Occupational Hygiene

Safetech Environmental Limited (SEL) has extensive experience and qualifications that allows us to provide our clients with a wide range of occupational hygiene related services.  We are staffed with professionals having Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Registered Occupational Hygienist (ROH), and Certified Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designations.  Coupled with familiarity of applicable health and safety regulations and our experience in industrial and manufacturing facilities and construction sites, SEL is able to provide extensive occupational hygiene related services, which includes the following:

• Workplace Safety Evaluations – In order to protect worker safety and health and to ensure compliance with applicable regulations SEL can perform site inspections of your facility or construction site.  Inspections can be broad or can focus on specific job activities or work locations.  At the completion of the evaluation SEL will provide a written report outlining specific contraventions and the severity of each, with recommendations made to rectify these infractions.  SEL can also perform follow-up inspections to ensure that the changes have been properly and adequately implemented.

• Workplace Exposure Assessments – To ensure the health of workers and compliance with Ontario Regulation 833,  SEL can perform workplace exposure assessments. SEL will review relevant information regarding the products used, the process in question and worker activities to develop a comprehensive air sampling plan. SEL can also review existing engineering controls, work practices and personal protective equipment (PPE) used to provide a comprehensive occupational hygiene assessment.

• Designated Substance Assessments – If your workplace uses designated substances. Ontario regulations require an assessment to be made.  Components of the assessment include an evaluation of work activities (including air sampling) to determine if workers are likely to be exposed to the designated substance.  If this assessment determines that exposure is likely, a control program is required to be implemented.  SEL can perform an initial assessment to determine whether a control program is necessary.  If so, SEL can then help our clients develop and implement a comprehensive control program.

• Noise Assessments – Exposure to excessive noise levels can result in work-related hearing loss.  SEL can perform a wide variety of testing and assessment activities for noise, including personal noise exposure assessments, noise mapping, and noise evaluation of specific equipment.  Results of monitoring can then be used to determine if workers are being overexposed to noise and if so what type of control measures could best be implemented.

• Local Exhaust Ventilation Assessments – Ventilation can be one of the most successful engineering controls to limit worker exposure to hazardous chemicals.  However, the system must be designed based on the type and quantity of contaminants being generated and it must also be properly maintained to ensure efficient operation.  SEL can review the design of the ventilation system and perform a variety of air velocity measurements to determine the adequacy of the system.  Based on this review, recommendations for improvement of system performance can then be made.

Specific Hazard Assessments – In addition to assessments for specific chemical contaminants, assessment for other potential health and safety hazards can be performed by SEL.  Such assessments include evaluation for heat stress, confined space monitoring and assessment of airborne exposures to potentially hazardous substances during Pre-Start Health & Safety Reviews.

• Occupational Hygiene Training Programs – SEL offers training for WHMIS that covers the training requirements of Regulation 860.  In addition to WHMIS training, SEL can provide tailored training courses on specific health & safety related items in your work environment, such as proper use of personal protective equipment and hearing conservation.  Please refer to our training section for additional details.