CIH flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Similar exposure group

A group of workers whose tasks, materials, and controls produce essentially the same exposure profile for a given agent; sampling within the group supports decisions for all its members.

Time-weighted average

The sum of each concentration multiplied by its duration, divided by the total averaging period (commonly 8 hours); used to compare measured exposure against occupational exposure limits.

ppm to mg/m3

Convert using mg/m³ = ppm × molecular weight ÷ 24.45 at 25 °C and one atmosphere, where 24.45 liters is the molar volume of an ideal gas.

IDLH value

Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health concentration: exposure that threatens life, causes irreversible health effects, or impairs escape; used for respirator selection and emergency planning.

Wipe sampling

Surface sampling with a wetted medium over a defined area to estimate removable contamination; results are reported as mass per unit area, not as airborne concentration.

Hierarchy of controls

Ordered preference for interventions: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment; higher tiers are more reliable because they depend less on worker behavior.

Capture velocity

Air velocity at the contaminant source needed to draw emissions into a hood; typical targets are 50–100 fpm for low-toxicity agents and 100–200 fpm for more toxic ones.

Dilution ventilation equation

Q = G ÷ (C − Ca), where Q is required airflow, G the contaminant generation rate, C the target concentration, and Ca the background concentration entering the space.

Assigned protection factor

The expected workplace protection a respirator class provides; maximum use concentration equals the APF multiplied by the applicable exposure limit.

NRR derating

Adjustment of hearing protector attenuation for real-world fit; OSHA uses (NRR − 7) × 0.5, while NIOSH applies a 25 percent derating to the labeled NRR.

Risk assessment framework

Four steps: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization; this sequence organizes both human health and ecological evaluations.

Reference dose

An estimate of daily oral exposure likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse effects over a lifetime; noncancer screening divides exposure by the RfD.

Cancer slope factor

An upper-bound estimate of cancer risk per unit of daily dose, derived from the low-dose slope of the dose-response curve; multiplied by intake to estimate excess cancer risk.

NOAEL

No Observed Adverse Effect Level: the highest dose tested that produced no statistically significant adverse effect; it is divided by uncertainty factors to derive a reference dose.

Hazard quotient

Exposure divided by the reference dose for a single chemical; values at or below one are generally acceptable, and quotients for the same target organ are summed into a hazard index.

Gaussian plume model

A dispersion model that assumes pollutant concentrations follow a normal distribution crosswind and vertically; inputs include emission rate, stack height, wind speed, and stability class.

Fenceline monitoring

Measurement of pollutant concentrations at a facility property boundary to estimate community exposure; results are compared with ambient standards or risk-based screening levels.

Environmental justice

The principle that no population, particularly minority or low-income communities, should bear a disproportionate share of environmental hazards; it requires explicit consideration in risk decisions.

Sensitive subpopulations

Groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with pre-existing disease who may experience higher exposure or greater susceptibility; they are assessed separately in community risk evaluation.

Leading indicators

Proactive measures such as training completion, inspection frequency, and corrective action closure rates that forecast future safety performance rather than recording past incidents.

Plan-Do-Check-Act

An iterative management cycle: plan the change, implement it, verify results against objectives, then standardize or adjust; it forms the structure of ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.

Risk communication

The exchange of hazard information with workers, communities, and decision makers, accounting for trust, familiarity, dread, and voluntariness, which shape perceived risk.

Management of change

A formal process that identifies and controls hazards introduced by changes in process, equipment, materials, or personnel before the change is implemented.

HAZWOPER protection levels

Level A uses a fully encapsulating suit with SCBA; Level B uses chemical-resistant clothing with SCBA; Level C uses an air-purifying respirator; Level D uses work clothing only.

Incident Command System

A standardized, scalable emergency management structure with unified command, defined functional roles, and a span of control typically between three and seven.

AEGL

Acute Exposure Guideline Levels: concentrations for durations from 10 minutes to 8 hours above which health effects range from discomfort (AEGL-1) to life-threatening (AEGL-3).

Emergency action plan elements

Required contents include escape routes, alarm signals, headcount and accountability procedures, rescue duties, and designated shutdown or reporting responsibilities.

ABIH Code of Ethics

Professional standards requiring practitioners to hold worker and public health paramount, act with integrity and objectivity, maintain confidentiality, stay within competence, and avoid conflicts of interest.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The obligation to reveal financial, personal, or organizational interests that could bias professional judgment before accepting work or issuing an opinion.

Health record confidentiality

Personal medical and exposure information must be safeguarded and released only as required by law or with the individual's authorization.

Competence boundary

Practitioners should accept only assignments within their education, training, and experience, and should refer other work to qualified colleagues rather than exceeding their expertise.

Whistleblowing

Reporting illegal or unsafe conduct to a regulator or other authority when internal resolution fails; many statutes protect employees who make such reports from retaliation.