Occupational Hygiene refers to the discipline of understanding the workplace hazards and potential risks, evaluating said risks and drafting plans to control them, in the name of the safety of employees. In other words, Occupational Hygiene is the practice behind ‘Health’ in Health and Safety by ensuring workers wellbeing is maintained and protected.
The term ‘Hygiene’ comes from the Greek goddess of health Hygeia, who was concerned with the prevention of disease and the preservation of good health, which reflect the main ideologies of Occupational Hygiene. Our understanding of hygiene has improved from the Hippocratic teachings in Ancient Greece however the same teachings can be taken and used within the workplace today. It is imperative that personnel in charge of health on site are aware of dangers on site and oftentimes dangers associated with occupational health are unseen.
It is an employer’s duty to provide a safe environment of work for their employees. By assessing for possible occupational risks and conducting relevant risk assessments to the tasks performed.
There are many aspects to occupational hygiene and the risks of poor occupational hygiene vary from workplace to workplace. In an office for example personnel may be experiencing brain fog due to the presence of carbon dioxide within the air that is above the recommended limit of 1400 ppm according to the HSA’s Code of Practice for Indoor Air Quality. However, the presence of volatile organic compounds in the air of more industrial workplaces may lead to environments which increase the risk of cancer in personnel. As can be seen these two examples are at opposite ends of the risk spectrum however without adequate knowledge of risks within the workplace and adequate control measures in place, workplaces are at risk of crating an unsafe workplace for their employers.
Occupli is a leading provider in occupational hygiene, offering services in the following areas:
- Hygiene, Dust, Indoor Air Quality;
- Occupational and Environmental Noise Assessments;
- Vibration Risk Assessment and Surveys;
- Legionella Risk Assessment;
- Asbestos Surveys;
- Ergonomic Assessments.
If you require Occupational Health Services, reach out to our team of consultants here.