Occupational Safety focuses on the health and safety of employees that work at your company
. The company has an obligation to implement steps to increase the safety of the work environment. A Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) can work with your company to take the steps needed to improve workers safety. The CIH will visit your company to determine what specific things pose risks and compile solutions to reduce the potential for injury or health risk.
Samples of different substances may be taken to determine if toxic levels exist and what exposure the employees might face on a daily basis. Air Quality samples may also be taken in different parts of the facility to evaluate if circulation is adequate in all areas of work.
Some employees face physical hazards on the job and the Certified Industrial Hygienist may recommend a piece of personal protection equipment (PPE) to be implemented. This could be a harness to safeguard the employee from a fall hazard or eye protection to shield from sharp or flying objects. The employee may be exposed to high levels of noise and need hearing protection or special clothing while working in excessively hot or cold conditions. The situations can vary widely and it is crucial the Certified Industrial Hygienist make an onsite visit to determine what physical health risks are present at the facility.
Some hazards to the employee could be chemical. Facilities with these types of hazards must take special precautions to ensure the occupational safety of each of the employees in this inherently dangerous environment. Employees should be given training on how to work with the chemicals in a safe way and the training should occur on a frequent and regularly scheduled interval. The continued education allows the employee to be refreshed on the proper ways of working with the material and allows for any updates to be implemented in a timely manner.
Occupational Safety is a major focus of OSHA and has shown to decrease workers illness and injury as different aspects are implemented to improve working conditions for employees. The company has a duty to take a proactive approach regarding workers safety during their daily roles. A resource for evaluating areas for improvement can be the Certified Industrial Hygienist. This expert has the training and knowledge to work with your company and implement solutions to improve the conditions at your company. Click here to contact a Certified Industrial Hygienist today to take the first step for your company.