This document provides an overview of fundamentals of industrial hygiene. It discusses how occupational health hazards can be classified as chemical, physical, biological, or ergonomic. Chemical hazards include gases, vapors, mists, and dusts. Physical hazards include extreme temperatures, radiation, noise, and vibration. Biological hazards are viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Ergonomic hazards refer to poor workplace design, awkward postures, static postures, forceful motions, and manual handling. Methods for recognizing these hazards include walkthrough inspections, reviewing work processes, gathering worker complaints, and reviewing safety data sheets.

1. Fundamentals ofIndustrial
Hygiene
P a u l J o h n R . M a l s o m
B S I E 3 1 0 1

2. Agenda
recognize the potential occupational
health hazards in the workplace.
Methods of recognizing occupational
health stresses/hazards

3. “the science and art devoted to the recognition,
evaluation and
control of environmental factors or stresses
arising in or from the workplace, which may
cause sickness, impaired health and well-being,
or significant discomfort and inefficiency
among workers or citizens of the community.”
IndustrialHygiene

4. Chemical Hazards. Occupational health
hazards arise from inhaling chemical agents in
the form of vapors, gases, dusts, fumes, and
mists, or by skin contact with these materials
Physical Hazards. Problems relating to such
things as extremes of temperature, heat
stress, vibration, radiation, abnormal air
pressure, illumination, noise, and vibration are
physical stresses.
Biological hazards are any virus, bacteria,
fungus, parasite, or living organism that can
cause a disease in human beings.
Ergonomic hazards. “Ergonomics” literally
means the customs, habits, and laws of work.
Classificationof
occupational
healthhazards
The various environmental
stresses or hazards, otherwise
known as occupational health
hazards can be classified as
chemical, physical, biological, or
ergonomic.

5. Gases are substances in gaseous state are
airborne at room temperature. Examples are
chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia,
carbonmonoxide, sulfur dioxide, phosgene
and formaldehyde.
Vapour results when substances that are liquid
at room temperature evaporate. Examples are
the components of organic solvents such as
benzene, toluene, acetone, and xylene.
Mist is a fine particles of a liquid float in air
(particle size of 5 to 100 um approximately.
Examples: nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
Dust is a solid harmful substances are ground,
cut or crushed by mechanical actions and fine
particles float in air (particle size of about 1 to
150 um). Examples are metal dusts and
asbestos.
ChemicalAgents

6. Physicalhazards
Extreme temperature. Extreme temperatures
(extreme heat and extreme cold) affect the
amount of work that people can do and the
manner in which they do it. In industry, the
problem is more often hightemperatures
rather than low temperatures.
Heat stress may be experienced by workers
exposed to excessive heat arising from work
Cold stress. Workers exposed to extreme cold
or work in cold environments such as those in
ice plants or refrigerated workplaces may be
at risk of cold stress.
Radiation. Electromagnetic waves are
produced by the motion of electrically
charged particles. These waves are also called
“electromagnetic radiation” because they
radiate from the electrically charged particles.

7. Physicalhazards
Noise or unwanted sound is a form of
vibration conducted through solids, liquids, or
gases. The level of noise in an industrial
operation can constitute a physical hazard to
the exposed workers.

8. Ergonomichazards E x a m p l e s

9. Poorwork
placedesign
c r a m p e d l e g a r e a , c r o w d e d
w o r k t a b l e , d i s t a n t w o r k m a t e r i a l s

10. Awkward body
postures
p ro l o n g e d s i tt i n g , t w i s t e d b o d y
w h i l e b e n d i n g

11. Staticposture
P r o l o n g e d s t a n d i n g w i t h o u t
m o t i o n

12. Forcefulmotion
E x t r e m e p u l l i n g a n d p u s h i n g

13. Manual
handling
I m p r o p e r c a r r y i n g o f m a t e r i a l s

14. Special
considerations
Confined space
is an enclosed or a partially enclosed space. It has restricted
entrance and exit (by location, size, and means) thus, the natural
airflow is limited.
Examples of confined space:
Storage tanks, sewers,
boilers, manholes, tunnels,
pipelines, trenches, pits,
silos, vats, utility vaults,
culverts.

15. Oxygen level in a
confined space can
decrease due to
consumption or
displacement by inert
gases such as carbon
dioxide or nitrogen.
Oxygen enriched
atmosphere exists
where oxygen in the air
is greater than 21%.
are those which contain
toxic substances in
concentrations that
exceed the Threshold
limit Value 9TLV)
Loose materials such as
fine coal, sawdust or
grains can engulf or
suffocate the workers
Hazardsofconfinedspaces
Oxygen deficiency Flammable/explosive atmosphere Toxic atmosphere Physical hazards

16. Methods of recognizing
occupational stresses/hazards

17. Walkthrough/ocularinspection

18. Reviewtheprocessinvolved

19. Knowingtherawmaterials,byproducts
andfinishproducts

20. Gatheringworkercomplaints

21. Safetydata
sheet
i s a s u m m a r y o f i m p o r t a n t
h e a l t h , s a f e t y a n d t o x i c o l o g i c a l
i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e c h e m i c a l o r
t h e m i x t u r e i n g r e d i e n t s .

22. Thank you
Email: pauljohn.malsom@g.batstate-u.edu.ph
References:
https://acao.org.ma/site/programmes/1489577987_2.pdf
https://www.360training.com/blog/fundamentals-of-safety-
management-system
https://safesitehq.com/safety-management-systems/