Exposure Magazine Issue 4 by BOHS

EXPOSURE PROMOTING A HEALTHY WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL

FEATURE

PRESIDENT-ELECT

ON TOUR

2019 ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE ❚❚ FAAM Report ❚❚ Safety & Health Expo 2019 ❚❚ The Importance of Chemical Risk Assessment ❚❚ Killer Lead and The Ban That Failed The official magazine of

SEPTEMBER 2019

SECTION HEADER

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WELCOME

INSIDE

Welcome

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

Welcome to Issue #4 of Exposure 2019

3 WELCOME 4 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

As the new Board members get to grips with their BOHS duties, we take a look at some of the accomplishments that have taken place over the last few months.

5 CEO’S COLUMN 6 NEW NAMES IN BOHS 8 SAFETY & HEALTH EXPO 2019 9 FAAM REGISTRAR’S REPORT

Inside, you’ll find our cover feature “President-Elect Goes on Tour”, we speak to Kelvin Williams about what the tour is all about and where you can get involved. Head to page 10 for more.

10 COVER FEATURE PRESIDENT-ELECT GOES ON TOUR 2019

On page 6, we introduce you to the latest additions to the BOHS team at Head Office. You’ll see some familiar names amongst some new ones. In the last edition we spoke to Sarah Leeson, Registrar of FOH about future activities of FOH. In this edition we will be gaining insight from Martin Stear, Registrar of FAAM, about how he feels the Faculty is progressing and where he hopes FAAM will go in the future. Lastly, Trevor Ogden takes us back to 1890, to learn about killer lead and the ban that failed. Flick over to page 14 to read more.

12 WELLBEING REPORT 13 THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEMICAL RISK ASSESSMENT

There’s so much more to discover in this issue, so have a flip through and let us know what you think at exposure@bohs.org.

14 HISTORY OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-PART 6 KILLER LEAD & THE BAN THAT FAILED 21 MEET YOUR PRESIDENT JOHN DOBBIE 23 ASBESTOS 2019 TWO DAY CONFERENCE

THE EXPOSURE TEAM AMY HARVEY

EVI KARMOU

SHANI JACKSON

JOE MOTT

LATEST BOHS NEWS & INFO @BOHS BOHS Head Office 5/6 Melbourne Business Court, Millennium Way, Pride Park, Derby, DE24 8LZ, UK T: + 44 (0) 1332 298101 | F: + 44 (0) 1332 298099 | admin@bohs.org | www.bohs.org The views expressed in this issue are not necessarily those of BOHS Board

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

@BOHSworld @BOHS Video @BOHSworld

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

JOHN DOBBIE BOHS PRESIDENT

I am looking forward to attending the Occupational and Environmental Exposure of Skin to Chemicals (OEESC) event between 16th and 18th September at the Pillo Hotel in Dublin. This should be a great event, so book now! Doesn’t time fly when you are enjoying yourself! Well, that is what we were always told, and it has to be said I am really enjoying myself as BOHS President. April and the day I became President at the AGM seems like yesterday, but when I think what has happened since, I begin to realise how busy both the Society and I have been. Unlike some fellow Presidents, I won’t name here, I have not been tweeting to the Universe, and I certainly hope I am slightly more balanced and diverse in my approach to life and my fellow human beings! Social media, Facebook and Twitter are, however, excellent forums for keeping people informed

April and the day I became President at the AGM seems like yesterday, but when I think what has happened since, I BEGIN TO REALISE HOW BUSY BOTH THE SOCIETY AND I HAVE BEEN. about what is happening in the world of occupational hygiene and the Society in general and I would like to thank everyone who contributes and especially the folks in Head Office who make it happen without any controversy. So, amongst some of the things that have been happening recently, here are some highlights. The deadline for entering this year’s awards, such as the Thomas Bedford Medal and the Peter Isaac Award, has now closed. Thank you to everyone who has put themselves forward or have nominated a fellow professional. The Awards Committee is meeting in September to discuss the applications and, will announce the winners in the new year! I would like to welcome Dawn Hall, who has joined the Head Office team as Shani’s maternity cover and congratulate Shani on her new arrival. BOHS was very well represented at the Safety and Health Expo 2019 in London. We had fantastic speakers at the event • Steve Hails – What is occupational hygiene, and what value has it added to Tideway? • Chris Keen – Breathe Freely: A campaign to reduce respiratory lung disease in construction • Martin Stear – Asbestos Competency in the 21st Century

If you missed the opportunity to hear Martin’s talk, why not visit the Contamination Expo 2019 in September? Martin will be speaking again on behalf of FAAM. I am looking forward to attending the Occupational and Environmental Exposure of Skin to Chemicals (OEESC) event between 16th and 18th September at the Pillo Hotel in Dublin. This should be a great event, so book now! I also plan to attend the Health Leadership Group Northern Ireland Conference on 20th Nov 2019 in Belfast to talk about occupational hygiene. The post Brexit timing may make this interesting! And finally, I would like to offer my congratulations to Mavis Nye who received her honorary degree in recognition of her excellent work in mesothelioma and asbestos awareness – Action Mesothelioma Day was on 5th July. Please feel free to write to me if you would like something covered in my next column and feedback is always welcome – positive send to me – negative send to our CEO, Simon Festing. Until the next time – have a great end to summer and as they used to say on the Hill Street Blues – let’s be careful out there!

Please feel free to write to me if you would like something covered in my next column and feedback is always welcome...

