Industrial Hygiene for the Construction Safety Professional

OSHA is implementing more measures to protect the health of construction workers, under the guidance of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). A recent study by the AIHA that involved 32 states has established a Focus-Four for construction health hazards:

· Manual Material Handling (ergonomics)

· Noise · Air Contaminants (respiratory protection)

· High Temperatures (OSHA proposed standard)

Additional health concerns for construction workers includes:

· Heavy metal exposures

· Common chemicals used in construction

· Responding to a chemical spill on the jobsite

· Biological jobsite hazards · Vibration (NIOSH Guidelines)

This program is designed to provide the knowledge needed to successfully integrate industrial hygiene into a company’s occupational health and safety program.