Industrial Hygiene

Admin Risk Management offers several resources regarding industrial hygiene, related to indoor air quality (IAQ), noise, heat, and more. Refer to the information and resources below and contact Admin Risk Management if you require an investigation of any industrial hygiene concerns.

Equipment Available

Admin Risk Management maintains an inventory of various industrial hygiene monitoring instruments for loan to state agencies. Instruments available include sound level meter, noise dosimeters and various indoor environmental quality monitors. Contact Jim Kubisiak via email or at 651-201-3016 for more information.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Building Air Quality Information
Building Assessment Tools
- Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Checklist - Long form (PDF)
- IEQ Checklist - Short form (PDF)
- IEQ Questionnaire (PDF) - Questionnaire to survey building occupants regarding their indoor environmental quality.
Building Management Tools
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) Checklist (Microsoft Word)
- HVAC Checklist (PDF)
Building Water/Moisture Issues
- Building Water Intrusion and Response Actions (Microsoft Word)
- Use of Infrared Camera in Water Intrusion Investigations (PDF)
Chemical Hazard
Chemical Hazard Information
Noise
OSHA Noise Standard 29 CFR 1910.95 requires a formal hearing conservation program from employers with employees that are exposed to an 8-hour average noise level of 85 decibels (A-weighted) or greater. Click on this link from NIOSH for some common noise levels: General Estimates of Work-Related Noises.

Facility managers are encouraged to identify all tasks involving high noise exposures. A good rule of thumb is that if you cannot carry on a normal conversation with someone at a 3-foot distance, the environment is likely loud enough to require hearing protection and possibly require employees working in these conditions to be included in a hearing conservation program.
- OSHA Hearing Conservation Program
Resources
- Minnesota OSHA - Right to Know (see Section 5 - Harmful Physical Agents)
- Federal OSHA - Noise and Hearing Conservation
Equipment Available

Admin Risk Management has for loan a sound level meter for spot noise measurements and two noise dosimeters to determine employee noise dose and average exposure levels that are available for loan. Contact Jim Kubisiak via email or at 651-201-3016 for more information.
Respiratory Protection
Resources
Equipment Available

A Respiratory Fit Test Kit is available for borrowing from Admin Risk Management. Contact Jim Kubisiak via email or at 651-201-3016 for more information.
Heat Stress
Working in hot environments can lead to disorders ranging from the relatively mild condition of heat fatigue to the very serious condition of heat stroke. The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Workplace Ventilation and Temperature rule, 5205.0110 subpart 2a, addresses workplace exposure to indoor environmental heat conditions. The standard sets permissible exposure limits for environmental heat based on an employee's work activity level and the surrounding environmental conditions. Environmental heat conditions are documented by measuring the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), which combines air temperature, radiant heat and humidity level into a single measurement.

Employers must provide right-to-know training to employees when there is a potential that employees will be exposed to heat conditions that may meet or exceed the permissible exposure limits. Some common areas that may constitute hot environments are kitchens, laundries, boiler/mechanical rooms, maintenance shops, steam pipe chases and the outdoors.

Agencies should have monitoring documentation for potential hot environment work areas. Areas at or above the permissible exposure level must be evaluated to determine the feasibility of cooling the environment via engineering controls, and/or employers must establish administrative work procedures to control employee exposure to heat. Administrative procedures would likely include a work-rest regimen.

Below are some useful heat stress resources:

Minnesota OSHA
Federal OSHA
- Safety and Health Topics: Heat Stress
National Institute for Occupational and Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- NIOSH - Working in Hot Environments