Exam 1 Flashcards
What are three basic categories of health hazards and give specific examples of each
Biological: Cotton Fibers (Brown Lung Disease)
Chemical: Insecticides Infecting Water Table
Physical: Musculoskeletal Disorders
Define Industrial Hygiene
That science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace that may cause sickness, impaired health, and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers
OR
The “health” in “health & safety”
Identify key milestones in the history of industrial hygiene
- Hippocrates identified lead poisoning in miners
- Plinius Secundus identified the use of animal bladders intended to prevent inhalation of dust and lead fumes
- In De Re Metallica (1556) Georgius Agricola described diseases of mining and suggested ventilation as a control
- First administrative control: workday shortened for mercury miners at Idria
- Bernardino Ramazzini, “of what trade are you?”
- Percival Pott described occupational cancer among English chimney sweeps
- Harvard University – first IH degree program
When were the major occupational safety and health acts were passed into law
- Walsh-Healy Act (1936)
- Metal and Nonmetal Mine Safety Act (1966)
- Coal Mine Safety Act (1969)
- Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970)
- Environmental Protection Act (1970)
- Federal Mine Safety Act (1977)
Describe the importance of the New Deal and Walsh Healy
New Deal/Walsh Healy- Established minimum wage, maximum hours, and safety and health standards for work on contracts
What are OSHA and NIOSH, what do they do, and how they come to be
OHSA: Occupational Health and Safety Administration
- In charge of inspections, recordkeeping, citations, enforcement, penalties
NIOSH: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- In charge of research, training, recommendations, and statistics
Both were created in the OSH Act
Define Evaluation
Decision-making process in which the Industrial Hygienist assesses the risks to employees
What are the steps involved in developing a Monitoring Strategy
- Research
- Information about Industry Process, Inventory of hazardous substances, Literature review
- Worker interviews - Initial Site Survey
- Observation, Documentation, Direct-read measurements
Compare/contrast instantaneous and integrated monitoring
Instantaneous: Short-time period (seconds or minutes), Immediate results, used for isolated short-term processes when peak levels are anticipated
Integrated: Integrates all the various concentrations to which a worker is exposed throughout a work shift, collection of a sample continuously over a prolonged period, lab analysis usually required
Calculate a Time Weighted Average concentration
TWA=
[(C1*T1)+…+(CnTn)]/T
where C= Concentration, T= Time
What are the following monitoring terms: personal, area, surface, passive, active, biological, and be able to discuss the appropriate uses of each
Personal: connection of an integrated monitoring device to a worker
Area: When levels in a specific location are to be monitored,
Surface: Moistened, pre-treated cellulose sheets or cotton swabs
Biological: Measures tissues/fluids/organs of workers
Passive: A collection of diffusible gases and vapors
relies on the movement of gases from high to low concentration
Active: Air “pulled” through collection medium
What are the various approaches to controlling health hazards and the pros and cons of each approach
Source:
Path:
Receiver:
Name each EPA regulation, its genesis, its basic requirements
- The Clean Air Act (CAA) (1970): Controls emissions from Area, Stationary, Mobile
- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (1972): Controls: Distribution, Sales, Use. Genesis: Bald Eagles
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (1976): “Cradle to Grave” tracking of chemical wastes. Genesis: Organized crime
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (1976): Chemical manufacturing: Screening, Reporting, Banning
- The Clean Water Act (1977): Controls effluent: Point source, Sewage Treatment. Genesis: Cuyahoga River
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (1980): AKA the “Superfund”, Provisions: Tax on petroleum and chemical industries maintains the fund, Fund cleans up abandoned waste sites, Short-term emergency responses, Long-term National Priorities List, Genesis: Love Canal, The Valley of Drums, Times Beach Missouri
- Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) (1986): Authorized the continuation of the Superfund and increased the fund to 8.5 million, Hazard ranking system
- Emergency Planning and Community Right To Know (EPCRA) (1986): Communities near the chemical
industry must be informed of hazards, Local emergency planning commissions. Genesis: Bhopal India
What is the OSH Act, what its basic purpose is, when it was passed, what agencies it created
Enacted December 29, 1970, “Each employer shall furnish to each employee a place of employment, which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious harm to
employees”, “Each employer shall comply with occupational safety and health standards under the Act”
Established: OSHA, NIOSH
What are the coverages and exemptions OSHA has for the various categories of Small Employer
Farm with 10 for fewer EES and no TLC activity within 12 months:
Programmed Safety Inspections, Programmed Health Inspections, Employee Complaint, FAT/CAT and Accidents, Imminent Danger, 11C, Consultation and Technical Assistance, Education and Training, Conduct Surveys and Studies NOT PERMITTED
