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| Occupational Hygiene Consulting Services |
| GETEX provides a complete range of Occupational Hygiene Consulting Services covering asbestos, lead, dust, silica, various chemical compounds including Volatile Organic Compounds, VOCs, and many others. There are specific GETEX brochures available for a number of these. Some of these brochures describe how something is detected or measured, however measurement is just one step in the process. The potential problem must first be identified, the need for exposure measurement determined, the design of the measurement operation worked out and the results analysed and compared with guidelines. Following this there needs to be an assessment of the risk and the control measures needed to manage any risk. |
| The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 and its Regulation 2001 require employers to assess the hazards and evaluate and control the risk. Hence the first step is design of the assessment work, including taking measurements, the second step is evaluating the risk, and the third is deciding upon and implementing appropriate control measures. |
| Possible risk control measures form a suite ranging from replacing the hazardous substance with some thing less toxic, preventing exposure by various means such as exhaust fans, or the wearing of personal protective clothing or equipment (PPE), as well as good hygiene and housekeeping including regular washing of hands before breaks. Obviously these form a hierarchy where removing the potential exposure is more desirable than preventing exposure by the use of PPE. |
| This process of risk assessment and control should be part of an overall company Occupational Health and Safety System and Management Plan. Because many of the Hazardous Materials that generate Occupational Hygiene issues also carry with them Environmental issues such as how to dispose of waste, how to treat a spill, how to store, it is often appropriate to consider also the Environmental issues at the same time. |
| Sudden problems with Hazardous Material can arise and precipitate industrial relations and public relations issues. A typical example is when some material has been spilt. It is running down the drain, someone has been covered with it, the neighbours are complaining about the odour, the union has arrived, the local paper has called, it is after 5 pm on a Friday and it is discovered that when the material had been changed to this new type three months ago no new Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) had been obtained. |
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| Airborne Contaminant Monitoring |
| Workplace airborne contaminant monitoring is often the first phase of a comprehensive risk assessment. It provides the data required to measure effectively the risk of the potential hazard and compare the airborne levels with the appropriate guidelines/standards. |
| Common workplace monitoring requirements include; Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Formaldehyde, Lead, Welding Fumes, Inhalable (Inspirable) Dust, Respirable Dust, and Silica. Some of the above contaminants are best datalogged over a long period as large fluctuations can occur over the day (e.g. Airborne Dust levels). Where appropriate, Getex utilise electronic datalogging devices to assess accurately the level of airborne contaminants and provide the client with a more accurate assessment of the workplace. Where applicable, all monitoring is carried out in accordance with relevant Australian standards/guidelines. |
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| Assessment of MSDS and Planning of Programming |
In many cases the first step in planning an Occupational Hygiene Program is to assess the Material Safety Data Sheets, MSDS, for all the materials used by an organization. We look for a range of things including the allowable airborne concentrations, also know as Exposure Standards. These can be 8 hour Time Weighted Averages, TWA, or Short Term Exposure Limits, STEL, or in some cases, Peak Allowable Exposures. Some of the materials are gaseous and have Exposure Standards based on the amount of airborne material per cubic meter of air. Others are either solid particles or are adsorbed on the surface of solid particles and are measured on either the inhalable or fine respirable fraction of airborne dust.
In planning the Program our hygienists must take into account any additive effects of a combination of materials, and must also take into account a different time of exposure eg a 10 hour working day. |
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| Indoor Air Quality Assessments |
| There is increasing attention being paid to indoor air quality in commercial, government & residential environments. This is because more and more studies are showing that long term exposure to poor indoor air quality may result in serious health effects. These health effects can range from general discomfort and poor morale, breathing difficulties, asthma irritation and onset and other asthma like symptoms through to rashes & skin infections and chronic lung diseases. Additionally employers realise that better indoor air quality is 'seen to be green' and may increase the productivity of employees. |
| An indoor air quality assessment is a key part to ensuring that your workplace is a healthy and productive one. |
| An Indoor Air Quality study measures parameters such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2) & carbon monoxide (CO). It can also cover airborne dusts and biological contaminants such as mould. In certain circumstances, other site specific contaminants can also be targeted (e.g. paper dust (as cellulose) and airborne toner cartridge ink particulates). |
| By employing the services of an occupational hygienist at Getex you can have your home or workplace assessed to determine if you live and work in a healthy environment or, where you have concerns whether your home or work may be affecting your health, an indoor air quality assessment is an easy way to determine if a hazard is present. If this is the case the occupational hygienist can make recommendations to remediate any issue that arises during the assessment. |
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| Mould |
| Mould in the home or office can grow on just about anything. From the structural roofing timbers to the paper in your hands right now. All that is required for mould to grow is a small quantity of moisture. In some circumstances even a low level of humidity produces enough moisture to support the growth of mould. With the shorter days of winter providing less radiant sunlight and more rain, moisture ingress and mould growth becomes quite prevalent in some buildings. |
| Mould can affect health by releasing spores into the environment which can cause breathing difficulties, allergic reactions, dermatitis and even systemic infections such as septicaemia in extreme cases. Even spores of mould which are not alive can still cause respiratory problems to building occupants. |
| By employing the services of an occupational hygienist such as Getex we can assess your home or office right now. Some of the basic services we offer in doing a mould assessment include: |
- Full visual inspection of the building for evidence of mould growth and/or signs of water leaks and moisture accumulation.
- Air sampling for mould using a specially designed air sampler and selective nutrient agar medium for the capture, growth & isolation of any airborne mould.
- Surface sampling for mould using specially designed agar plates containing a selective nutrient agar medium to lift, grow & isolate mould directly off any surface.
- Atmospheric assessments of temperature and humidity to determine if mould growth can be supported in the environment.
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| Recommendations on remediation if required, including interim control measures and primary & secondary measures required to fix the mould problem (e.g. mould treatment, rectification of moisture accumulation, changes to building ventilation systems, etc). |
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