Page 44 - OHS, September 2021

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
LOCATION
JOB
TASK
STRESSORS
EXPOSURE RATING
HEALTH EFFECT RATING
RISK RATING
UNCERTAINTY RATING
INFO GATHER PRIORITY RATING
Tank Farm
Operator
Gauging
Benzene
3
3
9
2
18
Coker Unit
Operator
Routine Work Duties
Hydrogen Sulfide
2
2
4
2
8
Maintenance
Pipefitter
Welding
Lead
2
3
6
1
6
Maintenance
Pipefitter
Welding
Iron
2
2
4
1
Alky Unit
Operator
Routine Work Duties
Hydrofluoric Acid
1
3
3
1
3
Alky Unit
Operator
Routine Work Duties
Noise
3
3
9
0
0
Coker Unit
Operator
Routine Work Duties
Benzene
1
3
3
0
0
Maintenance
Maintenance Technician
Gasket Replacement
Asbestos
2
3
6
0
0
Reformer Unit
Operator
Routine Work Duties
Noise
3
3
9
0
0
Reformer Unit
Operator
Routine Work Duties
Benzene
2
3
6
0
0
Reformer Unit
Operator
Liquid Sampling
Benzene
4
3
12
0
0
Table 1: Extension of QEAs for determining Info Gather Priority Rating
of work you did to provide options, and not putting them into the position where they are simply approving or disapproving a control measure for which they had no input.
Present a financial analysis. Most of us are not experts on financial analysis, but we still should be able to provide some basic information about control alternatives, including:
■ Price
■ Return on Investment (Percent cost savings or benefits in dollars above the cost of the control over a specified time period.) ■ Breakeven Point (How long it takes for the benefits from installing the control to pay for itself, every day after the breakeven
point translates to a cost savings for the company.)
When gathering financial information, remember to add items such as increased production, improved quality, decreased loss of product, reduced PPE expense, fewer days away, etc. Sometimes those additional items have the biggest influence on supporting
the investment for the control.
Improve the Resolution of Your Risk Assessments
To get the full picture of the status of your IH program, you also need to identify and illustrate your level of confidence with your QEAs. This is best indicated by an uncertainty rating assigned to each QEA.
In Table 1, line items with an uncertainty rating of zero indicate a high degree of confidence, while those with a 1 (uncertain) or 2 (highly uncertain) need additional investigation—thus, a higher info gathering priority rating.
Using the information in Table 1, you can quickly and effectively show stakeholders some key IH program insights, including:
■ The current number of risk assessments and what level of risk they each have (e.g. high, medium, low)
■ Details of the jobs, tasks, location and stressors that make up the health risks
■ The degree of certainty with our health risk ratings
■ Where additional resources are needed to improve the degree of confidence in the health risk ratings
To ensure effective communication of risks, these values should be discussed with workers and management to give them ample opportunity to ask questions and have an open dialogue on the data. Ideally, this will instill greater understanding and appreciation of what IH is and its value to the business and ultimately strengthen engagement with your IH program.
Better Communication for Today and Tomorrow
If you struggle with communicating your IH program status with stakeholders, know that you’re not alone. However, it’s important to recognize the role communication plays in expressing the value of IH across your organization and gaining leadership support. A comprehensive IH program has many moving parts. Your SEGs, QEAs, sampling plans, lab analysis, reporting and MSPs and reporting all deserve equal focus. They should be carefully coordinated to ensure optimum IH program performance. IH is essential for protecting employees from injuries and illnesses, and communication is the cornerstone of demonstrating that value. Make sure your voice is being heard, and you’re being recognized for the significant contributions to overall business goals.
Dave Risi, CIH, CSP is a Principal Solutions Strategist, Industrial Hygiene at VelocityEHS.
40 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2021
www.ohsonline.com