Client Description: Manufacturing Facilities

In order to determine employee exposure potentials, breathing zone air samples are collected for chemical substances such as formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, chloroform, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, ethyl alcohol, chlorine, potassium chromate, fluorides, glutaraldehyde, isopropyl alcohol, sodium hydroxide, ozone, total and respirable dust, respirable talc dust, toluene, silver, zinc oxide, welding fumes, acetic anhydride, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen chloride, acetic acid, hydrogen fluoride, ammonia, 2-butanone, titanium dioxide, 1,4 dioxane, pentane, methanol, thermal decomposition products, and vinyl chloride.

Direct-reading instruments are used to determine employee exposure potentials to chemical substances such as acetic acid, methanol, ethyl alcohol, toluene, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride, n-hexane, ozone, ammonia, oxygen, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The direct-reading instruments that have been typically used include, smart-sensor, meters, photoionization detectors (PIDs) to determine exposure potentials to general VOCs, and a Dräger colorimetric detector tube apparatus.

Personal and area noise monitoring are performed to determine employee exposure potentials and assess the need for controls and/or the effectiveness of controls currently in use. Noise mapping is also performed on occasion to assist in visualizing noise sources by area.

Direct-reading instruments are also used to measure employee exposure potentials to physical agents such as noise, electromagnetic fields, as well as to measure relative humidity and temperature in office areas, hood-face velocities for various types of local exhaust ventilation systems, illumination levels, and heat and cold stress exposure.

Sampling and monitoring strategies include assessment involving at least three employees in each job classification at each of work station. This is the policy of the client so that HygieneTech may obtain valid and accurate exposure data that have been shown to be reproducible. Note that when personal monitoring is not possible, area sampling is performed in triplicate.

All collected data are evaluated in light of applicable occupational safety and health regulations that exist in the country where the surveys are performed, along with the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value (TLV) recommended guidelines, OSHA permissible exposure limits, and the client’s internal exposure limits.