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CEO’S COLUMN

EARLIER THIS YEAR WE HAD A HEALTHY NUMBER OF PEOPLE APPLYING TO SIT ON THE BOARD. SIMON FESTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

One of the first challenges for our new incoming Board members has been to understand that we are now in the process of reviewing our strategic plan. In my last column, I thanked those who attended our AGM and noted that the amendments to our governing documents had been improved. This means that our governing body is now referred to as the “Board”, short for Board of Trustees of the Society. As I’m writing this column, the new members of the Board whose names at the AGM have only just got their feet under the table. They attended their first Board meeting in June. Even so, we are now starting the preparations at this time of year for the annual cycle of appointments of new members of the Board next year, as well as for the Committees of our two Faculties. Earlier this year we had a healthy number of people applying to sit on the Board. We hope that any of those who were unsuccessful that time around will continue to engage

We hope that any of those who were unsuccessful that time around will continue to engage positively with the Society, and will not be dissuaded from reapplying in the future

positively with the Society, and will not be dissuaded from reapplying in the future if they so wish. Each year recently we have had some members appointed who had stood for election previously but not made it through. It’s important to remember that an appointment to the Board of Trustees is essentially a governance appointment, with legal responsibilities around matters of finance, risk, compliance and reputation. Whilst there is obviously oversight of the activities of the organisation, it is not primarily about the detailed discussion of technical occupational hygiene matters. Anyone who wishes to apply in future would do best to highlight areas from their past where they have experience of governance, finance, committee work etc. One of the first challenges for our new incoming Board members has been to understand that we are now in the process of reviewing our strategic plan. Our existing plan finishes at the end of 2020, and we would normally expect to have a replacement 5-year plan in place well in advance of that. Ideally, we will be in a position to announce the new strategic plan at the AGM next year. Whilst members of staff, especially myself, are responsible for assembling the new strategic plan, it is ultimately the Board who must adopt and own the plan.

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

The new strategic plan must embody the charitable purposes and principles for which the Board is accountable for delivering against. Any professional body will operate within the context of a complex and changing external landscape. The transition to this next strategic plan is likely to take place against a backdrop of long-established trends, as well as new upheavals. In particular, the challenges we may face include BREXIT and future government policies on health and safety, the circumstances and resources of the regulatory body, rapidly-evolving technology, the threat to journal revenue from open-access publishing, attrition of higher education degrees, and the ever-changing behaviour of national and international companies. If you have any specific comments or queries on our strategy process, plans or the above challenges, please do feel free to drop me an email; simon.festing@bohs.org. I always welcome hearing from members on these matters.

Ideally, we will be in a position to announce the new strategic plan at the AGM next year.

NEW NAMES

NEW NAMES IN BOHS Over the past 12 months, we have seen some great additions join and grow in the BOHS head office. Find out a snippet more. Ü MEMBER SERVICES

Ü COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

DAWN HALL, HEAD OF MEMBER SERVICES

AMY HARVEY COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Dawn Hall has joined us as Head of Member Services (interim). Dawn comes from an operational background with a wealth of knowledge in leadership, strategy and innovation. Her previous colleagues describe her as a ‘superb leader’ who is ‘passionate about making a difference’.

Amy Harvey took on the role of Communications and Marketing Executive in April of this year (2019) following promotion from her original position as Executive Assistant. Amy has worked in various marketing roles previously and has continued to increase her knowledge with an emphasis on the impact of technology within the marketing industry.

Renowned for her ability to put herself in other’s shoes, and her strong belief in delivering positive customer experience, will enable us to highlight opportunities to improve your experience as a member. Outside of work, Dawn is an avid gym-goer, and if you can’t find her at the gym, you might find her spending time with her family and friends. On the rare occasion, you may catch her reading a book on true crime.

Her enthusiasm and ability has contributed enormously to the work of the Society. Her new role will see her supporting the Head of Communications & Marketing whilst working with various departments to promote the BOHS brand and raise awareness of worker health protection. Outside of work, Amy enjoys going to the gym and taking her three dogs to Mam Tor, when the weather permits it. She has a passion for travelling and is looking forward to travelling around Japan and South Korea in September!

NADEEM AHMAD, MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

RITA GRIGORIADOU , POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Nadeem Ahmad has joined us as Membership Engagement Manager on a 2-year fixed term contract to review the membership proposition. Nadeem brings with him extensive experience of working with membership organisations in marketing, communications and membership engagement roles.

Rita Grigoriadou has recently joined us as a Communications and Policy Officer. Rita is an experienced public relations and communications professional and has previously worked for PR agencies, multinational companies and several organisations. She is skilled in strategic PR planning, public affairs and community relations, events and campaign management, publicity and media relations and digital PR.

During his time at BOHS, Nadeem will research, evaluate and implement his recommendations and ideas for improving the membership offering and recruiting new members to society. His work will include reviewing existing member benefits, CPD scheme and the broader offering of professional development and progression. Away from work, Nadeem is an active sportsman, playing in the local leagues of cricket, tennis and table tennis. When the weather is not fair for sports, he enjoys the downtime watching TV to suit his wide ranging interests in comedy, sci-fi, thriller, drama, and of course, sports.

Rita will focus on the full management and execution of the Breathe Freely campaigns and will work closely with the Policy & Technical Committee on policy and external affairs. She will also be the main journalist liaison for all press enquiries whilst coordinating and recording BOHS’ representation on external committees and groups. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her son, playing and discovering the world together. She also loves cooking, travelling and learning something new every day.

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On behalf of the Society, we would like to say a huge welcome to all the new comers. Ü QUALIFICATIONS KEVIN KNIGHT, QUALITY MANAGER

THOMAS MALCOLM, PROJECT COORDINATOR

Kevin Knight took on the role of Quality Manager in May of this year (2019) following promotion from his original position as Quality Coordinator. Kevin has a background in learning and development particularly within the health sector with previous experience as a college lecturer and course coordinator.

Thomas Malcolm has joined us as Project Coordinator to support the qualification team in progressing the modernisation project to improve our operational processes, developing new qualifications and maintaining the ones we already have published.

Kevin is responsible for managing the quality of the examination processes within BOHS to support the training providers in their delivery of the BOHS qualifications. This work involves among other things the statistical analysis of results to monitor the performance of the exams and coordinating the inspections of training provider course materials. Outside of work, Kevin describes himself as an unashamed aviation enthusiast, visiting air museums and air shows whenever possible. He is also (albeit very slowly – sehr langsam!) trying to learn German. Next year he hopes to combine both the above in a week long holiday to Germany, visiting air museums in the Stuttgart area.

