Abstract
Dear Mr. Dunbar,
Thank you for your letter regarding “The Relationship of Welding Fume Exposure, Smoking, and Pulmonary Function in Welders,” by Laura Roach, published in Workplace Health & Safety in January 2018. I appreciate the clarification regarding the technical distinction between the terms “exposure” and “overexposure” as they pertain to occupational exposure limits put forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and others. In addition, thank you for providing clarification about the differences in the risk of exposure (or rather “overexposure”) to hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) when conducting “hot work” involving the welding of stainless steel containing chromium versus essentially no risk of exposure with mild steel welding.
In the broad discipline of occupational health, there are numerous experts that occupational health nurses rely on to ensure the safety and well-being of workers, including the industrial hygienist.
I believe the point of your comment is that the roles of the safety manager and the industrial hygienist are both important, but they are not the same. Within the context of Ms. Roach’s informative article about welding fume exposures, it is the industrial hygienist that the organization and the occupational health nurse must rely on to determine the level of exposure risk. It is the industrial hygienist that has the scientific expertise and skills to carry out the needed work of “anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling exposures to workplace health stressors” (American Industrial Hygiene Association [AIHA], n.d.). Thank you for reminding us that across numerous industries, the health and safety of workers is dependent on the collaborative relationship between the occupational health nurse and the industrial hygienist.