Indoor Air Quality: Industrial Hygiene - Essay Example

Name Tutor Course Date Indoor Air Quality (Industrial Hygiene) The main topic is Indoor Air Quality, which is an important aspect in Industrial Hygiene. Indoor Air Quality is regarded as the quality of air that is found around or within the premises of a working place since it relates to the health and comfort of the occupants of the premises. Industrial Hygiene is considered an art or a science that aims at anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, preventing, as well as controlling the environmental stresses that may come up at the work place. These environmental stresses may bring about impaired health or rather cause sickness among the workers of the industry and those who reside near the industry. Such stresses may include industrial noise, chemicals, toxic gases, particulates and many more (Plog p25). Indoor Air Quality is regarded as an essential aspect in the filed of Industrial Hygiene because it is highly affected by the main environmental stresses that are usually evaluated and controlled in Industrial Hygiene. It can be affected by particulates, toxic gases, microbial contaminants, as well as any other stressor that is harmful to the health conditions of the workers in the industry. Apart from that, Indoor Air Quality is also considered important in Industrial Hygiene because it is closely related to the health and well-being of the workers in the industry as well as those who live near the industry (Hays, Ronald and Nicholas p56). The historical overview of Indoor Air Quality indicates that it has been a crucial issue in occupational health and safety. For instance, studies have established that in the past years, measures that conserve energy have greatly contributed to the construction of airtight buildings. These particular buildings create a greater chance of causing problems with Indoor Air Quality. In most occasions, the ventilation systems of these buildings were designed in the sense that they minimize the amount of fresh air that enters and circulates within the building. This is extremely dangerous to the health and safety of the occupants of the building because the restriction of fresh air circulation within the building brings about the accumulation of air contaminants within the building (Walsh, Charles and Emily p25). In Industrial Hygiene, indoor air quality is an issue that should not be ignored because of its importance. For instance, indoor air quality determines the health of the workers and those who stay around the industry. Suppose the indoor air quality is polluted, then it will be automatic that the health of the workers and the people who reside near the industry will be at a greater risk. On the other hand, if the indoor air is of good quality, their health will not be at any risk. In Industrial Hygiene, the contaminants that may affect the quality of indoor air, such as toxic gases, smog, as well as particulates are evaluated and controlled (Plog p43). The aspect is also important in Industrial Hygiene in the sense that, it is Industrial Hygiene that controls the environmental stressors within the working place that may affect indoor air quality. For instance, without the aspect of Industrial Hygiene, then the indoor air quality for most industries across the globe would be horrible. This would eventually affect the health of industrial workers as well as those who reside near the industry. A number of studies have found out that individuals who work in enclosed buildings with less ventilation systems are highly exposed to a wider range of indoor air contaminants. For example, most office workers who spend their whole working day indoors frequently experience various symptoms such as headaches, nausea, breath shortness, as well as coughing. This is a clear indication that the individuals spend most of their time in a contaminated environment that lacks fresh indoor air (Burroughs and Shirley p85). In relation to occupational health and safety, there are a number of issues that have been discussed by various scholars concerning Indoor Air Quality in the field of Industrial Hygiene. The main issues that have been researched on Indoor Air Quality in relation to occupational health and Industrial Hygiene include the main causes of Indoor Air contamination, health effects of poor Indoor Air Quality, rules, and guidelines for Indoor Air Quality, as well as health problems that are related to contamination of indoor air quality (Burroughs and Shirley p45). Contamination of indoor air quality and health effects In any working environment, especially in an industrial environment, indoor air should be of good quality for the better health of the workers as well as those who reside near the premises of the industry. Once the indoor air is contaminated, the health of those working in the industry will be at a greater risk, and the risks will eventually spread to those living near the industry if the causes are not mitigated. Health effects that are associated to the contamination of indoor air quality include the immediate effects and the long-term effects. The immediate health effects occur immediately after an individual gets into contact with the poor indoor air while the long-term health effects are manifested in an individual after a longer period from the time the individual contacted the poor indoor air (Walsh, Charles and Emily p38). The immediate health effects may include eye irritation, fatigue, dizziness, irritation of the throat, headaches, and irritation of the nose. As indicated in the above paragraph, immediate health effects may result due to either a single exposure or repeated exposure. These particular effects can be easily treated since they are short term. In some occasions, the treatment of such health effects may involve removing the person from the exposure of the causing agent once the source of contamination is identified (Burroughs and Shirley p45). Age and the pre-existing medical conditions are the two main factors that the likelihood of immediate reactions to the indoor air contaminants relies on. In addition to age and pre-existing medical condition, another factor is a person’s sensitivity to the contaminants. Long-term effects are another set of health effects that arises from the exposure of contaminated indoor air. The long-term health effects are those that manifest themselves in an individual after a long period of exposure to the contaminated indoor air. These particular effects may lead to severe cases of heart diseases, respiratory disorders, as well as cancer which are harmful to the health of an individual (Hays, Ronald and Nicholas p75). The main factors that contribute to long-term health effects of being exposed to contaminated indoor air include the period of exposure, as well as the concentrations of the contaminants in the air during the exposure period. It is clear that individuals react differently to the exposure of indoor air