Many pollution prevention (P2) programs have reduced the generation and use of environmentally harmful substances. However, the impact of P2 on occupational exposures is largely unknown. Anecdotally, it appears that some P2 programs have decreased occupational exposures, while others have exacerbated such exposures. However, there is a paucity of published studies to inform firms and policymakers as to how to implement P2 without exacerbating occupational exposures. Mr. Sivin will present preliminary results of his study of the impact of pollution prevention on occupational exposures at an air conditioner manufacturer. Because the industrial hygiene monitoring data are inadequate, he uses models to estimate exposure concentrations in various parts of the facility before and after the P2 interventions. Modeling results are to be combined with information from worker interviews to produce estimates of time-weighted average exposures. Because the P2 program involves chemical substitution, it is necessary to compare the relative risks of different exposures. To weight model outputs by the potential toxicity of each substance, its exposure level will be divided its NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL). An exposure severity score will be calculated for each occupational title by summing REL-weighted exposures across chemicals. The results of a sensitivity analysis of the models used will be presented, as will preliminary results for the impact of the P2 program on exposure severity.
Learning Objectives: see session overview (2582)
Keywords: Occupational Health, Environmental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.