INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TRAINING

Llanne J. Concepcion RN
OSH Practitioner : #1033-161205-H-0223
INDUSTRIAL
OCCUPATIONAL
HYGIENE
PROTECTING WORK
Module Objectives

This module aims participants to:

Describe the industrial hygiene principles

Identify the different health hazards of worker in
construction industry
Know the applicable preventive/control
measures to eliminate/minimize hazards in the
construction industry
 Table 1: Cases of Occupational Injuries by
Incapacity for Work, Philippines
2017, 2015 and 2013

CASES OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES 2017 2015 2013

TOTAL 46,283 50,961 49,118

With Workdays Lost 20,797 17,859 20,702
Fatal 469 156 270
Non Fatal 20,328 17,703 20,432
Permanent Incapacity 223 358 175
Temporary Incapacity 20,105 17,346 20,257
without Workdays Lost 25,485 33,102 28,416

in Establishments Employing 20 0r more Workers

Source: PSA
Definition: The branch of manufacture and trade based
on the building, maintaining, and repairing structures.
This includes drilling and solid mineral exploration.

Definition Source: Standard Industrial Classification

www.nasa.gov
Government and Private Sectors
Erecting buildings for habitation
Erecting buildings for commercial purposes

Public Work
Roads, bridges, tunnels, dams or airport
Large portion are unskilled
Classified in skilled trades
5 – 10% in industrialized countries
Over 90% are male
Women workers are high in developed countries
In some countries, work is left to migrate workers
Unskilled construction work is the entry into paid
labor force
Construction workers change employers often and will
work for a number of different contractors during the
course of their career; making it difficult to tract and
monitor an individual’s exposure

Small and specialty trade contractors do not often have

the resources or expertise to effectively anticipate,
identify and control occupational health hazards
Construction sites are temporary and change
constantly as the work moves ahead

New trades arrive on the site constantly, this creates

problems for enforcing protected regulations

Multi employer work sites; several trades may share

the same work area, exposing each other to
unsuspected hazards
Need to know the environmental factors that may
affect workers health
What will happen to you and your family if you get
injured and can’t work?
What will you lose if you get injured/sick?
 Salary
 Quality of life
 Job advancement
 Future opportunities
Industrial Hygiene
RECOGNITION

The science of protecting the EVALUATION

health and safety of workers
through:
CONTROL

… of workplace conditions that may cause

workers’ injury or illness.
Hazards…
 Safety Health
Tend to affect individuals by contact with Affects people by exposure to hazards
the hazards

Often an ‘obvious danger’ Often ‘hidden’ danger

The results of an accident are immediate Ill-Health often builds up slowly

Foreseeable or known ‘Loss’ ‘Loss’ is often difficult to access

Knowledge since industrial revolution Understanding lags behind, e.g. what triggers
an allergic reaction to some substances

Hardware or safe place solutions are Often rely on behavioral safe person or
usually available, medical expertise
e.g. Guarding, protection of electrical e.g. use of personal protection, safe systems of
systems work
Types of health hazards

PHYSICAL
CHEMICAL

ERGONOMIC
BIOLOGICAL
Ergonomic hazards are the
most frequent health hazard
PSYCHOSOCIAL
These arise from inhaling chemical agent in the form of gases, dusts,
fumes, mists or by skin contact with these materials.

How?
Undergoes different production process such as heating, cleaning,
spraying, plating, mixing etc (chemical change)

The degree of risk of handling a given substance depends on the

magnitude and duration of exposure
 Chemicals can exist in the form of:

• dusts, fumes, fibers (solids)

• liquids, mists
• gases, vapors
Chemicals are found in variety of products used at construction sites. Workers
may also be exposed to chemicals generated during construction activities.

• asbestos • welding fumes

Examples of
chemical • lead • spray paints
hazards • silica • cutting oil mists
found in • cadmium • solvents
construction • carbon • hexavalent chromium
work: monoxide
 Chemicals can enter the body through:

• inhalation – Breathing in
Inhalation is typically the most common way
chemicals can enter the body in a work situation.

