• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Section 2 - Definitions 
• Section 3 - General Principles 
• Section 4 - Roles and Responsibilities 
• Section 5 - Records of Documentation  
• Section 6 - Revision and approval history 
• Section 7 - References 
• Section 8 - Related Documents 

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) The purpose of this procedure is to ensure the management of risks associated with occupational health and hygiene at Southern Cross University (SCU) are appropriately managed and controlled. 

(2) The purpose of this procedure is to ensure Southern Cross University’s management, employees, contractors, students, visitors and others are aware of the risks associated with occupational health and hygiene in the workplace, management strategies and to provide advice on appropriate controls. 

(3) All employees, students and others including both independent contractors and contractors under SCU control are to be made aware of and follow this procedure. 

(4) This Procedure applies to all SCU Work Units and sites. The procedure aligns with WHS legislation in the relevant jurisdictions SCU operates in. 

Section 2 - Definitions 

Section 3 - General Principles 

Hazardous Occupational Hygiene Exposure Monitoring Program 

(5) The potential exposure of employees and students to occupational health and hygiene hazards is to be risk-assessed within all work units. Formal occupational hygiene evaluations shall be conducted where there is potential for acute or chronic health effects from exposure to chemical and physical agents. 

(6) An overall process of conducting an initial characterisation of occupational health hazards is to be conducted (see Appendix 1 for flowchart).  This can be conducted using both qualitative and quantitative means to assess potential exposures and development of monitoring and control plans where required. 

Initial Characterisation for SCU Occupational Hygiene Monitoring Programs 

(7) The initial characterisation aims to determine potential exposures to occupational health and hygiene hazards that require further monitoring and assessment due to the likelihood of adverse health effects. This involves a qualitative risk assessment, potentially including a walk-through of the workplace and preliminary measurement of exposure. 

(8) The assessment process will: 

1. Start at the Faculty level and follow through to Work Unit level as appropriate. 
2. Identify potential exposures and define similar exposure groups (SEGs) with occupational exposures requiring further review and control, or no further action. 

(9) Potential occupational health hazards include: 

1. Respirable dust 
2. Inhalable dust, including contaminants (e.g., lead) 
3. Welding/soldering fume 
4. Asbestos 
5. Crystalline Silica 
6. Hazardous substances (e.g., gas, vapor, liquid, solid) 
7. Noise 
8. Vibration 
9. Extremes of temperature 
10. Non-ionizing radiation (UV, welding flash) 
11. Ionizing radiation (alpha, beta, gamma, x-ray) 
12. Electromagnetic fields 
13. Biological hazards 
14. WHS Regulations Schedule 14 Hazardous chemicals 

(10) A qualitative risk assessment shall determine: 

1. SEGS where no further action is required. This can include: 
2. SEGS expected to be exposed to <10% of the relevant OES. 
3. SEGS that use known control banding techniques to result in very low exposures.  Such as the use of fume cabinets during work with hazardous chemicals, or gas monitoring systems that are alarmed. 

(11) Risk assessments may not be recorded where there is not perceived to be a benefit, as the potential for exposure is so low and infrequent. 

1. SEGS that require further review and monitoring.  This can include: 
2. SEGS expected to be exposed to >10% - <50% of the exposure standard. 
3. SEGS expected to be exposed to >50% of the exposure standard. 
4. SEGS where further review is required due to uncertainty. 
5. SEGS or exposures that have legislative requirements to assess exposure. 
6. SEGS that require immediate controls for unacceptable occupational exposures.  This will include: 
7. SEGS expected to be exposed to >100% of the OES. 
8. SEGS where occupational disease is reported. 

(12) The qualitative risk assessment will consider: 

1. Existing exposure monitoring data 
2. Current control measures 
3. Visual observation and other exposure indicators 
4. Work practices 
5. Worker experience 
6. Legislative requirements for chemical and physical exposure hazards 

(13) See Appendix 2 Qualitative Risk Rankings. 

(14) The qualitative risk assessment will be recorded in RiskWare. The document is to identify any relevant occupational hygiene monitoring reports or health monitoring results. The assessment will be reviewed every five years or when a change occurs prompting the need for a review. 

(15) Notification of risk assessments that determine a need for exposure monitoring or assessment will be made to the Work Unit Manager who will record the assessment in RiskWare and include it in the monitoring program.  

Exposure Assessment 

(16) Exposure assessments may be conducted using various techniques and over different time frames. Sampling methods include: 

1. Personal monitoring e.g. sampling inhalable dust exposure within the employees' breathing zone 
2. Static, para-occupational monitoring, or environmental monitoring e.g. gas monitoring 
3. Monitoring surveys e.g. a noise survey with a handheld sound level measuring device. 
4. Biological monitoring e.g. blood testing. 
5. Health surveillance results. 

