Industrial Hygienist

Some Tools of the Industrial Hygienist

This is a full face respirator with an acid-gas cartridge. This respirator would need to be worn by an employee working around fumig acids. If the employee were to work with organic solvents, a different cartridge would be installed on the front of the respirator. The respirator must also be "fit-tested" to each individual, one of the responsibilities of the IH.

Badges like these are often worn by employees during an 8-hr shift. afterwards, the badges are analyzed to determine employee exposure to a chemical(s) while on the job.

Noise exposure is an increasing concern among insurance companies and corporations.

A draegger tube is a glass tube containing sampling media through which a measured amount of air is drawn. A color change will reflect the airborne concentration of a particular chemical or group of chemicals.

Job Description

Many people spend a great deal of their lives at jobs where they are exposed to all sorts of natural and man made substances and or hazardous materials which may have an adverse effect on their health. They may also carry these toxics home to their families. For these people. Their job is a large part of their "environment". That is why Industrial Hygiene is considered an environmental job.

Industrial Hygienists most often work in companies where the majority of the employees are exposed to a potentially health threatening envirnomnent. Here, their main job responsibilities are monotoring employees exposure to environmental factors which will affect their health. The industrial hygientist may be responsible for fitting employees with monitoring devices to monitor their exposure to chemicals, heat, asbestos, noise, radiation, biological hazards, etc. Doing fit tests for protective respirators. They are responsible for recordkeeping and developing and maintaining a medical monitoring program for employees.

Medical monitoring tracks employees' exposure to hazards over a life time with regular medical check-ups. Employees exposed to lead for example are required to have regular blood tests to monitor blood levels of the heavy metal. This assures that steps being taken by company and the industrial hygienist to reduce employee exposure, such as respiratory protection or ventilation for example, are working.

Industrial Hygienists, may be doing double duty as an Environmental Health & Safety Manager They will also work with engineers to assist in reducing employee exposeure levels to hazards. One other place that you will often find an Industrial Hygienist (IH) is working for an insurance company. Insurance companies that offer workman's compensation coverage will often employ an IH to investigate accidents, exposures, and to inspect companies as a condition of coverage. Environmental consulting companies will also hire IH personnel. CIH also deal with insurance companies, purchase safety products, and may testify in court cases.

Preparation for a career as an Industrial Hygienist requires an approved course of study in industrial hygiene. This course will have a heavy emphasis on human anatomy and physiology, chemistry, ergonomics, sampling mathematics (statistics) and some engineering. Upon completion, the candidate will take a test and become a Certified Instrial Hygienist or CIH. Not entirely unlike becoming a Certified Public Accountant. Not all persons doing jobs that the CIH will do will require a CIH certification, and not all companies employ a CIH. There are many Technician level jobs that do much of the same work and require less training.

Insurance companies are requiring more and more stringent monitoring and control of occupational safety regulations. A good CIH in a larger company can recoup all or part of his salary in insurance premium savings. The outlook for future CIH jobs is steady.

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Some Tools of the Industrial Hygienist
This is a full face respirator with an acid-gas cartridge. This respirator would need to be worn by an employee working around fumig acids. If the employee were to work with organic solvents, a different cartridge would be installed on the front of the respirator. The respirator must also be "fit-tested" to each individual, one of the responsibilities of the IH.
Badges like these are often worn by employees during an 8-hr shift. afterwards, the badges are analyzed to determine employee exposure to a chemical(s) while on the job.
Noise exposure is an increasing concern among insurance companies and corporations.
A draegger tube is a glass tube containing sampling media through which a measured amount of air is drawn. A color change will reflect the airborne concentration of a particular chemical or group of chemicals.