Work Environment Measurement

Objectives:

This module is intended to assist learners to:

● Define work environment measurement (WEM);
● Discuss OSHS provisions and other requirements for
WEM service providers;
● Discuss the procedures in the conduct of WEM; and
● Determine the types of instrument used for
measurement of different WEM parameters;
Work Environment Measurement (WEM) Define

● Refers to the determination of environmental

stresses and their hazardous effects on workers
health through direct measurement of the
working environment using IH equipment.
Fig. I: Interactions between man and
environment

Diseas
Diagnosis
e

Unhealthy
Environment With treatment No treatment
and cure and cure

Unhealthy
Healthy Person
Person
Fig. Ia: Interactions between man and
environment
Unhealthy
Environment Diagnosis

Disease

Recognition and
evaluation of problem

Treatment and
cure

Preventive/control
measures

Healthy Healthy
Environment Persons
Fig. II: Relative Areas of Action for OH
Physicians and IH
Prevention Treatment

Industrial Hygienist

Clinical signs Disease

Environment
Hazards (effects)
Worker
(sources)

Occupational Health
Physicians
 Rule 1070 of Occupational Safety and Health Standards
• Occupational Health and Environmental Control
Rule 1077 : Working Environment Measurement (WEM)

• The employer shall exert efforts to maintain

and control the working environment in
comfortable and healthy conditions for the
purpose of promoting and maintaining the
health of his workers.
Rule 1070 of Occupational Safety and Health Standards
• Occupational Health and Environmental Control

• The employer shall carry out the WEM in indoor or other workplaces where
hazardous work is performed and shall keep a record of such measurement
which shall be made available to the enforcing authority.

• The WEM shall be performed periodically as may be necessary but not longer
than annually.
Rule 1077 , OSHS
Work Environment Measurement
• The WEM shall be performed by the safety and medical personnel who
have taken adequate training and experience in WEM (internal
monitoring)

• In the event of inability to perform the WEM, the employer shall

commission the Bureau / OSHC / Regional Office concerned and other
institutions accredited or recognized by the Bureau, to perform the
measurement.
DO No. 160 -16
Guidelines on the Accreditation of
Consulting Organizations to Provide WEM
Services
1. Establishments shall only seek WEM services from
accredited WEM Providers. Otherwise, the WEM shall
NOT be regarded as compliant to Rule 1077 (Working
Environment Measurement) of the OSHS.

2. NO person or organization shall be allowed, hired or

provide WEM services unless the requirements of this
rule are complied with.
Purpose of WEM

● To monitor workers exposure to harmful substances;

● To evaluate the effectiveness of environmental control
measures adopted to improve the workplace; and
● To maintain favorable environment conditions.
Types of Environmental Monitoring

● Area/Environmental Sampling
● Personal Sampling
● Biological Monitoring
Area/Environmental Sampling

- is the measurement of contaminant in the workroom.

This helps pinpoint work areas with high or low exposure
levels of contaminants. Elutriator

Filter Holder
Types of Monitoring
Personal Sampling
- is the measurement of a particular worker’s exposure to airborne
contaminants. The data collected approximates the concentration of
contaminant by which the worker is exposed to.
 Actual Personal Air Sampling
Equipment Set-up
Sampling Pump
Low Flow – 50- 350 mL/min -
High Flow - 1 - 5 L/min
Sampling Media
Filter Cassettes
Sorbent Tubes
Impingers
Sample Bags
 WEM Equipment

● Lux Meter - Illumination

● Psychrometer - Humidity
● Anemometer - Air Movement
● Smoke Tester - Air Direction
● Sound Level Meter - Noise
● Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer - Heat
 Direct-Reading Instruments
(Gas Detection Instruments)

Instruments like:
● Combustible Gas Detector
● Oxygen Monitor
● Toxic Gas Detector
● Detector Tube Pump can be
used for on-the spot
assessment of ambient air
http://www.wermac.org/safety/safety_what_is_lel_and_uel.html
Common Combustibles
 Example:
100 % LEL UEL

Hydrogen
(H2)

0 4 75.0 100 % vol

Too lean
to burn Explosive Too rich
Mixture to burn
LEL –Lower Explosive Limit UEL –Upper Explosive Limit
 Analysis of Samples

Analytical equipment Sample

–Gas Chromatograph –Solvents
–High Performance Liquid –Inorganic chemicals
Chromatograph

–Atomic Absorption –Metals

Spectrophotometer
–X-ray Diffractometer –Mineral dust
–Asbestos fibers
–UV-Vis Spectrophotometer –Acids and Other Chemicals
Evaluation of WEM Results
• The results of measurement are evaluated to determine
whether or not they represent actual health hazards.
• Results are compared with the accepted standards of
maximum allowable concentrations or levels as prescribed
by the:
• Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) of the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE);
Exposure Standards & Guidelines
STANDARDS vs GUIDELINES
Standards
• Legally acceptable exposure limits (Rule
1070, OSHS establishes the TLVs)

Guidelines
* Recommended maximum exposure which
are voluntary and not legally enforceable
Evaluation

● Determination of the magnitude or level of hazards

with the use of IH equipment;
● Analysis of samples
● Comparison of measurement results to standards
called TLV
Evaluation

Threshold Limit Value (TLV)

“Airborne concentrations of substances and represent conditions
under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be
repeatedly exposed to day after day without adverse health
effects.”
- ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists)
 Threshold Limit Value (TLV)

● Threshold Limit Value(TLV) – exposure guidelines

established for airborne concentration of many
chemical compounds.
● Categories:
○ TLV/TWA - Time Weighted Average
○ TLV/STEL- Short Term Exposure Limit
○ TLV/C - Ceiling
Exposure Standards and Guidelines
● TLV-Time -weighted Average-(TWA)
Concentration for an 8-hr workday and a 48-hours (40-
hours) work of exposure per week, OSHS (ACGIH)

