Occupational Hygiene

With the national focus on the dangers of asbestos and other environmental hazards in the workplace and at home, we work with government authorities, private companies and householders to identify problems and ensure that any work is carried out to the required standards, monitored by our independently, accredited experts.

Our responsibilities include:

• Ensuring that asbestos materials present in buildings are identified and risk assessed by independently accredited experts so that an asbestos register can be prepared
• Ensuring that all asbestos removal works are carried out to best practice
• Ensuring that workplace environments are safe places to work by monitoring efficiency of local exhaust ventilation, chemicals hazardous to health, occupational exposure to dust e.g. wool dust in carpet manufacture and air quality in office environments.

So what does that mean in practice?

For asbestos it means the preparation of asbestos management policies and offering advice where required on the removal of asbestos-containing materials in their premises. In addition it includes carrying out asbestos surveys in both occupied buildings and premises due for demolition or refurbishment.

The quality of asbestos removal works is recognised by all involved in the industry to be highly variable. It is for this reason that the Occupational Hygiene Team supervises all aspects of the works.

The main focus for Occupational Hygiene is a series of tests in a variety of working environments, from factories, offices, schools, colleges, police stations etc, to ensure that the environments are safe to work in.

Why does Worcestershire stand out?

One example of Occupational Hygiene's work was the monitoring of air quality in the office environment.

This was carried out in County Hall following high numbers of complaints from occupants throughout the building. Tests showed that there was a lack of fresh air being supplied to the building. Subsequent investigations showed that the inlet vents were not opening. This was rectified and the complaints stopped. Air quality in the building is now monitored on a regular basis.

The staff in the Occupational Hygiene section are trained to the highest standards in all aspects of asbestos management. We are recognised as having one of the best standards of supervision of Asbestos Contractors in the country, we were recently recommended to a client as being in the top five.

This page was last reviewed 26 August 2011 at 8:57.
The page is next due for review 21 February 2013.