BASELINE IH SURVEY, PAPER MILL

S&ME performed a baseline industrial hygiene survey for a South Carolina paper mill to assess and quantify employee exposures to chemical and physical hazards in all departments of the mill. An S&ME Certified Industrial Hygienist, experienced in the pulp and paper industry, performed the project's first phase. 

This phase was intended to identify potential occupational hazards and develop a sampling strategy to evaluate the number of hazards found. S&ME examined each mill worker's position and area over multiple shifts to determine potential chemical, microbiological and physical hazards, the latter including noise, heat, radiation, etc. This phase indicated the potential occupational hazards present, the presence or need for engineering controls and the presence or need for personal protective equipment. It also established a sampling strategy to quantify worker exposures to the hazards.

The project's second phase included implementing the sampling strategy developed from the findings of the first phase. The industrial hygienist and technicians, using state-of-the-art sampling and analytical methods, monitored employee exposures.

Finally, in phase three, we provided department-specific written reports comparing the monitoring results with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. S&ME also recommended changes in engineering control techniques and the use of personal protective equipment (including respiratory protection). 

In addition to hard-copy reports, we provided the data on a computerized database for easy access by the safety and medical departments. This baseline survey, including its reports and database, was a valuable service for the client, meeting client needs in a cost-effective and timely manner.