OSHA is concerned with the protection of workers within the workplace, and companies whose workers are nearby hazardous waste need to ensure that they are taking the necessary steps to comply with OSHA’s industrial hygiene rules.
OSHA defines industrial hygiene as the “science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of those environmental factors or stresses arising in or from the workplace, which may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort among workers or among the citizens of the community.” With this in mind, companies must ensure that their industrial waste plan takes all necessary steps to anticipate, mitigate, and control safety issues that may arise from the handling of hazardous waste products.
The best way to do this is by scheduling an industrial hygienist to evaluate your workspace. Out of all the compliance officers working for OSHA, over 40% of them are industrial hygienists. These industrial hygienists will conduct a worksite analysis for potential issues relating to air contaminants, chemical hazards, biological hazards, physical hazards, and more. It is better to be proactive about workplace safety than reactive.