D9: Four Unique Health Hazard Evaluations by NIOSH
Mon, 6/1: 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM CDT
Education Sessions
Education Sessions
Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center
Room: 395
CM Credit Hours: 1
Description
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program helps employees, unions, and employers throughout the United States by evaluating health and safety concerns in various workplaces. During this session, we will discuss recent interesting HHEs that NIOSH teams have completed. We will present methods, findings, and recommendations from evaluations of 1) lead exposure at a bullet recycling 2) mercury exposure at an electronics recycling company, 3) noise exposure in a clinical laboratory, and 4) illicit drug exposures in a toxicology laboratory.
The first HHE was requested by management of a lead bullet recycling company to evaluate lead exposure among employees processing lead-containing bullets. The request occurred after the State Department of Health identified a group of employees with elevated blood lead levels (above 40 micrograms per deciliter).
For the second HHE, management of an electronics recycling company was concerned about employee exposure to mercury while recovering and recycling mercury dust from lightbulbs and other electronics.
In the third, HHE, requested by management of a state government laboratory, we evaluated employee noise exposure from instruments and equipment in newborn screening and microbiology laboratories and from the ventilation system in the molecular laboratories.
The fourth HHE was requested by management of a state police agency who was concerned about potential occupational exposure to illicit drugs among employees working in a toxicology laboratory.
The first HHE was requested by management of a lead bullet recycling company to evaluate lead exposure among employees processing lead-containing bullets. The request occurred after the State Department of Health identified a group of employees with elevated blood lead levels (above 40 micrograms per deciliter).
For the second HHE, management of an electronics recycling company was concerned about employee exposure to mercury while recovering and recycling mercury dust from lightbulbs and other electronics.
In the third, HHE, requested by management of a state government laboratory, we evaluated employee noise exposure from instruments and equipment in newborn screening and microbiology laboratories and from the ventilation system in the molecular laboratories.
The fourth HHE was requested by management of a state police agency who was concerned about potential occupational exposure to illicit drugs among employees working in a toxicology laboratory.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, the participant will be able to:
• Identify methods used by the HHE Program to evaluate occupational exposure to lead, mercury, noise, and illicit drugs in four unique work settings.
• Describe engineering and administrative controls recommended by the HHE Program to reduce occupational exposures to lead, mercury, noise, and illicit drugs in four unique work settings.
• Make recommendations for improvement in all four work settings, following the hierarchy of controls
• Identify methods used by the HHE Program to evaluate occupational exposure to lead, mercury, noise, and illicit drugs in four unique work settings.
• Describe engineering and administrative controls recommended by the HHE Program to reduce occupational exposures to lead, mercury, noise, and illicit drugs in four unique work settings.
• Make recommendations for improvement in all four work settings, following the hierarchy of controls
Core Competencies
Chemical Hazards
Exposure/Control Banding
Hazard Recognition/Exposure Assessment
Keywords
Exposure Assessment
Labs – Health & Safety, Testing
Session Availability
In-person
Targeted Audience
Practitioner
Transfer of Knowledge
Case Studies