I used to think that once an employer improved working conditions to meet minimum OSHA requirements, primarily through proper material selection and engineering controls, an industrial hygienist’s job was mostly done. After all, why would an employer need an industrial hygienist if all the occupational health hazards are under control? But the fact of the matter is that what OSHA expects and what an employee expects are two distinct issues. OSHA’s expectations are mostly directed at health hazards with adverse physical and pathological impacts on employees. An employee’s expectations for a healthy work environment weigh heavily toward the psychological impact. What an employee thinks about his or her work environment is most important in whether or not you’ll hear complaints.
Not long ago I met with a group of manufacturing employees who were concerned about the amount of metalworking fluid in the air. I first looked at metalworking fluid exposure, such as oil mist, at this facility about ten years ago. Back then, I’d classify the work areas as typical: dull color on walls, floors, and machines; marginal lighting with shadows; somewhat dirty surfaces; spotty and often poorly designed exhaust ventilation at the machining operations; and so on. Oil mist was found back then to be just below OSHA’s limit of 5 mg/m3.