A multinational manufacturing conglomerate wanted to conduct comprehensive evaluation of health risks associated with job roles and tasks at their semiconductor fabrication facility. They reached out to our Health Sciences and Sustainability Advisory teams for help.
We began by characterizing hazards and potential health risks by establishing two categories. The first category centered around similar exposure groups—workers who share similar exposure profiles to hazardous conditions in the workplace. The second focused on similar exposure tasks—tasks performed by a group of workers that expose them to similar risks and hazards. We then prioritized the health risks we identified for mitigation or future assessment.
Our comprehensive exposure assessments involved gathering detailed information about all potential exposures faced by workers and characterizing health risks based on the frequency and likelihood of such exposures occurring. We interviewed maintenance, operations, and administrative personnel to gather information on job duties. We asked about frequency and duration of tasks performed, potential exposure to chemical, physical, or biological agents, presence of engineering controls, and use of personal protective equipment.
Our team then developed health risk ratings for each combination of task and agent. These ratings allowed our client to prioritize the highest risk job roles and tasks, understand gaps in exposure data, and establish a baseline record of potential exposures for each similar exposure group and similar exposure task.
By fully characterizing exposure potential at their facility, this large corporation can proactively mitigate the exposures that are most likely to impact the health, safety, and well-being of their employees.
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