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21 CAREERS IN OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE
21.1 Occupational Hygiene Practice
Occupational hygiene services are organised in a variety of different ways depending on:
the size and resources of the employing organisation. the need for specialist expertise.
the availability of outside help.
A large company working with toxic materials will probably employ one or more occupational hygienists in-house. Small companies, or those with few
occupational health risks, will buy in services from a consultant as required. Some countries provide state occupational hygiene services, through central
institutes of occupational health. Others place statutory requirements on employers to use qualified hygienists or occupational health services. Yet
others have no regulatory requirements. In this section we will examine the roles and characteristics of the various
types of service, and of the hygiene staff within them.
21.1.1 In-house services
Generally speaking, organisations with less than 1,000 people cannot justify employing a full-time occupational hygienist. Basic hygiene services are
likely to be provided through a safety officer or occupational health nurse with a consultant being called in when needed. Exceptions to this rule tend to
occur when the company has a specific large scale occupational hygiene problem, for example in the lead industry. In the main, however, we are
talking here about large, often multinational organisations, in areas such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, metal extraction and refining, oil and gas,
electronics etc. There are also in-house services in some health authorities and in the civil service.
193 Such a service may comprise a single hygienist, or a number with different
levels of experience and seniority. They tend to develop deep expertise in those areas of occupational hygiene of particular interest to the organisation,
and individuals may well have the opportunity to publish research papers. Conversely, the breadth of expertise will only be as wide as the companys
operation. Typical jobs in an in-house function include:
Assistant hygienist or hygiene technician. He or she will have academic
qualifications ranging from GCSE in the UK [or a high school diploma in the USA] to a degree, plus specific often on-the-job training in occupational
hygiene measurement techniques. Technicians or chemists from a works laboratory often assume or transfer into such a role.
Their duties could include: measurement of worker exposure using standard techniques.
calibration and maintenance of sampling equipment. laboratory analysis of collected samples.
testing of control measures such as ventilation systems.
Usually these duties will be carried out under the supervision of a more senior hygienist. Even so, the person will need to be resourceful, observant, able to
communicate clearly and to adapt to changing technology.
Occupational hygienist, who will be expected to:
know the workplaces, plant, processes, materials, sources of exposure and people involved.
know the legal requirements which may apply. be well versed in the recognition of potential health hazards and their
association with disease or discomfort. understand the derivation of the accepted hygiene standards.
design appropriate environmental or biological sampling programmes. select, purchase, calibrate and maintain appropriate field equipment.
194 carry out surveys of the workplace and be aware of the limitations of
such surveys. evaluate the risk to health by using his professional judgement and with
reference to reliable hygiene standards. apply statistical treatment to the data obtained.
store and retrieve data as necessary. assess control methods by observation and measurement.
recommend new or improved control measures to management.
In the course of the work there will be contact with management, workforce, unions, medical, safety and engineering personnel. Service on committees,
presentations and participation in training sessions may be involved. The hygienist may also represent the company externally, to the enforcing
authorities, planning authorities etc. The full-time occupational hygienist should be of graduate calibre. He or she
should demonstrate a high degree of commitment to the profession, with all that entails.
Senior occupational hygienist, a hygienist who by dint of proven
professional competence and experience has established a more senior role within the organisation.
The senior hygienist uses past experience to introduce appropriate occupational hygiene programmes into the organisation, monitor progress and
take action as necessary. Duties may include: formulating occupational hygiene policies and standards.
auditing and monitoring the effectiveness of the policies. risk assessment of new processes, by scrutinising materials, plant
designs etc and anticipating problems. educating and training management and workforce in occupational
hygiene. supervision and professional development of hygiene staff.
management of an occupational hygiene laboratory. quality assurance of hygiene measurements and programmes.
195 At this level, excellent communication skills are essential. The senior
hygienist must be able to interpret the incoming data and persuade managers, workers or authorities accordingly. Both written and oral skills are crucial.
Other managerial skills are also expected, like the ability to develop subordinates and to control a budget. An appreciation of cost effectiveness is
essential to the task, as is an up-to-date awareness of legislation, litigation, toxicology and epidemiology.
It is likely that the senior hygienist will be very active professionally, both learning from his peers and contributing to knowledge. Committee work,
publications and presentations are a necessary part of keeping up to date and communicating your own discoveries.
With increasing seniority the hygienist should become a part of the decision making team at senior management level. The terms occupational hygiene
manager and executive hygienist are sometimes used to describe these high level roles. In a multi-national company, the hygienist may have corporate
responsibilities with an international remit. Sound judgement based on years of experience is clearly a pre-requisite. Such a hygienist becomes the primary
source of information and advice needed by senior management while retaining functional control over occupational hygiene policy and professional
practice in the organisation.
21.1.2 Consultancy