EPU12: Three Workplaces, One Mission: What NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations Reveal About Exposure Risks and Control
Tue, 6/2: 3:45 PM - 4:10 PM CDT
Pop-Up Education Sessions
Pop-Up Education Sessions
Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center
Room: Exhibit Hall, Booth 516
Description
The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program, created under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, opened the door for workers and employers to request independent federal scientific investigations when illnesses or unexplained exposures emerged in the workplace. From its very first asbestos evaluation in 1970, the program established a reputation for objective, boots on the ground inquiry-bringing industrial hygienists, physicians, engineers, and epidemiologists directly into real world environments to uncover chemical, physical, biological, and emerging hazards.
This session highlights three early HHE investigations that reveal the program's unique blend of scientific rigor and field-tested creativity: a federal agency office, a metropolitan sewer district, and a major tire manufacturing plant. Despite their vastly different settings, each evaluation showcases the same core strengths: on site assessments, exposure measurements, worker engagement, and practical, evidence-based recommendations that improved workplace health and safety.
Attendees will discover how NIOSH investigators approached complex and sometimes surprising hazards with innovation, adaptability, and problem-solving strategies rarely taught in classrooms but forged through real world experience. These case studies demonstrate not only what was found, but how investigators traced exposures back to their sources, identified effective controls, and navigated environments where the unexpected was the norm. Join the lead investigator of these HHEs for a fast paced, story driven look at how early HHEs shaped modern occupational health practice and how the lessons learned from these diverse workplaces continue to inspire today's OEHS professionals.
This session highlights three early HHE investigations that reveal the program's unique blend of scientific rigor and field-tested creativity: a federal agency office, a metropolitan sewer district, and a major tire manufacturing plant. Despite their vastly different settings, each evaluation showcases the same core strengths: on site assessments, exposure measurements, worker engagement, and practical, evidence-based recommendations that improved workplace health and safety.
Attendees will discover how NIOSH investigators approached complex and sometimes surprising hazards with innovation, adaptability, and problem-solving strategies rarely taught in classrooms but forged through real world experience. These case studies demonstrate not only what was found, but how investigators traced exposures back to their sources, identified effective controls, and navigated environments where the unexpected was the norm. Join the lead investigator of these HHEs for a fast paced, story driven look at how early HHEs shaped modern occupational health practice and how the lessons learned from these diverse workplaces continue to inspire today's OEHS professionals.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, the participant will be able to:
• Describe the purpose and early development of the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program and its role in workplace investigations.
• Compare investigative approaches used across three diverse HHE case studies, including exposure assessment, worker engagement, and source identification.
• Identify creative, field-based problem-solving strategies used by NIOSH investigators to evaluate and control unexpected or complex workplace hazards.
• Describe the purpose and early development of the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program and its role in workplace investigations.
• Compare investigative approaches used across three diverse HHE case studies, including exposure assessment, worker engagement, and source identification.
• Identify creative, field-based problem-solving strategies used by NIOSH investigators to evaluate and control unexpected or complex workplace hazards.
Core Competencies
Exposure Assessment
Work Environments, Occupations, and Industrial Processes
Keywords
Aerosol and airborne particulate monitoring
Exposure Assessment
Indoor air quality
Session Availability
In-person
OnDemand
Targeted Audience
Practitioner