Recognition, Evaluation, and Control of Workplace Health Hazards

Based on The Safety Professionals Handbook, 2nd edition, Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Workplace Health Hazards provides students and SH&E professionals with a comprehensive review of workplace health regulations, and a scientific understanding of chemical, biological, and physical hazards, and how to address them. OSHA standards discussed are the ventilation, respirator, noise, hearing conservation, and ionizing radiation.

The important first chapter also provides an introduction to occupational health regulations developed by MSHA, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the EPA.

The second chapter discusses applied science and engineering principles of recognition, evaluation, and control of health hazards. That the EPA and OSHA have set different levels of acceptable risk for some chemical substances, as noted in an interesting comparison. The traditional approach in the U.S. for controlling worker exposure to hazardous airborne chemicals has been to compare the results of an exposure assessment to the occupational exposure limits (OELs). The UK s Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations, based on risk assessment and the EPA s evolving risk-assessment approaches, are reviewed.

Chapter three, Chemical Hazards provides an understanding of some of the specific terms and methodologies used in generating and understanding chemical data. Without an understanding of the terms used in published data or an appreciation for the limitations of the data as presented in studies, the safety and health professional may be unable to fully characterize a potential chemical hazard and, therefore, may compromise the approach to eliminate or control hazards through the methods listed in the chapter.

In chapter four, the author, Dr. James Rock, provides a comprehensive approach to physical hazards in the workplace by examining the effects of the accumulation of internal energy or mechanical breakage on the human body, effects that can be instantaneous or cumulative. This in-depth analysis results in a unique study of physical hazards and their elimination and remediation. The following chapter, Biological Hazards, focuses on clinical testing and microbiological research facilities. Routes of transmission, and how to conduct facility hazard assessments and control are discussed, followed by the important topic of training. Readers, even those with a background in biological agents, will find the wealth of information and recommendations that can be readily put to use to improve safety.

The review of best industrial hygiene practices should be must reading for SH&E professionals. The author, Dr. Zack Mansdorf presents the tenants of industrial hygiene, connecting the dots with safety practices to create best programs. Students will broaden their understanding of industrial hygiene practices and practicing professionals will find the connection with safety practices informative and practical.

Attention Instructors: Desk copies of this textbook are available to instructors upon request who are considering the book for course adoption. Download the Desk Copy Request form.

An Instructor's Guide containing questions and answers for each of the chapters in Recognition, Evaluation and Control of Workplace Health Hazards is available upon request at no cost to instructors who have adopted the handbook for a course. There is also a graphics package available for download with all of the graphics in jpeg format for use in the classroom.

Joel M. Haight, Ph.D, P.E., is the Branch Chief of the Human Factors Branch at the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-Na­tional Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at their Pittsburgh Office of Mine Safety and Health Research. For the nearly 10 years prior to this appointment, Dr. Haight served as an Associate Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University. He has a Ph.D and Master's degree in Industrial and Sys­tems Engineering bothfrom Auburn University.

Dr. Haight worked as a manager and an environmental and safety engineerfor the: Chevron Corporation for 18 years, prior to joining the faculty at Penn State. He has nearly 40 peer-reviewed publications and is the editor-in-chief of the American Society of Safety Engineer's The Safety Professionals Handbook. He is a professional member of Ameri­can Society of Safety Engineers, American Industrial Hygiene Associa­tion and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.