3Q1: Recognizing and Managing Health Hazards in the Workplace

This assignment addresses the recognition and management of health hazards in the workplace, focusing on industrial hygiene principles. It begins by matching industrial hygiene terms with their definitions, covering topics such as toxicity, dose, and various exposure routes. The assignment then delves into substance-specific standards, as established by organizations like NIOSH and OSHA, and explores the differences between toxicity and hazard. It also compares and contrasts teratogens and mutagens, highlighting their impacts on the human body. Furthermore, the assignment presents a case study involving a manufacturing plant, analyzing the use of TLVs, air sampling, and biological sampling to monitor hazardous substances. It examines the development of TLVs, the drawbacks of air sampling, and the application of biological sampling techniques. The assignment emphasizes the importance of worker safety and adherence to federal guidelines in mitigating workplace health risks. The assignment concludes with a discussion of the methods used for analyzing biological samples.

Running head: 3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE
3Q1: Recognizing Health Hazards in the Workplace
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 1
Match the following Industrial Hygiene terms to their definitions. Just put the letter from the
definition next to the word.
Toxicity Q
toxic effect D
dose J
potency B
asphyxiant V
gases U
solvents W
boiling point Y
vapor pressure P
flash point M
pneumoconiosis A
particle deposition T
particle cloud F
acclimation or acclimatization G
micro-organisms and their toxins R
arthropods S
allergens and toxins from higher plants C
protein allergens from vertebrate animals N
infection O
inhalation route I
percutaneous route K

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 2
contact route H
gastrointestinal route L
infectious dose E
containment X
A.
the accumulation of insoluble dust in the lungs and the reaction of the tissues to its presence.
B.
body's natural ability to increase the tolerance to heat stress exposures
C.
pollen, oils
D.
the number of microorganisms required to initiate an infection.
E.
the relationship between the dose (amount) of the chemical and the response produced in a
biological system.
F.
large masses of particles suspended in air
G.
the lowest temperature at which a liquid gives off enough vapor to form an ignitable mixture
with the air near the surface of the liquid.
H.

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 3
the suction of infectious materials or by hand-to-mouth contamination as the result of eating,
drinking, smoking, or applying cosmetics in contaminated work areas.
I.
airborne transmission of infectious particles into the respiratory system
J.
the concentration (quantity) of a substance that is introduced into an animal.
K.
infectious agents introduced into the body when contaminated objects or animals puncture, cut,
or scratch the skin
L.
spills or splashes of infectious materials contact mucosal membranes or skin surfaces that are not
intact.
M.
the removal of a particle from an aerosol state
N.
viruses, bacteria, fungi

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 4
O.
the entry and development of bacteria, protozoa, and the larval forms of multicellular organisms
in the bodies of people, animals, or plants.
P.
the pressure exerted by a vapor when it is at the same temperature as its condensed phase (liquid
or solid).
Q.
the capacity of a chemical to harm or injure a living organism and/or is the ability of a substance
to produce an unwanted effect when the substance has reached a sufficient concentration at the
certain site in the body.
R.
urine, feces, hair, saliva, and dander
S.
crustaceans, arachnids, insects
T.
reversible or irreversible harmful effect on the body as a result of contact with a substance via
the respiratory tract, skin, eye, mouth, or another route.

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 5
U.
a formless fluid that completely fills its container and exerts an equal pressure in all directions.
V.
systemic toxins that interfere with oxygenation of the tissues, resulting in physiologic suffocation
as the tissues become deprived of oxygen.
W.
liquids in which something, called the solute, can be dissolved
X.
the safe methods, facilities, and equipment for managing infectious materials in the laboratory
environment where they are being handled or maintained.
Y.
the temperature at which the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the pressure of the surrounding
environment.

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 6
What is included in a complete substance-specific standard, such as those established by NIOSH
and OSHA?
Occupational health safety and administration OSHA has listed the following list of drugs into its
substance-specific group. The drugs are mainly carcinogens and include asbestos, lead, benzene,
vinyl chloride, cadmium, methyl chloride, and fomaldehyde. When the organization founds that
any of the employees has been exposed to these chemicals, it has to make sure that the employee
is exposed to sufficient care (AMI Environment, 2013)
What do toxicologist feel is the difference between toxicity and hazard?
Toxicologists feel that Hazardous materials are not always poisonous, but all poisons are
hazardous.
Compare and contrast teratogens and mutagens.
Tetragens cause changes on the embyo, causing changes on the fetal formation, but are not
specific on the genetic material. Mutagens interfere with the genetic material and cause
irreversible changes on genes (EHS Publishing, 2019). The similarity is that they both cause
changes in the human body when one ix exposed to them.
Macken Materials has been using chemical agents in its manufacturing processes for many years.
It has had an industrial toxicologist, Robert Caberno, on its staff for just as long. Mr. Caberno
has been responsible for monitoring existing chemical hazards and identifying new hazards as
various chemicals were introduced into the manufacturing processes over the years. The
inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, and injection hazards in the plant have been evaluated on a
regular basis, and Mr. Caberno has made sure Macken is adhering to federal guidelines for
worker safety in the industry. In particular, he has emphasized air sampling and TLV standards

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 7
as ways of assessing possible degrees of exposure for Macken employees. In addition, he has
integrated some biological sampling into his program.
In recent weeks you were hired to assist Mr. Caberno. Your first project is to evaluate the use of
TLVs, air sampling, and biological sampling monitoring hazardous substances.
Answer the following questions:
1. How were TLVs developed and what are the more common drawbacks of TLVs and air
sampling?
Threshold air limits values (TLVs) were developed by the American Conference for the
Government Hygienists to set standards for air quality limits. The model is used to determine the
amount of chemicals in air that set standards for the amount of chemicals in air which a person
can withstand without suffering harm.
2. Can biological sampling be used in place of air sampling?
According to Macher (2017), biological sampling is more specific compared to air sampling.
This makes it more reliable in assessing the individual risk of exposure to chemicals, compared
to air sampling. This indicates that it can be used in place of air sampling, but air sampling
cannot substitute it in the workplace.
3. What are some ways in which biological samples can be analyzed?
Analysis of biological samples can be done through culturing. In this method, the biological
samples are categorized by their individual properties in their distinct colonies. Some of the

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 8
properties include looking into their distinct abilities of causing diseases. The second method is
the direct examination of the biological samples under the microscope (Macher, 2017). The cells
of the microorganisms are observed under the microscope to determine if they can cause
diseases.

3Q1: RECOGNIZING HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE WORKPLACE 9
References
AMI Environmental (2013). What you should know about substance-specific standards.
Retrieved from https://amienvironmental.com/what-you-should-know-about-substance-
specific-standards/
EHS Publishing (2019). Mutagens, tetragens, and carcinogens. Retrieved from
http://www.ehspublishing.com/index.php/general/78-mutagens-teratogens-and-
carcinogens
Macher, J., M. (2017). Air sampling methods for biological contaminants. Itslego. Retrieved
from http://staffweb.itsligo.ie/staff/mabroaders/webbased/EnvSci/ES3/Air
%20pollution/Air%20Sampling%20Methods%20for%20Biological
%20Contaminants.htm