Industrial Hygiene
Our team of professionals assists your in-house specialist(s) in meeting industry standards for work place safety. We provide a complete industrial hygiene program for the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of chemical and physical hazards. We have available a Certified Industrial Hygienist to consult with your organization and provide expert advice on issues you would like addressed. Our services include:
| Indoor Air Quality Investigation |
|
Since the energy crisis of the late 1970's, buildings have been designed and remodeled to maximize energy savings rather than human comfort. Many U.S. facilities use a high percentage of re-circulated air, leading to personnel complaints of headaches, burning eyes, lethargy and other symptoms that can negatively affect productivity.
Collectively known as "sick building syndrome," these factors are the result of altering the ideal mixture of atmospheric gases that humans need to function at peak levels. Our team can assist you in determining whether your employees are at risk, identifying any specific contaminants that may be present, and ensuring your employees are breathing healthy air by providing a corrective action plan if warranted.
Indoor air quality investigations involve detective work to correlate symptoms and/or complaints with building conditions such as the physical environment, work activities, and historical use.
Our investigation process includes:
- Interviews with client-designated personnel, supervisors, and managers
- Evaluation of HVAC systems
- Walk-through of the facility, both interior and exterior
- Evaluation of work activity (current and past), population density, comfort factors
- Air sampling for specific contaminants/particulates/micro-organisms
- Corrective action planning
- Formal presentation of findings/proposed solutions
Serious health effects can be the result of visible mold or hidden problems in walls, ceiling or ductwork. In order to remediate you must locate the mold source and the conditions promoting its growth. We test the air for microorganisms to identify mold or bacteria, and quantify them with comparison to the outdoors and reference levels. We work with an nationally accredited laboratory to produce an extensive and accurate report of the environmental conditions.
Classes are also conducted and a variety of courses provided on the subject. Anyone who comes into contact with mold during the course of their workday may benefit from our training (i.e. house inspectors, janitorial staff, floor and restoration contractors, plumbers, builders, flood and water restoration contractors, etc.).
Our technicians arrive with equipment calibrated to ANSI S1.25-1978. The dosimeters can be set up as personal monitors on designated employees or as area monitors. Dosimeter tests are intended to measure the amount of noise exposure (in decibels) experienced by employees in a particular area during a full eight-hour workday.
Collections are based on statistical sampling methodology particular to the contaminant being sampled. Our expert technician collects a pre-determined number of samples.
We can identify and quantify respiratory hazards in your workplace. You will receive a written report detailing the levels of air contaminant found, the OSHA acceptable limits, and a recommendation for any Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) necessary to protect your employees.
AOE knows the importance of having a chemical inventory and how vital such an inventory is to running an effective, integrated hazardous materials program. We will assist in database management of chemical inventory information and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for use in satisfying inventory-related regulatory requirements. You’ll know the amounts and locations of the materials you have on hand at any given time, and we’ll make recommendations on routine maintenance to ensure up-to-date inventory lists.
| Litigation Support / Expert Witness |
|
Services include research, pre-litigation support, reports, depositions, expert witness at trial, exhibit preparation, computer simulation and animation. If necessary, our product development services can assist with alternative designs, prototyping, costing and manufacturing feasibility studies. Our consultants have provided support for both plaintiff and defense attorneys in municipal, federal and state courts
| Weapons of Mass Destruction |
|
Today’s security-consciousness dictates that every organization prepare itself for the discovery of on-site implanted weapons intended to wreak havoc. We can guide or conduct screening evaluations and threat assessment audits, and then help your organization develop a response plan for such an eventuality.
If you have determined that your mailroom or other premises may be susceptible to a real or imagined threat from anthrax or similar biological weapon, our Certified Industrial Hygienist can assist you in preparing for and managing through an incident. Let us assist you in developing written documentation for handling suspicious packages, and increasing your emergency preparedness.
| Testing for Hexavalent Chromium Exposure |
|
We provide testing to ensure the health and safety of your employee. The work environment is tested over a period of time to ensure the occupantional exposure is within the Permissable Exposure Limits (PEL) as required by OSHA.
Workers who breathe hexavalent chromium compounds at their jobs for many years may be at increased risk of developing lung cancer. Breathing high levels of hexavalent chromium can irritate or damage the nose, throat, and lungs. Irritation or damage to the eyes and skin can occur if hexavalent chromium contacts these organs in high concentrations or for a prolonged period of time.
OSHA has a two page report available at http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/hexavalent_chromium.pdf . This report provides a concise list of industrial sources, symptoms and health effects of exposure to hexavalent chromium, and OSHA requirements for the protection of employees. |
