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3. If you're not already measuring exposure and think it may be occurring, establish a sampling
strategy with a certified or registered occupational hygienist.
4. Explore all possible routes of exposure: inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, and ingestion. "I've
been in workplaces where workers routinely eat lunch in the work area, not the lunchroom,"
says Yajaman. "Co-workers may be welding or grinding around them as they eat."
5. Where toxins are present, inform your people and train them on how to protect themselves.
"I sometimes encounter complacency among workers because 'this is the way we've always
done it.' This tells me they don't understand the health effects of the chemicals they're using,
or how to minimize their exposure."
6. Implement a hierarchy of hazard control: elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative
controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Use PPE as a last resort. If you must use it,
make sure it's the right PPE, and that workers know how to wear it and look after it.
7. Aim for exposure levels at 50% of the OELs to ensure worker health is protected at all times.
Better still, aim for no exposure.
1
Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop Manufacturing, Finishing and Installation
2
"A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies of the Association Between Chronic Occupational Exposure to
Lead and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis," Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol. 56, No. 12,
December 2014
3
"Short-term diesel exhaust inhalation in a controlled human crossover study is associated with changes in DNA
methylation of circulating mononuclear cells in asthmatics", Particle and Fibre Toxicology
4
"Associations of Cadmium and Lead Exposure with Leukocyte Telomere Length: Findings From National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002," American Journal of Epidemiology, December 10, 2014
5
Occupational exposure limits (OELs) restrict the amount and length of time a worker is exposed to airborne
concentrations of hazardous biological or chemical agents
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