Results of Inspections in Health Hazard Industries in a Region of the State of Washington

Results from state of Washington Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) health inspections were reviewed to characterize the level of control that existed at the work sites, identify common problems, and assess the success of targeting programs in finding and correcting uncontrolled health hazards. Data were obtained from 170 inspections conducted by industrial hygienists in a four-county area in 12 industries, including 10 that were targeted. Inspection data were accessed through the use of electronic databases and inspection reports then summarized by the following industries: bathtub refinishing, carbide tool and saw sharpening, fibercement siding installation, furniture refinishing, health care clinics, janitorial floor waxing service, landscaping, lawn maintenance, tree service, road construction, stone countertop fabrication, truck bed lining, warehouse and cold storage, and wood floor finishing. Targeted health hazards included worker exposure to airborne contaminants, noise, and bloodborne pathogens typical of the industry. Method and effectiveness of control of health hazards were evaluated by counting work sites with violations associated with engineering control, personal protective equipment, hearing conservation, or training. Results are presented by industry for the number and percentage of work sites that failed to provide required protection. Poor control of health hazards was generally found across all inspected industries. Follow-up inspections and self-reports of abatement found that more than 85% were able to successfully control the hazards and abate the violations. The results are further discussed as they relate to methods of control and risk and identifying existing and emerging high health hazard industries. Based on employment data and the poor hazard control that was found, most if not all the industries can be described as high health hazard, small-employer industries. The results can be used for the planning of interventions in other regions and industries.

[1]  Girija Syamlal,et al.  A Survey of Private Sector Respirator Use in the United States: An Overview of Findings , 2005, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene.

[2]  Richard Neitzel,et al.  A comparison of "Train-the-Trainer" and expert training modalities for hearing protection use in construction. , 2008, American journal of industrial medicine.

[3]  D H Wegman,et al.  Occupational health surveillance: a means to identify work-related risks. , 1986, American journal of public health.

[4]  S. Horstman,et al.  Cobalt exposure in a carbide tip grinding process. , 1992, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[5]  Don J Lofgren,et al.  Occupational carbon monoxide poisoning in the State of Washington, 1994-1999. , 2002, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[6]  이수정.  해외산업간호정보 - 미국 산업안전보건연구원(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) 소개 , 2009 .

[7]  T J Lentz,et al.  Identifying high-risk small business industries for occupational safety and health interventions. , 2001, American journal of industrial medicine.

[9]  M. Hodgson,et al.  Industrial hygiene recommendations as interventions: a collaborative model within occupational medicine. , 1999, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[10]  P. Landrigan,et al.  Current Magnitude of Occupational Disease in the United States , 1989, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[11]  B. Materna,et al.  Results of an intervention to improve lead safety among painting contractors and their employees. , 2002, American journal of industrial medicine.

[12]  Michael E. Barsan,et al.  NIOSH pocket guide to chemical hazards , 2007 .

[13]  William E Daniell,et al.  Increased reporting of occupational hearing loss: workers' compensation in Washington State, 1984-1998. , 2002, American journal of industrial medicine.

[14]  P A Schulte,et al.  Methodological issues for intervention research in occupational health and safety. , 1996, American journal of industrial medicine.

[15]  D Wegman,et al.  Hazard surveillance in occupational disease. , 1989, American journal of public health.

[16]  Susan R Woskie,et al.  Respiratory Protection from Isocyanate Exposure in the Autobody Repair and Refinishing Industry , 2006, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene.

[17]  J. Millar,et al.  Surveillance of Occupational Illness and Injury in the United States: Current Perspectives and Future Directions , 1988, Journal of public health policy.

[18]  Richard Neitzel,et al.  Development and pilot test of hearing conservation training for construction workers. , 2008, American journal of industrial medicine.

[19]  DeAnn Lazovich,et al.  Effectiveness of a worksite intervention to reduce an occupational exposure: the Minnesota wood dust study. , 2002, American journal of public health.

[20]  D. Ronis,et al.  Effectiveness of a Tailored Intervention to Increase Factory Workers’ Use of Hearing Protection , 2003, Nursing research.

[21]  K. Rosenman,et al.  Evaluation of the effectiveness of following up laboratory reports of elevated blood leads in adults. , 2001, AIHAJ : a journal for the science of occupational and environmental health and safety.

[22]  Terry L Walley,et al.  OSHA Compliance Issues , 2004 .

[23]  D. Schlueter,et al.  Bathtub refinisher's lung: an unusual response to toluene diisocyanate. , 1978, The American review of respiratory disease.

[24]  D H Wegman,et al.  An approach to the characterization of silica exposure in U.S. industry. , 1986, American journal of industrial medicine.

[25]  M. M. McDaniel,et al.  Noise exposure and hearing loss prevention programmes after 20 years of regulations in the United States , 2006, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[26]  M J Reilly,et al.  Occupational noise-induced hearing loss surveillance in Michigan. , 1998, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[27]  Robert B Lawrence,et al.  Comparison of Performance of Three Different Types of Respiratory Protection Devices , 2006, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene.

[28]  James E Slaven,et al.  Simulated Workplace Protection Factors for Half-Facepiece Respiratory Protective Devices , 2007, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene.

[29]  J. Camp,et al.  Silica exposure during granite countertop fabrication. , 1999, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[30]  William Halperin,et al.  Public Health Surveillance , 2008 .

[31]  L. Rudolph,et al.  The initial impact of a workplace lead-poisoning prevention project. , 1993, American journal of public health.

[32]  Robert B Lawrence,et al.  Fitting Characteristics of Eighteen N95 Filtering-Facepiece Respirators , 2004, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene.

[33]  L. Chiarello,et al.  Preventing needlestick injuries in health care settings , 1999 .

[34]  Don J Lofgren,et al.  MDI Exposure for Spray-On Truck Bed Lining. , 2003, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[35]  Don J. Lofgren.  OSHA Compliance Issues: Targeting Industries and Work Sites for OSHA Health Inspections , 1996 .

[36]  T. Richards,et al.  Silicosis surveillance in New Jersey: targeting workplaces using occupational disease and exposure surveillance data. , 1992, American journal of industrial medicine.

[37]  D. Wegman,et al.  Characterization of the airborne concentrations of lead in U.S. industry. , 1990, American journal of industrial medicine.

[38]  G. O. Nelson,et al.  Respirator cartridge efficiency studies: VIII. summary and conclusions , 1976 .

[39]  Richard Neitzel,et al.  The Effectiveness of Hearing Protection Among Construction Workers , 2005, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene.

[40]  Alice H Suter,et al.  Construction noise: exposure, effects, and the potential for remediation; a review and analysis. , 2002, AIHA journal : a journal for the science of occupational and environmental health and safety.

[41]  R. Hall.  Exposures to lead, metals, and wood dust during stripping and refinishing furniture. , 2003, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[42]  Marcus M. Key,et al.  Potential Hazards in Small Business—A Gap in OSHA Protection , 1988 .

[43]  Sally Lechlitner Lusk,et al.  Effectiveness of an Intervention to Increase Construction Workers' Use of Hearing Protection , 1999, Hum. Factors.

[44]  Charles Levenstein,et al.  Occupational injury and illness surveillance: conceptual filters explain underreporting. , 2002, American journal of public health.

[45]  P A Schulte,et al.  Intervention research in occupational health and safety. , 1994, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[46]  P. Landrigan,et al.  Occupational injury and illness in the United States. Estimates of costs, morbidity, and mortality. , 1997, Archives of internal medicine.