Industrial Hygiene Compliance Services

Industrial hygiene involves eliminating risks from four key areas: biological, ergonomic, chemical and physical. Understanding each type of hazard will give you a complete picture of why industrial hygiene is essential to running a business. Here are some examples of contaminants or issues you may find in each category:

• Biological: Many hazards occur in industries like healthcare or schools where workers experience frequent exposure to bodily fluids. Examples of biological hazards include viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or COVID-19. Mold, animal feces and insect bites are also considered biological health hazards.
• Ergonomic: These hazards relate to industries where workers engage in the extended use of the body in a particular way. Examples of ergonomic hazards include repetitive movements, inadequate chairs or other seating and lifting heavy materials often or improperly.
• Chemical: This type of hazard involves liquids, solids or gases that pose a risk to workers who ingest,  breathe or are in prolonged contact with them. Examples of chemical hazards include cleaning solutions, pesticides, lead and propane.
• Physical: These hazards can harm the body in less obvious ways than improper machinery use or failure. Examples of physical hazards include prolonged exposure to high radiation levels, excessive noise and extreme temperatures.

Another workplace hazard is air contaminants, which are typically separated into their own category. Examples of air contaminants include chloroform, toxic metal dust, mercury and silica.

Initial Audit and Review

What is industrial hygiene testing? When our industrial hygienists arrive at your facility, they will conduct an initial audit. This testing will help you see what OSHA guidelines you currently meet and what needs improvement. These audits will also help you determine what biological, chemical, physical or ergonomic hazards are present in your workplace. Our team will review our findings with you and help you plan a strategy to reduce these issues.

Ongoing Compliance Services and Monitoring

What is industrial hygiene monitoring? While an initial audit is beneficial, maintaining OSHA and industrial hygiene compliance typically requires ongoing testing and examination. Whether you begin working with new machinery or cleaning supplies or OSHA releases new guidelines, you and your employees will need further guidance. Our team will monitor your compliance measures to keep you updated and informed while checking on considerations like equipment and air contaminants. We can also provide ongoing testing for biological, physical, ergonomic or chemical hazards.

Proprietary Schedule Tool for Material and Chemical Review

Our proprietary schedule tool is an efficient way to keep track of what materials you need to audit and when. Making note of various dates and materials by hand is time-consuming and prone to user error, but it can also be challenging to keep track of multiple spreadsheets on the computer. Our scheduling tool helps take the confusion out of the auditing process by telling you when you need to address concerns regarding specific materials or chemicals.

Safety Culture Beyond Compliance

OSHA compliance guidelines are present for you and your employees’ safety. However, these standards can be more than something you are legally obligated to incorporate into your business. Safety culture goes beyond compliance because it helps create an environment where workers feel prioritized, protected and appreciated.

What does that mean for your business? Creating a safety culture can reduce the risk of illness or injury, increase productivity and improve employee retention. In an informed facility that emphasizes a safety culture, workers understand expectations and perform these actions without hesitation. 2Six Advisors will work with you to ensure that protecting your workers becomes an integral part of your operations.