Tayros, Maxine Rae B.

BSCpE 3- Day

Seatwork #2 (Industrial Hygiene)

1. What are some of the responsibilities of an IH?

Industrial hygienists analyze, identify, and measure workplace hazards or stresses that can
cause sickness, impaired health, or significant discomfort in workers through chemical, physical,
ergonomic, or biological exposures.

2. Why is industrial hygiene an art and a science? Provide an example that requires both art and
science to solve a workplace health hazard.
Industrial hygiene is considered a science, but it is also an art that involves judgment,
creativity and human interaction. An industrial hygienist that is assigned in a construction firm,
evaluates and control hazards in the workplace, through risk assessment tools and information,
such as Safety Data Sheets, which are put together by chemical manufacturers and contain
detailed information about each chemical.
After a hazard is identified, an industrial hygienist will work with the company to control or
eliminate the hazard. This can include substituting a chemical for a less hazardous one, reducing
exposure to hazards, utilization of personal protective equipment such as gloves or goggles, or
increasing ventilation.

3. Are all substances toxic? Can you explain why a substance may or may not be toxic?
Not all substances are toxic. The toxicity of a substance depends on its chemical structure,
the extent to which the substance is absorbed by the body, and the body's ability to detoxify
the substance and eliminate it from the body.

4. What are the routes of entry for substances to be taken up by the body? Provide an example
of each type. Which route is the most common occupational route of entry?
There are four routes by which a substance can enter the body: inhalation, which is the most
common occupational route, skin (or eye) absorption, ingestion, and injection.
• Inhalation: For most chemicals in the form of vapors, gases, mists, or particulates, inhalation
is the major route of entry. Once inhaled, chemicals are either exhaled or deposited in the
respiratory tract. If deposited, damage can occur through direct contact with tissue or the
chemical may diffuse into the blood through the lung-blood interface.
Example: Methane Gas Inhalation
• Skin (or eye) absorption: Skin (dermal) contact can cause effects that are relatively innocuous
such as redness or mild dermatitis; more severe effects include destruction of skin tissue or
other debilitating conditions. Many chemicals can also cross the skin barrier and be absorbed
into the blood system. Once absorbed, they may produce systemic damage to internal organs.
Example: Mercury absorbed by skin
• Ingestion: Chemicals that inadvertently get into the mouth and are swallowed do not
generally harm the gastrointestinal tract itself unless they are irritating or corrosive. Chemicals
that are insoluble in the fluids of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small, and large intestines)
are generally excreted.
Example: ketones and chlorinated compounds
• Injection: Substances may enter the body if the skin is penetrated or punctured by
contaminated objects. Effects can then occur as the substance is circulated in the blood and
deposited in the target organs.
Example: Skin puncture due to Glass shard from Cyanide container

5. Differentiate between the terms acute and chronic using the appropriate dose level and time
period.
Acute exposure is short-term exposure, small dose level, to a chemical, lasting anywhere
from seconds to hours at a time. Health effects show up immediately or soon after the
exposure and can range from minor irritations to far more serious impacts such as eye damage
or loss of consciousness. The LD50 is one way to measure the short-term poisoning potential
(acute toxicity) of a material.
Chronic exposure refers to continued or repeated exposure, large dose level, to a toxic
substance like lead or PCBs over a long period of time (months or years), often from chemicals
that are used daily. The effects of chronic exposure can take years to become apparent and are,
in many instances, permanent.
1) Threshold limit value—time-weighted average (TLV—TWA): The time-weighted average
concentration for a normal 8-hour workday and a 40-hour work week, to which nearly all
workers may be repeatedly exposed day after day, without adverse effects.
2) Threshold limit value—short-term exposure limit (TLV—STEL):
The concentration to which workers can be exposed continuously fora short period of time
without suffering 1) irritation, 2) chronic orirreversible tissue damage, or 3) narcosis of
sufficient degree to increase the likelihood of accidental injury, impaired self-rescue, or
materially reduced work efficiency, provided the TLV—TWA is not exceeded. The STEL is equal
to a 15-minute TWA exposure, which should not be exceeded at any time during a workday
even if the 8- hour TWA is within the TLV. There should be at least 60 minutes Introduction to
Industrial Hygiene / 121 between successive exposures for a maximum of four exposures/day
or work shift.
3) Threshold limit value—ceiling (TLV—C): The concentration which should not be exceeded,
even instantaneously.