• ingestion – accidental swallowing through eating,

drinking, or smoking
Designated areas for such could be properly
defined

• absorption – absorbed through contact with skin

or eyes

Injection, in which a chemical enters the body when the skin is

punctured, occurs rarely (e.g., paint from a high-pressure spray gun).
Asbestos
 Exposure during demolition or remodeling of older building built before 1980
 Exposure can cause breathing problems, lung cancer and cancer of the lung
lining many years after exposure
Welding fumes
 Contain variety of chemicals depending on what is being welded on
 Chemical makeup of welding rods, fluxes and shielding gases
 Welding in confined spaces or welding on stainless steel which generated
hexavalent chromium, are the most hazardous welding activities
Solvents
 Variety of solvents with varying degrees to toxicity are used in construction.
They are in paints, glues, expoxies and other products
 Exposure on excessive amount of solvent vapors is greater when solvents are
handled in enclosed or confined spaces
 Silica – more than just dust
Silica or quartz dust exposure is very common in construction
from drilling, cutting or grinding on concrete, sandblasting, rock
drilling or in masonry work.

Exposure to excessive silica dust causes lung scarring and lung

disease over time.

Brick cutting Blowing concrete dust with Concrete cutting

compressed air
 Lead
Construction workers can be exposed to lead on bridge repair
work, lead paint removal on metal structures or buildings or
demolition of old buildings with lead paint, or using lead solder.

Lead is highly toxic and can cause severe, long term health problems.
Abnormal Temperature
Excessive Noise
Inadequate Illumination
Radiation
Extreme Pressure
Vibration
Inadequate Ventilation

Health alert:
should be on guard to these hazards due to the possible immediate or cumulative effect
to the health of our members
Temperature – is the measure
of the intensity of the heat/cold
or the hotness/coldness of an
object

 Extreme temperatures affect

the amount of work that
people can do and the
manner in which they can do
it.
the emission of particles or energy in wave form;

Non-ionizing Radiation - radiation with sufficient energy to

cause excitation of electrons, atoms or molecules but
insufficient energy to cause the formation of ions.
ex. UV, IR, radio frequencies, microwave

Ionizing Radiation - radiation with sufficient energy to cause

the removal of electrons from an atom forming both positive
and negative ions.
- includes particulate radiation (alpha & beta particles),
electromagnetic radiation (gamma rays, x-rays)
- Defined as the force per unit area
exerted against a surface by the
weight of (air) above that surface
at any given point
Illumination- is the measure of
stream of light falling on the surface

Rule 1075 : All places where persons

work or pass, shall be provided with
adequate natural or artificial lighting
suitable for the operation and special
type of work performed

Sources of Light Types of Lighting

1. Natural Light 1. General Lighting
2. Artificial Light 2. Local Lighting
 Factors in determining the quantity
of light

Nature of work: more light will be required if one is

working with small objects

Environment: the ability of the surrounding surfaces to

reflect light

Eyesight of the workers: the ability of the eye to adjust

rapidly to different distances declines as people grow old
• It is a physical factor that acts on man
by transmission of mechanical energy
from sources of oscillation.
• Usually refers to the inaudible
acoustic phenomena, which are
recognized by the tactile experience of
touch and feeling.
• It is a vector quantity with both a
magnitude and direction.
 Physical Hazards
Vibration
Physical factor that acts on man by transmission of
mechanical energy from the source of insulation

WBV- refers to mechanical energy oscillations which are

transferred to the body as a whole (in contrast to specific
body regions), usually through a supporting system such as
a seat or platform..
Physical Hazards
Vibration
Hand – Arm Vibration (Segmental) (HAV)
- is the transfer of vibration from a tool to a worker’s
hand and arm.

• grinders
• sanders
• jig saws
Noise — Excessive or unwanted sound which potentially
results in annoyance and/or hearing loss (can be from
occupational and/or non-occupational sources)
 unwanted sound
Decibels = dB(A) unit of measurement

Types of Noise:
 Continuous
 Intermittent
 Impact
Several factors influence the
noise level to which workers
are exposed
Type of equipment being
operated
Condition/maintenance of
equipment
Other equipment running at
the same time
Enclosed or partially enclosed
spaces
Physical Hazards
Noise
Arm’s Length Rule
“If two (2) people with no hearing impairment
have to raise their voices or shout to be heard in
a distance of less than arms length from each
other, the sound level is potentially hazardous.”
 Biological Hazards

Bacteria
Virus
Covid-19

Fungi Parasites

Enzymes
Micro-organism
Exposure may occur during demolition, renovation, sewer work,
work in air handling system, or other construction work from
contact with contaminated or disease carrying agent
 Soil
 Water
 Insects (mosquitoes, ticks)
 Bird, bat droppings
 Animals
 Structures
 Poor sanitation and housekeeping

