dmboh - David M Bloor Occupational Hygienist

What is Occupational Hygiene?

Occupational Hygiene can be defined as the practice of identifying of hazardous agents; Chemical, Physical and Biological; in the workplace that could cause disease or discomfort, evaluating  the extent of the risk due to exposure to these hazardous agents, and the control of those risks to prevent ill-health in the long or short term.

How can an Occupational Hygienist help me?

Qualified Occupational Hygienists understand how chemical, physical and biological agents in the workplace may affect the health of those who work there and in turn the health of the business. As part of their training and through experience they learn how to measure or estimate how significant the effects of agents may be. More importantly they specialise in controlling the risks to health in practical and cost effective ways.

What is the difference between Industrial and Occupational Hygiene?

None really. The term Industrial Hygiene is used mainly in the USA while in other parts of the world the profession is known as Occupational Hygiene. In some ways the term Occupational is a better description as health risks occur in all places that people work such as offices, shops, hospitals and farms, not just in places one would think of as industrial.

Why Hygiene?

Many people have problems with the word Hygiene. This is derived from the name of the Greek goddess of health known as Hygeia the daughter of Asklepios and sister to Panacea. While her father and sister were connected with the treatment of existing disease Hygeia was regarded as being concerned with the preservation of good health or the prevention of disease.