What is Occupational Hygiene?
We want Australian workers to be able to go home safely at the end of each day to their family and friends.
Occupational hygienists use science and technology to measure worker exposures, assess worker risks and develop controls to improve the workplace environment. Occupational hygienists can provide advice on control strategies including hazard elimination, engineering modifications, administrative controls and finally personal protective equipment. We focus on worker health protection by assessing the risk of hazards and improving work conditions and work practices.
Health hazards frequently encountered in the workplace include noise, whole body and hand arm vibration from tools and mobile equipment, chemicals from processing and maintenance activities as well as dusts such as asbestos, respirable crystalline silica, coal dust and diesel exhaust particulate. In times of climate change, issues such as heat stress from elevated ambient temperatures, bush fires, as well as moulds from floods, also pose significant risks to workers and occupational hygienists can provide assessment and management of these hazards to ensure the continued health of all workers.
There are many ways that workers can be exposed to health hazards. Occupational hygienists provide the expertise and technical knowledge to help manage these risks