Hospital works

Removal of industrial waste and sewage

Poor personal cleanliness

Biological Hazards
Ergonomic hazards can cause painful and disabling injuries till example
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) . This following situation may causes these
injuries:

• heavy, frequent, or awkward lifting

• repetitive tasks
• awkward grips, postures
• using excessive force, overexertion
• using wrong tools for the job
or using tools improperly
• using improperly maintained tools
• hand-intensive work
Meet your body

Your Back WEAK

Protect it
Your Legs
STRONG

Use their power to lift

correctly…. And safely

49
Risk factors need to be identified and
controlled for in the workplace.

Psychosocial hazards are related to

the way work is designed, organized
and managed as well as the economic
and social contexts of work and are
associated with psychiatric,
psychological and/or physical injures
or illness
Risk includes
 Precarious work contracts
 Increased worker vulnerability due to globalization
 New forms of employment contracts
 Feeling of Job Insecurity
 Aging workforce
 Long working hours
 Work intensification
 Lean production and outsourcing
 High emotional demands
 Poor work-life balance
Special Consideration
Confined space
enclosed or a
partially enclosed
space; restricted
entrance and exit;
not intended for
human occupancy
 Hazards in CS

a.Oxygen deficiency: oxygen

content less than 19.5%
b.Flammable/explosive
atmosphere: enriched with
oxygen greater than 21%
c.Toxic atmosphere: those contain
toxic substances in concentrations
that exceed the TLV
d.Mechanical and physical hazards
Walk through survey /ocular inspection
Review of process involve or process flow
Knowing the raw materials used, products and
by products
Gathering of worker’s complaints
Physical examinations
Accident or injury report
Employee Notifications
Failure Mode and Effects
Job Hazard Analysis
Safety Data Sheets
 BRAIN- to be always
thinking and learning
about health and safety
at work
EYES- to spot hazards
and poor working
conditions

EARS- to listen to
worker’s complaints
and suggestions for
improvement
NOSE- to smell
unusual/ bad odors as
identification of hazard
MOUTH- to argue
the worker’s point of
view and to talk to
other workers about
health and safety GUTS- to be strong
enough to fight to get
the hazards corrected
and to stop work if you
FEET- to regularly see immediate danger
inspect the workplace
A summary of the important
health, safety and toxicological
information on the chemical or
the mixture ingredients.
Objectives: Adaptation and Implementation of the Globally
Harmonized System (GHS) of classification criteria, labeling and
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) requirement
The GHS Elements
a. Hazard Classification Criteria
a. Physical
b. Environment
c. Health
b. Hazard Communication
a. Labels
b. Safety Data Sheets
 Benefits of GHS

1.Enhance the protection of human and environment.

2.Facilitate international trade in chemicals.
3.Reduce the need for testing and evaluation of chemicals.
4.Assists countries and international organizations to ensure the
sound management of chemicals.
1. Identification
2. Hazard Identification 9. Physical and Chemical
3. Composition/Ingredient Properties
Information 10. Stability and Reactivity
4. First Aid Measures 11. Toxicological
5. Fire-Fighting Measures information
6. Accidental Release 12. Ecological Information
Measures 13. Disposal Consideration
7. Handling and Storage 14. Transport Information
8. Exposure 15. Regulatory Information
Control/Personal 16. Other information
Protection
Determination of the magnitude or level of hazards
through work environment measurement or WEM;

Analysis of samples using applicable methods and

instruments

Comparison of results of measurement to standards

Refers to the determination of environmental stresses and
their hazardous effects on worker’s health through direct
measurement of hazards using IH equipment.

Rule 1077: WEM

►The employer shall exert efforts to maintain and control the work environment in
comfortable and healthy conditions for the purpose of promoting and maintaining the
health of his workers

►The employer shall carry out the WEM in indoor or other workplaces where hazardous
work is performed ad shall keep a record of such measurement which shall be made
available to the enforcing authority.

►The WEM shall be performed periodically as may be necessary but not longer than
annually
 Determine magnitude of harmful environmental agent
 Physically check the environment through measurement
 Predict harmfulness of new facilities, raw materials, production
processes and working methods
 Monitor workers exposure to harmful substances
 Evaluate the effectiveness of environmental control measures
adopted to improve the workplaces
 Maintain favorable environment condition
Data Collected
approximates the
concentration of
contaminants by which
the worker is exposed to
Pinpoint the areas with
high or low exposure
levels of contaminants
Involves the measurement of changes in the
composition of the body fluids, tissue or expired
air to determine absorption of the potentially
hazardous materials
TLV – are exposure guidelines established for airborne
concentration of many chemical compounds.