ALEX HERBERT, QUALITY COORDINATOR Alex Herbert has joined us as Quality Coordinator. Alex has recently graduated from the University of Derby with a degree in Business Management. After honing his skills within a variety of diverse business functions including human resources, management and marketing, he has joined our Quality Assurance team here at BOHS head office. He will be supporting the Quality Manager to ensure our qualifications procedures are well documented and that our data is up to date and current. Alex is also part of the project team for modernising BOHS’ practices. He will be responsible for liaising with our technical experts to ensure our exams are properly managed and are more robust. Outside of work, Alex likes to travel and visit different countries and cultures. Within the past five years he has visited several countries including: France, Germany, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary, Italy and the Czech Republic.

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

With his background in project management and strong interpersonal skills, we will be able to improve the efficiency of our internal processes, so we have more time to focus on ensuring all of our approved training providers and candidates receive an excellent customer experience. Outside of work, Thomas travels to Scotland regularly to visit friends and family. He also enjoys attending music and football events, and supports Manchester United!

Ü FINANCE, OPERATIONS AND GOVERNANCE ZANE SPRINGE, OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Zane Springe has joined us as Office Administrator working closely with the CEO and Senior Management Team to manage the administrative processes. For those of you on the Board or subcommittees you may have already had the pleasure of meeting her. Having graduated from the University of Derby with a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Zane uses her legislative knowledge to assist the CEO in activities relating to the by-laws of the society, whilst managing operational processes for BOHS committees including the Board of Trustees. Outside of work, Zane is also a qualified nail technician, so you never know – she might give you discount if you say you’re a BOHS member!

SAFETY AND HEALTH EXPO 2019

SAFETY AND HEALTH EXPO 2019 This year we exhibited at the Safety and Health Expo, where we heard from fantastic key note speakers sharing their experiences and knowledge of diversity within the ‘health and safety’ industry. With our key speakers are working hard to convey; ‘importance of health within ‘health and safety’ and it is felt that we have always shouted safety and whispered health. We feel it is time to shout health and so we sought the help of our fantastic members who volunteered to speak at this event. STEVE HAILS – THE VALUE OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE Steve Hails, Director of Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Tideway, kicked off the BOHS speaking opportunities with his take on occupational hygiene and the important role it plays in preventing work related ill-health.

CHRIS KEEN – BREATHE FREELY Chris Keen gave an informative update on Breathe Freely and highlighted the importance of focusing on controlling exposure within the workplace. She emphasised that, according to the HSE, 80,000 construction workers suffer work-related ill-health and Ruston et all reported 3,500 cancer deaths each year within the construction industry alone. These figures are still high and there is much that can be done by health and safety professionals, occupational hygienists in particular, to reduce the numbers. A particular topic area which is emerging is exposure to silica dust as a cause of death, with the HSE believing 500 workers die as a result each year.

Ogden’s upcoming parts of the history of occupational hygiene in Britain. Whilst on the topic of Breathe Freely’s focus Chris informed us that we have gained the support of key players within the construction industry but there is still a lot of work to do to raise the profile amongst SMEs where exposure is not monitored and controlled to an acceptable standard. This is a priority for Breathe Freely. MARTIN STEAR - FACULTY OF ASBESTOS AND ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT Martin gave a wonderful update on how FAAM intend to raise the standards within the asbestos industry through representation on committees, publications developing best practice and events and workshops.

This is an element that Breathe Freely is focusing on and will crop up in Trevor

A huge thank you to all of the members who volunteered to help us spread the word about BOHS on our stand and to our speakers who did a fantastic job!

Martin Stear

Chris Keen

Lynne Morgan, Chief Executive of El Morgan Ltd, joined our Communications & Marketing Executive, Amy Harvey

Steve Hails

Adrian Sims, Managing Director of Vent-Tech Ltd, joined our Head of Communications, Evi Karmou

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FAAM REGISTRARS REPORT

FAAM REGISTRAR’S REPORT

BY MARTIN STEAR REGISTRAR OF FAAM

The Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM) is almost two years old. Has it been a successful two years?

WHAT HAS FAAM ACHIEVED? Membership exceeds 300 across all the professional grades. It is an impressive start for a new professional body. It demonstrates that there is a real appetite for a dedicated ‘home’ for asbestos professionals and of course, we expect our membership to increase well beyond this. The application process is now well established, including the professional experience portfolio (PEP) applications and professional discussion to full member grade.

• The FAAM Committee has started its progression to a fully elected Committee, with unelected positions transitioning to elected positions over the next few years. My position as Registrar will be up for election in 2021. • The second FAAM conference – ‘Asbestos 2019’ – is being held in November with international speakers and a thoroughly scientific programme. • FAAM is represented on various relevant committees, has provided presentations at various conferences and is referred to in upcoming HSE guidance on asbestos analytical work. • FAAM E-bulletins are regularly provided, and a biannual newsletter is created for FAAM members.

SO MUCH HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS. BUT WHERE WOULD I LIKE TO SEE FAAM IN FIVE OR TEN YEARS? The easy answer is more of the above, bigger membership and so on, but the better answer is influence and change. The concept behind FAAM’s original inception was not merely a home for asbestos professionals but a fundamental change in professional practice. I recall many years ago being invited to a chemical site to resolve an asbestos incident. Once onsite, I was taken to the offending area and asked to provide advice about some damaged asbestos lagging and fallen asbestos debris. I couldn’t see any damage or any debris. Puzzled, I asked my client what I was meant to see. He pointed at an overhead pipe and said a piece of lagging, the size of a

thumbnail, had fallen to the floor; this occurred with nobody present, outdoors and in the rain. The piece of debris had gone, I can’t recall if it had washed away or had been picked up, but my client asked what they should do? Again puzzled, I said with regard to what? He said RIDDOR and reporting as a dangerous occurrence and with regard to possible risk to health? I politely advised him that it was neither reportable nor in any way a risk to health. There was no evidence that anyone had been present at the time and in any case, even if they had, they were not exposed. The company did not report this but insisted that I produce a retrospective risk assessment. Despite my advice that there was no exposure, no risk, and this was not an incident, they still insisted that they needed a report. I was able to persuade them that a short letter would suffice. Why have I told this story? There are others I could tell that are similar, and I am sure that some readers will have had similar experiences. The point is that I have encountered many similar ‘incidents’ which have not been quickly resolved, but that escalated into full investigations and cleanups; worryingly supported by ‘asbestos professionals’. Air testing when this is not necessary and/or swab testing of surfaces, with ‘contamination’ found and expensive clean-ups etc. Similar is found at times with asbestos surveys, where asbestos surveys take samples of non-descriptive dust ‘just in case’, find the odd unimportant fibre and create concern. There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos. However, such over-zealous advice may result in dealing with issues, which do not present any more than a negligible (trivial) risk of injury when resources could be better spent on real risks from asbestos. More significantly, we at times, see real risks missed or created. I am still surprised to see, in 2019, poor asbestos clearances where duty holders are provided with Certificates for Reoccupation for asbestos removal despite the area not being thoroughly cleaned. It is of great concern to me that in 2019, many asbestos survey reports are ambiguous and at times, dangerously misleading. There are many excellent asbestos professionals and asbestos consultancies who

