Industrial Hygiene Monitoring Module

Industrial Hygiene is the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling workplace exposure to biological, chemical, physical and psychosocial hazards and stressors. Industrial hygiene relies on monitoring and analytical methods to detect and quantify the extent of workplace exposures, and control such exposures through the hierarchy of controls.

Whereas the term “industrial hygiene” is most commonly used in North America, the term “occupational hygiene” is most often used in Europe and other locations globally.

Cority’s Industrial Hygiene Monitoring module offers a comprehensive suite of market-leading tools to help organizations assess workplace exposures and take prompt, data-driven actions to reduce risk and preserve health.  Our module allows you to:

Easily Record Sample Data:  Record detailed sample data related to chemical, biological and physical hazards

Conduct IH Monitoring Activities:  Track the progress of air and noise monitoring activities against pre-defined targets

Integrate with IH Surveys:  Conduct IH monitoring based on surveys created through seamless integration with our Survey module

Maintain Agent Hazard Standards:  Leverage advanced tools, powered by Verisk 3E, to keep Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) up-to-date

Create IH Monitoring Reports:  Run detailed monitoring reports and analyses using Cority’s Business Intelligence Tools

Track Laboratory Results:  Track laboratory results effectively with efficient data transfer via our Laboratory Requisition module

Address Issues Quickly:  Create, assign and track corrective and preventive actions to address IH issues through integration with our Findings & Actions module.

An Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) represents the maximum acceptable concentration of a hazardous substance in air to which a worker can be exposed over a period of time without suffering harmful consequences.

OELs are normally established by professional bodies (i.e. ACGIH or NIOSH) or other federal or local authorities (i.e. OSHA) and enforced by regulation.

A given substance can have multiple OELs depending on the nature and duration of the exposure, including:

• TWA:  Time-weighted average exposure to a substance, averaged over a given working shift, normally 8, 10 or 12 hours
• STEL:  Short-term exposure limit is the maximum allowable concentration to which a worker can be exposed in any 15-minute period
• C:  Ceiling Limit is the maximum allowable concentration to which a worker can be exposure at any time and for any duration whatsoever.

OELs are important tools not only in the determination of compliance to regulations, but also when assessing the risk of specific workplace exposure and when determining the need for, and efficacy of, control measures.

While occupational exposure limit (OEL) is a term generally used to describe the maximum allowable concentration of a hazardous substance in air to which a worker can be exposed in a given time period, similar terms are used by different authorities and professional associations and bodies globally to denote the maximum exposure limit to a given agent of concern.  Other commonly used terms include:

Permissible Exposure Limit (PELs) is the maximum allowable limit, set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to which an employee may be exposed to a chemical or physical agent in the workplace.

Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) is an occupational exposure limit established by the U.S. National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) which it believes a worker can be exposed to throughout their working lifetime without adverse effects, when used in conjunction with recommended engineering and administrative controls and personal protective equipment.

Threshold Limit Value (TLV®) is the maximum level of a chemical substance below which it is generally agreed that a worker may be exposed daily throughout their working lifetime without experiencing adverse health effects.  TLVs are reserved for use by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).  It should be noted that TLVs are not themselves a recognized and enforceable legal limit unless recognized as such by the local regulatory authority having jurisdiction.  

OELs are normally established considering results of epidemiological research and based on the known chemical properties of the substance under consideration.  Given the time period over which studies are conducted, it’s not uncommon for exposure limits established in regulation to remain static for many years before being revised.  In contrast, the ACGIH normally updates and publishes revisions to its Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs) on an annual basis.

Since these values can change at any time, it is imperative that organizations regularly source, research and review standards, regulations and guidelines applicable to their business to determine if OELs have changed.  Using inaccurate OELs can result in risk underestimation leading to potentially harmful worker exposures and/or legal non-compliance that could expose a business to regulatory citations and fines.

Cority has partnered with Verisk 3E to assist organizations track changes to OEL with greater speed and simplicity.  Learn more here.