Using A Comprehensive Exposure

Assessment Strategy to Assess

Workplace Health Risks

Elizabeth L. Pullen, CIH
APOSHO 26 & Australasian
Safety Conference 2011
1
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
Health Risk
Very
High
High
Medium
Low
Toxicity
E
x
p
o
s
u
r
e

Comprehensive Strategy
Why?
Exposures occur whether were 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

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
Hazardous Materials
Management and Procurement
Hearing Conservation
Engineering Controls
Administrative Controls
Work Practice Controls
Personal Protective Equipment
Medical Surveillance
Epidemiology
Hazard Communication
Education And Training
Exposure Monitoring
Environmental
Compliance

Exposure
Risk
Assessment
&
Management
(ERAM)

Exposure Assessment is the Core Activity
Start
Basic
Characterization
Exposure
Assessment
Uncertain
Implement Controls
Reassessment
Further Information Gathering
Unacceptable
Exposure
Acceptable
Exposure
AIHAs Exposure Risk
Assessment & Management Strategy
A Strategy for
Assessing and
Managing
Occupational
Exposures,
3
rd
edition
Exposure Assessment Strategy
Reflects iterative continuous
improvement cycle or real-world
assessment programs
Assessment include a combination
of qualitative and quantitative
information
Exposure Assessment
The process of:
defining exposure profiles
and
judging the acceptability
of workplace exposures to
environmental agents
Exposure Assessment Strategy 7 Steps
1. Basic Characterization
2. Exposure Assessment
Define similar exposure groups
(SEGs)
Define the exposure profile
Judge acceptability of the profile for
each SEG
3. Further information gathering
Exposure Assessment Strategy
4. Control measures
Ventilation, Enclosures, PPE
5. Re-assessment
6. Communication and
documentation
7. Implementation
Start
Basic
Characterization
Exposure
Assessment
Uncertain
Implement Controls
Reassessment
Further Information Gathering
Unacceptable
Exposure
Acceptable
Exposure
AIHAs Exposure Risk
Assessment & Management Strategy
A Strategy for
Assessing and
Managing
Occupational
Exposures,
3
rd
edition
Basic Characterization
Collect and organize information on
the
Workplace
Processes, equipment, controls
Workforce
Jobs, tasks, personnel, shiftwork
Environmental Agents
Chemical, physical, biological,
radiological
Establish Similar
Exposure Groups
Define Exposure
Profile
Select/Define
OELs
Compare:
Exposure Profile
and its
Uncertainty
OEL
and its
Uncertainty
Acceptable
Unacceptable
Uncertain
Exposure
Assessment
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.
SEG Concept
Workforce
Workplace Environmental
Agents
SEG
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)
Initial Exposure Rating Inputs
QUALITATIVE
DATA
QUANTITATIVE
DATA
EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
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
Exposure Rating (ER)
Rating % OEL Description
4 >100 Poorly
controlled
3 50 100 Controlled
2 10 50 Well
controlled
1 <10 Highly
controlled
Exposure Assessment
Exposure assessment is a judgment
Acceptable health risk
Uncertain health risk
Unacceptable health risk
SEG Exposure Control Category Follow-up
** - Decision statistic = 95
th
percentile
Exposure
Rating**
Recommended Follow Up
/ Exposure Control
0 (<1% of OEL) no action
1 (<10% of OEL) general HazCom
2 (10-50% of OEL) + chemical specific HazCom
3 (50-100% of OEL) + exposure surveillance, medical surveillance, work
practices
4 (>100% of OEL) + respirators & engineering controls, work practice
controls
5 (Multiples of OEL;
e.g., based on
respirator APFs)
+ immediate engineering controls or process shutdown,
validate respirator selection
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Delivering Value
Risk based prioritization and
management of IH programs
Material substitution
Engineering controls
Work practice controls
Personal protective equipment
Medical surveillance
Exposure Assessments
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!
Start
Basic
Characterization
Exposure
Assessment
Uncertain
Control
Reassessment
Further Information Gathering
Unacceptable
Exposure
Acceptable
Exposure
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Make opportunities to verify and refine
initial exposure assessments

Each re-evaluation will build upon
information collected and documented
in past assessments

We cant do it all at once, so start the
process and build on it
Continuous Improvement
Further Information
References:
A Strategy for Assessing and
Managing Occupational
Exposures, 3
rd
edition, AIHA
Press
AIHA Exposure Assessment
Strategies Committee
www.aiha.org
27