Industrial Hygienist Services for Workplace Exposure Control

Total Group provides Industrial Hygienist services to help identify, evaluate and control workplace health hazards. The work can support decisions about air quality, chemical exposure, noise and other environmental health risks in industrial, construction, maintenance and operating environments.

What an industrial hygiene assessment examines

An assessment starts with the work being done, the materials and equipment involved, and the people who may be exposed. Depending on the site and the question being answered, the work may include a review of processes, a site inspection, discussions with workers and supervisors, and targeted measurements. The objective is to understand where an exposure may occur, how it changes during the work, and which controls are practical for the operation.

Air and chemical exposure work may consider the substances in use, routes of exposure, duration and frequency of tasks, ventilation, dusts, fumes, vapours or mists, and existing work practices. Where measurement is needed, the sampling approach should match the substance, task and applicable jurisdiction. Results can then be compared with the occupational exposure limits or other criteria that apply to the project. An exposure limit is not a guarantee that a condition is safe; CCOHS recommends keeping exposures as low as possible and treating limits as one part of the control process. CCOHS guidance on occupational exposure limits

Noise assessments look at sources, operating conditions, worker locations and the pattern of exposure over the shift. A walk-through survey may identify noisy areas and equipment. If noise varies or workers move through the site, personal dosimetry may be more useful than a single spot reading. CCOHS guidance on workplace noise measurement explains how the measurement method should follow the purpose of the assessment and the standard or regulation that applies.

From findings to workable controls

Monitoring is only one part of the service. Findings can help the client decide whether a hazard should be removed, reduced at the source, separated from workers, managed through work practices, or supported with personal protective equipment. The appropriate response depends on the hazard, the task, the equipment, the work schedule and the conditions observed. Total Group can help organise the assessment around the control decisions the site needs to make, rather than treating a reading as the end of the process.

For example, a chemical exposure concern may lead to a closer review of containment, ventilation, handling, storage, decontamination or worker information. A noise concern may require consideration of equipment, operating methods, restricted areas, hearing protection and worker training. These examples describe planning considerations. They do not replace the client’s own legal, medical or engineering responsibilities.

Documentation that supports the next decision

Depending on the agreed scope, the work may produce a written assessment, field observations, measurement results, task or area descriptions, limitations on representativeness, and recommendations for follow-up. Good records identify what was measured, when and where it was measured, which tasks or workers were considered, what equipment or method was used, and what site conditions could affect interpretation. The client can then connect the findings to its hazard assessment, exposure-control procedures, training, maintenance or project planning.

For Alberta workplaces, the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code, Part 4 requires an employer to identify health hazards and assess worker exposure where a worker may be exposed to a harmful substance. It also sets requirements for competent airborne measurements and retaining measurement records. Alberta’s Part 16: Noise includes requirements for noise reduction, assessment, records and a noise management program where excess noise is confirmed. These are Alberta legal requirements, not a universal rule for every Canadian workplace. The applicable province, territory, federal jurisdiction and any client or contract requirements must be confirmed for each project.

Plan the assessment around the work

Before an assessment begins, useful information includes the site and employment jurisdictions, the work process, substances and equipment involved, shift patterns, areas of concern, prior measurements, relevant safety data sheets, changes in production or maintenance, and the decision the client needs the assessment to support. This helps define whether the work should focus on a specific task, an area, a group of workers, a process change or a broader exposure-control question.

To discuss an Industrial Hygienist assessment, contact Total Group with the work activity, location, hazard concern and timing under consideration. We can review the requirements with you and clarify the appropriate scope, information needed, documentation and regulatory framework before work proceeds.