Biological monitoring under OSHA
OSHA (abbreviation for ‘Occupational
Safety and Health Administration’, and part of the US Department of Labor), has
the responsibility of stipulating workplace safety regulations under the
framework established by the US Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Under
the “Right to Know” legal principle, every American citizen is entitled to know
the chemicals and hazardous materials that they may be exposed to in workplace
environment; as well as their potential harmful effects and the preventive
measures that should be taken. OSHA mandates that this information is easily
made available by the employer; through the Hazard Communications Standards
1985. The same legal framework is also now extended to include communities.
OSHA Information Requirements
While chemical composition of
hazardous materials is the most easily available information, variety of other
information is also relevant to accurately understand and assess the safety and
health conditions of a workplace. Other information like the worker injury and
illness records, investigation reports of any accidents that may have occurred,
claim records of workers, chemical inventories, records of workers’ exposure to
such chemicals, inspection reports and job safety analysis papers are also to
be maintained under the OSHA mandate.
What is Biological Monitoring?
There are three main methods of
gathering and monitoring information required under OSHA. This can be through
biological monitoring, ambient monitoring or health surveillance. By
definition, biological monitoring ascertains the health risks of industrial
chemicals by observing an organism’s internal exposure and reaction to these
chemicals. Since the primary and ultimate objective of the “Right to Know”
principle is to have access to information – so as to take sufficient
preventive measures for avoiding health impairments resulting from chemical
exposure, not only access to information but active biological measurement
technique may also be mandated as a mechanism to closely monitor the health
conditions of workers.
Classification of Biological
Monitoring Methods
The key basis of biological monitoring
is to observe chemical molecules as they get absorbed by the system and
eventually affect the target molecules of the organism. Biological monitoring
may however be implemented in a variety of ways. It could be done by
determining the chemicals and metabolites in the biological media (which could
be blood, urine, exhaled air. excreta or even hair and skin). Other methods of
monitoring include quantification of non-adverse biological effect or direct
measurement of the chemical interaction with the target molecules.
Biologically Monitored
Chemicals under OSHA
A variety of industrial and
hazardous chemicals and materials are biologically monitored. The most common
materials that are monitored are cadmium and lead.
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