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

provide balanced advice and expertise, based on a proper understanding of risk. However, FAAM wants to influence HSE and other bodies, to increase standards throughout the UK; avoiding poor quality professional work that creates risk and avoiding over-zealous advice.

SO WHERE WOULD I LIKE TO SEE FAAM IN FIVE TO TEN YEARS? If there has been an overall improvement in professional advice and expertise, with FAAM recognised as being at the forefront of this, then I consider that we will have achieved our original vision. At this year’s conference, ‘Asbestos 2019’, there will be professional best practice workshops, which will tackle some of the issues I have discussed. These workshops will be the start of a process that leads to guidance for members. Fundamental to this will be the engagement of members in developing and promoting such guidance. The hope is that FAAM is seen as the leader in best practice, with such accepted by industry bodies, UKAS and regulators etc. Through such work and representation on committees, etc., FAAM wants to do what it can to help the UK be rid of the biggest occupational health problem we have ever seen. When politicians talk about eradication of asbestos from schools and other buildings, I believe they do so on the understanding that such buildings are still rammed with asbestos-containing materials. This is not correct or is at least only part of the picture. The problem is still so prevalent in many cases because we have failed over the last 40 years to do the job properly; many organisations thought they had removed their asbestos only to find it had been done badly. The major uses of asbestos had stopped in the UK by 1980, but nearly 40 years on, it remains a major problem. By establishing a major professional body, that helps to improve standards, FAAM hopes to see asbestos confined to the history books. So I want to see the membership grow and grow, with members signing up to continual professional development and the code of ethics, but with this end in mind.

PRESIDENT-ELECT ON TOUR

THE PRESIDENT-ELECT GOES ON TOUR! 2019

The tour has kicked off with presentations to Wales and South West, and London and South East in July. I was accompanied by Parmjit Gahir, Specialist Inspector working for the HSE, for the London South East session and I hope to be joined by Parm elsewhere as circumstances permit. Other dates in the diary are Northern Ireland in September, East England in October and Scotland in February. There should be dates coming up for other regions in due course. The President-Elect session looks at the state of the occupational hygiene consultancy market generally and also focusses on good practice for carrying out effective and helpful “one-day” surveys – which seem, for the most part, to be the consultant’s lot. Parm is contributing with a look at the sort of consultancy output HSE are encountering and gives the regulator perspective.

COMPETENCY OF CONSULTANTS Raising the bar for competency and standards in the consultancy sector is a cause dear to my heart. A couple of years ago I had several consultancy reports come across my desk in the space of a few weeks that were a dismal reflection of what a professional hygienist is capable of doing to protect workers’ health and a client’s interests. There have been grumbles about problems with consultancy practice for many years. Tired of just muttering about such things at the conference bar, I stood for Council to see if I could do anything about it. I got elected (eventually) and have been on the case since. Happily, it appears to be a cause that has found its moment. I’m having conversations with many other hygienists across the spectrum of the profession who not only recognise something needs to be done but have also been putting their shoulder to the wheel to straighten things out.

Raising the bar for competency and standards in the consultancy sector is a cause dear to my heart... Happily, it appears to be a cause that has found its moment. I’m having conversations with many other hygienists across the spectrum of the profession who not only recognise something needs to be done but have also been putting their shoulder to the wheel to straighten things out. BOHS.ORG

XXX Recently we have seen publication by Faculty of the excellent Consultancy Good Practice guide, soon to be followed by a Buyer’s Guide.

I gave a similar presentation to BOHS several years ago and revisited the subject here as it is a nice fit with the overall consultancy competence theme.

So far, so good. It remains, however, that the shape of the occupational hygiene consultancy market is complex, and we shouldn’t imagine there is a silver bullet solution to improving standards.

In response to a frequently asked question, I am aware you could easily overcome some of the issues with a two, three or more day survey (please!) but from feedback so far it seems we’re on the right track with attendees remarking that this is a helpful and timely discussion.

We’ve only delivered two presentations so far, yet questions and discussions have addressed ethics, dealing with unqualified practitioners, education and training, uninformed clients, CPD, licensing, differentiators of professional grading, regulation, business models and the mentoring scheme. Clearly, we have a full agenda and a way to go yet – volunteers, please!

The presentation covers matters such as ethics, client dialogue, planning and preparation, conduct on-site and report preparation. As time permits, there will also be a case study for attendees to ponder in an interactive workshop style.

Parm and I very much look forward to seeing you!

Getting this right couldn’t be more important for us at this time. BOHS efforts in recent years to raise awareness of what occupational hygiene can achieve is paying dividends in recourse to professional occupational hygiene advice out there in the workplace, job opportunities for our members and collaboration with other health professions. We have to ensure that we are delivering on the promise.

THE ONE DAY SURVEY Having spent over thirty years in consultancy, it seems to me that consultants spend a lot of time carrying out one-day visits to carry out an occupational hygiene survey. I think the scenario of a consultant carrying out a one day survey is only going to get more common with demand for our skills increasing. Here’s the thing. A one day survey means a hygienist may only get to see the process in question for about 0.03% of the time it operates through the year. The hygienist may well have only about eight hours to set out sampling equipment, record the context of work on the day, assess the adequacy of the control measures, find out what happens when they’re not there and figure out practical solutions to any problems they identify. Oh, and the report may be relied upon in court - no pressure then. This is a tall order and requires a lot of thought and planning to get right. Parm provides a sobering perspective of what happens when it goes wrong.

