Employee, student and visitor exposures to chemical and physical hazards can impair our community’s health and adversely impact university operations.
Concerned about potential exposures?
If you are concerned about potential exposures to harmful chemical, biological, or physical agents in your workspace, please contact EHS at (831) 459-2553 or ehs@ucsc.edu for a consultation.
EH&S conducts exposure assessments to help anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control workplace hazards. UCSC conducts exposure assessments for chemical, biological and physical hazards. Examples of our assessments include formaldehyde, isofluorane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen fluoride, lead, asbestos, mold, radiation (ionizing and non-ionizing), and noise.
The exposure assessment process involves:
- Reviewing workplace practices, environments and materials to identify potential exposure hazards.
- Measuring occupational exposures to chemical, biological, and physical agents. Measuring these exposures generally involves using various instrumentation and sampling methods to quantify the exposure.
- Ensuring exposure levels comply with California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) regulations and, when applicable, within industry recommendations.
- Providing recommendations for reducing exposures, using the hierarchy of controls:
- Elimination removes the hazard at the source. Examples include ending the use of a hazardous material, stopping the use of noisy processes.
- Substitution means changing out a material or process to reduce the hazard. Examples include switching to a less hazardous material, switching to a process that uses less force, speed, temperature, or electrical current.
- Engineering controls reduce exposure by preventing hazards from coming into contact with workers, while allowing workers to do their jobs. Examples include noise enclosures, local exhaust ventilation, interlocks.
- Administrative controls change the way work is done or give workers more information by providing workers with relevant procedures, training, or warnings. They are often used together with higher-level controls
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes clothing and devices to protect workers. PPE needs constant effort and attention (including proper use and training) from workers. It is the least desirable and last level of protection against exposure. Examples include safety glasses, respirators, hearing protection.