Can you believe that most industrial hygienists are doing little or nothing about one of the most widely discussed workplace health hazards? I can. This hazard is linked to the second leading cause of workplace deaths in the U.S. Most visits to primary care physicians are related to it. The problem is estimated to cost American industry billions of dollars annually in workers' compensation, health care, absenteeism, and other related costs.

What makes it even more ironic is that many IHs have first-hand experience with this hazard. A recent survey by this magazine found that nearly one in every two IHs claim they are exposed it.