how to avoid them through virtual
exploration, one may avoid the tribulation of making these mistakes themselves. In support,
consider the words of Edmund Burke: "In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction,
drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind. Also
consider the words of Catherine Aird for those who fail to embrace the words of Edmund Burke,
If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.