The Next
Generation
Lab
Industrial Hygiene Laboratories
Strive to Meet Evolving Requirements
BY KEITH RICKABAUGH AND MATT ZOCK
Do more with less: this is the main chal- lenge facing today’s industrial hygienists. Employers want robust, well-rounded professionals who can adapt to many sit- uations and address a variety of needs. Competence in selecting the right sam- pling media, calibrating a pump, sending
samples to the lab, and comparing results
to reference values is still important but
not enough to meet customers’ needs.
Industrial hygiene laboratories that
support the profession have also had to
adapt to changing needs. Providing high-quality, reliable, timely and accurate laboratory results is a minimum expectation
of the laboratory. To meet these expectations while minimizing costs, laboratories
have harnessed information technology
tools, automated laboratory processes,
and employed process management techniques. The health and safety of others
may rely on accurate and precise testing.
The trick is to maintain costs while continuing to provide quality data.
Competition
Determining quantitative exposures to
chemicals and particulates is a relatively
mature industry. Client relationships are
typically well established, and pricing is
not always as important as customer service and reliability. Value-added laboratory
services include the ability to help professionals in the field understand specific
project needs, decide which tests are appropriate, and design sampling programs.
Not only must laboratories know how
to analyze for a variety of substances,
they must also have immediate access to
expert support to guide professionals in
areas such as sampling techniques and
the substance- and situation-dependent
limitations of the methods being utilized.
A significant concern for laboratories
today is diminishing demand for their
services due to downsizing of sampling
programs, application of direct-read instruments, and many other factors.
One of laboratories’ biggest concerns
is that IH professionals tend to collect
too few samples for statistical analysis.
Inquiries to laboratories, such as how to
obtain more samples, are rarely made.
Some IHs use modeling techniques, historical data and reduced budgets to justify “spot checks” of exposure or even
not to sample at all. Although some of
these justifications may have merit, most
practitioners will likely agree that data
based on laboratory analyses is clearly
preferable.
Direct-read instruments are rarely
considered acceptable for regulatory
compliance regarding exposure to chem-
icals or particulates. However, these in-
struments are useful for screening pur-
poses and determining areas of interest
to prioritize sampling programs. Second-
ary benefits of direct-read instruments
are their portability and ability to pro-
vide immediate feedback related to spe-
cific chemicals or aggregate amounts of
chemicals and/or particulates. Labora-
tory professionals should be able to un-
derstand direct-read instruments and
how the data is relevant or can comple-
ment the application of laboratory-based
methods and results. Table 1 lists some
of the direct-read instruments commonly
used as screening tools in the industrial
hygiene industry.
Laboratory Management Issues
Industrial hygiene laboratories have a
unique business culture. They must offer
a broad range of analyses, respond immediately to customers’ needs, maintain
rigorous quality assurance and control
