How Businesses Benefit from Occupational Hygiene MonitoringÂ
Industrial activities and processes can put the health and safety of workers, the environment, and the general public at risk. For this reason, occupational hygiene monitoring is used to prevent illness. Waiting for illness to happen is an approach that will cause your business to lose money and face possible litigation.
While you might think that setting precautionary measures and systems in place is the most important part of your health and safety responsibility, it’s actually not. Yes, it is a vital part of the process, but occupational hygiene monitoring is used to ensure that those measures and systems are actually effective. As businesses grow and expand, the working environment can change, and this can lead to additional health and safety hazards presenting themselves, as well as existing safety mechanisms becoming inefficient. Occupational hygiene monitoring ensures that the deterioration of health can be detected early.
There is no standardised test that can be carried out to test for all conceivable health and safety risks. This means that the occupational hygienist is tasked with analysing the business systems and environment, as well as carrying out specialised tests based on the nature of the business. A large part of the process is ensuring that the health of the employees is closely monitored.
Occupational hygiene monitoring is not something that can be done remotely. The industry experts must visit the premises and assess the overall effectiveness of the various procedures in place. Absolutely everything needs to be checked, from safety practices and engineering, to the suitability of the existing health and safety equipment implemented. Before health and safety processes can be implemented, the occupational hygienist will need to take into account the business’s daily operations, chemicals used, machinery and equipment operated, and any potential hazards and risks imposed on the workforce and the public. Risk can lie in areas of the business that most wouldn’t even think of, including vibration, chemical exposure, motion/movement, radiation, noise, and heat fluctuations.
If any part of the business process and tasks can pose a health risk, it’s considered an area of the business that must be monitored once occupational health and safety mechanisms are set in place.
Ensure Your Occupational Hygiene Monitoring is Managed by IOH SolutionsÂ
It is important to choose an occupational health and safety company that has experience in the industry. IOH Solutions has been providing the occupational health and safety industry with hygiene monitoring services since 2003. We are accredited and approved by the South African National Accreditation System and the Department of Labour.
The health and safety systems and procedures set in place are designed to do a bit more than ensure health and safety in the workplace. They also ensure that the business saves on operating costs, and is safeguarded from potential downtime and litigation. Chatting with an expert occupational hygienist is the best way to learn more about your responsibilities as a business owner in your chosen industry.
For more advice and guidance, contact us via email or telephone at IOH Solutions today.