Prevention strategies in industrial hygiene: a critical literature review

Abstract

Little is known of the extent of use of industrial hygiene prevention and control strategies in actual workplaces. The recent occupational safety and health literature was identified as a potential source for identifying which strategies are being utilized and evaluated as a means of controlling or preventing chemical hazards. Using preestablished selection criteria, the peer-reviewed industrial hygiene literature 1994-1999 was searched for articles describing prevention and control strategies for chemical hazards in actual workplaces. Ninety-two articles were found and categorized by the type of strategy discussed, whether strategies were implemented and evaluated, and by several other categories. Almost three-quarters discussed engineering control strategies, mostly local exhaust ventilation. Administrative strategies, including housekeeping, personal hygiene, and medical surveillance, appeared in about half the articles. Personal protective equipment was considered in one-third of the articles, and primary prevention strategies, such as material substitution, were considered in one-quarter. Intervention effectiveness was not consistently evaluated in these articles. In response to these findings, recommendations are made to improve the evaluation and promotion of effective prevention and control strategies.