● TLV-Short-term Exposure Limit- (STEL)

Concentration where exposure should be no longer than 15 mins.
and not more than 4x/day (60 mins. between successive exposures)

● TLV-Ceiling- (C)
Concentration that should not be exceeded during working exposure
Exposure Limits

Less Hazardous More Hazardous

High TLV or PEL Low TLV or PEL

TLV or PEL (ppm)* Relative Degree of Hazard

Less than 1 Extreme
1 to 10 Extreme to High
10 to 100 High to Moderate
100 to 1000 Moderate
Greater than 1000 Very Low
Standards / Guidelines
Exposure Limits for Select Chemical Agents
(as 8-hour time-weighted-average except for C notation)
Chemical TLV (ACGIH) TLV (ACGIH) TLV (DOLE) PEL (OSHA)
U.S.A., 2015 U.S.A., 2003 Phil., 1990 U.S.A., 1997

1. Ammonia 25 ppm 25 ppm 50 ppm 50 ppm

2. Asbestos, all forms 0.1 f/cc 0.1 f/cc 2 f/cc 0.1 f/cc
3. Benzene 0.5 ppm 0.5 ppm C 25 ppm 1.0 ppm
4. Carbon monoxide 25 ppm 25 ppm 50 ppm 50 ppm
5. Cotton dust, raw 0.1 mg/m3 0.2 mg/m3 1.0 mg/m3 0.2 mg/m3
6. Ethyl ether 400 ppm 400 ppm 400 ppm 400 ppm
* C – Ceiling limit
Standards / Guidelines
Exposure Limits for Select Chemical Agents
(as 8-hour time-weighted-average except for C notation)
Chemical TLV (ACGIH) TLV (ACGIH) TLV (DOLE) PEL (OSHA)
U.S.A., 2015 U.S.A., 2003 Phil., 1990 U.S.A., 1997

7. Formaldehyde C 0.3 ppm C 0.3 ppm C 5 ppm 0.75 ppm

8. Hydrogen sulfide 1 ppm 10 ppm 10 ppm C 20 ppm
9. Lead, inorganic 0.05 mg/m3 0.05 mg/m3 0.15 mg/m3 0.05 mg/m3
10. Mercury, all forms 0.025 mg/m3 0.025 mg/m3 0.05 mg/m3 1.0 mg/10 m3

11. Toluene 20 ppm 50 ppm 100 ppm 200 ppm

* C – Ceiling limit
 Rule 1074, OSHS
Permissible Noise Exposure Limits
* Sound level in
Duration per Day, hours Sound Level, dBA* decibels are measured
8 90 on a sound level
meter, A-weighted
6 92 network, slow meter
4 95 response.
3 97
2 100 ♣ No exposure is
1½ 102 allowed for
continuous,
1 105 intermittent noise
½ 110 in excess of 115
dBA
¼ 115♣
Permissible Heat Exposure
Threshold Limit Values
 Rule 1075, OSHS
Recommended Illumination Levels

• A minimum of 50 lux – passageway, corridor, warehouse

• A minimum of 100 lux – engine,boiler and electrical rooms
• A minimum of 200 lux – canning, preserving, planning of lumber and
veneering
 Rule 1075, OSHS
Recommended Illumination Levels
• A minimum of 300 lux – medium inspection; office desk work with
intermittent reading and writing for filing and mail sorting.
• A minimum of 500 lux – fine inspection, fine woodworking,
accounting, drafting,
• A minimum of 1000 lux – extra fine assembling; jewelry and watch
mfg; proofreading in printing plants
TLV of Airborne Contaminants

Particulates Mists

Asbestos –2 fibers/cc HCl - 5 ppm

Dust (resp.)- 5 mg/m3 H3PO4 - 0.25 ppm
Dust (total)- 10 mg/m3 H2SO4 - 0.25 ppm
HNO3 - 2 ppm
 TLV of Airborne Contaminants

GASES VAPORS
CO 50ppm Acetone 1,000ppm
CO2 5,000ppm Benzene 25ppm-C
Toluene 100ppm
Cl2 1ppm
Methanol 200ppm
O2 19.5 %
Ethanol 1,000ppm
H2S 10 ppm Methyl 500ppm-C
Chloride
Action Level
The level of a harmful or toxic substance/activity which requires
medical surveillance, increased industrial hygiene monitoring, or
biological monitoring. (NIOSH
and OSHA)

• Action Levels for TLV for chemical is 50% of its TLV

Action Level for Noise
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Noise
standard (29 CFR 1910.95) requires employers to have a hearing
conservation program in place if workers are exposed to a
time-weighted average (TWA) noise level of 85 decibels (dBA) or
higher over an 8-hour work shift.
Clear Points
The degree of hazard from exposure to harmful
environmental factors or stresses would depend on the
following:
➢ Nature of the material involved
➢ Intensity of exposure
➢ Duration of exposure
➢ Individual susceptibility
Clear Points
➢ The employers shall exert effort to maintain, control and
carry out WEM to their workplace
➢ Provisions of OSHS Rule 1077 including related DOLE
issuances must be complied with.
➢ The conduct of WEM through area or personal
monitoring is important to know the levels of exposure of
the workers to the different hazards in the workplace.
Clear Points
➢ Threshold Limit Value is defined and categorized into
three: Time Weighted Average, Short-term Exposure Limit and
Ceiling.
➢ The levels of exposure should be compared with the TLVs
✓ Measured values must be within or should not exceed the TLV to
ensure health of the workers.
✓ Measured values in action level or has exceeded the TLVs should
be appropriately controlled.
➢ Other references or guidelines may be used for health hazards
that are not specified in the OSHS.
THANK YOU...