Safeguarding the Community for a Healthier Tomorrow
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private employers in the United States reported a staggering 2,804,200 non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022 — an alarming 7.5% increase from the previous year. Fatal workplace injuries in 2022 also increased 5.7% totalled 5,486 in 2022, marking a 5.7% increase from 2021.
Amidst these workplace injury statistics, there is also public concern about the safety of their environment. Gallup's annual environmental polls reveal that a majority of Americans, 55%, express deep concern about polluted drinking water, ranking it as their top environmental safety worry from 2019 to 2023.
Human loss is tragic and immeasurable. When it comes to concerns about our water and environment, residents should have peace of mind that their community is in safe hands. Ensuring the safety of employees and the broader community is both a moral and legal responsibility of every company. It is the cornerstone of being a good neighbor and a responsible corporate citizen. Non-compliance may lead to injuries, fatalities, illnesses, and environmental disasters that leave lasting effects on the community. Non-compliance can also bring steep fines, litigation, and potential criminal charges.
Simply checking regulatory boxes or providing personal protection equipment isn't enough. Organizations must commit to mitigating risk while maximizing safety for employees and the public. Robust risk management strategies, including ongoing risk assessments, are vital. These strategies will proactively find potential hazards, and determine how to eliminate them or when elimination isn’t possible, define appropriate control measures to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
And this isn’t a one-time activity or a siloed one. Organizations must commit their ongoing attention to identifying, correcting and controlling all hazards and risks, including a process of continuous improvement to evolve the strategy and adapt to new circumstances and challenges. Integrating workplace safety and environmental well-being into the daily fabric of operations, job skills, company culture, and employee mindset ensures that it becomes everyone's business.
In today's world, where keeping workplaces safe and caring for the environment is a priority, Exposure Assessment Consulting’s industrial hygiene services are key to a company’s resilience and sustainability. We believe that employees should be safe at work, that they should return home healthy, and that communities should have peace of mind about the environmental stewardship of nearby companies. We understand the critical role industrial hygienists play in safeguarding against potential hazards and disasters.
In this article, we will dive into the indispensable contributions of industrial hygienists and explore their crucial role in navigating the complexities of disaster prevention and risk management. We’ll start by examining three real-life examples of disasters where the expertise of an industrial hygienist could have made a positive difference. We’ll also explore the types of hazards and the economic benefits of hiring industrial hygienists.
Examples of Real-life Disasters Where Industrial Hygienists Could Have Made A Difference
Hinkley Water Contamination
Released on March 17, 2000, the film "Erin Brockovich" etched the term "hexavalent-chromium" into the minds of the general public, grossing $256.3 million worldwide. Almost overnight, the importance of environmental safety and the consequences of inadequate risk management became part of widespread public awareness.
The movie is based on a true story of the 1993 class action lawsuit brought against Pacific Gas and Electric Company alleging that the company contaminated the wastewater around the community of Hinkley, California. The case found that from 1952-1964, PG&E disposed of hexavalent chromium (Cr6), a carcinogenic chemical used in operating a natural gas compressor station, leading to unsafe levels of chromium in the local drinking water. The case was settled in 1996 for $333 million awarded to more than 600 people. Remediation efforts continue to this day, over 60 years later.
Lowe’s Home Improvement - Deaths Linked to Toxic Products
On April 25, 2018, retail giant Lowe’s Home Improvement found its place on "The Dirty Dozen" 2018 list compiled by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. This annual list spotlights employers whose practices jeopardize the safety of both employees and communities. The inclusion of Lowe’s on this list was not arbitrary – the list states “56 U.S. deaths linked to exposure to paint strippers containing methylene chloride, including 17 workers who died while refinishing bathtubs.” At the time the list was published, the company continued to sell products containing this deadly substance.
Ohio Train Derailment
On February 3, 2023, at approximately 8:55 p.m. local time, about 50 train cars derailed in a fiery crash on the outskirts of East Palestine, Ohio. Eleven of the derailed cars were transporting hazardous materials. The 149-car train was passing through on its way to Conway, Pennsylvania when the derailment occurred. Responding to the catastrophe, an immediate evacuation order was issued, displacing thousands of residents. The mayor declared a state of emergency the next day. The derailed train cars burned for several days causing concerns over toxic fumes, explosions, and potential long-term health effects.
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These three highly publicized cases are only a tiny sampling of the larger number of incidents that have occurred in the United States. Recall the 2022 injury and fatality statistics at the beginning of this article with millions of injuries and thousands of fatalities.
While these examples differ in their nature, details, and impact, they share a common theme: all of them were preventable. However, the reality is that many health and safety hazards and risks aren’t obvious. This emphasizes the need for proactive assessment, vigilance, and a focus on prevention.
In the next section, let’s explore what industrial hygienists do.
What Does an Industrial Hygienist Do?
Industrial hygienists are scientists and independent experts who are committed to supporting a company’s responsibility for workplace safety and the environmental well-being of their surrounding community. They play an essential role as a protector against potential disasters and harm to individuals in the workplace or the community.
