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Commentary on the contributions and future role of occupational exposure science in a vision and strategy for the discipline of exposure science

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 25, pages 381–387 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

Exposure science is a holistic concept without prejudice to exposure source. Traditionally, measurements aimed at mitigating environmental exposures have not included exposures in the workplace, instead considering such exposures to be an internal affair between workers and their employers. Similarly, occupational (or industrial) hygiene has not typically accounted for environmental contributions to poor health at work. Many persons spend a significant amount of their lifetime in the workplace, where they maybe exposed to more numerous chemicals at higher levels than elsewhere in their environment. In addition, workplace chemical exposures and other exogenous stressors may increase epigenetic and germline modifications that are passed on to future generations. We provide a brief history of the development of exposure science from its roots in the assessment of workplace exposures, including an appendix where we detail current resources for education and training in exposure science offered through occupational hygiene organizations. We describe existing successful collaborations between occupational and environmental practitioners in the field of exposure science, which may serve as a model for future interactions. Finally, we provide an integrated vision for the field of exposure science, emphasizing interagency collaboration, the need for complete exposure information in epidemiological studies, and the importance of integrating occupational, environmental, and residential assessments. Our goal is to encourage communication and spur additional collaboration between the fields of occupational and environmental exposure assessment. Providing a more comprehensive approach to exposure science is critical to the study of the “exposome”, which conceptualizes the totality of exposures throughout a person’s life, not only chemical, but also from diet, stress, drugs, infection, and so on, and the individual response.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Dr. Cecil “Buzz” Birchfiel (NIOSH) for his input on cardiovascular mortality studies. We thank Dr. Meg Bouvier for assistance in preparing this manuscript and Dr. Leigh Cash (Los Alamos National Laboratory), Dr. Gayle DeBord (NIOSH), and Dr. John Decker (NIOSH) for review and comments.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Steven Jahn: Member and past-Chair, American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Effects Laboratory Division, Exposure Assessment Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 1095 Willowdale Road MS-3030, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA

    Martin Harper

  2. Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Christopher Weis & Aubrey Miller

  3. Methods Development and Applications Branch, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

    Joachim D Pleil

  4. Division of Laboratory Science, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Benjamin C Blount

  5. Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, West Virginia, USA

    Mark D Hoover

  6. Jahn Industrial Hygiene, Aiken, South Carolina, USA

    Steven Jahn

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Harper.

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Competing interests

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. This work was reviewed by the U.S. EPA and approved for publication.

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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Occupationally Based Educational Resources in Exposure Science

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Through the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, NIOSH was established separately from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under the Department of Health, Safety, and Welfare, now Health and Human Services (HHS). NIOSH is one of the Institutes in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The mission of NIOSH is to produce new scientific knowledge and provide practical solutions vital to reducing risks of injury and death in traditional industries, such as agriculture, construction, and mining. NIOSH also supports research to predict, prevent, and address emerging problems that arise from dramatic changes in the twenty-first century workplace and workforce. NIOSH partners with diverse stakeholders to study how worker injuries, illnesses, and deaths occur. NIOSH scientists design, conduct, and support targeted research, both inside and outside the institute. NIOSH and its partners support the U.S. economic strength and growth by moving research into practice through concrete and practical solutions, recommendations, and interventions for the building of a healthy, safe and capable workforce. NIOSH supports the training of occupational health and safety professionals to build capacity and meet increasing needs for a new generation of skilled practitioners, supporting academic institutions through an extramural program that includes Training Program Grants, funding for Education and Research Centers and Agricultural Centers, and grants to individual investigators. All NIOSH training courses contain an exposure assessment component, even though the word “exposure” may not be explicit in the course title. NIOSH also has extensive resources based on its publications, available through the NIOSHTIC-2 database, for example, “A Manual for Occupational Exposure Sampling Strategy”,49 which is currently under revision.

American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)

Within the occupational hygiene community, exposure assessment has formed the core of managing exposures in the workplace.50 A balanced and logical approach for examining the collective exposures in the workplace environment was initially outlined with the first edition of “A Strategy for Occupational Exposure Assessment” published in 1991.51 Updated in the second edition in 2000, it was quickly followed by a progression of Professional Development Courses (PDCs) created and offered by members of the AIHA. These PDCs on occupational exposure assessment were offered as face-to-face training at national association events, and later in more current formats, such as video broadcast, webinars, and electronic file sharing. At present, AIHA offers a formal progression of coursework built on the model of exposures management as promoted in the 3rd edition, re-titled “Assessing and Managing Occupational Exposures”. Its goal is to abate harmful exposures and focuses on a ranking scheme that prioritizes limited and valuable resources, with subsequent investigation of lower-ranked (but highly uncertain) exposures. Additional courses guide the practitioner through more advanced concepts of statistical theory, use of Bayesian decision making, and tools with which to further inform and defend professional judgments. A listing of relevant PDC offerings is available from the AIHA Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee website under the heading “Exposure Assessment Strategies PDCs”.52

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

For the past 19 years, NIEHS, in cooperation with 20 grant awardees, has designed and administered the Worker Education Training Program (WETP). This innovative program is designed to help employers meet the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements under the Hazardous Waste Operation and Emergency Response regulations (CFR 1910.120). By encouraging training for difficult-to-reach populations, the program addresses issues associated with literacy, language, and unique aspects of adult education. WETP was instrumental in training workers during the response to the World Trade Center attacks, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Gulf Oil Spill, and Superstorm Sandy. Details of the WETP training programs are available online.53

International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA)

The international occupational health community has also collaborated to share content. Thirteen member societies of the IOHA, all 11 national certification bodies, and IOHA itself are now cooperating in a new international training and qualification system. The structure broadens access to occupational hygiene education and training worldwide and complements existing professional accreditation schemes. Currently, there are 46 training providers approved in the scheme. As of the end of June 2013, almost 200 courses had been delivered in more than 32 countries, with nearly 2400 examinations taken in seven languages.54 This engagement of students, particularly in developing countries, helps address the worldwide need to combat occupational illness. It is creating the foundation for sustainable growth in the provision of occupational hygiene services worldwide. Aylesbury and Bailey were instrumental in bringing together a group of senior hygienists to review the needs of industry. The resulting position paper55, reflecting the perspective of major multinational companies, resulted from widespread consultation with a diverse group of global stakeholders. The Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA), a not-for-profit organization, was created to operate the system. Complete lesson plans, student handouts, and presentation materials cover conventional topics such as occupational health and principles and application of the hierarchy of controls. They also cover specialty programs such as asbestos and fiber exposures, noise, heat stress, and ergonomics. The OH learning website provides free downloads of educational materials and details of training events (http://www.ohlearning.com/).

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Harper, M., Weis, C., Pleil, J. et al. Commentary on the contributions and future role of occupational exposure science in a vision and strategy for the discipline of exposure science. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 25, 381–387 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2014.91

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