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

WELLBEING REPORT

SECTION 11C – WELLBEING REPORT

CHAIR: STEPHEN BARRACLOUGH

CEO, CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ERGONOMICS & HUMAN FACTORS. A productive, purposeful and safe environment that can be created in the workplace is the sum of many diverse parts, including the part played by human factors in contributing by designing around the cognitive and physical capabilities of the individual.

Given that we are all made up of a huge number of bacteria the importance of prebiotics, a form of dietary fibre that acts as a fertilizer for good bacteria in the gut and probiotics, the live bacteria that can be found in yoghurt and other fermented foods were outlined.

It was a real pleasure to see a wellbeing session taking a rightful place within the agenda, and there was eager anticipation in the room amongst the thirty or so attendees, to hear four speakers reveal some valuable and telling insights and to offer an opportunity for questions over the 90-minute session.

Tellingly, eating well and sensibly in the workplace is illustrated in one sphere alone by the high level of near misses recorded in some sectors in the afternoon if poor dietary choices are made at lunchtime.

Stephen Haynes, Head of Programme at Mates in Mind, a charity founded in 2017 by the Health in Construction Leadership Group and the British Safety Council, spoke of raising the awareness of mental wellbeing and addressing the stigma of poor mental health in the construction and associated sectors. With 1-in-4 people generally experiencing some form of mental health issue in their lifetime, the construction sector tragically exhibits one of the highest suicide rates of any sector at about 3.7 times the national average. It was heartening to hear that employee awareness programmes in the sector are becoming much more widespread.

Andrew Cheung, part of the Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, and Ergonomics function at Cority, spoke encouragingly of the huge impact and importance that structured wellness programs can deliver. Almost 15% of the population in the UK are still smoking (bringing about debts estimated at the cost of about £14bn per year). Six hundred thousand people are estimated to be alcohol-dependent (at an annual cost of nearly £20bn per year), and that about 1.5m individuals are addicted to over-thecounter and prescription drugs (in addition to those struggling with substance abuse,

something costing the nation approximately £40bn per annum). Wellness programs can significantly tip the scales in the areas of better mental health, sleep, weight management, smoking, and drinking by helping people recognize the value of a better life/work balance, and can also deliver over a 90% improvement in the reduction in sickness absence. Victoria Brookbank, the founder of Mindful Community, concluded with an interactive session on promoting and managing positive mental health at work, including a participatory session on mindfulness, a tool that can be further explored in the NHS document ‘Five Ways to Mental Wellbeing’. Victoria noted the recent IOSH White Paper on mental health, the responsibility that lies with managers for mental health in the workplace and the fact that mental health is now being considered on a similar footing to physical health in the workplace. Soberingly, over 60% of people at work feel so stressed (stress being a personal reaction to a situation) that it affects their ability to be their best at work — all in all, a thoroughly enlightening, impactful, and informative morning.

Rachel Linstead, nutritionist and founder of Firecracker UK, spoke enthusiastically about the impact that good nutrition can have on health and workplace performance, and the growing awareness that good bacteria and a healthy gut are so central to better health and to good performance. Rachel noted the value of eating ‘a rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables, helped to confirm the actual size of a ‘portion’ (80g, or about a handful) and spoke about the value of chicory, garlic, onion, cereal and full-fat natural yoghurt in an everyday diet.

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CHEMICAL RISK ASSESSMENT

THE IMPORTANCE OF

CHEMICAL RISK ASSESSMENT W.C. Fields famously said “never work with children or animals”, and we might be tempted to add “or I.T systems, but this is what the French trio leading Session 3B were brave enough to do. Frederic Clerc, Andrea Emili, and Francoise Marcenac competently led us through Chemical Risk Assessment cumulating in a live worked example. Andrea began by clearly explaining how to establish a sampling strategy using the EN689* and INRS approaches. The French National Research and Safety Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Accidents and Diseases (INRS) is a non-profit organisation financed by the French Health Insurance Fund to provide information, training, assistance and research in occupational health and safety. Firstly, Andrea outlined the importance of establishing a good sampling strategy, the basic requirements and the protocols available. He then proceeded to describe the basic steps which allow a preliminary assessment to be made. This will then determine if a sampling plan is required.

An essential element in any good sampling strategy is the appropriate determination of similar exposure groups (SEGs). This was described in detail, not forgetting those pesky little extra tasks such as nonroutine operations. Once the SEG’s are determined, the appropriate measurement method must also be chosen, again considering the nature of the work tasks and the sampling objectives. After this clear introduction, Francoise shared the Solvay methodology with reference to EN689 and a tiered approach to chemical exposure assessment. The use of Occupational Exposure Banding in the absence of suitable exposure limits was described, and the subsequent process of Critical Task Exposure Screening. If a further detailed assessment is required, then a modelling technique may be applied. The KEIRON tool is a customised version of the Advanced Reach Tool.

Three out of the five steps in the assessment process can be performed at the desk; then there are tools available to assist with the remaining two; prior risk assessment and exposure assessment. Frederic provided a helpful review of these, cumulating in an overview of the update of Altrex Chimie including a free webpage for the statistical analysis of measurements of airborne substances. This powerful computer tool also provides an extensive list of substances with OELVs, CLP hazard statements, and INRS documentation helps with the design of Similar Exposure Groups and manages the measurements and the diagnostics at the company level. Lastly, but definitely not “leastly”, Frederic courageously engaged a room full of hygienists in a live Beta test of the system, using the manufacturing of swimming pools in composite materials as a case study. Sink or swim?

Finally, at the top of the pyramid is personal exposure monitoring with the statistical interpretation of the data.

Check it out for yourself at https://proto-altrex.inrs.fr User name; altrex Password; @ltr3x

In the third, and final part of the session, Frederic described a variety of software tools available to assist with the Risk Assessment process.

