Synergist - November 2010

“Partners in Protecting Workers | FEATURE Table 1. Industrial Hygiene/Occupational Health Information Sharing

Professional
Information Required from
the Industrial Hygienist

Audiologist Nurse/ Physician Assistant

• Noise monitoring data

• Chemical list

• Hearing protection available

• Training provided

• Hazard inventory

• Any and all monitoring data

• Employees associated with hazards

• Exposure frequency

• Documented training

• Protective equipment

• Engineering or work practice controls

• Supervisor or manager of the area

• Employee symptoms or complaints

Occupational Physician

• Hazard inventory

• Any and all monitoring data

• Employees associated with hazards

• Exposure frequency

• Documented training

• Protective equipment

• Engineering or work practice controls

• Symptoms or complaints from employees

Chiropractor

• Lifting and postures for tasks (video would be helpful)

• Hazard inventory

Optometrist or Ophthalmologist

• Projectile, chemical, and radiological eye hazards

• Personal protection available

• Training provided

• Lighting and glare protection

Workers’ Compensation Case Manager

• Hazard exposure record

• Changes in process

• Controls available

Pulmonary Specialist Physical/ Occupational Therapist

• Inhalation or allergic exposures

• Respirator usage

• Ventilation controls or systems

• Lift and posture requirements

• Personal protection available

Ergonomist

• Workstation design

• Lifting technique training

• Tool or process changes that eliminate repetitive motion and/or back strain

Information Provided to the Industrial Hygienist

• Trends in threshold shifts

• Recommendation for protection

• Training information

• Trends in health status or medical monitoring in specific work groups

• Individual employee’s change in health status or medication

• Unusual medical surveillance result

• Trends in health status or medical monitoring in specific work groups

• Individual employee’s change in health status or medication

• Unusual medical surveillance result

• Stretching or exercise routines

• Changes in specific lifting technique

• Trends in eye injuries

• Training

• Vision protection

• Duty restrictions

• Duty or exposure restrictions

• Respirator clearance

• Ergonomic controls

• Lifting and stretching techniques

• Video or description of work processes

• Summary of injuries from a specific work task

Neither you nor the occupational health professional can work in a vacuum. You are partners who must work together to provide the best protection to the worker.

AndreaPouliot,CIH,isIndustrialHygienePro-grammanagerattheSafetyandOccupational HealthOfficeoftheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers inWashington, D.C.Shecanbereachedat(202) 761-8691orAndrea.H.Pouliot@usace.army.mil.

LindaEnglert,MSN,RN,COHN-S,has14years’ experienceinoccupationalhealthnursing.Her work has appeared in Nursing Education Perspectives . She is currently employed by the U.S. ArmyCorpsofEngineersfortheWilmingtonand CharlestonDistricts.