Frequently Ask Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the common questions asked by our clients :
Every factory is required to get Written Approval for furnaces, oven and spray booths systems with chimneys in order to comply with Environmental Quality Regulation, 1978.
This is based on the requirements of the Environmental Quality Act (Clean Air) Regulation, 1978, First Schedule (Regulation 28) (b) Any person intending to erect, install, re-site or alter any chimney, from or through which air impurities may be emitted or discharge shall obtain prior Written Approval from Director General using AS 16 D – 3 form and submit the form to the Director General of the respective state.
In compliance with Factories And Machinery (Noise Exposure) Regulation 1989, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health requires all factories under First Schedule in which persons are employed in any occupational involving exposure to excessive noise level in the work place shall conduct initial area noise mapping and employee exposure monitoring within six months from the date these regulations take effect (Reg. 9). Noise mapping and employee exposure monitoring work must be carried out by a competent person by using approved noise measuring instrument (Reg.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, one of the primary duties of an employer is to protect employees from adverse effects of chemicals. In order to perform this task, identifying, evaluating and controlling any health risk associated with routine work activities involving the use of the chemicals, the owner must carry out an assessment of those chemicals used (production, process, handling, storage, transport, disposal and treatment (USECHH Reg.2000 Part I 2(d)) in the workplace.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Use and Standard of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health Regulation 2000), the duty to perform an assessment of health risk arising from the work place is mandatory whereby employers shall not carry out any work which may expose any employees to any chemicals hazardous to health unless a written assessment of the risk (USECHH Reg.2000 Part IV (2)) has been conducted by an assessor (person appointed by the employer and registered with the Director General of Occupational Safety and Health OSHA 1994 (USECHH Reg.2000 Part I (2)).
Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Inspection & Testing – Under Regulation 17 of Occupational Safety and Health (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health – USECHH) Regulation 2000, any engineering control equipment installed shall be inspected, examined and tested for its effectiveness by a hygiene technician with an interval being no longer than twelve months. Under Regulation 17 of Occupational Safety and Health (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health – USECHH) Regulation 2000, any engineering control equipment installed shall be inspected, examined and tested for its effectiveness by a hygiene technician with an interval being no longer than twelve months.
The appointed industrial hygiene technician shall carry out his duty not limited to, as listed below;
a) To inspect, test and assess the performance of engineering control equipment in particular LEV system and its associated components;
b) To evaluate and recommend where necessary, remedial or improvement measures of malfunction areas of the engineering control equipment in particular LEV system;
c) To document the conditions and performance of the engineering control equipment in particular LEV system for future assessment and record keeping;
d) To observe the condition of the engineering control equipment;
e) To conduct smoke test and measurement of capture velocity, face velocity, static pressure, velocity pressure, duct velocity, flow rate, fans speed, horse power etc;
f) To assess the performance of the engineering control equipment and comparing it with previous baseline measurement or recommended value by American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists “Industrial Ventilation-A manual of Recommended Practice 23rd Edition”.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health (Use and Standard of Exposure of Chemical Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2000, where an assessment of risk to health indicates that monitoring of exposure is required or it is requisite for ensuring the maintenance of adequate control of the exposure of employees for chemical hazardous to health, the employers shall ensure that the exposures of chemicals hazardous to health is monitored in accordance with the approved method of monitoring and analysis.
The monitoring of chemical exposure at the workplace shall be conducted by a registered industrial hygiene technician as stipulated in USECHH Regulation 2000. The appointed industrial hygiene technician shall carry out his duty not limited to, as listed below;
(a) Carry out monitoring of health risk chemical exposure arising from the use of chemicals hazardous to health at workplace.
(b) Furnish and present a report of the monitoring result within one month of the completion of the assessment.
(c) Without any delay inform of the immediate danger discovered during sampling of chemical.