Everyone has the right to return home healthy at the end of each day. In the same way that we need protection from hazards such as falls, we need protection from work-related illnesses such as lung cancer. These illnesses can range from acute to fatal. In some cases, symptoms can be reduced or reversed. But too often they become something people have to live with for the rest of their lives. The most important thing to know is that they are all preventable.

This section provides the information you need to prevent occupational illness at your workplace. It's divided into four sections to help you find the information that applies to your work.

Hygiene Consulting Services

Depending on your needs, you may want IHSA's occupational hygienist to assess the hazards in your workplace and work with you to develop a disease prevention plan. Contact Jasmine Kalsi for details: jkalsi@ihsa.ca

Air Quality Exposure Assessment

Within the construction, transportation, and utilities sectors, workers are often exposed to a variety of airborne dusts and contaminants. These dusts and contaminants can potentially have short-term and long-term health effects. Ontario Regulation 833 lists out the occupational exposure limits (OELs) for a variety of chemical and biological agents. It is the responsibility of the employer to take measures to limit the exposure of workers to these hazardous agents.

Carrying out an air quality exposure assessment can allow you to determine the level of risk against hazardous biological and chemical agents. This type of assessment can also allow you to validate existing controls, or give reason to improve or implement additional controls.

Examples of the types of contaminants that can be tested include respirable crystalline silica, total dust, respirable dust, isocyanates, welding fumes, carbon monoxide, etc.

What does this process involve?

Step 1: Scoping meeting

During this step, the Occupational Hygienist will visit your worksite and carry out a preliminary walkthrough survey to assess the initial level of risk for the contaminants of concern. This meeting will allow the hygienist to determine a sampling strategy for air quality testing, including the number of samples needed. This scoping meeting is a complementary 1-1.5hr visit for members of the IHSA.

Step 2: The Proposal

Once the scoping meeting has taken place, IHSA will send you a service proposal that will outline the costs and deliverables based on the findings from the scoping meeting. Once this proposal is signed and returned, we can book a date for your service(s).

Step 3: Assessment Day

On assessment day, the Occupational Hygienist will arrive on site on the scheduled time. Calibration of equipment will first be done, following with sample set up on workers. Sampling would typically be done for the duration of the shift, with the Hygienist periodically taking notes/monitoring worker activities. At the end of the shift, the Hygienist will remove the samplers from the site/workers. Within 24 hours of sampling, samples will be shipped to the appropriate laboratory for further assessment and results.

Step 4: The Final Report

Our Occupational Hygienist will complete an assessment report that includes sampling and testing methods that follow acceptable industrial hygiene standards as well as recommendations on control measures. A copy of this report will be emailed to you for your records.

To schedule a scoping meeting for an air quality assessment, contact IHSA’s Occupational Hygienist Jasmine Kalsi, ROH: jkalsi@ihsa.ca.

Noise Exposure Assessment

Noise is one of the most common occupational health hazards. Over time, if worker exposure to noise is not properly controlled, it may cause noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), a leading cause of occupational disease in Ontario workplaces. Ontario Regulation 381 describes the legal responsibilities of the employer for protecting workers from noise hazards. An employer must ensure that a worker is not exposed to noise levels above 85 dBA Lex daily.

Carrying out a noise exposure assessment can allow you to determine the level of risk for noise exposure for your workers. A noise exposure assessment can also allow you to validate existing controls, and confirm whether or not additional controls are needed.

What does this process involve?

Step 1: Scoping meeting

During this step, the Occupational Hygienist will visit your worksite and carry out a preliminary walkthrough survey to assess the initial level of risk for noise exposure. This meeting will also allow the hygienist to determine a sampling strategy for a noise exposure assessment, including the number of samples needed. This scoping meeting is a complementary 1-1.5hr visit for members of the IHSA.

Step 2: The Proposal

Once the scoping meeting has taken place, IHSA will send you a service proposal that will outline the costs and deliverables based on the findings from the scoping meeting. Once this proposal is signed and returned, we can book a date for your service(s).

Step 3: Assessment Day

On assessment day, the Occupational Hygienist will arrive on site on the scheduled time. Calibration of equipment will first be done, following with sample set up on workers. Sampling would typically be done for the duration of the shift, with the Hygienist periodically taking notes/monitoring worker activities. At the end of the shift, the Hygienist will remove the samplers from the site/workers and proceed with data analysis.

Step 4: The Final Report

Our Occupational Hygienist will complete an assessment report that includes the noise exposure levels as well as recommendations on control measures. A copy of this report will be emailed to you for your records.

To schedule a scoping meeting for a noise assessment, contact IHSA’s Occupational Hygienist Jasmine Kalsi, ROH: jkalsi@ihsa.ca.

Occupational Health Risk Profiles by Trade

IHSA has developed Occupational Health Risk Profiles for many trades. These profiles outline the common health risks workers in each trade face, the symptoms they may experience, and medical diagnostic information their doctors need to know. Find your trade and take the profile to your physician or health care provider on your next visit.

Occupational Health Risk Profiles by Trade.

Occupational Health Hazards by Industry

A list of the major occupational health hazards most common in the industries served by IHSA.

Occupational Health Hazards by Industry.

Occupational Disease Data

IHSA collects occupational disease data for the industries it serves. Between the ten-year period of 2008–2017, a total of 515 workers in IHSA member firms died from occupational diseases. Most of these fatalities (82%) were in construction rate groups and were caused by diseases associated with exposure to asbestos—mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Find out more.

External Links

• Occupational Health Hazards and Illnesses (MOL)
• Workplace Exposure and Illnesses
• Work-related Asthma (Ontario Lung Association)

Last Updated: July 05, 2023