Risk Assessment Strategies: A Case Study

Question #6 The risk-assessment paradigm consists of four primary elements: “hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization” (Haight, 2012, p. 34).

These risk-assessment elements could be applied in any workplace that deals with hazardous chemicals, especially trichloroethylene. If a large trichloroethylene spill were to occur at your facility, emergency reponders should be famailar with the hazards associated with the chemical; (toxicity) effects of both acute and chronic exposure; first aid; flammabilty (flash point); accidental release measures (to include containment); exposure control, PPE required: “respirator with organic vapor cartridge, chemical resistant gloves, safety glasses with

35).

Exposure-Assessment Strategies

1. “Start: Establish an exposure-assessment strategy that includes determining the goals of the strategy and developing a written program” (Haight, 2012, p. 35).

Scenario: The employers “competent person” should review the cadmium standards (1910.1027 and 1926.1127) to establish proper procedures and controls to protect employees from cadmium exposure.

2. “Basic characterization: Collection of the information needed to characterize the workplace, the workforce, and the environmental agents” (Haight, 2012, p.

3. “Exposure assessment: Analysis of the information collected during the basic characterization to establish similar exposure groups (SEGs), to define the exposure profile of each SEG, and to determine exposure acceptability within each SEG” (Haight, 2012, p. 36).

Scenario: This is when the company’s brazing process is evaluated to determine the employee’s actual exposure and TWA vs OSHA PEL.

4. “Further information gathering: When exposures cannot be determined to be acceptable or unacceptable, additional information such as additional workplace monitoring, modeling, of exposures, biological monitoring, toxicological data, or epidemiological data can be controlled to aid in the decision-making process” (Haight, 2012, p. 36).

Scenario: If exposure levels (acceptable or unacceptable) cannot be determined more monitoring and research must be conducted.

5. “Health-hazard control: When exposures are determined to be unacceptable, prioritized control strategies are implemented. Priority depends on the number of employees exposed, the risk of those exposures, frequency, and uncertainty” (Haight, 2012, p.