6. Why should an IH consider both local and systemic effects of substances?

It is important for an IH to consider both local and systematic effect of substance in order
to properly address any hazardous situation in the workplace. Local effects occur at the area of
the body which has been in contact with the chemical. Examples are injuries from acids or lung
injuries from inhaled reactive gases. Systemic effects occur after the chemical has been
absorbed and distributed from the entry point to other parts of the body.

7. Differentiate between the additive, antagonistic, and synergistic effects of substances in the
body.
In toxicology, synergism refers to the effect caused when exposure to two or more chemicals at
one time results in health effects that are greater than the sum of the effects of the individual
chemicals.
When chemicals are synergistic, the potential hazards of the chemicals should be re-evaluated,
taking their synergistic properties into consideration.
Additive Effect - This action occurs when the combined effect of two or more chemicals is equal
to the sum of the effect of each agents given alone (they do not interact in a direct way)
This effect is the most common when two chemicals are given together.
Antagonism - Antagonism is the opposite of synergism. It is the situation where the combined
effect of two or more compounds is less toxic than the individual effects
Antagonistic effects are the basis of many antidotes for poisonings or for medical treatments.
For example, ethyl alcohol (ethanol) can antagonize the toxic effects of methyl alcohol
(methanol) by displacing it from the enzyme that oxidizes the methanol.
In comparison, a synergistic effect is the situation where the combined effect of two chemicals
is much greater than the sum of the effects of each agent given alone.

8. What are the three classification methods of toxic materials?

Physical Classification:
This method of classification attempts to examine toxic agents according to the form in which
they exist in the occupational environment. These classifications include solids, liquids, gases,
and vapors.
Chemical Classification:
This method of classification uses the chemical structure, nature, and composition that a
substance possesses. Examples of chemical classifications include aliphatic compounds,
aromatics, acids, alcohols, ketones, esters, and ethers.
Physiological Classification:
This extensive method of classification uses potential human injury as a means of categorizing
certain agents. Below are several physiological classifications.

9. Discuss the influence of emotion when characterizing toxicity and risk.

Toxic affect refers to the idea that negative emotional states can have consequences for
one’s physical health. It imposes a great risk in the organization’s order and productivity.
Emotion can also cloud one’s judgement, and might harm one’s co-workers.
10. What is the difference between PELs and TLVs? Explain why knowledge of these exposure
measurements is important.
The OSHA health chemical hazard standards are referred to as Permissible Exposure
Limits (PELs). The NIOSH recommendations are referred to as Recommended Exposure Levels
or RELs. The ACGIH standards are referred to as Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). TLVs are based
on the best available information from industrial experience, human exposures, experimental
animal studies, and when possible, all three. They are based upon science and not typically
influenced by congressional politics. Many OSHA PELs have not been changed since their
inception in 1970, despite advances in our understanding of workplace health hazards. Since
PELs are law, they must pass through Congress, and are subject to both politics and lobbyists,
thus limiting their timelines and effectiveness in promoting a safe workplace.
11. What are three categories of health hazard controls? Provide two workplace examples for
each category.
Engineering Controls
Examples of engineering controls include limiting exposure to hazardous chemicals via
ventilation, and, using portable air conditioners to combat heat stress.
Administrative Controls

 Giving workers longer rest periods or shorter work shifts to reduce exposure time
 Moving a hazardous work process to an area where fewer people will be exposed
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

 Hard hats serve to protect industrial workers from head injuries caused by falling, flying,
or fixed objects.
 Earplugs and earmuffs are used to protect workers from exposure to excessive noise,
which can lead to irreparable hearing damage and increased stress.

12. What type of health hazard control should be instituted first? Why is personal protective
equipment a last resort for controlling exposure?
Engineering controls are the method of choice because of their ability to isolate or
eliminate health hazards. By eliminating health hazards at the point of origin, the occupational
health and safety professional eliminates the release of the contaminant into the workplace
environment,
The main reason why administrative controls and PPE are not considered the preferred
methods for protecting worker health is that the health hazards still exist in the workplace and
can present a risk. In many instances, both administrative controls and PPE can be
circumvented. Employees, for example, may use the wrong respirator for a particular hazard.
This mistake will result in the employee inhaling toxic vapors or dusts, thus increasing their risk
of occupational disease. ultimately preventing (or greatly reducing) employee exposure.