‘Occupational Hygiene is the discipline of anticipating, recognising, evaluating and controlling health hazards in the working environment with the objective of protecting worker health and well-being and safeguarding the community at large’ (International Occupational Hygiene Association).
Appropriate application of occupational hygiene skills is likely to result in a positive contribution to health and well-being which is beneficial to both the employee and you, the employer.
The core skills of professional occupational hygienists enable them to:
- recognise potential hazards related to physical (noise, vibration, thermal, light, radiation), chemical (dusts, fibres, fumes, mists and vapours), microbiological and psychosocial (stress) hazards;
- assess risks from hazards (listed above) and measure workers’ exposure;
- devise practical solutions to reduce and control risks to health;
- apply their detailed knowledge of the legal framework covering risk assessment and management; and
- educate, train, inform and advise personnel at all levels within an organisation.
A qualified occupational hygienist is one of the experts you may wish to appoint to help you to collate and interpret relevant information to complete workplace risk assessments. Risk assessments conducted by competent occupational hygienists will enable identification of individuals at risk and measures needed to minimise the identified risks.
Occupational hygienists who are members the Faculty of Occupational Hygiene (FOH) are deemed competent to practise. The FOH is the professional arm of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS). Membership of the FOH is confined to BOHS members who hold a recognised professional qualification in occupational hygiene. All members of the FOH are required to abide by its code of ethics.