Industrial Hygiene / Chemical Exposure
Overview
The University of Notre Dame is committed to protecting employees from environmental hazards that arise during the course of employment. The industrial hygiene program comprises the recognition, evaluation and control of environmental health hazards. The purpose of this program is to provide minimum guidelines for industrial hygiene practices in order to identify potential occupational exposures to chemical or physical agents, methods to control those exposures, and/or the PPE necessary to reduce the exposure levels down to, or below, established Occupational Exposure Limits.
Written Program
General principles for controlling chemical exposures
The Hierarchy of Hazard Controls
- Elimination: remove the hazard from the workplace.
- Engineering controls: designs or modifications to equipment, ventilation systems, and processes that reduce the potential for exposure.
- Administrative controls: alter the way the work is done, including timing of work, policies and other rules, and work practices such as standards and operating procedures.
- Personal Protective Equipment: when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible to minimize exposure, personal protective equipment shall be used. See the Personal Protective Equipment page for more information.
Concerns regarding chemical exposure should be directed to Erin Hafner at in the Office of Risk Management and Safety.
Program Methodology
A qualitative assessment, using the Industrial Hygiene Matrix, is conducted to assess chemical inventories for spaces across campus and establish the risk of exposure for each material, byproduct, or mixture handled by an employee. Employees are prioritized for quantitative assessments based on the exposure, health effects, and rankings from the Industrial Hygiene Matrix. Monitoring results from the quantitative assessment are combined with the qualitative assessment data to establish monitoring frequencies in the sampling plan.
Resources
The following resources are available upon request from Erin Hafner.
- Industrial Hygiene Matrix
- Sampling Schedule
- Sampling Results