01 Apr. – 05 Apr. 2024

OHTA 505: CONTROL OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

To describe the ways in which exposure to hazardous substances arises in the workplace, and to introduce the methodologies and technologies available to control exposures and thereby reduce risks to health.

Learning Outcomes

On completing this course successfully the student will be able to:

• Describe how airborne contaminants are generated by industrial processes, how this impacts on the control strategy, and how control solutions can thereby be optimised;
• Recognise the range of approaches to risk reduction embodied in the hierarchy of control and select appropriate strategies for implementation;
• Describe the meaning of “adequate control”, particularly in relation to personal exposures;
• Discuss the importance of design considerations in terms of the workplace, process, and plant, as a means of reducing occupational exposures;
• Describe the principal elements of a local exhaust ventilation system, give examples of typical installations and know how to carry out the necessary measurements to assess whether a local exhaust ventilation system is effective and operating to the design specification;
• Recognise the limitations of local exhaust hoods and enclosures and the means to optimise their effectiveness;
• Describe how personal protective equipment programmes may be used in an effective manner;
• Recognise the impact that control measures may have on other workplace hazards and understand the need to take a holistic approach to the design of control solutions.

Course Format

The course is normally run as a 5 day taught course [minimum 45 hours including lectures, tutorials, practical/demonstration sessions, guided reading, overnight questions and examination].

Course Content

• Hazardous Substances Uses and Processes.
• Workplace Control Principles.
• Process Design and Principles.
• Ventilation Systems.
• Personal Protective Equipment.
• Administrative Elements.
• Standards and Good Practice