*the new European standard on testing compliance with occupational exposure limit values

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

HISTORY OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE PART 6

KILLER LEAD AND THE BAN THAT FAILED IN PART 6 OF HIS ACCOUNT OF TOPICS IN THE HISTORY OF BRITISH OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE, TREVOR OGDEN CONTINUES THE STORY OF THE DEFEAT OF THE TERRIBLE DISEASE OF OCCUPATIONAL LEAD POISONING. In Part 5 of this story of occupational hygiene in Britain, in the June issue of Exposure, we saw how scientific developments between 1890 and 1910 enabled Thomas Legge and his colleagues in the Factory Inspectorate to attack the problem of lead poisoning. The result in 1912 was the first occupational exposure limit in the English-speaking world, and a 100-page exposition in Legge and Goadby’s book on lead poisoning of what the British COSHH Regulations now call “the principles of good practice for the control of exposure”. Legge promoted the principle that the employer should provide a safe working environment, without relying on the employees to protect themselves. Things that we now take for granted were systematically explained for the first time. But one important source of lead exposure remained outside the scope of the Factories Acts, so for that occupation, there was no solid information of how many poisonings and deaths were occurring, and there was no legal right for the inspectorate to insist on good practice. This was house-painting. G Elmhirst Duckering had developed a monitoring method, described in Part 5, which showed that sand-papering of paint, known to cause “severe incidence of poisoning”, could give 100 mg/m3 of lead, compared with the proposed exposure limit of 0.2 mg/m3. Mixing of dry white lead with oil and burning off old paint were other important sources of exposure. Even though reporting of poisoning was not required, 1973 cases with 383 deaths in house-painters had been reported in the ten years 1900-1909. The number of cases every year considerably exceeded that from any other single lead industry, and according

to Legge the symptoms were more severe than in other occupations, and the death rate amongst those poisoned was higher.

THE SUBSTITUTION BATTLE Why was lead in paint at all? Lead compounds had been used as a white pigment but had been known to be poisonous for centuries. It had been suggested in France in 1783 that lead carbonate could be replaced by zinc oxide. Charles Thackrah, Town Surgeon of Leeds, who seems to appear in every part of this story, suggested in his 1832 book that zinc salts should replace lead in paint. Lead sulphide is black, and zinc sulphide is white, so zinc paint survives better if there is any hydrogen sulphide in the air. In the new century, Legge, of course, was interested in the possibility of removing lead from paint. Legge had written about substitution in 1902, and in his 1912 book with KW Goadby, he gave details of the experience of six continental countries, where the substitution with zinc salts had already been carried out. These enquiries seem to have convinced him. A new opportunity arose after the First World War (WW1). The Treaty of Versailles, which ended WW1, recognised that universal peace required social justice, including “the protection of the worker against sickness, disease and injury arising out of his employment”. Under the Treaty, this was to be promoted by an International Labour Office. One of its early measures was the White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921, which prohibited the use of white lead paints with more than 2% lead in internal painting of buildings, with certain exceptions including some railway and industrial buildings. Legge was a leading member of the British delegation which negotiated the Convention. He came home, expecting early ratification. A prohibition

Why was lead in paint at all? Lead compounds had been used as a white pigment but had been known to be poisonous for centuries. It had been suggested in France in 1783 that lead carbonate could be replaced by zinc oxide.

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XXX 50 45

PAINTING BUILDINGS

DEATHS PER YEAR

OTHER SOURCES

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1905

1910

1915

1920

1925

1930

1935

1940

1945

1950

1955

1960

Fig 1. Was the government right in 1926 that a ban on lead in paint was unnecessary? The chart shows annual deaths from lead poisoning reported under the Factories Acts, and, from 1928, those in painting of buildings. From the Annual Reports of the Chief Inspector of Factories.

bill was introduced by the minority Labour government in 1924 but failed to pass the Commons before the government was defeated and replaced. The new government decided not to implement the Convention but in 1926 brought in measures to control exposure in use. Legge resigned as senior medical inspector. He had held the post with international distinction for 28 years and had been knighted the previous year. Contrary to Civil Service Conventions, he wrote to The Times and explained why he had resigned.

Legge’s dramatic resignation, and his public announcement of the reason, led to a debate in the House of Lords, which revealed why the Government had preferred controlled use to a ban . The Government argued that the annual number of deaths, from lead paint in the countries participating in the Convention discussions, was 400, which was “a very serious but not an enormous figure”.

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

It was claimed that the Convention discussions had been “a fight between the lead-producing and lead-using countries and the zinc-producing and zinc-using countries”, and that those in favour of restriction on lead were “influenced by the fact that their countries are the chief producers of rival pigments”.

HISTORY OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE PART 6 However, the debate highlighted the practical problem; there were thought to be 150,000 house-painters, often working individually or in twos and threes. Without sufficient inspectors to enforce them, said one speaker, “the Regulations will be perfectly useless”. With this usage pattern, a ban would be the only effective control. It was also said in the debate that the white lead manufacturers had been lobbying strongly against a ban. The reasons are an illustration of some problems of substitution as a control. It is often not possible to simply replace one substance with another without making allowance for changes in properties. In this case, paints based on zinc oxide needed different formulation, the covering power was different, and these changes meant that a different technique was required in application. The same was true when other substitutes, such as titanium dioxide, became available. Industry sometimes resists substitution because it knows everything about its present process and the longterm properties of the product, and the substitute is something of a risk, and of course industry usually has much financial investment in the existing processes and raw material supply streams.

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE TRIGGERED

ACTION LEVEL

SUSPENSION LEVEL

Woman of reproductive capacity

20 ΜG/DL

25 ΜG/DL

30 ΜG/DL

Other person under 18

35 ΜG/DL

40 ΜG/DL

50 ΜG/DL

Other employee

35 ΜG/DL

50 ΜG/DL

60 ΜG/DL

Table 1. Blood lead triggers for action under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations (dl = decilitre, i.e. 100 ml). There are corresponding triggers in terms of lead in urine.

Nevertheless, the use of lead in paint decreased. Robin Williams explored some of the economic reasons in a 1984 University of Aston PhD thesis. As early as the late 1920s, zinc oxide was cheaper per ton than white lead, and the amount produced passed white lead in the early 1930s. Titanium dioxide remained more expensive per ton, but its greater covering power means that less

was needed in the paint, so it was effectively cheaper by the 1950s. In the early 1960s, the industry agreed to a voluntary ban. In 1992, the ban had to be made statutory to implement a European Directive, but by then lead paint had long gone out of use except for very specialised uses. Britain has never formally ratified the Convention.

CLASSIC LEAD POISONING, WHICH CAUSED MISERY TO SO MANY WORKERS A CENTURY AGO, HAD DISAPPEARED BY THE EARLY 1950s

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XXX

Current HSE guidance warns that “lead pigments were widely used in paints for homes, schools and offices until the 1960s”, and repeats Legge and Goadby’s 1912 warnings about sanding and burning off old paint. The effects of The 35-year delay in a ban are still with us. The pattern is familiar to those of us who remember what happened to asbestos; first, tightening controls on use; then public rejection of the product and a shift in the economics; finally official bans when few users remain. Unfortunately, Sir Thomas did not live to see these changes. He became the medical adviser to the Trades Union Congress in 1930 and died two years later, at the age of 69.

It is easy to feel indignant about what happened to the Convention, but we ought to ask whether the industry and government were right that a ban was unnecessary in 1926, and that other controls were enough. The chief inspector of factories annual reports show that deaths from lead poisoning generally and in painters fell pretty steadily from 1927 onwards (Fig 1). Deaths in painters continued into the 1950s, totalling 108 after 1928, plus another 9 in the manufacture of white lead, and another 482 painters were poisoned non-fatally. Of course there is no way of knowing how many of these casualties got their exposure from paint in place before 1926, but a ban would presumably have saved the lives of a fraction of them – perhaps some dozens of painters - and might have saved two or three hundred other painters from very unpleasant or disabling poisoning. The decreasing death rate was perhaps due to better implementation

Percentage of the workers in blood lead class

BUT WOULD A BAN HAVE SAVED LIVES? 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0-30

30-60

60-90

90-120

120+

Micrograms of lead in one decilitre (100ml) of blood Fig 3. Distribution of blood leads in 540 workers exposed to metallic lead in a motor vehicle works, reported in 1961 (King and Thompson, Ann Occ Hyg 3:247-263). Compare the modern suspension levels in Table 1

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HISTORY OF OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE PART 6 of the control measures that Legge and Goadby had detailed in their 1912 book, as well as those in the 1926 regulations, and to cheaper substitutes, less public tolerance of bad industrial practice, and better enforcement tools. It is interesting that figures analysed by Robin Williams in his thesis indicate that the decrease was the same in industries subject to specific regulations, such as potteries and accumulator manufacture, as in other industries. This is not the whole story, however. Today there is concern about the health effects of lead, less obvious than those which used to be called “lead poisoning”, so old paint is still a problem, and many more people are considered at risk than appear in the old poisoning figures. Current HSE guidance warns that “lead pigments were widely used in paints for homes, schools and offices until the 1960s”, and repeats Legge and Goadby’s

1912 warnings about sanding and burning off old paint. The effects of the 35-year delay in a ban are still with us.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Classic lead poisoning, which caused misery to so many workers a century ago, had therefore disappeared by the early 1950s. (There was apparently a new peak in the 1960s, but this was probably due to a change in criteria.) However, we are still concerned about the possible health effects of lead today. What is the difference? The early editions of the classic book “Diseases of Occupations” by Donald Hunter, written at about the time the disease disappeared, gave diagnostic criteria for the successive stages of lead poisoning. The “commonest manifestation” was several days of constipation followed by intestinal colic.

Classic lead poisoning, which caused misery to so many workers a century ago, had therefore disappeared by the early 1950s. However, we are still concerned about the possible health effects of lead today. What is the difference?

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XXX “The patient…becomes cold, pale and drenched with perspiration, and may bend over or writhe in bed in intense pain.” If exposure continued, neurological damage followed. These are the more severe symptoms which were no longer seen after the 1950s, but concern about more subtle effects continues. From the 1970s, various biological markers, especially lead in blood, were used as triggers for control measures and the ones currently applied in Britain are shown in Table 1. There is a lot of individual variability in the relation between clinical symptoms and blood lead concentrations, and I have not traced any reliable blood-lead figures from the era of classic lead poisoning. However, Fig 2 shows the range of blood leads found in works shortly after the disappearance of reported lead poisonings. These figures can be compared with those in Table 1, although the Fig 2 measurements date from before the modern interlaboratory quality control checks, so they are subject to uncertainty. As this company clearly had an interested chief medical officer, we can expect that there were many workplaces worse than this. “No cases of clinical plumbism” were observed in this study, but of the workers with blood lead >80 μg/dl, 32 showed some clinical signs of exposure, and 59 did not. There continue to be reports of reprotoxic and neurological effects at blood lead levels of a few tens of μg/dl, or lower in children, and Germany and Australia are reported to have suspension values of 10 μg/dl for women. The levels in Table 1 continue to be exceeded sometimes in construction activities that disturb old lead paint. In these last two parts of this story, I have taken lead poisoning as an example of how what we now call principles of occupational hygiene, spelt out in 1912, came to be applied in the 20th century, to the benefit of many thousands of workers. In the next part, we will look at another example with many unexpected twists and turns and a less complete outcome: The example of silicosis and related lung diseases. Acknowledgements. Many thanks for their comments on this part to Tim Carter, John Cocker, Mark Piney, and Anne Spurgeon. As usual, I am responsible for any mistakes. I am particularly grateful to Mark for introducing me to Robin Williams’ informative PhD thesis. References. A fully-referenced version of this article can be found at https://www.academia. edu/39936782/Topics_in_the_History_of_ British_Occupational_Hygiene_Part_6._Killer_ lead_and_the_ban_that_failed

In the next part, we will look at another example with many unexpected twists and turns and a less complete outcome: The example of silicosis and related lung diseases.

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE #4 - the official magazine of BOHS

SAVE THE DATE Bristol Marriott City Centre Hotel April 20-23 2020

Bristol

The Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection

The Premier Conference for Occupational Hygiene in the UK

SECTION HEADER

MEET YOUR PRESIDENT

JOHN DOBBIE 1 2

WHAT FIRST DEGREE DID YOU TAKE? BSc (Hons) Geology.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST JOB YOU GOT WHEN YOU FINISHED YOUR FULL-TIME EDUCATION?

Industrial hygienist at Monsanto’s chemical plant at Seal Sands in NE England.

WHEN AND WHY DID YOU JOIN BOHS?

I joined BOHS in 1980 just as I was starting my career – it was an excellent way to learn more about occupational hygiene and start the networking with fellow hygienists that have helped me throughout my career.

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR CURRENT JOB?

I was originally headhunted into a job with BP as an occupational hygienist in the Central Group HSE Resource in 1998. Owing to internal reorganisation in 2006, the job I had was transferred to Ineos during the sale of part of BP Chemicals. Ineos does not operate in the same way as BP in terms of centralised HSE roles, so I was made redundant only to be reemployed into my current job by BP three months later.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING WHEN YOU ARE NOT WORKING?

I am not sure that there are times when I am not working – but my hobbies are walking, caravanning, sailing and photography.

WHERE DID YOU LAST GO ON HOLIDAY?

FAVOURITE PET?

8 9

The Lake District in my caravan.

No pets!

FAVOURITE FILM? Star Wars and all the sequels and prequels! I am also a big Marvel Cinematic Universe fan.

WHAT WAS THE LAST MUSIC ALBUM YOU BOUGHT?

Western Stars by Bruce Springsteen.

FAVOURITE BOOK? Lord of the Rings Trilogy and all Sci-Fi!

WANT TO BE OUR NEXT EXPOSURE STAR? Contact us at exposure@bohs.org to find out how!

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ASBESTOS2019 2 DAY CONFERENCE

The Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection

19 & 20 NOVEMBER 2019 CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL NOTTINGHAM 2019 will see the second asbestos conference organised by Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM). The event will bring together researchers, academics, practitioners and regulators, through various plenary talks and technical sessions. The organising committee want to build a programme that will include UK and international speakers, dealing with scientific topics covering key areas regarding the assessment, control and management of asbestos. Abstracts are invited covering any aspect of asbestos. Rates for the 2 day conference BOHS/FAAM Member £350 + VAT Non-Member £400 + VAT Conference Dinner £35 + VAT

Feedback from the 2018 Conference: ‘The content was spot on with food for thought, technical updates and passionate presenters. Looking forward to next year’ ‘Very impressed with the Conference, it was great to see this in our field of work’ ‘I expected a lot from this conference and it delivered a lot, thank you’

Exhibition stand for the 2 day conference £1,000 +VAT including 1 delegate place.

Bookings are now open visit bohs.org/conferences-events to book your place. For more information about any aspect of the conference or to submit an abstract contact

RAISING STANDARDS REDUCING RISKS

conferences@bohs.org

iamfaam.org

ASBESTOS 2019 CONFERENCE

ASBESTOS 2019

TWO DAY CONFERENCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE Professional Development Course: Crash Course on Asbestos Risk Assessment: Workers, Community, Consumers Crowne Plaza Nottingham. Monday 18 November 2019 COURSE TUTORS • Dr Andrey Korchevskiy is a certified toxicologist (DABT), certified industrial hygienist (CIH), and is the Director of Research and Development at C&IH (Wheat Ridge, Colorado). • Andrew Darnton, MSc, is one of the leading internationally renowned epidemiologists, famous for his landmarks publications on asbestos health risk assessment. He is a statistician at the HSE, UK. • Bruce Case, MD, is a pathologist and epidemiologist at McGill University, Canada, one of the most advanced experts in the area of asbestos pathology. He has been a member of BOHS since 1985.

COURSE INFORMATION Asbestos and other fibrous minerals remain one of the significant occupational and environmental concerns worldwide. In spite of being effectively banned from commercial utilization, asbestos still reveals itself as a hazard in various settings. For example, asbestos fibers can be found in ambient air as a background contaminant, at workplaces when employees are involved in abatement operations, in automotive brakes, in industrial filters, in soils and rocks. Potential concerns regarding fibrous component of commercial products (like cosmetic talc and others) require special attention. It is necessary to apply a systematic and scientifically-based

approach to handle all those issues. It is not enough just to compare exposure levels with existing regulatory standards, because applicability of the asbestos exposure limits can be questionable for various practical settings and for various fiber types, being underprotective even more often than overprotective. This is why asbestos risk assessment becoming the method of choice in many situations when occupational hygienists, environmental experts, public health professionals and toxicologists face, analyze, manage, and regulate fibrous contaminants in air, soil, or commercial products. This 8 hour PDC will introduce the audience into the cutting edge topics and agenda of asbestos risk assessment. The participants will study the four-step paradigm of risk assessment (including hazard identification, exposure assessment, dose-response assessment and risk characterization) that represents an effective framework for dealing with asbestos contamination.

Asbestos and other fibrous minerals remain one of the significant occupational and environmental concerns worldwide. In spite of being effectively banned from commercial utilisation, asbestos still reveals itself as a hazard in various settings.

The audience will learn how to use probabilistic techniques for exposure estimation and how to evaluate various exposure scenarios utilizing Monte Carlo and Markov’s chains framework. The class will include exciting hands-on exercises to understand better the work of pathologists exploring various asbestos-related health conditions. The audience will also learn how to apply dose-response relationships for different fiber types and sizes and to predict various health outcomes of exposure probabilistically. Examples of risk assessment related to exposures from occupational procedures, residential soil contamination and talcum powder will be demonstrated and discussed.

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REGISTRATION OPEN

o.e.e.s.c. DUBLIN 2019

Occupational and Environmental Exposure of the Skin to Chemicals 16 to 18 September 2019 | The Pillo Hotel, Dublin, Ireland

The Occupational and Environmental Exposure of Skin to Chemicals (OEESC) conference is the leading international conference on skin exposure bringing together experts from wide ranging fields including occupational hygiene, health and safety, dermatology, skin research and consumer fields.

For further information visit www.oeesc.com or email conferences@bohs.org