The Role of Local Exhaust Ventilation in Workplaces - Essay Example

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) Name of the Student: Name of the Instructor: Name of the course: Code of the course: Submission date: Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) Introduction It is an apparent fact that occupational health and industrial hygiene have developed to become a paramount practice in different workplaces. The initiation of the local exhaust ventilation system has been perceived as being central in addressing problems in various industries as it will be expounded in the subsequent sections. Against this background, this paper will explore the vital role of a local exhaust ventilation system with a goal of maintaining high standards of industrial hygiene. This is triggered by the recent concern over elevating occupational health issues in the workplaces which have placed the aspect of industrial hygiene in the spotlight as well as limited efforts to institute systems like the LEV to help in addressing the issue of industrial hygiene in different industrial set-ups. This fact is put into spotlight in the construction industry by Flynn and Susi (2012). They have revealed that despite the popularity of LEV as an engineering control for welding fumes, it has experienced limited adoption in the construction industry. Therefore, it is vital to focus on the role of this system in elevating the industrial hygiene standards in different workplaces. This will help in addressing the worsening concerns over the health safety of the workers in their places of work. It is very important to explore a comprehensive overview of industrial hygiene in order to gain a vivid understanding of the central role played by the LEV in enhancing the industrial health standards in different areas of production. An overview of industrial hygiene In the past, it can be noted that the efforts to address the issues of industrial hygiene were limited and far-fetched. This posed a real danger to the workers posted in different workplaces since they were exposed to contaminants like dust, fumes, vapor and gas among others. This can be mainly attributed to the tendency of the owners of these workplaces to primarily focus on increasing outcome and elevate the surplus value. Sadly, they committed limited or no investments in mitigating the occupational health hazards confronting their workers in different industries. However, developments in the recent decades have seen increased concerns on the issues of industrial hygiene. This has seen a paradigm shift from corrective industrial health towards preventive IH which has seen the increased effort of the LEV system aimed at removing the contaminants as they are generated from the source. This is clearly depicted in the paint manufacturing industries whereby there has been elevated priority to prevent the health hazards which are caused by fumes, dust and vapors in these environs where LEV systems have experienced increased utility (Hasan, Said & Leman, 2012). The United States has moved more rapidly when compared to other nations around the globe in eradicating diseases posed by occupational hazards in the industrial set-ups and developing control measures. Nonetheless, increasing demands of the society for the acceleration in the elimination of the diseases in the industrial environment demands more profound efforts than those which are evident in the past. This is mainly aimed at elevating the standards of industrial hygiene. This has thus resulted to the increased utilization of the LEV systems in different regions around the globe. LEV systems have been proved by various studies as being fundamental in considerably minimizing the airborne particulate exposures which are generated in different construction related activities which is central to industrial health (Croteau et. al, 2004). This is important in reducing the prominence of respiratory diseases among workers in various industries. Firstly, it leads to the compliance with the health standards requirements stipulated in different industrial occupational health guidelines and regulatory frameworks. Secondly, different industries will reduce the rate of employees’ turnover as a result of reduced diseases that are caused as a result of exposure to occupational hazards like dust and fumes among others. It is very important to note that employee turnover usually poses negative impacts on the overall performance of any industry in terms of revenues. Lastly, the utility of LEV systems resulting in reduced diseases prevalence is fundamental in minimizing the insurance burden on the industry over the workers who have terminally fallen ill as a result of exposure to these contaminants in the course of their work. Definition of important terms and concepts In a general viewpoint, a local exhaust ventilation system can be perceived as an engineering control which is aimed at minimizing the exposure to airborne contaminants such as fume, mist, dust, gas or vapor in the workplace. Its simple functionality is that the system sucks an airborne contaminant out of the workplace. This is a fundamental function in addressing occupation health issues in these environs as well as maintaining industrial hygiene (University of Birmingham, 2012). On the other hand, industrial hygiene at basic level can be viewed as a science of protecting the health of persons though intense control of the work environment. It can thus be viewed as the practice which is devoted to the expectation, recognition, assessment and control of the environmental factors which can be detrimental in causing sicknesses and impaired well-being, significant discomfort as well as inefficiency among the workers in a certain industry. Literature review It is vital to note that there have been extensive researches in regard to the efficacy of LEV system in the efforts to elevate the industrial health standards in different spheres of industrial undertakings. Bodies of research have experienced heightened interest in this area over the recent decades. This has been comprehensively summarized in a review article which is authored by Flynn and Susi (2003). The research has revealed that the utility of LEV can in a great extent reduce the airborne contaminant exposures which are generated by diverse industrial undertakings. This is mostly experienced in the activities which are related to construction. Majority of these bodies of research have indicated that LEV systems are integral in ensuring that the workers in various industries are as little as possible exposed to various contaminants like dust, fumes and vapor. These contaminants have been credited for being major cause to increased prevalence of diseases that are respiration-related in nature in various industries in different regions. Other researchers have revealed that in a working environment where the workers in the construction industry are constantly exposed to respirable crystalline silica, workers are usually confronted by an elevated risk of contracting silicosis as evidenced by Partanen et al., (1995) and Robinson et al., (1995) (cited in Croteau et. al, 2004). This can pose negative impacts on the industry based on the increased prominence of diseases in the workplace which are highlighted in the preceding segment. Thus, these studies have indicated the vital role of a local exhaust ventilation system in reducing the exposure of the workers in various industries to silica dust. These contaminants have been credited for being the chief cause of silicosis among workers mostly in the construction industry. In addition, various assessment studies have revealed that local exhaust ventilation systems which are installed in particular industries are of great importance in reducing the level of respiratory diseases, both in the short and in the long-term (Croteau et. al, 2004). Nonetheless, perhaps the most comprehensive applicability of LEV system in the construction industry based on the failure and shortcomings of other mechanisms has been documented by Croteau et. al (2004). This is whereby the author cited that in majority of the construction activities, local exhaust ventilations systems seems to be the most promising mechanism of reducing the exposure of the workers to silica dust in their daily working environments. This is founded on the fact that substitution of the products with lower crystalline silica constituent might be conceivable for specific circumstances but it is not readily viable based on the high prevalence of the silica-based materials in many materials used in construction activities, mostly concrete (Croteau et. al, 2004). On the other hand, water spray can be effective in minimizing the exposure levels but it is faced by extensive infeasibility in its applications based on the fact that water culminates in the discoloration and expansion of materials. These are problems associated with disposal of wastewater and not forgetting extensive damage to the building. Moreover, water spray control of reducing dust exposure also present additional problems in the sense that it presents probable safety hazards which include but not limited to slipping, electrocution and potential hypothermia (Croteau et. al, 2004). Against this backdrop, extensive literature has revealed that a local exhaust ventilation system is the most credible, cost-effective and efficient method of controlling the exposure of the workers to airborne contaminants in the industrial workplaces, for instance, dust, fumes, mist, gas or vapor. This is central to occupational health based on the fact that it is effective in reducing the prevalence of many diseases in the workplace as well as being chief in maintaining high standards of industrial hygiene. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that a local exhaust ventilation system is important in the efforts to reduce the exposure of workers in various industries to airborne contaminants when compared with other control methods like water sprays. This is applicable in my future employment whereby more insightful efforts will be directed towards developing and maintaining robust LEV system which is fundamental in attaining and maintaining high industrial health standards in the workplace. When giving a presentation, the advantages of the LEV system when compared with other control methods and the positive impacts of maintaining high occupational health standards in the workplaces would be shared with the students. References Croteau, G.A. et. al (2004). The Efficacy of Local Exhaust Ventilation for Controlling Dust Exposures during Concrete Surface Grinding. The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 48(6), 509–518. Flynn M. R & Susi P. (2003). Engineering controls for selected silica and dust exposures in the construction industry—a review.The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 18, 268-77 Flynn, M.R. & Susi, P. (2012). Local Exhaust Ventilation for the Control of Welding Fumes in the Construction Industry—A Literature Review. The Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 56(7), 764-776. Hasan, N.H., Said, M.R. & Leman, A.M. (2012). Local Exhaust Ventilation and Application: A Review. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 12(4), 39-43. University of Birmingham (2012). Local Exhaust Ventilation. Retrieved November 28, 2012 from https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/hr/wellbeing/worksafe/topics/lev.aspx. Read More