Industrial Hygiene Data and Employee Perception: A case study
Novi Wong
(Intel Corporation)
One of the roles of an industrial hygienist is to perform air monitoring to collect data and to understand the potential exposures of employees in the workplace. This case study involved real-time monitoring that was performed at a semiconductor facility for a preventative maintenance task. Real-time air monitoring resulted in airborne concentrations above the established occupational exposure limits. These results were subsequently validated with area and breathing zone monitoring using the traditional industrial hygiene method. Results were documented and communicated to the affected employees along with PPE requirements to mitigate potential exposures. Key learnings on how industrial hygiene data was communicated versus how the information was perceived by employees will be discussed.