contaminants. For instance, individuals who are exposed to poor Indoor Air Quality report health problems such as Sick Building Syndrome, Tight Building Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Building Related Illness. Causes of destroying the Indoor Air Quality in Industrial Hygiene Indoor air quality problems are usually caused by indoor pollution sources, which tend to release particulate matter and toxic gases in the air. Lack of adequate ventilation in the premises may increase the accumulation of the contaminants hence increasing indoor air quality problems. The interactions between activities within the building, building materials, and the occupants of the building also contribute to Indoor Air Quality problems. The main general causes of indoor air quality include the indoor environment, indoor air pollutants, and insufficient outdoor air intake (Burroughs and Shirley p85). The specific contributors to indoor air quality problems include chemicals, toxic gases, mold, particulate matter, and poor ventilation of the industrial premises. It has been established that, of all the causes of indoor air quality problems, chemical emissions are the most dangerous because they lead to a wide range of health problems. Chemical emissions may be in form of toxic fumes from industrial chemicals such as acids (Walsh, Charles and Emily p89). Mold is another harmful source of indoor air quality problems. The growth of mold in industrial premises may be as a result of moisture problems in the premises, which is contributed by low temperatures. Mold brings about indoor air quality problems by emitting particulate matter and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, which leads to negative health effects to the occupants of the premises. In order to mitigate the harmful impacts of mold on indoor air quality, the industrial management should find options of inhibiting the growth of mold. This especially can take place in an industry whose activities requires low temperatures because the elimination of mold spores is a challenge (Hays, Ronald and Nicholas p65). Particulate matter is another cause to indoor air quality problems. These include the particles, dust, or smog emitted from industrial activities. Particulate matter causes problems to indoor air quality because it triggers respiratory problems as well as allergies to individuals who are exposed to it. Poor ventilation within the premises in an industry contributes greatly to the destruction of indoor air quality. Majority of industrial premises are tightly sealed in order to keep out unconditioned outdoor air. When ventilation systems of buildings are designed in the sense that little outdoor air is allowed in, the indoor air is contaminated at a faster rate. Poor ventilation promotes the accumulation of emitted toxic gases, fumes, and particulate matter hence becoming a problem to the indoor air quality (Plog p93). Toxic gases also form another crucial cause to the problems of indoor air quality. The toxic gases may include carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, or sulphur oxides. These gases may be emitted due to industrial activities and if they are not mitigated, they can cause serious health problems to workers and those who stay around the industry. In order to reduce the effects of toxic gases, industries should use wet scrubbers so that the gases may be absorbed and not emitted to the atmosphere (Plog p87). Mitigation of indoor air contamination It is essential to improve the quality of indoor air in an industry for the good health and safety of the workers as well as those who reside near the premises of the industry. According to the US EPA, one of the strategies of improving indoor air quality in the industry is by source control. Source control would help in the reduction of indoor air contamination, and reduce the period of chemical exposure. Selection of products that have been GREENGUARD Certified can be included in source control for low chemical emissions (Burroughs and Shirley p97). Laws and guidelines for Indoor Air Quality In Canada, the general duty clause applies in place of indoor air quality legislation because the legislation is absent. The clause is common to the Canadians occupational health and safety legislation, and it states that it is the duty of all employers to provide a healthy and a safe workplace for the employees (Burroughs and Shirley p89). Various organizations have come up with recommended guidelines for indoor air quality. For instance, Occupational Safety and Health Administration that is based in the United States has complied relevant information on indoor air quality, as well as Health Canada. In most of the building codes, Indoor Air Quality is implied as design and operation criteria. For instance, in the United States and Canada, building codes generally refer to the ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010- Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality. Most of the Indoor Air Quality standards and guidelines tend to ensure that the health and safety of workers are not compromised by the industry they are working in. These values are important in the protection of the health of workers based on the hazards they are exposed to (Burroughs and Shirley p96). In order to determine whether indoor air quality meets a certain standard, it is recommended that regular occupational exposure limits should be used. For instance, the occupational exposure limits that are listed in the Threshold Limit Values, and health and safety regulations are intended as a guide in the prevention of certain health effects illnesses in industrial situations. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists abbreviated as ACGIH recommends such limits. The occupational exposure limits are essential because they use dose-response data that shows the health effects of repeated exposure to a specific chemical (Burroughs and Shirley p98). Conclusion In conclusion, indoor air quality is an important aspect in occupational health and safety field. Employees and any other person who resides near the premises of an industry are subjected to Good quality of indoor air. This is because poor indoor air is a risk to the health and safety of the individuals. It is important to learn about the causes of poor indoor air so that they can be eliminated for the good health of the workers. Rules and guidelines for Indoor Air Quality should also be adhered to for the improvement of Indoor Air Quality. Works Cited Burroughs, H. E. and Hansen Shirley. Managing indoor air quality. Lilburn, Ga: Fairmont Press, 2004. Hays, Steve, Gobbell Ronald and Ganick Nicholas. Indoor air quality: solutions and strategies. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995. Plog, Barbara. Fundamentals of industrial hygiene. Chicago, Ill: National Safety Council, 1988. Walsh, Phillip, Dudney Charles and Copenhaver Emily. Indoor air quality. Boca Raton, Fla: CRC Press, 1984. Read More