Categories:
‹ TLV-TWA - Time Weighted Average
‹ TLV-STEL - Short Term Exposure Limit
‹ TLV-C - Ceiling
The general idea of an action level is
that if employee exposure levels of a
harmful chemical or noise reach the
ACTION LEVEL, some action shall be
taken to mitigate the risk of that
exposure.

Furthermore it shall require monitoring, Action level

medical surveillance, training and
setting up additional controls.

The action level is always lower than the

permissible exposure, frequently the
action level is one half of the
permissible-exposure level
 Permissible Noise Exposure Level
Action Level : 85 dB
Duration/day Sound Level
Hours (hr) dB(A)
8 90
6 92
4 95
3 97
2 100
1½ 102
1 105
1/2 110
1/4 115

Ceiling value: No exposure in excess of 115 dB is allowed

TLV of Airborne Contaminants

GASES VAPORS

CO 50ppm Acetone 1,000ppm

Benzene 25ppm-C
CO2 5,000ppm
Toluene 100ppm
Cl2 1ppm
Methanol 200ppm
O2 19.5 % Ethanol 1,000ppm
H2S 10 ppm Methyl 500ppm-C
Chloride
 TLV of Airborne Contaminants

Particulates Mists

Asbestos –0.1 HCl - 5 ppm

fibers/cc H3PO4 - 0.25 ppm
Dust (resp.)- 5 mg/m3 H2SO4 - 0.25 ppm
Dust (total)- 10 HNO3 - 2 ppm
mg/m3
A minimum of 50 lux – passageway, corridor, warehouse
A minimum of 100 lux – engine and boiler rooms; toilets
and washrooms
A minimum of 200 lux – canning and preserving; planing of
lumber and veneering
A minimum of 300 lux – medium inspection; office
deskwork with intermittent reading and writing for filing
and mail sorting.
A minimum of 500 lux – fine inspection, fine woodworking,
accounting, drafting, stenographic work.
A minimum of 1000 lux – extra fine assembling; jewelry and
watch mfg; proofreading in printing plants
Type of Exposure Dose Limits

In any single year 50 millisievert

(mSv)
Lens of the eye 150 mSv
Skin 500 mSv
Hands & feet 500 mSv
Remember
The degree of hazards or risk of injury or disease would
depend on the following:
- duration
- frequency
- concentration
of exposure
- toxicity
and
- individual susceptibility of agent
 Generalized Diagram of
Methods of Control
Source of
Worker Hazard
Airpath
At the source
• Substitute with a
At the receiver less harmful
Personal protective materials
equipment • Change the
Rotation of workers process
to reduce exposure • Enclosure or
duration isolation of process
Training and • Local exhaust
education ventilation

At the path:
Housekeeping (immediate cleanup of spills)
Increase distance between source and receiver
General ventilation
 Environment Control Measures

1. Engineering controls: Remove hazard

 Process change, Chemical substitution
 Ventilation, Shielding, Guarding
 Requires little or no employee action

2. Administrative controls: Manage exposure

 Worker rotation, Procedures, Training
 Trench shoring, Controlled access areas
 Requires employee action
 Environment Control Measures
3. Personal Protective Equipment
- Safety Helmet : to protect head injury in areas with high risk of falling,
bumping…
- Eye protection : to protect the eyes from splashes of molten metal,
radiation produced by arc welding or dust goggles for grinding, dusty jobs,
airborne and/or contact transmissions of bacteria, viruses..
- Gas/Dust Mask : to protect against inhalation of toxics/poisonous gases or
dust
- Earplug/Muffs : to prevent ear injury to high noise-induced hearing loss
- Gloves : for protection against laceration, burns or other direct effects
against hazardous chemical
- Safety Shoes : for protection against foot injury when handling heavy
materials
- Fall protection equipment : for protection from falling when working in
heights, guardrails, safety net system, personal fall arrest (anchorage,
connectors, a full body harness)
 Safe and Healthy
Working
Workplace
Environment Improvement
CONTROL

EVALUATION
a. WEM
b. Comparison w/
Standards and
recommended RECOGNITION &
guidelines ASSESSMENT

a. Ocular Inspection
b. Work Processes
c. Worker’s Complaints
Reminder on this Pandemic
Avoid: