Exposure Magazine | Issue 6 2020

EXPOSURE PROMOTING A HEALTHY WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL

#6

JANUARY 2021

ASBESTOS 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE IN REVIEW ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

❚ Industrial Hygiene Data Standardization ❚ Update on Ethics ❚ The Hygienist’s Tale ❚ Overview Of Occupational Health Hazards In Offshore Drilling

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INSIDE

Welcome

EXPOSURE MAGAZINE

Hello everyone, Happy New Year!

3 Welcome

To kick off 2021, we have a jam-packed 36 page edition of Exposure for your reading pleasure, filled to the brim with the content you’ve been asking for via our survey seen on the front cover. We’d like to thank everyone who has took the time to offer feedback on Exposure, helping us to continually improve and broaden the scope and impact of the magazine. The survey is still live if you have 5 minutes to spare.

4 President’s Column 5 CEO's Column 6 Meet the new Chief Editor of the Annals of Work Exposures and Health – Dr. Rachael Jones 7 Industrial Hygiene Data Standardization Past Lessons, Present Challenges, and Future Directions

In this issue, we say hello to the new Annals of Work Exposures and Health Chief Editor on page 6. We can’t wait to see what she’ll bring to the Annals in the coming months and years.

14 Reasons For Optimisim 16 Meet The Member - Kellie Naughton

On page 22, Trevor Ogden concludes his monumental series on the history of British Occupational Hygiene.

We cannot offer enough gratitude for the work Trevor has put into all 12 chapters, taking us through the last 300 years of occupational hygiene – we’ll be sad to see it go, but look forward to whatever Trevor works on next.

17 COVER FEATURE: Asbestos 2020 In Review 19 Marie Townshend Conferences and Operations Manager

And for those of you who attended our Asbestos conference in November and witnessed one of our most enthralling panels to date, The Mock Trials. We hope your fingernails were intact once the interrogations had finally finished. We’ve got some insights from those that attended, offering a look at the types of sessions we hope to host more of in the future.

20 Asbestos 2020 Mock Trial - What They Said...

22 The End of a Story, but not of the Battle.

History of British Occupational Hygiene Part 11

Lastly, here is to a prosperous 2021, and we hope to actually see some of you in person before the year is over!

26 The Hygenist's Tale - by Graham Newport 29 Asbestos 2020 Virtual Conference An Overview from Marie Townshend 30 Update on Ehtics 32 Overview of Occupational Health Hazards in Offshore Drilling - by Jans Babkevics

The BOHS Team

THE EXPOSURE TEAM LEE BURKETT

JOE MOTT

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EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

KELVIN WILLIAMS NEW BOHS PRESIDENT

“I’m a sort of scientist/engineer specialise in protecting workers’ health”.

“Oh really, – how so?”

“Well, …….”

At this point you drop the H bomb, the “hygiene” word. You get a polite smile, but the face is a bit flat – like they excitedly opened your Christmas gift, only to find you sponsored a donkey on their behalf (it’s surely all good, but…).

They tell you about their friend who made a fortune flogging hand sanitiser.

We have an image problem born of semantics. Over the years, despite exhausting the lexicon of hygiene we are yet to come up with a neat alternative word that reflects the profound range of scientific, engineering and management skills required for effective control of workplace exposures and protection of health. We have straplines such as “The Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection” to accompany the BOHS logo, which I think is great but we need something more.

Does it really matter? From a communications angle, to attract talent and project our professional gravitas I think we must be realistic and say it does. So, what to do about the “hygiene” word?

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We’ve all been there. You’re invited round to dinner and they ask you what you do.

We have pursued elimination or substitution as a priority, but it is evidently difficult to coin disease prevention with a different word – not to mention the high risk such a manoeuvre would pose to our identity. Or we could engineer what comes to mind when people meet the term “occupational hygiene”. The latter approach requires perseverance with a long-term plan but seems the better bet to me. To think of it, we have been on this path for some time already, consider initiatives such as the Chartership and the Breathe Freely campaign.

The BOHS Strategy for 2021–2025 includes sharp focus on professional standards and performance, engagement with higher education and enhancing our technical capabilities.

I was recently asked what I would like to see as the outcome of the strategy in five years’ time – the short answer would be occupational hygiene as a familiar term with the public, and to see a broad understanding and engagement with its principles by professionals and technical staff of all stripes.

I’m taken with the idea that there are a lot of folk out there who are doing occupational hygiene but wouldn’t recognise it as such, neither would they call themselves occupational hygienists. The Infection Prevention Society would be an example that’s

come to my attention during the pandemic. From time to time I come across wonderfully considered plant and process designs, executed by folk who have no idea that they’ve actually done a marvellous job of what is “occupational hygiene”. I feel their work is part of our mission but even if they have heard of occupational hygiene, chances are they’ve only come across it as technical compliance monitoring. Look at the market for occupational hygiene services and ask yourself why wouldn’t they?

We must enlist as broad a church as possible to advance worker health protection. “So long as the message is preached” – as St Paul might have put it.

To do that we need to remind ourselves to be as attentive to what occupational hygiene is, as we are to who an occupational hygienist is. At the end of the day, it’s not all about us.

The BOHS Strategy for 2021–2025 includes sharp focus on professional standards and performance, engagement with higher education and enhancing our technical capabilities.

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CEO’S COLUMN

KEVIN BAMPTON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

A Christmas Carol If there is a measure of the importance and achievements of BOHS and its members it is highlighted by the achievements it makes in tackling ignorance of the exposures within the workplace which are the doom of so many. I am an unapologetic fan of a Christmas Carol in all its variety from the Muppets to Scrooge. At the time of writing, it is in the run-up to Christmas and I weigh the achievements of the year in the battle against the ignorance that is the greatest enemy of occupational hygiene. I also am big on seeing through New Year Resolutions, so I shall return to these through the coming year.

People I map out the coming year as a battle plan against ignorance and how we, at Head Office, can best muster the invaluable resources that we have to tackle it. As a Society, our greatest asset in this are our people, both volunteers and staff. I am thankful for our people this year, from the supporters who attended physical and virtual events or answered surveys, through to the officers of the Society who, at times, seemed to work full time in the struggle to understand and control COVID-19. All of my colleagues at Head Office have given so

“This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.”

much of themselves and it is gratifying that there is a real sense that all of us have a passion for the importance of occupational hygiene and are ambassadors of it themselves.

A New Year resolution for me is to see through the work that I have been leading to make us as good as an employer and to properly support and recognize volunteer support at every level.

content and that we make the best of the organs at our disposal, such as Exposure to deliver more and better content.

Personal Interaction COVID-19 has forced us into new ways of working. For several months, BOHS Head Office was led out of my bedroom.

My wife evicted me as she did not like having so many visitors there!

Publications Our publications and technical guidance have served us well in developing profile and supporting the resources of the Society to spread our message.

We have been able to amplify this through the use of social media, webinars and new forms of working.

The authors, sitting in their living rooms, offices, kids bedrooms and goodness knows where else have tirelessly worked to develop content that engages and informs. As a former University Professor and head of Department, I could put a price on this intellectual effort (as modern Universities do), but that would be a cost beyond what BOHS could ever hope to pay. Generosity in knowledge and skills from volunteers and staff is at the centre of our Society’s contribution.

Another New Year resolution from me is to ensure that members get access to more academic, technical and other relevant

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

It has been a real boon to enable engagement across the globe, reduce our carbon footprint, have more face-to-face engagements and understand the interesting dimensions of personality revealed by décor and casual wear. However, it has been painful to be deprived of the opportunity for casual and accidental interactions, to have the warmth of three-dimensional human interactions continued

I map out the coming year as a battle plan against ignorance and how we, at Head Office, can best muster the invaluable resources that we have to tackle it.

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CEO’S COLUMN CONT. and to generally lose the Society of others. My immense gratitude goes to my colleagues and Society members who enabled remote working, not only technologically, but also through engagement and flexibility.

My New Year’s Resolution is to take the best of inclusiveness enabled by remote working, but to engineer excellent opportunities to ensure that the Society meets together and can network in person, as soon as COVID-19 permits.

Partnerships Partnership has been not only an opportunity and necessity through the year. Much of what we have achieved, we have realized through collaboration with other organisations.

At the same time other partnerships have been undermined by the impact of the pandemic and we have realized how much we miss working with those groups. Our gratitude to fellow

professional bodies, international bodies, Universities, company partners and in particular our amazing training providers is considerable.

Another New Year’s resolution is to do more to work collaboratively and to enable systematic partnership and to see a revival and development of Breathe Freely and the partnerships associated with it.

Professional Standards The vital role of health protection became the global issue of 2020. At one extreme, this has seen the proliferation of occupational hygiene crime, with organized crime gangs moving from smuggling drugs in PPE consignments to selling fake PPE itself. At the other end of the spectrum, the pandemic has put exceptional pressures on client groups to secure Health and Safety compliance for lower costs, on consultants to deliver more for less and has stretched the availability of expertise.

MEET THE NEW CHIEF EDITOR OF THE ANNALS OF WORK EXPOSURES AND HEALTH – DR. RACHAEL JONES It is a great privilege to serve BOHS in the role of Chief Editor of the Annals of Work Exposures and Health.

I formally started this role in November, as the first issue of Volume 65 was closing. Dr. Noah Seixas and Ms. Roz Phillips have been gracious mentors, and I appreciate the support I have received from the Editorial Board and BOHS CEO Kevin Bampton. I have enjoyed getting to know the Editorial Board and the authors, and I look forward to developing relationships with more BOHS members. Like many, I am anxious to travel again and attend the next BOHS conference.

The Annals is in a position of strength during this transition.

The name change has distinguished the Annals scope, and this is being

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reflected in the types of submissions received. The number of submissions is up. Forthcoming articles continue to reflect the diversity of occupational hygiene research and practice, and also showcase the contributions of occupational hygiene to COVID-19 prevention and control. In the next issue of Exposure Magazine I will review performance statistics of the Annals for 2020 and highlight some notable papers.

I want to draw your attention to issue 2 of the Annals, due to be published in February 2021. This special issue is devoted to work presented at the 8th Occupational and Environmental Exposure of the Skin to Chemicals Conference, held in Dublin in September 2019. The conference brought together professionals from diverse backgrounds and highlighted innovative research and

Each of these puts exceptional pressure on professionals and educators of professionals. This year has seen the Society develop its plans and processes to support professional standards across occupational hygiene.

The fact that the volunteers who have enabled these developments have themselves been also at the sharp end of these pressures in their “day jobs” is remarkable. Colleagues in HSE who have been members of the Board, Committees and Expert Groups deserve particular identification in this respect.

My final resolution is to ensure that BOHS provides the most relevant and comprehensive support, guidance and pathways to professional recognition it is able to.

I know that my colleagues and I will deliver on all these in the New Year (with you support, of course)!

practice related to dermal exposure assessment, skin health and skin science. The conference was co-chaired

by Dr. Helen Taylor and Ms. Kate Jones.

Ms. Jones served as Guest Editor for this issue, and did an outstanding job in selecting and shepherding these articles to publication. Many of these articles are currently available in advance on the journal website: https://academic.oup. com/annweh/advance-articles.

I encourage readers intrigued by the contents of the special issue to check out the conference website (www. oeesc.com), where many presentations remain accessible to the public.

Though, I am physically located far from many of you, in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States, COVID-19 confirmed how physical distances can be bridged by technology. Feel free to reach out to talk with me about how the Annals can serve you better (rachael.jones@utah.edu or annals@ bohs.org). After the pandemic, stop by when in Utah for the skiing or dramatic red rock landscapes.

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INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA STANDARDIZATION

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA STANDARDIZATION PAST LESSONS, PRESENT CHALLENGES, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

BY TAYLOR M. SHOCKEY, MATTHEW M. DAHM, STEVEN J. WURZELBACHER, AND JOHN BAKER any additional data elements and variables collected are often left to the discretion of the hygienist.

Over the last several years, the profession has seen renewed discussions regarding the standardization of IH data collection.

The principal goal of IH data standardization is the widespread adoption of a set of well defined, exposure-relevant variables to harmonize the collection of occupational exposure data across different worksites, companies,

The collection of industrial hygiene air, surface, and noise data is a critical task at the center of the IH profession.

Industrial hygienists usually collect occupational exposure measurements using sampling methods that have been validated by OSHA or NIOSH to protect workers from chemical, biological, and physical hazards.

But beyond the information required on a standard chain of custody form (sampler/media type, analysis method, sample time, sample volume, and so on), Demographic Information

Survey Report

Work History

Occupational Title Codes Employee Information

Similar Exposure Groups

Engineering Control Information

Survey Tracing Information

Facility / Site Information

Exposure Estimate

Process / Operation Information

Maintenance & other Supporting Records

Sampling Device Information

Callibration Records

Personal Protective Equipment

Fit Test / Performance Records

Qualitative or Quantitative Chemical Exposure Results

Work Area Information

Chemical Agent Information

MSDS

Occupational Exposure Limits

Sample Information

Sampling & Analytical Methods

Fig 1. Focus and scope of recommended data elements for capture of standardized IH data.

Exposure Modifier Information

Data Group

Noise Exposure Results

Related Data Source

From "Special Report: Data Elements for Occupational Exposure Databases: Guidelines and Recommendations for Airborne Hazards and Noise" by Morton Lippmann, Manuel R. Gomez, and Gregorie M. Rawls in the November 1996 issue of Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Taylor & Francis Ltd, tandfonline.com.

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

Within an organization, standardized IH data are less prone to error and are more consistent, allowing for easier, more efficient analyses with increased potential for benchmarking...

agencies, and other entities (see Figure 1).

Within an organization, standardized IH data are less prone to error and are more consistent, allowing for easier, more efficient analyses with increased potential for benchmarking.

Across organizations or worksites, standardized IH data creates the opportunity for data aggregation, which can help identify exposure patterns or trends that may lead to improvements in occupational safety and health.

The IH field is rapidly evolving, forcing hygienists to keep up with changes in monitoring technology and in the materials or agents commonly measured. While data collection remains at the core of the field, the use of direct-reading instruments and sensor technology has shifted IH data into the realm of Big Data systems.

Big Data are commonly defined by parameters known as the “five Vs”— volume, velocity, variety, veracity, and value. Volume refers to the amount of data created, while velocity refers

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INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA STANDARDIZATION to the speed of data acquisition and processing. Variety refers to the types of data being generated, including both structured numerical data and increasingly unstructured narrative descriptions that provide context.

Veracity refers to the reliability, precision, and quality of the data, while value is defined by whether the data can be generalized and used to generate or test hypotheses (see Figure 2).

Lessons Learned IH data standardization is not a new idea. Fifty years ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) sparked the demand for improvement of IH data quality as it greatly increased the amount of IH data collected in the public and private sectors.

The OSH Act magnified the scope of the entire IH field. It was, and still is, widely believed that these data should be used beyond solely determining compliance with set standards. To read more about this topic, see the special report “Data Elements for Occupational Exposure Databases: Guidelines and Recommendations for Airborne Hazards and Noise” in the November 1996 issue of Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.

IH professionals have recommended that IH data be used in other exposure assessment activities related to the management of workplace risk, such as epidemiologic research, exposure surveillance, benchmark development, population-level and quantitative risk assessments, and the creation of retrospective and prospective exposure models. However, for IH data to be meaningful for such activities, hygienists must include additional information related to the conditions of the exposure measurement. Raw exposure measurements have limited use without the appropriate context in the form of sampling, employee, environmental, and process information (see Figure 1).

A 1993 international conference on occupational exposure databases led to the formation of a joint task group between ACGIH and AIHA.

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To harmonize IH data collection and improve data quality, the task group created a uniform list of 134 data elements with corresponding definitions, then organized the elements into 13 data groups (as described in the 1996 special report in the Applied Journal archives). These data groups include information about the sampled employee’s job title and work history as well as information regarding the site, process, work area, chemical agent, exposure modifiers, sample, sampling device, engineering controls, and personal protective equipment.

Chemical and physical hazard exposure results are also included (see Table 1).

The data elements are flexible and can be adapted to different uses and levels of detail while maintaining the standardization necessary to allow for data aggregation and comparisons.

Although the task group’s list of IH data elements and variables remains relevant and useful, it has not been widely adopted. This lack of adoption is likely due to a variety of reasons, including technological or softwarebased constraints, insufficient

VOLUME • Terabytes • Records/Arch • Transactions • Tables, Files

VARIETY • Structures • Unstructured • Multi-factor • Probabilistic

Fig 2. Description of the five dimensions or characteristics of Big Data (known as the “5 Vs”).

IH professionals have recommended that IH data be used in other exposure assessment activities related to the management of workplace risk, such as epidemiologic research, exposure surveillance, benchmark development,populationlevel and quantitative risk assessments, and the creation of retrospective and prospective exposure models.

VELOCITY • Batch • Real/near time • Processes • Streams

5 VS OF BIG DATA

VERACITY • Trustworthiness • Authernticity • Origin, Reputation • Availability • Accountability

VALUE • Statistical • Events • Correalations • Hypothetical

This figure is a derivative of Figure 1 from "Big Data Tools-An Overview" by Rabie A. Ramadan in the December 2017 issue of the International Journal of Computer and Software Engineering (see bit.ly/bigdataoverview). The original figure is licensed under CC BY 3.0, creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/3.0

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INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA STANDARDIZATION SUMMARY CONTENTS

DATA GROUP A

Facility / Site Information

Basic descriptive information regarding the facility or site

B

Survey Tracking Information

Summary survey identification and tracking information

C

Work Area Information

Information about the area(s) where the exposure measurements / assessments were performed (location, type. ambient conditions

D

Employee Information

Information about the employee(s) whose exposure was assessed / measured, nature of job, exposure groups

E

Process and Operation Information

Information about process(es), operation(s), exposure source(s)

F

Chemical Agent Information

Information about the chemical agent(s) monitored

G

Exposure Modifier Information

Information about the modifiers of exposure (representativeness, pattern, frequency, work load).

H

Sample Information

Information about the sample(s) (reason, date, duration, type.)

I

Sampling Device Information

Information about the sampling device used.

J

Engineering Controls Information

Information about engineering controls (type, condition, usage.)

K

Personal Protective Equipment Information

Information about respirators, gloves, protective clothing, hearing, eye, face, and foot protection.

L

Chemical Exposure Results

Concentration measured, TWA estimates, limit of detection.

M

Noise Exposure Results

Noise exposure estimates (frequencies, intensities, intermittences.)

Table 1. Data Groups with Summary Description of Each Group’s Contents of Associated Data Elements

organizational capability (for example, if adoption is cost prohibitive or a shortage of time or personnel prevents implementation), inaccessibility to the list of data elements, and the absence of a champion to support its use.

Current Status Advancements in technology have ushered in a wide range of data collection and storage options via mobile devices and database/analytic software.

The volume, velocity, and variety of IH data being collected continues to increase, particularly with the development of direct-reading instrumentation and cloud-based analytics. However, IH data standardization that may ensure data veracity and support data value remains a challenge.

A survey of IH data practices among a sample of workers’ compensation insurers published in the June 2018 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) revealed that the collection and storage of IH data varied, even though the majority of insurers provided IH services and employed IH staff.

From "Special Report: Data Elements for Occupational Exposure Databases: Guidelines and Recommendations for Airborne Hazards and Noise" by Morton Lippmann, Manuel R. Gomez, and Gregorie M. Rawls in the November 1996 issue of Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Taylor & Francis Ltd, tandfonline.com.

The insurers mostly used the data to provide recommendations to their policyholders. Their data storage capabilities were reflective of this, as most insurers stored the data in disparate, non-standardized file types (for example, PDFs and Word documents) that could not be easily grouped or searched collectively to identify patterns, or they did not retain any IH data after providing a report to their clients. The data elements collected by these insurers also differed greatly. While these insurers represent a small subset of organizations that conduct IH tasks, this survey highlights the elusive nature of IH data standardization.

Another study collected the IH data forms used by a similar sample of workers’ compensation insurers and government agencies and used the forms to derive a core list of essential data fields to determine the feasibility of standardization and pooling of IH data (see “Standardizing Industrial Hygiene Data Collection Forms Used by Workers’ Compensation Insurers” in the September 2018 JOEH).

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

Advancements in technology have ushered in a wide range of data collection and storage options via mobile devices and database/ analytic software.

The volume, velocity, and variety of IH data being collected continues to increase, particularly with the development of direct-reading instrumentation and cloud-based analytics...

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The authors compared the core list to the list of data elements developed by the 1993 ACGIH-AIHA task group and found that the two lists had 85 to 90 percent of the data elements in common. Results from the 2018 study indicate that the recommendations of the 1993 task group are still relevant to standardization in today’s IH field, but that progress toward adoption remains slow.

AIHA has increased efforts to promote data quality and standardization by including an appendix on data quality (Appendix IX) in the latest edition of A Strategy for Assessing and Managing Occupational Exposures, which was published in 2015. This appendix introduces literature on how to evaluate historical or current IH data quality and includes a checklist of data elements adapted from the literature, including the 1996 special report in the Applied Journal. The checklist serves as a source for comparison, providing a method for evaluating current IH forms to examine which data fields are being captured and how. A consensus study report published in 2018 by the National

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Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “A Smarter National Surveillance System for Occupational Safety and Health in the 21st Century” (see bit.ly/ ohssurveillance), represents additional efforts to encourage data standardization.

A major recommendation from the report is for NIOSH and OSHA to prioritize development of a comprehensive approach for occupational exposure surveillance. The report refers to the collection and analysis of data on occupational hazards and exposures as a “key component missing from U.S. occupational safety and health surveillance” and identifies several short- and long-term recommendations for achieving a cohesive and “smarter” surveillance system to protect the current and future workforce. IH data standardization is needed for overall improvement of occupational safety and health surveillance.

IH data standardization will be critically important for the development of risk assessments, epidemiologic research, and exposure modeling of emerging hazards to understand potential workplace health effects associated with exposure.

The literature, IH professional organizations, and those employed within the IH field agree on the importance of data quality and completeness.

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INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA STANDARDIZATION Current and historical exposure monitoring data sources, such as OSHA’s Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) and workers’ compensation data, have been valuable in providing exposure trends over time, by agent or job type, and by severity of exposure. However, many of these data sources are lacking contextual information that could allow them to serve even greater purposes.

For example, the OSHA IMIS records do not include information on the sampling method, sampling instrument, or site or work area.

Those few examples that have successfully cleaned and aggregated IH data illustrate the value of IH data on a larger scale. The Exposure Control Database (ECD), created by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, is an interactive tool that predicts exposure to silica, welding fumes, noise, and lead within the construction industry. The source data are continually updated from reliable sources, including government reports and peer-reviewed literature. The ECD, available online at bit.ly/ecdcpwr, showcases the predictive capabilities of standardized and aggregated occupational exposure monitoring data for the implementation of effective hazard controls.

scientists from the University of British Columbia—used this database as a source of “objective data” on respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The RCS data in the Canadian construction sector was used to develop a web-based tool that allows end users with varying expertise, including non-OHS experts, to generate a single-task exposure control plan (ECP), which is required under regulation in British Columbia for those undertaking work potentially exposing workers to RCS. (The development and implementation of the web-based tool is described in an article published in Frontiers in Public Health at bit.ly/ rcstool.) Users generate up to 3,900 ECPs per year with the tool.

The final example is provided by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, which was able to aggregate nine years (2008–2016) of worker exposure assessment results collected by the state’s IH compliance safety and health officers into a summary report (PDF, bit.ly/doshreport)

IH data standardization is a massive undertaking, not easily accomplished, but those in the IH field can take small steps to promote data quality. AIHA recently circulated two surveys to gather relevant feedback from the IH professional community...

A project similar to the ECD, the Canadian Workplace Exposure Database (see bit.ly/canadacwed), is a large, centralized database for current and historical occupational exposure data from workplaces across Canada.

It currently contains approximately 480,000 air-sampling measurements for chemical carcinogens. A project team is now engaged in expanding this database to include non-carcinogenic exposures, and to ensure the data is properly collected and coded to inform research and policy projects. The team also plans to enhance the governance structure, data stewardship and management, and user access. Several groups—including the British Columbia Construction Safety Alliance, the British Columbia occupational health and safety workers’ compensation insurer WorkSafeBC, and exposure

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

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INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA STANDARDIZATION and corresponding database.

The report allowed the state of Washington to identify the most frequently sampled substances and industries and determine the substances with the highest severity exposure (which represents the ratio of the measured concentration to its permissible exposure limit).

Looking Ahead IH data standardization will be critically important for the development of risk assessments, epidemiologic research, and exposure modeling of emerging hazards to understand potential workplace health effects associated with exposure. This is especially true for emerging chemicals that do not yet have established occupational exposure limits (OELs) or standard sampling methods.

One example of the need for IH data standardization is from the continually developing field of nanotechnology and advanced materials (NAMs). Innovations in manufacturing and nanotechnology have led to an entirely new slate of agents known as “advanced materials,” and NAMs have already had an impact

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within the IH field. Many rapid, significant changes with which the field of industrial hygiene is currently contending have made data standardization increasingly important to ensure data veracity and value to help in the prevention of hazardous occupational exposures.

Currently, few NAMs have an OEL or standard sampling method. These materials exemplify some of the challenges for data standardization due to: • varied morphologies of the aerosol constituents (such as shape and relative number of primary particles, agglomerates, and functionalization elements) • types of exposure metrics and methods collected for a given exposure assessment resulting from limited standardized sampling methods (for example, integrated filter samples for chemical analysis or electron microscopic image analysis, X-ray energy dispersive spectra, realtime particle number concentrations, surface charge, and surface area) • application to exposure or control banding schemes for interpretation

Collection and storage of standardized IH data in the present will allow future researchers to pool data for healthrelated studies, which could include retrospective cohorts and exposure modeling.

The lack of consensus on sampling methods can be overcome by providing detailed information within these standardized variables...

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INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE DATA STANDARDIZATION

Collection and storage of standardized IH data in the present will allow future researchers to pool data for health-related studies, which could include retrospective cohorts and exposure modeling.

The lack of consensus on sampling methods can be overcome by providing detailed information within these standardized variables and data groups that will be critical for future studies.

IH data standardization is a massive undertaking, not easily accomplished, but those in the IH field can take small steps to promote data quality.

AIHA recently circulated two surveys to gather relevant feedback from the IH professional community: one focused on current IH data applications and standardization among organizations, and the second focused on the list of data elements specific to standardization. At the time this issue of The Synergist went to press, results of these surveys had not yet been released. Ultimately, communication across the IH field is needed to ensure a better understanding of common practices related to data collection, storage, and use. Sharing best practices and identifying data gaps will help the finalization and distribution of a list of standardized data elements.

The future of IH data is both promising and daunting with continuous technological and analytical advancement (such as real-time monitoring and cloud-based computing), the expansion of Big Data,

and the increase in emerging chemicals.

IH data standardization can ease the burden of these changes and help guide the field in protecting the health and safety of the evolving workforce.

The future of IH data is both promising and daunting ... IH data standardization can ease the burden of these changes and help guide the field in protecting the health and safety of the evolving workforce.

RESOURCES: AIHA: A Strategy for Assessing and Managing

TAYLOR M. SHOCKEY, PHD, MPH, is an associate service fellow at CDC/NIOSH in Cincinnati, Ohio. She can be reached at tshockey@cdc.gov.

Occupational Exposures, 4th edition (2015).

Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene: “Special Report: Data Elements for Occupational Exposure Databases: Guidelines

MATTHEW M. DAHM, PHD, MPH, is a research industrial hygienist at CDC/ NIOSH in Cincinnati, Ohio. He can be reached at mdahm@cdc.gov.

and Recommendations for Airborne Hazards and Noise” (November 1996).

Frontiers in Public Health: “Development of a Web-Based Tool for Risk Assessment and

STEVEN J. WURZELBACHER, PHD, directs the Center for Workers’ Compensation Studies at CDC/NIOSH in Cincinnati, Ohio. He can be reached at swurzelbacher@cdc.gov.

Exposure Control Planning of Silica-Producing Tasks in the Construction Sector,” bit.ly/rcstool (August 2020).

International Journal of Computer Science and Software Engineering: “Big Data Tools

JOHN BAKER, MS, MBA, CIH, FAIHA, is a principal consultant and south regional practice lead (IH) for BSI Consulting Services, Inc. in The Woodlands, Texas. He can be reached at john.baker@bsigroup.com.

– An Overview,” bit.ly/bigdataoverview (December 2017).

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene: “Occupational Exposure Monitoring Data Collection, Storage, and Use Among State-Based and Private Workers’

Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Compensation Insurers” (June 2018).

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene: “Standardizing Industrial Hygiene Data Collection Forms Used by Workers’ Compensation Insurers” (September 2018).

The Synergist: “Predictive Purposes: Will

Send feedback to synergist@aiha.org.

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

Big Data Change Industrial Hygiene?” bit.ly/ predictivepurposes (March 2018).

13

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM

BY LISA WILLIAMS

I was asked to reflect on the year, which in qualifications terms is not over until the end of January when every exam has been marked, verified and a result issued. I will reserve my reflection for the year 2020 for when we have a full set of data to share some insights and comparisons for the delivery of exams online compared to paper.

Meanwhile, the request gave me pause to look back on the experience of the year. I was considering how far we have come as a team since March 23rd when the first lockdown began.

Necessity enabled us to move to a new exam delivery system and operational business model. We deployed our first online exam on the 3rd of April. That is an incredible achievement with thanks to Evaexams for supporting us through as a true partner wanting us to succeed.

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No journey is without risk of failure and I have tremendous pride in the attitude of the BOHS team's resilience and commitment to try and then not only succeed in such a short time but to keep up the pace of change.

We haven't always got it right in the last few months, but we have learned to keep looking forward and take the lessons from the past as a signpost.

The number of exams we deliver continue to increase every month and the number of training providers enquiring about running courses is very encouraging. The approach of collaborating and working together with providers to help us both adapt and appreciate the often-difficult circumstances each other are operating will continue.

No providers are the same and I have gained a lot of insight by being able to speak with business owners , tutors, and candidates in understanding their unique situations.

There is still a long way to go to reach our goal of modernising and updating but so much has been developed to support our new ways of working.

The virtual learning environment is a new platform which has some exciting new plans. The professional qualifications are submitted here, with the next part being the proficiency reports having a nice portfolio area. There will be some e- learning units ready to go live in the new year. The ability to build some CPD units in house means we can tailor things and be more responsive to members and industry changes.

BOHS.ORG

REASONS FOR OPTIMISM

For the first time the events team ran a virtual conference for OH202 and Asbestos 2020.

Feedback has been wonderful, and the qualifications team reached out to our stakeholders to help us have a presence and build some useful content for attendees.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS The Learning Zone For the first time the events team ran a virtual conference for OH202 and Asbestos 2020. Feedback has been wonderful, and the qualifications team reached out to our stakeholders to help us have a presence and build some useful content for attendees.

Thats content is a variety of curated resources designed to help training providers and candidate navigate their approach to achieving a BOHS qualification. Now the next year's event planning is underway, we will be making this year's content free on the website the learning zone for everyone who was unable to attend a conference. There are some free resources, some videos form Training providers like Gully Howard, Firesafe New Zealand. Some interviews and handy hints and tips on exam technique, there's even a practice exam to try out the system before the real thing.

We will continue to add useful learning resources , so if you come across any great practice or would like to contribute something you know has helped you in exam or professional development, please drop a line to the team, we would like to hear from you at qualifications@bohs.org Controlling health risks in construction The most impactful development has been the Certificate in Controlling Health Risks - construction underwent a review.

The qualification was launched in 2017 and as part of our quality assurance process was due for a review. This timing was serendipitous that we were able to engage with Mike Slater from Diamond Environmental and Neil Pickering from NA&C consultants Ltd. Some of you may know Mike and Neil from the Breathe freely campaign and Neil as former Registrar of the BOHS faculty of Occupational Hygiene. Working tirelessly on rewriting the materials to be refreshed and be relevant to a socially distanced or online tutor led teaching environment, the whole project team took on board previous feedback. The challenge was accepted, and the course was updated during the late Summer to include leadership and mental health. Making sure the pilot courses we ran were in a risk assessed distanced environment by President , kelvin Williams . The feedback from candidates has been very positive with only some minor tweaks needed. "the course is great for managers and those with little understanding of OH risk" " the evaluation of health risk evaluation corrected my perspective" The pilots for running a tutor led online version are being piloted in the new year.

The interest from large companies with significant numbers of construction employees is indicative that occupational Health is now recognised that prevention is on the agenda.

Technical Advisory Group The Technical Advisory Group (TAG) operates under the oversight of the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

to provide advice on the BOHS Qualifications. The Chief Examiner with the support of the group and Head Office team ensure that there is oversight to Quality practices in the delivery of training and examinations. Continuous improvement of quality standards and issues related to factors surrounding awarding body practice. Improvements to procedures and practices for candidate assessment. Modifications of existing routes to BOHS qualifications.

Commercial opportunities for new or expanded courses and qualifications in the field of occupational hygiene are explored and if viable commission a working group to develop new qualifications. Adaptations of existing course syllabuses in response to external factors. Continuous improvement to mechanisms for learning, and course delivery. Documents, guidance, and advice to support BOHS Qualifications are technically correct and remain relevant.

The small group has been covering a range of specialism and are looking to expand their numbers so BOHS can meet the requirements of Ofqual regulation and bring in more expert advice to develop new qualifications and provide advice to Head office staff. We will be recruiting 2 new paid part time 18.5 hours per week, Principal examiners to support the Chief examiner in the new year. Ideally, we would like to engage 1 OH person with a chemical leaning and the other one with a physical agent leaning to provide advice to staff on candidate queries, support in developing exams and contribution to quality practices.

We will be posting a Job description shortly out to the membership. If you or you know of anyone who might be interested, email a CV and how you feel you could support this group to lisa.williams@bohs.org for an informal chat or to ask any questions I'd welcome hearing from you.

Finally, 2021 looks set to continue the change and evolution of BOHS qualifications and quality assurance I'm optimistic and have every reason to believe with the team we have and the energy they continually give to BOHS we will have some interesting data to reflect on in early February on the 2020 qualifications year in review.

15

MEET THE MEMBER

KELLY NAUGHTON TRAINING MANAGER, AEC.

Q WHAT LED YOU TO

PURSUE YOUR CURRENT PROFESSION?

A

I started out training in Environmental Health with a HND and Degree at Salford University and placement at Sefton Council.

I developed an interest in asbestos after seeing an advert on the university job board for a trainee asbestos consultant at AEC. I still remember being interviewed by Bob Harris and Mandy Reid and 18 years later they have given me the opportunity to progress within the company and expand the training. It is thanks to them that I have had the opportunity to train in Dubai and the Philippines, taught people in Vietnam, Pakistan, India, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, China, South Africa, Canada and more. I am very lucky and proud I am able to make a difference. .

Q WHY DID YOU

BECOME A MEMBER OF BOHS?

A

BOHS is well recognised and enables us to help improve knowledge and to work with BOHS.

Q WHAT ASPECT

OF YOUR BOHS MEMBERSHIP DO YOU VALUE THE MOST?

A

Working with BOHS to come up with new ways of delivering training and has enabled us to take this Globally.

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Q WHAT DO YOU THINK Q AWAY FROM YOUR WANT TO BE OUR NEXT EXPOSURE STAR? Contact us at exposure@bohs.org to find out how!

ABOUT THE ROLE BOHS IS PLAYING IN PROMOTING WORKER HEALTH PROTECTION?

A

It is an important role especially as the leading authority in occupational disease prevention

Q WHAT DOES A

TYPICAL WORK DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

Q HOW HAVE THE BOHS A I start off checking all QUALIFICATIONS HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER?

A

Without the qualifications I could not have progressed through the industry and company like I have.

They are qualifications that I value, recommend and teach.

Q WHAT DO YOU

ENJOY MOST ABOUT OUR PUBLICATIONS (ANNALS OF WORK EXPOSURE AND HEALTH, EXPOSURE, FAAM NEWS, E-BULLETINS, WEBSITE NEWS)?

A

Always learning something new, develop myself professionally and being able to pass this information on.

training rooms in use for that day are ready for the trainers. Make sure each trainer has the course files and handouts for the course and then get myself ready. In the classroom or online I’m always early to be on hand if delegates need me for anything. Once the course is complete, I am then on hand if anyone needs to stay behind and go through anything.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE, WHAT HOBBIES AND INTERESTS DO Y OU HAVE?

A

Over the years I have been a skydiver, enjoyed Judo and swimming. I follow my home team Everton and I also love Ice Hockey. Manchester Storm and Las Vegas Golden Knights being my favourite.

I also love to travel.

Q LASTLY, A QUICK FIRE ROUND – FAVOURITE FILM, FAVOURITE SONG, FAVOURITE MEAL.

A

Film – The adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Song – Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now Meal – Wagamamma Katsu Curry.

Q WHAT ADVICE

WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF, OR THOSE ENTERING THE PROFESSION?

A

Don’t be in such a hurry.

Progression and learning will never stop. Be kind to each other, you never know when you will need the help of others, we should all be able to work together and not against each other.

Over the years I have been a skydiver, enjoyed Judo and swimming. I follow my home team Everton and I also love Ice Hockey...

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ASBESTOS 2020 IN REVIEW

ASBESTOS 2020 IN REVIEW Thanks to the speakers, sponsors, audience, FAAM / BOHS, Connect Communications and fellow conference committee members (Colette Willoughby, Sara Mason, Garry Burdett and Marie Townsend) who all combined to make the virtual Asbestos 2020 conference such a great success. It’s not just me saying it: the responses have been brilliant.

Having started the year planning a venue for the usual face to face meeting, the emergence of Covid 19 imposed a whole new approach – and fast. But we did it and afterwards participants were exactly equally split between liking virtual versus face to face meetings. Decisions for next year.

There is no need to repeat the programme – you will all have seen it and the wideranging topics that were covered.

Day 1 fulfilled its science based themes, the opening session being inspired by the ECHA (European Chemical Agency) review on the European Control Limit for asbestos.

It sparked a lot of chat between those favouring lower limits (and analysis by SEM) and those wanting fast results (only available by light microscopy) to give assurance that all control measures were working.

Andrey Korchevskiy and Ann Wylie (joining us at an unearthly hour for them) from the US gave an illuminating tutorial on the geology and toxicology of mineral fragments compared with mineral fibres (asbestos) and the difficulties in discrimination between single particles, particularly for amphiboles. Three other interesting current research items concluded the first day.

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

...the emergence of Covid 19 imposed a whole new approach – and fast. But we did it and afterwards participants were exactly equally split between liking virtual versus face to face meetings.

Decisions for next year.

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Day 2 opened with the conference highlight, a Mock Trial organised by Colette Willoughby, with Kevin Bampton (CEO of BOHS) taking the role of barrister.

This imaginary civil case with volunteer witnesses was a convincing and realistic demonstration of how things worked in a court room.

Both watchers and witnesses were obviously uncomfortable as the evidence was ruthlessly scrutinised and the consequences of actions (or inaction) were driven home.

But we met all the witnesses as themselves at the end for a friendly chat about the experience, with everyone convinced that Courts should be avoided! And the best way to do that is to comply fully with the available guidance. If you are ever considering cutting any corners, watch this!

Managers of premises in occupation and those of refurbishment or demolition projects, showed common difficulties with asbestos surveys, the main one being that the reports were frequently written without consideration of the client’s ease of use.

For those with UKAS accreditation there was an explanation of their new approach. Technology and Myth Busting concluded the day.

The event was introduced and concluded by Colette Willoughby

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Your Expectations - Overall Thoughts Of Our First Asbestos Virtual Conference Answered: 66 Skipped: 0 Greatly exceeded expectations

27.27%

Exceeded expectations

56.06%

Met expectations

16.67%

Fell short of expectations

Fell well short of expectations

%

0

10

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representing the conference committee (standing in for the technophobic chairperson, me, for which I am most grateful).

And her conclusion, raising a glass to all viewers, reminded us all of what we missed most about a virtual conference, the social side.

But, as with all things, there are also advantages to a virtual conference, not least being the recording which

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attendees can review at their leisure and others can now buy. Any such purchase will benefit the Mavis Nye Foundation, her interview being an inspirational part of conference played in the lunch break.

The conference committee join me in wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and here’s hoping for a much better new year. We have already started planning Asbestos 2021.

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ASBESTOS 2020 IN REVIEW

MARIE TOWNSHEND CONFERENCES AND OPERATIONS MANAGER On 18 & 19 November 2020 BOHS held the 3rd annual Asbestos conference, the first to be held virtually. The event bought together over 140 delegates from the asbestos world.

As we started 2020 the organising committee began planning the 2 day physical event programme, this was of course interrupted by the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision was made to move the conference to run virtually and the programme adapted accordingly to suit an online audience.

Sessions included current research, focus on surveys and technology. For the first time a mock trial was introduced to show what can happen when things go wrong in the industry, this proved VERY popular and made for uncomfortable viewing as the participants were grilled by BOHS CEO Kevin Bampton. The 2 day event was rounded off by a session to help navigate and bust the myths surrounding asbestos.

Feedback from delegates was positive with 100% of respondents to the survey stating that the conference overall and the quality of presenters met, exceeded, or greatly exceeded their expectations and 98% would recommend the conference to a colleague. Comments included: • ‘Nothing beats physical interaction and the discussions and contacts that can be made, however the virtual conference was excellent and the opportunity for dialogue around the topic being presented to happen simultaneously was a real plus’

• ‘Good range of subjects covered, by knowledgeable speakers. Well done’ • ‘I liked the court case which although thought provoking, provided some light entertainment too!! Gaining an insight to the HSE perspective on several of the agenda items was very useful. It would be good to have more HSE speakers again next year.

Thanks to all involved. I found it very informative and enjoyable and I'm from the removal side of the industry’ • ‘Did not think I would enjoy the virtual conference, but it exceeded my expectations, and it was good to get back into a conference again, even if it was only virtual, missed meeting up with friends and the evening entertainment, fingers crossed for 2021’

Thank you to our supporters, IOM, UKNAR & Norac.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who helped in the organisation, the committee for putting together the programme and to the delegates. We hope you enjoyed virtually attending the event as much as we did hosting it. Look out for details of the 2021 event in the new year.

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

Feedback from delegates was positive with 100% of respondents to the survey stating that the conference overall and the quality of presenters met, exceeded, or greatly exceeded their expectations and 98% would recommend the conference to a colleague.

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

ASBESTOS 2020 MOCK TRIAL WHAT THEY SAID...

ALAN WILLOUGHBY MFAAM TECH IOSH CCP (ASBESTOS) Founding Director Asbestos Management Consultant Asbestos Compliance Limited Before joining the asbestos industry, I spent around 20 years working in the construction industry.

The industry changed considerably within this time frame. The biggest improvements were in safety on site. Yet in all the time I spent on site I was never once given any information with regards to the risks that asbestos presented.

Having joined the asbestos industry, I have seen widely varying reactions to asbestos

on construction sites. One site deserted in a matter of minutes due to some vinyl floor tiles being discovered, while others are happy to work side by side with licensed removal. There still appears to be a huge level of ignorance present within the industry.

I tried to play my character in the mock trial true to the personalities that I met in my time in the construction industry.

The construction programs that are agreed are tight and sometimes ridiculously short.

This means that any delay has a catastrophic result on achieving the completion date for the project. As a participant in the trial, I felt I had a reasonable chance to defend my position.

However, as the questioning continued it became more difficult not to accept a portion of the blame. For things to go wrong it usually takes multiple failures to be combined but all those involved have the opportunity to stop this sequence of events.

... as the questioning continued it became more difficult not to accept a portion of the blame. For things to go wrong it usually takes multiple failures to be combined 20

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ASBESTOS 2020 IN REVIEW

As a FAAM community, let’s get this message far and wide, because “If only” is one of the loneliest thoughts when you are on that stand.

TONY REILLY Deputy Asbestos Safety Manager The Manchester Metropolitan University

PAUL LYONS BSC COCA MFAAM Assistant Compliance Manager Manchester University My intrigue got the better of me when I was so kindly thought of to play the part of the Project Manager in the mock trial, and thank the lucky stars that this was only a mock trial!

Having read through all of the reports and documents I could see that some of the errors were all too familiar.

This could quite have easily been a real-life situation and the potential financial, reputational

and more important the health costs would have been huge.

Everyone in the mock trial had failings and the consequences were severe.

Exposing people to a class 1 carcinogen material and knowing that you could have prevented this quite easily is inexcusable.

As a FAAM community, let’s get this message far and wide, because “If only” is one of the loneliest thoughts when you are on that stand.

There isn’t a role that Daniel DayLewis couldn’t play but even I think he would have crumbed facing Kevin Bampton in the dock, still disappointed that Kevin didn’t wear the wig for the proceedings though.

Having reviewed the survey report that I somehow had to try to justify in court was daunting but scarily the report I was reading weren’t a million miles away from reports I have encountered in the not too distance past.

From starting as an asbestos consultant and now working as a client all the failings discussed during the trial were all too familiar. I hope it was a reminder and an opportunity to take stock for all that if work isn’t planned correctly with competent project managers, contractors and clarity in scope it could all fall down like a house of cards. The ramifications reputational, financially and worst of all stuck in the dock for real isn’t a thought worth bearing.

If another thespian performance is required again next year have your people call my people.

ADAM BINNEY Head of Safety and Sustainable Development Group Property Directorate of Network Rail I didn’t know what to expect from the session but was told by our guest barrister that I would have it easy as the claimant – and wasn’t he right?!

“Act indignant and put upon” was my brief, and so I went into ‘De-Niro’ mode and did my best

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

to mock outrage. I thought the session was fantastic – it really brought home the approach a prosecutor would take in these circumstances, and most tellingly the brief involved a ‘mock situation’ that we all recognised as real and evidential in all of our professional lives.

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HISTORY OF BRITISH OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE PART 12

THE END OF A STORY, BUT NOT OF THE BATTLE

BY DR TREVOR OGDEN

This article concludes Trevor Ogden’s 12-part look at the development of occupational hygiene in Britain, which began with the death in 1705 of John Dirrick, the first British victim of occupational disease that we know by name, and Thomas Benson’s 1726 patent to control dust at source.

The shift from research At the end of Part 11 of this story, I said that in retrospect we could see that in the 1970s and 1980s British scientific work in occupational hygiene was known to be important by both government and industry. This is shown in the developments reported in Annals of Occupational Hygiene (now renamed as Annals of Work Exposures and Health) which was and is an important route for publishing British research papers in this field. Fig 1 shows the growth in the number of papers published from round the world, but the different pattern for papers from British sources. To take account of papers

with a foreign first author but with British collaboration, Fig 2 shows the number of British authors, and also their type of institution. Both charts show a peak in the British activity in the 1980s.

Research publications in the field are still growing internationally, as illustrated in Fig 1, but the British contribution to Annals papers, and in particular the contribution from government sources, has fallen markedly, not just relatively but in absolute numbers.

sometimes do publishable investigations, and instead a pattern of consultancies offering an occupational hygiene service.

Perhaps both charts indicate a shift towards solving immediate problems rather than long-term development. The content of Annals papers will not usually influence workplace practice this year, but standards which will be applied in five or ten years time, or recognition of new hazards or new approaches. British input to this has markedly decreased.

Fig 2 also shows the reduction in published studies by British industry.

This is probably because there are now fewer large industries with in-house occupational hygiene teams who could

Occupational exposure limits

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Number of papers in two year period

200 Other papers

175

Papers from British address

150 125 100 75 50 25 0 1958-9

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1978-9

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2018-9

Part 10 left the subject of occupational exposure limits at the establishment of the Health and Safety Executive in 1974. For some years HSE reprinted the ACGIH TLV list with an ever-lengthening Introduction giving different British standards.

In about 1983, HSE organised the WATCH committee to derive British limits, and in 1989, following years of negotiation with employers’ and employees’ representatives, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations gave legal force to two types of limit. Occupational Exposure Standards were supposed to be levels which were safe, and if exposure was less than that, no further control was necessary.

Fig 1. The number of papers published in Annals of Occupational Hygiene (and its successor, Annals of Workplace Exposure and Health) in two-year periods, showing the number of papers with a first-named author with a British address.

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HISTORY OF BRITISH OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE PART 12 140 Other Government & Hospitals

Number of papers in two year period

120

Industry including nationalised industry Other research institutions and occasional health services

100

Universities and MRC units 80

Fig 2. The number of British authors of papers published in the Annals in two-year periods.

If an author appears on two papers, he or she is counted twice. The largest government source was of course HS

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Hygienists were generally uncomfortable with the assumption that there was a level which was harmless, especially as many of the numbers were copied from the ACGIH list, which was intended as guidance for trained occupational hygiene professionals and explicitly not intended to be dividing lines between safe and unsafe. The other limits introduced by COSHH, Maximum Exposure Limits, were intended to be upper boundaries for substances with no achievable safe limit, and COSHH required exposure to be reduced as far below these as reasonably practicable.

For some years WATCH conscientiously discussed effects and achievability and which limit was appropriate, but in 1998 market research for HSE found that only a minority of even heavy users of chemicals understood the difference between the two limits, and in the 2002 revision of COSHH the system was abandoned. Most hygienists were probably relieved. The limits are now called Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs), and COSHH requires good control practice, and additionally that WELs should not be exceeded.

In practice Britain ceased deriving its own limits, but promulgated those agreed by the EU. It is unclear what will happen post-Brexit, but revision of the Health and Safety at Work Act in

1988-9

1998-9

2008-9

2018-9

2008 removed the tripartite oversight of HSE by HSC, and WATCH has not met for some years. Thus about a century after Duckering and Legge proposed the first British limit, Britain no longer derives its own. However, COSHH now incorporates Legge’s control principles into law, and perhaps that is more important.

The practising hygienist and professional societies in the late 20th century In 1969, David Hickish wrote an explanatory paper in the Annals about the establishment of the BEBOH qualifications, which incidentally revealed the tensions between BOHS as a scientific forum and the growing need for professional regulation and structure for practising hygienists.

The establishment of BEBOH, described in Part 10, had not removed the desire of practising hygienists for a self-regulating professional body. In a contribution to The First Forty Years, produced for BOHS in 1992, Hickish described how in 1975 BOHS Council approved a proposal to introduce grades of membership, with practising hygienists to form a majority on Council, and an executive chairman for BOHS who must be a qualified hygienist. However, before this could be put to BOHS membership, some

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

members established an independent Institute of Occupational Hygienists (IOH), and the proposal to restructure BOHS lapsed. For the next 26 years, BOHS and IOH continued in parallel.

There was much cooperation. Many members of IOH were also in BOHS, and the societies had a Liaison Committee.

When BOHS set up the Derby office, both organisations used it, and from about 1988 they had a joint newsletter.

In 2003 they reunited, the Institute becoming the self-governing Faculty of Occupational Hygiene within BOHS.

David Hickish wrote an explanatory paper in the Annals about the establishment of the BEBOH qualifications, which incidentally revealed the tensions between BOHS as a scientific forum and the growing need for professional regulation and structure for practising hygienists.

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HISTORY OF BRITISH OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE PART 12 This was undoubtedly a necessary step before BOHS received its Royal Charter in 2013. Different people have different views of this break and reunion.

To speak personally, while I was president of BOHS in 1991-2, I was working in an HSE policy division, and I experienced the problem of explaining to senior colleagues what occupational hygiene was, and why it was very important.

Fig 3. Professor Nicola Cherry became President of BOHS in 1998, the 46th President of the Society and the first woman to hold the post. This shows her chairing the celebration in 2018 of the life of the distinguished epidemiologist and long-time BOHS supporter Professor Corbett McDonald.

It is hard now to see why the present structure of BOHS could not have been agreed in 1975 or any time after that.

Perhaps it needed a younger generation without the background experiences of their predecessors...

24

And then I had to explain why there were two independent bodies representing occupational hygiene, with different emphases, which together had a membership perhaps 5% that of IOSH, and which might comment separately on proposed regulations. It was hard to avoid leaving the impression that people working in occupational hygiene were a small group who could not agree amongst themselves, and whose opinions were probably therefore not very important. Despite that, occupational hygiene seems to have become better recognised as a speciality in HSE during the years of two organisations It is hard now to see why the present structure of BOHS could not have been agreed in 1975 or any time after that.

Perhaps it needed a younger generation without the background experiences of their predecessors. In any case, in this year 2020-21, ten of the eleven members of BOHS Board are members of the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene, and the other is a member of the Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management. Individual practising hygienists have always undertaken publishable scientific investigations, so there is not a hard division between the roles, but taken with the decline in scientific activity shown by Figs 1 and 2, the present government of BOHS shows that the longterm trend from a scientific forum to a professional association has come a long way!

BEBOH continues to offer its suite of qualifications, but from 2010 the International Occupational Hygiene Training Association developed an international system, with strong input from BOHS members, which gives world-wide access to training and qualifications. Two other changes are

worth remarking. One simply reflects changes in society. Up until the 1970s, occupational hygiene was an overwhelmingly male activity, and the audience at any BOHS conference was almost entirely men, with perhaps one or two women dotted here and there.

The first female president was Nicola Cherry in 1998 (Fig.3), immediately followed by Alison Wright-Read.

In 2020-21 a majority of the BOHS Board is female. Nicola also personifies the other change., BOHS has had sixteen medically-qualified presidents, of which nine were in the Society’s first twenty years, reflecting the important contribution that occupational medicine had made to the development of occupational hygiene. Nicola is the most recent president who was a physician, and, looking at the present membership, she was probably the last.

Stopping the story, but not the battle 2002-3 saw the incorporation into law of the principles of control detailed by Legge 90 years earlier, and the reunion of BOHS and the British Institute of Occupational Hygienists (as it had become),

Fig 4. John Cherrie making a point.

(Photo by courtesy of Heriot-Watt University)

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HISTORY OF BRITISH OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENE PART 12 so it seems as good a place as any to stop this look at topics in the history of the subject. However, we can hardly see it as a mission accomplished. There are still an estimated 12,000 lung-disease deaths a year linked to past exposures at work, and 1.4 million workers suffering from work-related ill-health. Most of these are from problems that are recognized but have not been controlled as they should have been. Could occupational hygiene ever completely eliminate occupational disease?

In 2010, Lesley Rushton and colleagues calculated the number of cancer cases in Britain attributable to occupational exposure, and two years later four members of the same team looked at the possibility of reducing this burden over the next few decades.

John Cherrie and Martie Van Tongeren provided the occupational hygiene expertise. With such a range of diseases, industries, and exposures, the picture is very complex.

The authors concluded that without intervention, Great Britain would still have 10,000 occupational attributable cancers each year by 2060.

If exposure decreases, many of the agents still give significant risk at low levels, the ageing workforce increases susceptibility, and of course many agents have effects long after exposure.

They concluded that reducing an exposure limit does not have much impact on rates of disease if most people are already exposed at well below the OEL. But on the other hand, for a substance like respirable crystalline silica, there is plenty of scope for improving compliance with the present exposure limit in many small companies and amongst the self-employed, and there are likely to still be risks below the current WEL. They estimate that with modest intervention it might be possible to reduce the annual burden by 2600 cases by 2060, or by 8,200 cases with strict intervention.

and this has been going on for many years, by 5-10% a year according to one analysis. This is not necessarily due to deliberate interventions such as exposure limits or risk management tools.

John Cherrie has remarked that it can be things like economic pressures and more automated equipment that reduce exposures.

He has suggested that it is time to move from thinking of compliance with an OEL, to what the Japanese call “kaizen”, continuous improvement.

Cherrie says: “It is plausible that a side-benefit of process development is the reduction in workplace exposures: new equipment may be less noisy than the earlier versions, the emission of dust may be reduced by new machinery with better containment or more effective ventilation, or automation may completely remove the need for direct worker involvement in the production.

Continuous improvement emphasises a process of small incremental changes that are continuous, collaborative, and accumulate.” Employers would perhaps measure exposure, pool and publish their data, and society would judge performance. Hygiene without hygienists? Perhaps.

However, in practice many hygienists are able to recommend interventions which may reduce disease, and will be aware of other places where they are not yet able to intervene. In 1832, Charles Thackrah, observing the human destruction accompanying the economic success of industrial growth, called for “the attention of those, who are not only much more conversant than I, with contrivance

John Cherrie has remarked that it can be things like economic pressures and more automated equipment that reduce exposures. He has suggested that it is time to move from thinking of compliance with an OEL, to what the Japanese call “kaizen”, continuous improvement.

and invention, but more directly obligated by social principle, to improve the state of the operatives, by whose labours they are enriched.”

What has happened since shows that short-sightedness and greed may resist the improvement, but that people of contrivance and invention motivated by social principle can make a big difference, including those who read this. The need continues.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. As usual, this article would have been much weaker without comments and contributions from colleagues, in this case Bob Daunton, John Cherrie, Peter Hewitt, David Marsh, Mark Piney, and James Sanderson. Any remaining errors are my fault. A version of this article with references can be found at

The paper took into account that exposure to many hazards is falling,

https://tinyurl.com/y4g392x6

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

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THE HYGIENIST’S TALE (WITH APOLOGIES TO CHAUCER)

BY GRAHAM NEWPORT

The meeting with the MD started bang on 9.00. His initial line of questioning was an excellent one and I replied “white no sugar”.

He gave a brief overview of what his company did, and what he needed from me.

They were powder blenders.

meeting. He pointed me in the direction of a bookcase inside the main office.

They used around 5000 raw materials – all low hazard dusts that they weighed into a blender, mixed, and then bagged by gravity feed.

My fears were confirmed. The bookcase consisted of 5 shelves, all filled with blue A4 large ring files. The laminated sign on the wall stated “COSHH assessments” and offered no sympathy.

He explained that they required a review of their COSHH assessments. These had been prepared 3 years ago by a graduate employed for 12 months specifically to carry out this task. I was asked to take a look at them while he had a short

I picked up the first folder labelled “A – Volume 1 of 5”. Opening the cover revealed the neatest ring-filing I have ever seen. A perfect oblong of paper with holes completely aligned with the ring arch. Simply pristine. The heading

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said “COSHH Assessment”, and defined the name of the product and the supplier. OK so far.

The assessment proforma itself was typical of those available online for those wishing to carry out “substance by substance” assessments. The tick boxes showed the Classification (with pretty label pictograms, but none ticked), Hazard type (which turned out to mean gas, vapour, dust etc, with dust ticked), and Route of exposure (with inhalation ticked). After the tick boxes there were spaces in which Workplace Exposure

BOHS.ORG

THE HYGIENIST’S TALE Limits could be entered (but said “none”), and a further space where first aid information was given (yawn).

I looked at the coffee cup and wished it was bigger.

I began to wonder if I was reading the Safety Data Sheet instead of the assessment. The next section was headed Control Measures. The form went back to tick boxes again, but this time the pictograms were of a dust mask, or eye protection etc. The dust mask was ticked.

I did not know if this meant that a dust mask was actually used, or a comment was that it was needed. I suspected the latter and this was simply a further example of the Safety Data Sheet being transcribed onto the in-house “assessment” form.

This hypothesis was supported by the next tick box relating to the requirement for local exhaust ventilation (LEV).

The tick showed that extraction was “required if necessary to keep exposures below the WEL”.

labelled “T – Volume 5 of 8”. The same!

My thoughts went out to the graduate who had spent a year of his/her life preparing around 5000 of these. I just hoped that they were comfortable in the Institution in which he/her now no doubt resided.

The MD returned. He greeted me with the words that the Production Supervisor was to join us from the manufacturing area which was in an adjacent building.

The Production Supervisor, who I shall call Fred, duly appeared. He was clearly a “hands-on” type of Supervisor as he was wearing disposable overshoes and coverall. I had seen the overshoes by the rear door, put there to prevent footprints on the plush office carpet. The top half of Fred’s coverall was bright yellow, as was Fred himself. He had clearly been tipping one of their more colourful ingredients and looked distinctly jaundiced.

The MD said “The assessments are currently kept in here, as you can see, but Fred wonders if they are best located in the Production area.

I looked to the heavens and thought “Lord, give me a sign that this is a site-specific risk assessment and not a Safety Data Sheet”.

The Lord answered.

There at the bottom of side 2 was the “Activity” entry detailing the on-site use.

I looked to the heavens and thought “Lord, give me a sign that this is a sitespecific risk assessment and not a Safety Data Sheet”. The Lord answered.

There at the bottom of side 2 was the “Activity” entry detailing the on-site use.

It said “No more than 5 x 25kg bags tipped per day. Less than 5 minutes duration.”

This was no doubt the reasoning for the final two ticks in boxes which said “No significant health risk” and “No health surveillance required”.

I looked at the next assessment, and this had a familiar look. In fact so familiar that flicking to and fro showed the only difference to be the substance name and supplier. The third “assessment” had an additional change in that the Activity was “No more than 10 x 25kg bags tipped per day. Less than 10 minutes.”

I closed the folder and went for a lucky dip lower down the bookcase. I closed my eyes and came up with a folder

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27

XXXX

Where do you think we ought to put them?” he said. I replied “In the skip”.

The MD looked a little taken aback as he clearly held the assessments with some affection. Realising that I had been somewhat harsh I added “I don’t mean the folders, they are lovely – just their contents”.

I went on to explain why. None of the raw materials are classified as hazardous and hence do not require specific assessments. However, COSHH does require assessments for “dusts of any kind” if present at a substantial concentration in air. What was needed was a dust risk assessment. However, I suggested that if overall dust control was effective there would be no need for overshoes, and Fred would not have come in looking like one of the Simpsons.

We went over to the Production Area to discuss what the COSHH Assessment should have looked like.

The hopper into which the bags were tipped was actually served by LEV. I thought it was possible post-war.

I pointed out that any LEV was required

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to have a full examination and test and intervals not exceeding 14 months.

I looked at the ducting to see if there were any test holes. There were holes, but none that appeared deliberately introduced for test purposes.

I put my hand over the extraction hood and could feel no airflow. I looked up to the fan chamber and wondered if there was anything in it. I asked the worker there how often he emptied the collected dust from the bucket below the unit. He replied that it never needed emptying. Avoiding the necessity to empty the dust collector is clearly a key benefit of utilising LEV that doesn’t actually capture anything.

Even if the LEV was fitted with a massive fan the hood was so far away from where the dust was generated if would not have been effective.

The floor, and pretty much everything else, was covered in dust. A significant source of this was the flattening of the nominally empty bags after tipping.

Dust respirators were indeed provided, and of a high protection grade (FFP3).

A respirator of this type was being used by an operator carrying out

The MD said “The assessments are currently kept in here ... where do you think we ought to put them?” he said.

I replied “In the skip”. tipping. Unfortunately he had a full beard and would not have been able to obtain the required face-seal to give protection. Face-fit testing is essential for respirators requiring a face-seal.

Alternatively, a positive-pressure respirator should be used, with appropriate maintenance and testing. All types of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) are considered a last resort and “engineering out” the dust issue is the key. No-one wants to wear RPE all the time.

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THE HYGIENIST’S TALE I asked the MD if the workers received health surveillance. He explained they had audiometry only. The reasons for this were unclear as there were no significant noise sources in the area.

The extraction would have been the loudest plant there if it had worked.

We went back to the MD’s office for a summing up.

Epilogue This tale has a happy ending.

• The LEV system was gratefully accepted by a local museum and replaced with a newer well-designed system that served the tipping and bagging points, and also the outlet of a compactor purchased for disposing of empty bags. The LEV commissioning report provided the ideal starting point for future statutory tests.

• Air sampling has demonstrated adequate control of exposures to airborne dusts.

• The reduced amount of dust means less cleaning up for Fred, and he now uses an industrial vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter.

• The employees have received training in the storage, fitting and use of RPE, and in the correct use of the LEV. They know when to empty the collector and how to check the system is working from the installed pressure gauges.

Respiratory checks have been introduced as a precautionary measure rather than audiometry.

I have been forgiven for comments on the previous assessments, which have been replaced by a COSHH assessment consisting of one sheet of A4. The folders and bookcase have been re-used for

ASBESTOS 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MARIE TOWNSHEND – CONFERENCES AND OPERATIONS MANAGER

On 18 & 19 November 2020 BOHS held the 3rd annual Asbestos conference, the first to be held virtually. The event bought together over 140 delegates from the asbestos world.

As we started 2020 the organising committee began planning the 2 day physical event programme, this was of course interrupted by the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The decision was made to move the conference to run virtually and the programme adapted accordingly to suit an online audience.

Sessions included current research, focus on surveys and technology.

For the first time a mock trial was introduced to show what can happen when things go wrong in the industry, this proved VERY popular and made for uncomfortable viewing

as the participants were grilled by BOHS CEO Kevin Bampton. The 2 day event was rounded off by a session to help navigate and bust the myths surrounding asbestos. Feedback from delegates was positive with 100% of respondents to the survey stating that the conference overall and the quality of presenters met, exceeded, or greatly exceeded their expectations and 98% would recommend the conference to a colleague. Comments included: • ‘Nothing beats physical interaction and the discussions and contacts that can be made, however the virtual conference was excellent and the opportunity for dialogue around the topic being presented to happen simultaneously was a real plus’ • ‘Good range of subjects covered, by knowledgeable speakers. Well done’

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

the quality system. I noted that the first folder was labelled “Quality Control Procedures Purchasing – Volume 1 of 15”. It was time to go.

Disclaimer The resemblance of any character in the above article, either alive or dead, is entirely deliberate.

• ‘I liked the court case which although thought provoking, provided some light entertainment too!! Gaining an insight to the HSE perspective on several of the agenda items was very useful. It would be good to have more HSE speakers again next year.

Thanks to all involved. I found it very informative and enjoyable and I'm from the removal side of the industry’ • Did not think I would enjoy the virtual conference, but it exceeded my expectations, and it was good to get back into a conference again, even if it was only virtual, missed meeting up with friends and the evening entertainment, fingers crossed for 2021’

Thank you to our supporters, IOM, UKNAR & Norac.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who helped in the organisation, the committee for putting together the programme and to the delegates. We hope you enjoyed virtually attending the event as much as we did hosting it. Look out for details of the 2021 event in the new year.

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UPDATE ON

ETHICS

Over the past few months, BOHS and the Faculties have been paying greater attention to how we can support members develop their professional practice.

qualifications and, alongside that, more and more people are turning to BOHS when they identify failures in the Occupational Hygiene services they are receiving.

We want to do more to bring the profession of occupational hygiene into the limelight as well as the role of the Faculties as the guardian of our professional standards and ethics.

It appears that we are already having some success with this. Membership of the Faculties is growing, we have an unprecedented number of members completing higher professional

The UK Health and Safety Executive, HSE, during the recent prosecution of Clive Weal, emphasized that membership of a professional body such as BOHS was one way in which those who offer Occupational Hygiene services can ensure that they are kept up to date on technical knowledge and are aware of good professional practice.

Our partnership with the regulator of

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Sarah Leeson, Registrar of the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene, writes about important changes to how FOH and FAAM will be dealing with Code of Ethics complaints and what that means for members.

occupational hygiene in the workplace is an invaluable part of the Society maintaining and developing standards.

Over the past year the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene has received an increase in the number of complaints about Faculty members and the standards of service provided by those memberes.

This is, in many ways, a good thing.

The fact that businesses and the general public know to turn to us, and trust that we will act on their concerns is a mark of the success. This is despite the fact that we hope members will never fall short of standards.

BOHS.ORG

UPDATE ON ETHICS Whilst acting on the complaints we have received, the Faculties have identified several areas where we can be more effective and address the challenges for members and stakeholders. We have therefore reviewed both the Code of Ethics and the Code of Ethics Procedures to address these areas. As a result, as well as a number of changes to protect the data and procedural rights of members and those complaining, we have made some material changes to both which have been approved by the Faculty Committees and the Board.

These changes are more than cosmetic and as you renew your membership you should take the time to once again read through the Code of Ethics and reflect on the professional duties that we all value and want to promote. The updated Code of Ethics is available on the BOHS website via this link AB.1-2909-2020-BOHS-Code of Ethics.pdf.

To assist you, summarised below some of the key changes to the Code of Ethics that have been put together to support our profession standards in 2021 and beyond.

• members providing advice should distinguish clearly between legal requirements and best practice (i.e. ‘must do’, ‘should do’ and ‘could do’); • members have a duty to cooperate with relevant regulatory (such as the HSE) and professional bodies, including BOHS, to promote the highest standards of occupational hygiene; • HSE will be able to raise issues about the conduct of members to be investigated under the Code of Ethics; • members have a duty to report any breaches of standards to the appropriate body (including HSE) and to BOHS, including any breach they have been party to; • members right to post-nominal letters after their name and Chartered status is subject to their compliance with the Code of Ethics

Thankfully, most of the queries and complaints we get at Head Office relate to non-members and sometimes even people posing as individuals with BOHS credentials. To this end, the Faculty and Board have approved a new policy to enable more members

to use the BOHS logos by registering for free how they are planning to use them. This should enable us to better police the rogues who pass themselves off as BOHS-affiliated.

BOHS realizes that alongside the Code of Ethics, we want to do more to support better professional practice.

Alongside more guidance, training and updated FOH Good Practice Guide for Consultants, we plan to launch additional support in the New Year.

This will include: • enhanced consultants support; • a confidential reference mechanism to enable members to obtain advice and support on issues of concern; • more free training and information on client management and common ethical problem.

If you have questions or comments on the updated Code of Ethics you can send these to me at Registrar@bohs.org

Key Changes to the Code of Ethics in Summary The Faculties have agreed that: • the Code of Ethics applies to employed and consultant members and to both paid and voluntary activities; • the duty of members is owed to all workers who may be affected by their work, not just those immediately affected; • members have a duty to maintain current knowledge and not engage in professional work without ensuring that they are competent to do so, based upon current technical, scientific and professional guidelines and recognised good practice; • members must be honest and transparent in all aspects of their professional practice, including in record-keeping; • members have a duty to ensure that the underpinning information and data relating to their work is accurate and that they keep accurate records;

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OVERVIEW OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS IN OFFSHORE DRILLING

BY JANS BABKEVICS

INTRODUCTION As per the 2019 OGUK Workforce Report, UK offshore oil and gas industry employs 30,600 workers.

While many actively producing wells were drilled many years ago, offshore drilling still takes place to this day.

People employed in this sector are working long shifts in a challenging environment full of occupational health hazards. This article offers a high-level overview of the most prominent health hazards found in offshore drilling NOISE Exposure to noise is ubiquitous in the offshore environment. Drilling crew is exposed to noise from shale shakers, mud pumps, mud pit agitators, drawworks, drilling brake

system, cementing unit and helicopter operations. The noise levels range from 80-85 dBA around Pipe Deck to 98 dBA around shale shakers and up to 104 dBA near the cementing unit. Helicopter landing and takeoff operations also generate noise levels around 105 dBA. Risk of noise-induced hearing loss is further exacerbated by the length of exposure and reduced recovery time in a noise-free environment. Therefore, the exposure limit value (ELV) adjustment should be made to 12-hour TWA. Controls heavily rely on the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs).

Earplugs and on-helmet earmuffs being the most common options.

Retrospective implementation of engineering controls is problematic especially for the ageing platforms as noise issues were not thoroughly considered during the design stage in the 1970-1980s. These factors often lead to the entire drilling package being designated as mandatory hearing protection zones (HPZ) (pic1).

Combination of overreliance on HPDs and prolonged wear time is likely to result in significant residual risk.

Drilling Fluid Additives Drilling fluid or simply mud is used to lubricate the drill bit, add torque and to pressurise the well. To maintain the desired properties of the mud,

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People employed in this sector are working long shifts in a challenging environment full of occupational health hazards.

dozens of powdered and liquid chemicals are added to the base-oil— these range from low toxicity powders to highly corrosive and acutely toxic products. Many powdered products contain respirable crystalline silica (RCS) impurities from 0.1% to 5%. These chemicals are usually manually added to the mud pits via a mixing hopper.

These hoppers may or may not be served by the LEV system. The task involves dumping a 25 kg sack into the hopper, which generates high levels of dust (pic2). This task can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the requirements.

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OVERVIEW OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS IN OFFSHORE DRILLING components. The main ingredient is a low-toxicity base-oil (straight and branched-chain alkanes). As air monitoring of each individual components is impractical, an alternative approach is to monitor for total VOCs (TVOC) and use it a surrogate indicator. Exposure to TVOC can be up to 100 mg/m3 (12-hour TWA) for Roustabouts and Roughnecks supervising the work of the shale shakers on a still summer day. Inhalation exposures are considerably lower during cold and windy months and tend to stay between 10-40 mg/m3 (12-hour TWA) for the same task.

It is important to acknowledge that employees are exposed to both oilbased mud vapour and condensed droplets. Ideally, exposure to both fractions should be assessed, although this might prove to be cost restrictive.

A more cost-effective approach is to conduct a concurrent sampling of oil mist and TVOC vapour to derive a correlation factor (e.g. 1 mg/m3 oilmist = 210 mg/m3 TVOC) (pic5).

Even with integrated LEV system, the levels of dust are still significantly above the occupational exposure limits (OELs) for many chemicals.

The use of RPE to remove the residual risk is desired. Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) is a preferable option as it provides the highest protection factor (APF40) and does not require the enforcement of “cleanshaven” policy.

Liquid additives can also be added through the hopper or poured directly into the pits. These liquids are not particularly volatile; therefore, the primary focus is on the control of dermal exposure. Addition of mud additives is a strenuous manual task, and minor changes to the design can greatly reduce the risk.

One important component of the mud vapour is Benzene. It is not normally found in the modern drilling fluids, but it can arise from a contaminated well.

Benzene exposure levels are very low (<0.02-0.1 ppm 8-hour TWA) when compared to the UK WEL of 1 ppm (8-hour TWA). However, in 2018 the European Chemical Agency adopted the opinion that Benzene OEL should be lowered to 0.05 ppm (8-hour TWA) as the new evidence suggest the presence of genetic toxicity at much lower levels than previously thought.

In the offshore drilling environment, mud is present virtually on every surface. Dermal exposure to mud can lead to irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and even sensitisation. This risk is controlled through the mandatory use of nitrile rubber gloves, disposable coveralls and good housekeeping. The prolonged use of gloves (10-12 hours) is a risk factor that can lead to ICD. If required, dermal exposure can be assessed semi-quantitatively using the interception technique (pic gloves).

Exposure by inhalation is most significant around shale shakers where mud is exposed to the atmosphere at its highest temperature...

Simple principles of ergonomics should be applied, such as holding the

EXPOSURE #6 JANUARY 2021 - the official magazine of BOHS

load closer to the body, allowing the space for correct positioning of your feet and lowering the worktop slightly above the knuckle height (pic3).

Drilling Fluid Drilling mud is circulated through the well into the shale shakers where they are cleaned from the debris and into the mud pits where it is stored or recirculated. There are two main routes of exposure inhalation and dermal. Exposure by inhalation is most significant around shale shakers where mud is exposed to the atmosphere at its highest temperature (55-65°C) (pic4). Modern shale shakers are served by the LEV canopies that greatly reduce the exposure.

Another simple but effective control is to enclose hot mud flowlines with metal or plastic lids. The complexity of drilling mud chemistry makes it difficult to monitor for individual

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OVERVIEW OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS IN OFFSHORE DRILLING Cementing Unit Cementing job is performed for a newly drilled well section to prevent its inward collapse. Cementers mix Portland cement with other additives in large open batch tanks before displacing them into the well (pic6).

Exposure to Portland cement is significant due to the close location of batch tanks and the requirement to monitor the consistency of the mix continually. Dry cement mix comes with 1-5% RCS impurity while some cement additives are 100% RCS. Cement also contains traces of Chromium VI which can act as a dermal and respiratory sensitiser.

Exposures are controlled using disposable RPE (FFP3) and nitrile gloves. PAPR is rarely an option due to the need for unobstructed communication and restricted spaces.

Simple engineering controls are available such as batch tank enclosure to prevent the escape of cement dust.

Thermal Stress The North Sea is generally a cold place to work. However, some man-made areas on the platform are subject to heat stress. Manual installation of wellheads inside confined spaces next to hot pipework can result in WBGT up to 30°C. Work on the drill floor under the radiant heat is also a problem. These hazards are controlled by shielding, work-rest regime and adequate hydration. Cold, on the other hand, is persistent in the North sea from Autumn until Spring. High winds can damage the exposed skin leading to fissures and scaling. Compromised skin can then lead to an increase in dermal absorption of oil-based mud.

Cold stress is controlled by work clothing with appropriate clothing insulation value (clo), face coverings (balaclavas) and use of skin emollients.

Psychosocial Factors Offshore work comes with psychological pressures. Drilling contractors typically work for 12-hour shifts for 21 consecutive days. The remoteness of

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the workplace plays a major role, and family issues are greatly exacerbated in such an environment. Cabins are typically shared between 2 people, and privacy is reduced. Pressures to deliver a job on time may take priority over fatigue and psychological wellbeing.

The control of psychosocial hazards should take a holistic approach, including review of the working pattern, managerial support, clear policies, provision of better accommodation and quality food.

This can be overcome by utilising mathematical exposure modelling, developing the air-monitoring capacity of the Rig Safety Training Coordinator (RSTC) and planning ahead to conduct multiple assessments during one visit.

Most importantly, hygienists should strive to establish a good working relationship with the drilling crew.

If you can communicate the benefit of good occupational hygiene, the drilling crew will become your eyes and ears.

Summary Disclaimer Offshore drilling has a wide range of occupational health hazard and presents a perfect case for occupational hygiene intervention.

Exposure monitoring and management programmes are restricted by the remoteness of the workplace and the cost of transportation and accommodation.

This article is based on the individual work of the author. Occupational health hazards and the level of exposures described in this text were specific to those particular platforms that were surveyed and may differ from other similar work environments.

BOHS.ORG

HEATSHIELD UPDATE

HEATSHIELD UPDATE There is strong scientific evidence to support practical planning to reduce these harmful effects and which will minimise heat-related health problems and losses in productivity.

BOHS Head Office and Kelvin Williams have been assisting Loughborough University translate theoretical research from a European-funded project on the impact of climate change on temperatures into practical solutions for the construction industry. The research was presented at OH2020 highlighting that occupational Heat Stress (OHS) has a negative impact on human safety, health, and productivity.

Our observations The combination of high PPE levels, moderate to high work rates, an older work force, and some important topological factors (i.e. in heat sink 2, inside the reactor) renders HPC workers vulnerable to hot weather when it arrives.

Those two areas are experience minimal shading, minimal wind, and difficult access to water. In general, the best-case scenario during hot weather at HPC is loss of work time and productivity, the worst-case scenario is heat stroke which is a life-threatening condition.

Below shows the relationship between workplace accidents and air temperature.

When minimum daily air temperature exceeds 15°C, accident rates in construction increase exponentially.

Our HEAT SHIELD guidelines can mitigate both risks, but we do understand safety is the priority over loss of productivity. The biggest need for improvement in certain areas is easier access to water (we did find good access to water in general which was a major positive) and a small shading area to escape added heat from sunlight.

Therefore, mitigating the effects of OHS protects workers and the economy.

HEAT-SHIELD is an EU funded research programme which addresses the negative effects of climate change, i.e. increasing rates of OHS, on Europe’s working population. A combination of field work and laboratory experiments have assessed and developed cooling strategies to help mitigate OHS in five key industrial sectors: manufacturing, agriculture, transport, tourism, construction. While the project outcomes confirm the impact of rising OHS in each industrial sector, adaptation strategies for workers have been developed and validated to help mitigate these effects.

Field observations led to the following report, which provides a potential area for development between Loughborough and BOHS.

Productivity of the workforce also declines with heat and this has economic implications for construction sites, seen primarily through build delays or a requirement for extra labour.

We recommend the use of a brief, basic heat action plan that is triggered at a threshold environmental condition.

HEATSHIELD provide a web platform that sends a hot weather warning email based on local weather station data, developed

by MeteoSwiss. Part of the plan involves creating a profile at https://heatshield. zonalab.it/, which only needs basic information on location, PPE of workers, and work intensity. We recommend a heat action plan specific for HPC to be written by Loughborough University with feedback and adjustment from EDF health and safety.

The heat action plan aims to improve heat risk awareness - brief, easily read and assimilable information for the workforce, e.g. infographics posted at key assembly points, such as canteens or rest areas, toolbox talks, and a written plan on how to deal with heat exhaustion or heat stroke if it happens.”

Next Steps With forthcoming changes to the way in which the UK deals with Occupational Hygiene matters, there may be a greater need for BOHS to be proactive in the production of technical guidance. It may be appropriate to consider how FOH and BOHS plans, manages and implements the generation of technical guidance.

0.58 0.56

Probability Estimate

“Workers in the construction industry are experiencing more frequent exposure to hot weather due to climate change.

Heat exposure has a direct impact on the health and productivity of construction workers. Primary health impacts of heat stress include i) increased workplace accident rates, ii) chronic kidney disease due to dehydration, and iii) increased risk of heat exhaustion, especially in less experience workers.

Overall recommendation

All claims

0.54

Female

0.52

25-34 years 55+ years

0.5 0.48 0.46 0.44 0.42 0.4 1

2

3

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4

5

6

7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Minimum Daily Temperature (oC)

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