4 Key Challenges Facing Industrial Hygienists and How to Tackle Them

Industrial hygiene is a discipline that combines science with pragmatism to identify, assess and control risks within the workplace. It is defined by OSHA as a profession “devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being.” As such, industrial hygienists are uniquely trained to protect workers from many of the “unseen” hazards and risks present in the workplace.  

What Types of Hazards Do Industrial Hygienists Identify?

Industrial hygienists assess various workplace risks, including biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, ergonomic hazards and other factors that could pose significant health risks. By pinpointing these hazards, they help organizations implement effective controls to ensure a safer, healthier working environment. 

However, in order to do their job effectively, industrial hygiene professionals need access to past reports, hazard assessments and known exposure records to determine any hazards. They need the ability to gather and assess this data effectively to determine a baseline knowledge of where the organization has been with their workplace exposures. This presents the industrial hygienist with particular challenges. Let’s explore some of these obstacles in more detail.  

What Challenges Do Industrial Hygienists Face?

The field of industrial hygiene is based around four key principles related to incident management. These are: 

• Anticipation – using knowledge, trend analysis and awareness to anticipate where hazards might take shape. 

• Recognition – relying on expertise to spot and identify risks. 

• Evaluation – using a comprehensive assessment to evaluate risks and hazards.  

• Control – implementing control measures to minimize or eliminate exposure to the hazard. 

The main challenges facing industrial hygienists require them to stay one step ahead of the problem. They must gather enough quality data to make accurate assessments while employing methods and strategies to help them implement corrective measures quickly and effectively. The challenges they face can fall into categories such as: 

• Recent data – outdated information puts people at risk. It may present false reassurance regarding the safe situation of the workplace, and it may provide the wrong information about the health and safety of a dangerous substance or process. In short, outdated information may expose people to unnecessary risk. 

• Changing hazards with new chemicals/processes – new products or processes present new and different hazards. An industrial hygienist must assess the process to ensure it minimizes any potential adverse effects of a substance or run-off of an unexpected substance.  

• Need for regular samples – in order to stay fully informed, an industrial hygienist needs the ability to regularly gather samples from the workplace to make sure hazards are within acceptable parameters.  

• Need for ongoing assessment – industrial hygiene professionals need the ability to gather information and assess it quickly and effectively.  

• Clear path to deliver preventative measures – once the risk has been identified, the right corrective action must be implemented swiftly. Industrial hygiene practitioners must have the tools to take the necessary preventative steps. 

How Can Software Help?

The right safety software allows industrial hygiene practitioners to do their job more efficiently, supporting them in all four key aspects of their role: 

1. Anticipate  

Professionals working in industrial hygiene must be able to anticipate potential hazards and adverse effects by thoroughly understanding processes and chemicals present in the workplace. By analyzing data on current conditions, they can identify potential risks before they escalate. Safety software supports this proactive approach by enabling efficient data collection, risk analysis and visualization of actionable insights. This allows industrial hygienists to take better preventative measures. 

2. Recognize  

Reliable, up-to-date data is essential in allowing industrial hygiene professionals to properly assess and identify risks. The ability to draw on live information in real time with the help of a chemical inventory, SDS, JHA or chemical assessment allows the industrial hygienist to identify and address hazards and risks early. Automation can also help this process as it preemptively highlights risks and eliminates the need for time-consuming manual checks. 

3. Evaluate  

Evaluation occurs through a variety of methods, including air sampling, personal monitoring, biological monitoring and residuals. Once equipped with data from the necessary evaluation tools, an organization needs the ability to properly collate and store that information. Rather than relying on filed reports which are soon out of date, software stores and monitors the data for quick access at a later date. 

4. Control 

The ability to accurately and quickly identify a risk means the industrial hygienist can take preventative action in a timelier manner. They can pinpoint the source of the issue, allowing them to minimize the scope of the shutdown and reduce disruption and downtime. 

The technical nature of industrial hygiene can present particular challenges that safety software is uniquely equipped to meet. Not only can it collate, organize and assess vast quantities of data to deliver valuable insight, but it can do this in real time. This gives industrial hygiene professionals a live picture of their operations and any existing or emerging risks. They can be proactive in addressing any issues, keeping them one step ahead at all times. 

To see how our industrial hygiene management software can help you confront your industrial hygiene challenges, visit our solutions page below!