Industrial Hygiene

Industrial hygiene, also known as Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS), is the scientific discipline dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental stressors that may pose health risks to workers or those in nearby communities. Our work also extends to assessing how the broader environment—including non-chemical stressors and cumulative exposures— impact human health.

We bring certified and experienced professionals for evaluating a wide range of workplace and community stressors, including chemical substances, biological agents, hazardous noise, thermal hazards, and radiation.

ToxStrategies experts have experience in nearly every industry sector to assist companies in developing and maintaining programs that provide healthy work environments. Our scientists have also conducted original research to characterize the potential for risk to workers and develop solutions for minimizing the risk. ToxStrategies capabilities include:

Chemical Hazard Assessment

• Systematic reviews of published literature to support hazard assessments
• Toxicity test study design and study monitoring
• Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and readacross evaluations
• Hazard classification of chemical substances and mixtures
• Nanomaterial toxicity evaluation
• Occupational exposure level (OEL) development and occupational exposure banding (OEB)

Exposure Assessment

• Qualitative and semi-quantitative approaches
  • Conceptual exposure model and identification of conditions of use
  • Development of similar exposure groups (SEGs)
  • Critical analysis of existing data sets to characterize worker exposure and support risk assessments
  • Observational studies of workers to derive exposure factors
• Quantitative approaches
  • Design, review, and analysis of biomonitoring studies
  • Mathematical modeling and exposure simulation studies to predict or retrospectively assess chemical exposures
  • Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to quantify the relationship between exposure and toxicological response
• Sampling and monitoring
  • On-site sampling to assess exposure to chemicals and biological substances
  • Indoor air quality (IAQ) assessment to evaluate impacts from the built environment to building occupants

Risk Management

• Evaluate hierarchy of controls to manage worker risk
• Develop and assess chemicalspecific OSHA programs and EPA Workplace Chemical Protection Program (WCPP)
• Recommendations for and evaluation of ventilation controls
• Development of occupational health monitoring programs
• Development and evaluation of employee training materials

Risk Communication

• Safety Data Sheet (SDS) review and warnings assessments
• Employee and community meetings to discuss risk assessment findings
• Expertise in regulatory compliance, including OSHA, Amended TSCA, and California Proposition 65

Click here for ToxStrategies’ industrial hygiene publications.

Models & Programs

• IH MOD/IH SkinPerm, ChemSTEER, ConsExpo, Consumer Exposure Model (CEM)
• ECETOC TRA, Advanced Reach Tool (ART), NHANES, FNDDS
• EPA CPDat, ECHA Chemical Information, EPA CompTox, OECD eCHEM
• EPISuite, OPERA, AERMOD
• Statistical frameworks such as MonteCarlo, Bayesian, and censored data techniques (MLE, logprobit, Kaplan-Meier)

References

• GHS: OSHA and REACH/CLP
• Toxicology
• Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) Modeling
• PBPK and IVIVE
• Proposition 65

Case Study #1: Industrial Hygiene Assessment of Polyethylene Piping Manufacturer

ToxStrategies performed a full-scale baseline industrial hygiene assessment of a large polyethylene piping manufacturing facility. This study identified chemical and physical occupational hazards associated with the facility and prioritized further exposure studies to ensure continued worker safety.

Case Study #2: Exposure and Assessment of High-Priority Chemicals to Support US EPA TSCA Risk Evaluation

ToxStrategies evaluated occupational, consumer, and environmental exposure data from manufacturers of high-priority chemicals for which the EPA was performing a risk evaluation under TSCA Section 6. This work identified relevant use conditions, statistically evaluated the exposure data sets, and assessed exposure measurement method applicability and potential toxicity levels.

Case Study #3: Retrospective Occupational Exposure Assessments

ToxStrategies performed retrospective exposure assessments for aircraft and missile manufacturing workers handling toxic chemicals. These projects involved using sitespecific and industry-wide industrial hygiene data to characterize and model exposures during various fabrication and assembly activities.

Case Study #4: Industrial Hygiene Exposure Method Development and Risk Assessment of Workers Handling Containers with PFAS as an Impurity

Workers handling certain plastic containers containing PFAS as impurities were believed to have the potential for occupational exposures to these chemicals. ToxStrategies developed a novel exposure method to estimate the hand-to-mouth transfer of these PFAS compounds to the workers. We also evaluated the relevant exposure standards and assessed the potential for unacceptable risk.

Case Study #5: Industrial Hygiene Written Program Development and Training for Hexavalent Chromium (CrVI) Exposures

ToxStrategies developed a written program compliant with OSHA CrVI requirements outlining the controls, monitoring, PPE, hazard communication, and medical surveillance necessary at a site with CrVI exposures from non-routine welding, arc gouging, and grinding processes. We developed compliant training materials to inform workers of CrVI hazards, appropriate control measures, and required medical surveillance.