DEFINITION OF THE DISCIPLINE AND THE PRACTICE OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE (From the CRBOH Board - 1998.09.19)
Occupational Hygiene involves the identification of existing and potential human health hazards in, or arising from, the work place, the evaluation or assessment of the extent of risk posed by the hazards and, the development of effective strategies to eliminate or control the risks.
The Occupational Hygiene practitioner is concerned with the broader (extra-workplace) environment, for example with respect to workplace discharges to the natural environment. As well, the practitioner has an appreciation of the differential impacts of toxicants on workers and the general population (e.g. the greater susceptibility of children to lead).
Occupational Hygiene draws upon, yet integrates, background disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, engineering, toxicology, etc. In part, it can be regarded as that aspect of the Risk Assessment field which focuses on the interface between workplace-derived hazards and human health consequences. The management of these risks (by means of control programs) is similarly an integral part of the discipline.
The Occupational Hygiene practitioner has comprehensive knowledge of work place chemical factors, and physical factors such as noise and heat stress. In terms of chemical factors, they also have knowledge of safety concepts (e.g. flammability, water reactivity, etc.). They are familiar with biological factors and ergonomics (especially in the case of specific environments such as office buildings) but would in many cases work in conjunction with (or, defer to) practitioners with specific expertise in these areas, as well as in health physics, occupational psychology, safety, etc. Accordingly, their knowledge in these areas would normally be more limited.
Occupational Hygiene is generally defined as the art and science dedicated to the Anticipation, Recognition, Evaluation, Communication and Control of environmental stressors in, or arising from, the work place that may result in injury, illness, impairment, or affect the well-being of workers and members of the community. These stressors are normally divided into the categories Biological, Chemical, Physical, Ergonomic and Psychosocial.
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Occupational Hygiene involves the identification of existing and potential human health hazards in, or arising from, the work place, the evaluation or assessment of the extent of risk posed by the hazards and, the development of effective strategies to eliminate or control the risks.
The Occupational Hygiene practitioner is concerned with the broader (extra-workplace) environment, for example with respect to workplace discharges to the natural environment. As well, the practitioner has an appreciation of the differential impacts of toxicants on workers and the general population (e.g. the greater susceptibility of children to lead).
Occupational Hygiene draws upon, yet integrates, background disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, engineering, toxicology, etc. In part, it can be regarded as that aspect of the Risk Assessment field which focuses on the interface between workplace-derived hazards and human health consequences. The management of these risks (by means of control programs) is similarly an integral part of the discipline.
The Occupational Hygiene practitioner has comprehensive knowledge of work place chemical factors, and physical factors such as noise and heat stress. In terms of chemical factors, they also have knowledge of safety concepts (e.g. flammability, water reactivity, etc.). They are familiar with biological factors and ergonomics (especially in the case of specific environments such as office buildings) but would in many cases work in conjunction with (or, defer to) practitioners with specific expertise in these areas, as well as in health physics, occupational psychology, safety, etc. Accordingly, their knowledge in these areas would normally be more limited.
Occupational Hygiene is generally defined as the art and science dedicated to the Anticipation, Recognition, Evaluation, Communication and Control of environmental stressors in, or arising from, the work place that may result in injury, illness, impairment, or affect the well-being of workers and members of the community. These stressors are normally divided into the categories Biological, Chemical, Physical, Ergonomic and Psychosocial.
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