Advancing the mission: occupational and environmental hygiene in the information age.
Source
Appl Occup Environ Hyg 1996 Nov; 11(11):1287-1293
Abstract
Preparing occupational and environmental hygienists to meet the challenges of the 1990s was discussed in this lecture presented at the Professional Conference on Industrial Hygiene. The lecture outlined how the mission of occupational and environmental hygienists has changed over time, the challenges presented by the changes in the mission, and the challenges that new technologies in the 1990s and beyond will present. It was noted that the overall scope of hygiene practice has not changed significantly in recent times; however, many changes have occurred, such as: the nature of work and associated hazards; work force demographics; the recognition of occupational risk as a component of overall environmental risk; the understanding that previous occupational exposures can cause delayed or late effects; and regulatory pressures. Opportunities for obtaining more information that can improve exposure and risk assessments have been increasing. Databases relating toxicological and epidemiological measurements and outcomes to risk are regularly increasing in size. To be able to take advantage of the greatly increased amounts of data, new techniques must be developed that will enable occupational and occupational hygienists to interpret these data.
Keywords
NIOSH-Publication; NIOSH-Grant; Training; Industrial-hygiene; Work-analysis; Occupational-exposure; Information-systems; Workplace-monitoring; Risk-analysis
Contact
Community Medicine Mount Sinai School of Medicine One Gustave L Levy Place Bx108 New York, NY 10029
Document Type
Journal Article
Identifying No.
Grant-Number-T42-OH-07125
Source Name
Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
Performing Organization
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York
