As I compiled information for a presentation titled, “Industrial Hygiene in Construction”, I wondered how to approach this topic. What I decided, is that I would start with the most frequent, the most common, with the most room for improvement. So, my list begins.

The caveat is that this list is NOT a list of the relative hazard compared to each other. This is just the IH hazards I see the most frequently. They should really NOT be compared to each other.

  1. Silica – in regards to airborne overexposures and lack of controls.
  2. Noise – in regards to overexposures and lack of adequate controls.
  3. Lead – in regards to compliance with OSHA / EPA.
  4. Asbestos – in regards to training employees and compliance with OSHA/EPA
  5. Welding – in regards to overexposures and lack of controls.