ABSTRACT
An effective industrial hygiene program is designed to recognize, evaluate, and control the environmental factors which can cause sickness, impaired physical or mental health, or unreasonable discomfort. The term "industrial hygiene" covers a broad spectrum of biological, chemical, and physical hazards to the employee's health, including exposures to vapors, gases, mists, dusts, fumes, smoke, and aerosols. Once an exposure is identified as excessive, engineering controls should be applied, if possible, to completely eliminate the problem. If engineering methods cannot fully control the exposure, personal protective equipment, proper employee training, and management controls can be added to the program. An effective industrial hygiene program should be based on a solid system to quantify all industrial hygiene activities. Employers are deeply obligated to assure themselves and their employees that everything practical is being done to provide a work environment that is free from conditions and/or exposures that could adversely affect workers' health or the environment.
