CIH case studies
CIH · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential is a professional certification for practitioners who anticipate, recognize, evaluate, and control workplace and environmental health hazards. It is used by industrial hygienists, EHS managers, safety professionals, occupational health specialists, consultants, and regulators whose work involves exposure assessment, air sampling strategy, ventilation and other engineering controls, toxicology and risk characterization, community exposure, and program management. The CIH case studies are 5 cases and about 3,897 words.
1Twelve Samples, One 'Typical' Week: Is This Solvent Exposure Acceptable?
At a 40-employee furniture refinishing shop, three technicians spray a solvent-based lacquer containing toluene (internal 8-hour TWA OEL of 25 ppm) in a 9,000 ft3 booth. You collected 12 full-shift personal samples on consecutive days during what the plant manager called 'a typical week.' Results (ppm, 8-hour TWA): 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 23, 27, 31.
752 words, about 4 min2Why the Grinding LEV Stopped Working - and Why N95s Are Not the Fix
At a metal fabrication plant, 6 of 14 grinding stations are served by a common LEV system: a 15-hp fan, 8-inch branch ducts, and a 24-inch cyclone. Duct transport velocity measured at the riser is 1,850 fpm; the design called for 4,000 fpm for aluminum grinding dust.
720 words, about 4 min3A PEL of 5 ppm, a Unit Risk of 1.1E-4, and a Co-Worker with Neuropathy
You are the IH at a plant that hand-applies an epoxy coating containing a solvent, Compound A. Full-shift personal exposures average 0.6 ppm, with a 95% upper confidence limit of 0.9 ppm.
757 words, about 4 min4One Sampler, One Day, and a Client Who Wants 'Compliance Demonstrated'
A ready-mix concrete and asphalt plant sits 180 m upwind of a 400-student elementary school. Residents complain of dust and odor.
802 words, about 4 min502:10 Ammonia Release: Shelter or Evacuate, and Who Goes In?
At 02:10 on a February night, a 150-lb cylinder of anhydrous ammonia in a water treatment plant's chemical room begins leaking at the valve packing. The operator evacuates the room but leaves the building air handling units running.
866 words, about 4 min