Occupational hygiene, also referred to as industrial hygiene, is the use of prevention strategies and technologies, monitoring, evaluation, and action planning to control hazards and risks in the workplace environment. Occupational hygiene encompasses many different aspects of safety in the workplace environment, such as:

– Air quality
– Noise levels
– Industrial process by-products
– Ergonomics

The OHS professional in manufacturing should be familiar with industrial hygiene principles, including the recognition, evaluation and control of environmental stressors arising from the work place that may result in injury, in order to prevent illness or impairment or affect the well-being of workers and members of the community. It is important that the OHS professional understands the limits of their own knowledge, and recognizes when it is necessary to bring in additional expertise.

In order to act as an effective resource in their workplace, the OHS professional should be familiar with:

– Legislation, regulations, guidelines, and standards that pertain to occupational hygiene
– The role of occupational hygiene in maintaining a safe working environment
– Hazard types (physical, chemical, biological, psychological) and associated risks

In the context of manufacturing, this can have unique implications for food processing plants that need to address occupational hygiene with respect to:

– Consumption of a produced product
– Managing animal waste
– Managing animal- or food-borne pathogens