Konferenzbeitrag
Using Risk Analysis to Guide Worker Protection
Vorschaubild nicht verfügbar
Volltext URI
Dokumententyp
Text/Conference Paper
Zusatzinformation
Datum
2009
Autor:innen
Zeitschriftentitel
ISSN der Zeitschrift
Bandtitel
Verlag
Shaker Verlag
Zusammenfassung
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 395 E St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201 frank.hearl@cdc.hhs.gov
Risk assessment and risk management processes are used to assess the safety and health implications of exposures to toxic substances and physical agents. Occupational hygienists use a particular set of risk assessment tools to identify, evaluate, and characterize workplace hazards. Once characterized, they develop control strategies for remediation or amelioration of occupational safety and health risks. In some cases, risk assessment is simply provided by using established occupational exposure limits (OELs) for toxic substances. The OEL provides scaling for measured concentrations of chemicals and provides a target for engineering control efforts. Using an OEL-derived hazard index also provides a tool for selecting appropriate personal protective equipment such as respirators. Alternative methods for risk management are available to occupational hygienists when OELs are inadequate or non-existent. Methods available include applying expert opinion, hazard and control banding, and direct risk analysis. To maintain credibility and acceptance, risk assessment and policy decisions based on them must be transparent. Data sources and expert system algorithms must be presented in an open manner that provides for data quality, inspection, and integrity. Access to data in real-time is also essential when direct risk assessments are used to guide controls and when methods that do not rely on established OELs are used. For example during the early phases of the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza outbreak, there were few data available on the infectivity or virulence of the virus. No vaccine is available as an alternative control measure. The risk model described here provides some insights on the decisions to provide extra precautions to health care workers treating known or suspected H1N1 cases given various assumed prevalence and infection rates.