Industrial hygiene is the science of identifying, evaluating, and controlling conditions that may cause injury or illness or may be a threat to public health. An industrial hygienist uses a blend of science and engineering with a comprehensive risk management approach to assess environmental and workplace hazards, evaluate the risk, and develop recommended strategies to reduce or eliminate the associated risks.
It’s important to note the difference between a hazard and a risk. A hazard is a potential source of harm or danger. A risk is the possibility that something bad or unpleasant (such as injury or a loss) will happen. An industrial hygienist deals with both, where they not only identify hazards but methodically assess the potential risks, ensuring a comprehensive and proactive approach to creating safer environments.
The types of hazards defined by industrial hygienists are:
Environmental
Chemical
Waterborne
Biological
Physical
Ergonomic
Here are a few examples of what an industrial hygienist can provide in the context of the types of hazards mentioned earlier:
Biological Hazard Management: Assessing and implementing control measures for biological hazards, such as mold or bacteria, to maintain a healthy and safe working environment.
Chemical Management: Assessing and recommending proper handling, storage, and disposal procedures for chemicals to minimize risks and ensure compliance with regulations.
Indoor Air Quality Assessments: Monitoring and improving indoor air quality to safeguard the health and comfort of occupants and identifying and mitigating sources of pollutants.
Water Quality Assessments: Assessing the quality of water sources within industrial settings and identifying potential sources of contamination.
As an organization’s vital ally, an industrial hygienist plays a multidimensional role that extends well beyond risk management. They provide an independent perspective that is critical for several key functions, such as:
Risk Management: Anticipating, identifying, managing, measuring, monitoring and mitigating risk.
Risk Exposure Assessment: Identifying and assessing a company’s risk exposure.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring regulatory compliance by delivering recommendations for risk policy and governance.
Cultivating a Risk-Aware Culture: Helping companies to foster an effective risk culture and accountability.
Tailored Risk Mitigation Plans: Providing support for developing customized risk mitigation plans.
Environmental Strategy and Standards: Providing expertise to establish an organization's environmental strategy and standards to protect the community.
Occupational Health & Safety Programs: Providing expert advice to develop and implement comprehensive occupational health and safety programs, including training programs.
Exposure Litigation and Expert Testimony: Top industrial hygienists, such as Exposure Consulting’s founder, Dr. Alex LeBeau, offer these services as well. Exposure litigation refers to health claims and complex legal proceedings following a purported exposure to an environmental contaminant. Dr. LeBeau provides confidential scientific guidance to organizations to assess and evaluate these types of claims.
How Industrial Hygiene Can Make a Difference
Turning back to the real-life examples above, let’s explore how industrial hygiene could have made a positive difference.
In the case of the Hinkley water contamination, there are several ways an industrial hygienist could have helped. They may have been able to identify the risk associated with the chemical used in the compressor, called out potential points of entry into the community groundwater, and made recommendations for chemical management procedures to minimize the risk. After the contamination was found, an industrial hygienist may have participated in identifying the root cause, consulted on recovery procedures and provided their knowledge and expertise to support the resulting legal proceedings.
In the case of the Lowe’s Home Improvement deaths, an industrial hygienist may have been able to identify the risk associated with the paint stripper product and how an employee or customer could be exposed to it. Based on their assessment, they may have recommended control measures to minimize the risk of exposure, provided input into training programs, and proper handling instructions.
In the Ohio train derailment scenario, the cause was said to be an overheated wheel bearing on one of the train cars. It overheated to a dangerous degree, causing the bearing to fail. Although the temperature finally triggered an alarm for operators to apply the brakes and for the emergency braking system to trigger, it was too late. An industrial hygienist’s risk assessment would have likely included equipment monitoring procedures to identify potential failure points that could lead to increased risk from subsequent chemical releases. After the derailment, industrial hygienists were likely called in to contribute their expertise to emergency response procedures, public communication and messaging, long-term health and environmental impact assessments, and remediation planning.
These examples provide just a glimpse into the multi-faceted expertise of an industrial hygienist. They use a comprehensive methodology and risk management approach. These are systematic and strategic methods that also recognize that each industry and setting is unique. From pinpointing dangers and evaluating exposures to suggesting tailored protective measures, industrial hygienists navigate the complexities of various types of industries and environments.
Below, we provide an overview of how an industrial hygienist conducts their work and applies their methodology.
Industrial Hygiene Methodology: How Do Industrial Hygienists Assess Hazards?
One of the primary responsibilities of industrial hygienists is to conduct systematic and comprehensive risk assessments to scrutinize various aspects of a workplace or setting. At a high level, there are four phases to the risk assessment.
Phase 1 - Hazard Anticipation and Identification
The first phase in an industrial hygiene risk assessment is to anticipate and identify potential hazards. Anticipation involves understanding the possibility of potential hazards in an environment before they happen. Identifying hazards involves recognizing and pinpointing specific elements, substances, or conditions that have the potential to cause harm. For example, the presence of harmful substances used in the operation of equipment such as the hexavalent chromium (Cr6) used in a compressor station, which was the source of the Hinkley water contamination.