(17) Time frames for sampling include: 

1. Grab sampling: short-term sampling. Normally used to confirm the presence or identify a contaminant. 
2. Short-term sampling: 10-15 minutes. A series of these short samples may be used to calculate full shift exposure which can compared with short-term exposure limits (STEL). 
3. Long-term sampling: full shift or greater than half of a working shift. This method can provide a time-weighted average (TWA) for the exposure period, peaks and STEL measurements in one method. 
4. Continued sampling: real-time measurement for the sampling period. 

Additional Exposure Assessment 

(18) Additional exposure assessments may be required due to: 

1. Incidents 
2. New research 
3. New substances 
4. New equipment/plant 
5. Legislative changes 
6. Risk assessments 
7. WorkCover claims 
8. Health Surveillance results 
9. Biological monitoring results 
10. Requests 
11. Exposure Assessment Monitoring Schedule 

(19) A monitoring schedule will be produced from the information gained during the initial characterisation and risk assessment. The schedule will include: 

1. Identification of the SEG to be monitored 
2. Type of exposure assessment 
3. Frequency of monitoring 
4. Record of when monitoring is no longer required 
5. Relevant reports/records for the SEG 
6. Occupational Hygiene Reports 

(20) Occupational hygiene reports prepared by SCU or external contractors should address the headings below: 

1. Introduction: date, location, commissioning person, monitoring aim 
2. Monitoring Methods and Equipment: sampling procedures, assessment standards, type of survey 
3. Analysis Method: method and technical standard 
4. Workplace exposure standard: standards used for comparison 
5. Background: process description, task history 
6. Results and discussion: results, sampling period, sample identifier, task description, monitoring period description, discussion 
7. Conclusions and recommendations: applying the hierarchy of control 
8. Calibration certificates 
9. Analysis certificates 
10. Personal exposure summary 
11. Separate results table with confidential names of participants 

Workplace Exposure Standards 

(21) Workplace exposure standards (WES) are defined for airborne contaminants and noise. The process for determining if exposure monitoring is required is outlined in this procedure. 

Airborne Contaminants 

(22) Exposure standards for substances and mixtures must not be exceeded. Occupational exposure standards include: 

1. Time Weighted Average (TWA): This is a concentration of exposure for eight hours; 
2. Short-Term Exposure Limitation (STEL): This is a 15-minute TWA exposure limit that cannot be exceeded at any time during the working day.  The STEL exposure cannot last longer than a 15-minute period, which is not repeated more than four times during the shift.  There must also be at least a 60-minute interval between the exposures at the STEL. 
3. Peak limitation: This is the maximum airborne concentration of a particular substance determined over the shortest practicable period which does not exceed 15 minutes. The peak limitation must not be exceeded at any time. 
4. An 8-hour TWA occupational exposure standard is based on an 8-hour working day, a 5-day working week. Where the length of a shift is longer than 8 hours, more than 5 days are worked in a row, or more than 40 hours are worked in a week, an adjustment to the TWA OES may be required. 
5. When work shifts are longer than 8 hours or working weeks longer than 5 days adjustments will be required to determine if an WES has been exceeded. 

(23) The Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH) recommends using the Quebec model to adjust for extended shift arrangements.TWA exposure standards must not be adjusted (increased) for shorter work shifts. 

(24) The Safe Work Australia document “Guidance on the Interpretation of Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants” should be consulted when interpreting exposure standards to determine if shift adjustment is appropriate for the substance being monitored. 

(25) The Peak limitations or short-term exposure limit exposure standards should not be adjusted. Where work shifts are longer than 8 hours, assessments of noise exposure (the measurement) must be normalised and adjusted as per AS:1269.1 (2005) to allow comparison with the LAeq,8h of 85 dB(A). 

Alternative Exposure Standard 

(26) Where an Australian WES does not exist, guidance from other sources may be used. 

(27) The source of the alternative WES should be a recognised government or professional agency. 

(28) Sources may include: 

1. Australian New Zealand Standards. 
2. Health and Safety Executive (United Kingdom). 
3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA). 
4. Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists. 
5. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (USA). 

Noise 

(29) SCU must ensure that the noise a worker is exposed to at the workplace does not exceed the exposure standard. Audiometric testing is required for workers who are frequently required to use personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect them from the risk of hearing loss associated with noise that exceeds the exposure standard.  

(30) The occupational exposure standard for noise is: 

1. LAeq,8h of 85 dB(A).  This is the sound pressure averaged over the time period. 
2. LC, Peak of 140 dB(C).  This is an instantaneous level that can cause immediate hearing damage. 

(31) If hazardous noise is identified, then a noise assessment should be carried out unless the exposures can be reduced to below the standard immediately. 

(32) A noise assessment should: 

1. identify which workers are at risk of hearing loss 
2. determine what noise sources and processes are causing that risk 
3. identify if and what kind of noise control measures could be implemented, and  
4. check the effectiveness of existing control measures 

Audiometric Testing 

(33) Audiometric testing is required where a worker is frequently required by SCU to use personal protective equipment to protect the worker from the risk of hearing loss associated with noise that exceeds the exposure standard for noise.  