Phase 2 - Exposure Assessment
Once potential hazards are identified, exposure assessment is a critical next step to evaluate the extent of people’s exposure to these hazards and understand the potential risks to human health.
An exposure assessment is the process of estimating or measuring the magnitude, frequency, and duration of exposure to a hazard (EPA) as well as determining how a person might be exposed, such as through inhalation, skin contact, or other means. The assessment will also examine practices and working conditions that may contribute to exposure. It defines who might be harmed and how.
The ultimate purpose of an exposure assessment is to help quantify exposures to potential health risks. This is essential for understanding how environmental factors may affect human health, guiding risk assessments, and shaping strategies to minimize or manage exposures in various settings or for specific activities. Industrial hygienists are highly qualified to implement testing methods to accurately quantify exposures in real-world scenarios.
For example, if a chemical hazard is identified, an industrial hygienist would review all of the ways someone might be exposed to the chemical, who is at risk of exposure, and how many times and how long they might be exposed.
Phase 3 - Risk Evaluation
Once potential hazards are identified and their exposure has been assessed, the next phase is risk evaluation. This involves determining the likelihood of the risk and the severity of the risk, and comparing it against given risk criteria to calculate its significance or risk level. This can make it easier to prioritize which risks need more attention and resources.
For example, for a chemical hazard, an industrial hygienist would determine the likelihood of someone being exposed and the severity of that exposure.
Phase 4 - Putting it All Together With Risk Mitigation and Management
After conducting a comprehensive risk assessment, the next step is risk mitigation and management. This involves reviewing the assessment data and findings and deciding what controls should be implemented to eliminate or reduce the risk as well as how these will be monitored for their effectiveness.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, a risk assessment must also include a continuous improvement process. As new information becomes available or as conditions change, the risk assessment needs to be revisited and updated accordingly. Regular reassessment ensures that the workplace remains safe and that controls are effective in minimizing potential hazards.
Why Your Business Needs Industrial Hygienists
By proactively managing and mitigating occupational health risks, organizations create safer workplaces and surrounding communities. Beyond safety concerns, several benefits emphasize that investing in the services of an industrial hygienist is a strategic move for your business.
Reduced Illness and Injuries and Increased Well-being
Implementing industrial hygiene best practices can aid in reducing illnesses and injuries in a variety of settings. Industrial hygienists use their expertise to identify and mitigate potential hazards before they can become serious health issues. Reducing injuries and illnesses will have a positive impact on employee health and morale.
Regulatory Compliance
Industrial hygienists help organizations comply with regulatory requirements, such as those of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Their expert guidance will help to minimize the risk of fines and penalties due to non-compliance.
Environmental Protection
An industrial hygienist can help to identify and mitigate environmental hazards and risks. Their expertise will also help companies develop sustainable and eco-friendly practices.
Improved Community Relations
Industrial hygiene will demonstrate your commitment to environmental and community health. This will have a positive impact on your company’s reputation in the community as a responsible corporate citizen.
Emergency Response Preparedness
Industrial hygienists will contribute to the development and implementation of effective emergency response plans. If an incident occurs, they will also have an active role in coordinating with emergency response teams to safeguard employees and the community.
Cost-Savings and Economic Benefits
Hiring an industrial hygienist is a strategic investment with long-term cost savings and significant economic benefits, such as:
Minimizing fines and penalties from enforcing bodies
Avoiding health claims and costly exposure litigation
Lowering insurance premiums
Decreasing employee healthcare costs
Reducing worker compensation claims
Lowering employee absenteeism and sick leave
Increasing productivity
Attracting top talent
Preserving company brand and reputation
Improved relationships with customers, suppliers, banks, and investors
Final Thoughts
Companies must prioritize the safety and well-being of their workforce, safeguard the community, and protect their reputation. Companies can’t afford to overlook their responsibility in preventing workplace and environmental hazards Industrial hygienists are your essential partners in this commitment and responsibility. Industrial hygiene will help minimize the financial impact of accidents and illnesses on both employees and the organization and will help organizations avoid the financial burdens associated with workers' compensation claims, medical expenses, and potential legal battles.
The best time to hire an industrial hygienist is before an incident happens. However, they are also key to an organization’s ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement procedures as well as emergency response planning and implementation. Proactively engaging industrial hygienists is a strategic investment which aligns with a company’s broader goals of responsible business practices and a resilient and sustainable future.
Contact us today for a confidential appointment and find out what Exposure Consulting can do to help your company stay on top of any risks, prevent incidents and unnecessary expenses, and most of all, keep your employees and the community safe.
Citations:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/iif/#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20employers%20reported%202.8,to%20460%2C700%20cases%20in%202022.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm
Gallup News: A Seven-Year Stretch of Elevated Environmental Concern https://news.gallup.com/poll/391547/seven-year-stretch-elevated-environmental-concern.aspx
National Council for Occupational Safety and Health: The Dirty Dozen 2018: https://nationalcosh.org/sites/default/files/documents/dirty-dozen-2018.pdf