(34) Audiometric testing must be provided within 3 months of the worker commencing the work, and at least every 2 years. 

Silica 

(35) The workplace exposure standard (WES) for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in Australia is 0.05mg/m3 (8 hour time weighted average) or adjusted WES for extended work for shifts. Air monitoring is required to determine the airborne concentration of a substance or mixture which has a WES if: 

1. you are uncertain on reasonable grounds whether or not the airborne concentration of RCS at the workplace exceeds the WES for RCS, or 
2. monitoring is necessary to determine whether there is a risk to health from RCS at the workplace. 
3. Air monitoring results must be provided to the Regulator if the airborne concentration of RCS has exceeded the WES for RCS. 

Asbestos 

(36) The exposure standard for asbestos is a respirable fibre level of 0.1 fibres/mL of air measured in a person’s breathing zone and expressed as a time weighted average fibre concentration calculated over an eight-hour working day. 

(37) SCU must ensure that the workplace exposure standard (WES) for asbestos is not exceeded at the workplace. 

(38) Where there is uncertainty as to whether the exposure standard is likely to be exceeded, air monitoring must be carried out by a competent person. A competent person may include a licensed asbestos assessor or a person who has undertaken the endorsed unit of competency for licensed asbestos assessors. An occupational hygienist who has experience in asbestos exposure monitoring may also undertake air monitoring 

(39) Refer to HRP 03 Asbestos Management Procedure 

Monitoring Methods 

(40) When occupational hygiene monitoring is conducted the method for measurement and analysis should be as stated in the relevant legislation or sourced from a recognised body. 

(41) Recognised monitoring methods and sources are included in the table below. 

Occupational Monitoring Methods 

Equipment 

(42) Occupational hygiene monitoring equipment will be maintained, serviced and calibrated as required by the manufacturer’s recommendations and the sampling methodology being applied. 

(43) When equipment is hired, a copy of the calibration documentation will be obtained. 

(44) Copies of calibration certificates will be included in the report as an attachment. 

Health Monitoring 

(45) For hazardous chemicals, health monitoring must be provided to workers if there is a significant risk:  

1. to worker’s health because of exposure to a hazardous chemical listed in Schedule 14 of Work Health and Safety Regulation, or   
2. of exposure to another hazardous chemical (not listed in Schedule 14) and there are suitable testing methods available such as cyclophosphamide, ethyl benzene and nickel.   

Asbestos 

(46) The need for health monitoring for workers at risk of exposure to asbestos should be determined on the basis of:  

1. the potential for exposure  
2. the frequency of potential exposure, and  
3. the duration of the work being undertaken. 

(47) A copy of the report must be given, as soon as reasonably practicable after obtaining it from the medical practitioner to: 

1.  the worker  
2.  the regulator, if the report contains: any test results that indicate the worker may have contracted a disease, injury or illness as a result of the work that triggered the need for health monitoring  
3. any recommended remedial measures, including whether the worker can continue to carry out the work, and 
4. all other businesses who have a duty to provide health monitoring for that worker.  

(48) Reports must be kept as a confidential record for at least 40 years after the record is made and identified as a formal record for the particular worker. The report and results must not be disclosed to anyone without the worker’s written consent unless required under the Work Health and Safety Regulation. 

Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) 

(49) Where workers are exposed, suspected of being exposed or are concerned about exposure to crystalline silica, SCU has a duty to arrange a health monitoring appointment for the worker(s) with the registered medical practitioner. Workers should undergo a medical examination annually.  

(50) The medical examination should include:  

1. records of personal exposure 
2. physical examination  
3. standardised respiratory questionnaire and pulmonary function tests in accordance with appropriate quality guidelines, and  
4. chest X-Ray full posterior-anterior (PA) view. 

(51) Reports must be kept as a confidential record for at least 30 years after the record is made and identified as a formal record for the particular worker. The report and results must not be disclosed to anyone without the worker’s written consent unless required under the Work Health and Safety Regulation. 

Section 4 - Roles and Responsibilities 

(52) Refer to WHS Responsibility and Accountability Statement.   

Section 5 - Records of Documentation  

(53) All relevant documentation will be recorded and kept in accordance with WHS Legislation and other legislative obligations including:  

1. Occupational hygiene monitoring reports. 
2. Personal exposure letters/statements. 
3. A record of exposure sampling is to be kept in a spreadsheet by the WHS Unit.  The record will include the date of sampling, monitoring conducted, and outcome/follow-up. 

Section 6 - Revision and approval history 

(54) This procedure will be reviewed as per nominated review dates or because of other events, such as: 

1. Internal and external audit outcomes. 
2. Legislative changes. 
3. Outcomes from management reviews. 
4. Incidents. 

Section 7 - References 

Section 8 - Related Documents