Applications
The IOM's Solutions-based approach applies to subjects as broad as sickness absence management, embracing:
- development, implementation and evaluation of software for monitoring and managing sickness absence
- research into workplace stress, and the development of tools for its managemen
- consultant physician services for assessing fitness to work
- provision of expert witnesses for legal cases involving industrial injury or illness
- occupational hygiene and health surveillance services, designed to manage workplace risks and to monitor the effects of exposures on the health of workers
Similar principles apply to more specific examples of workplace ill health such as dermatitis:
- research leading to the development of sampling and measurement methods for chemicals on the skin
- research into the causes of occupational dermatitis, and the effectiveness of prevention measures
- consulting services to the engineering sector on the risks posed by metalworking fluids
- expert witness provision
- advice on protective measures and the use of alternative agents
- health surveillance for workers susceptible to dermal exposure
- COSHH risk assessments relating directly to dermal exposure and health risks
- testing of personal protective equipment
- analysis of material to identify chemicals that may cause dermatitis
- expert witness in litigation cases
There are many other applications of the IOM Solutions approach, including:
- asbestos and other fibres
- research into fibre development, manufacture, use, exposure and disposal
- epidemiological and toxicological research into lung diseases arising from exposure to fibres
- research into the workplace effectiveness of respirators
- comprehensive risk evaluation
- expert witness service in relation to occupational or environmental exposure
- site investigation in relation to contaminated land
- building surveys for commercial and domestic premises
- site management, air monitoring and clearance inspections
- development of a European best practice guidance for asbestos workers
- production and maintenance of asbestos registers and asbestos management databases
- analysis of bulk materials for presence of asbestos or other fibres
- fibre identification and sizing
- optical fibre counting to UKAS quality standards
- quality assurance of fibre counting programmes
- quantification of asbestos fibre in water, soil, beverages, pharmaceuticals etc
- specialist electron microscopy services
- expert witness in litigation cases relating to asbestos exposure and asbestos- related diseases
- training programmes and seminars
- allergy and asthma
- research to evaluate the use of and exposure to isocyanates in the UK
- development of new methods for assessment of exposure to animal allergens
- measurement of airborne allergens
- measurement of exposure to endotoxins
- assessment of control systems to prevent exposure to allergens
- measurement of specific IgE to agents suspected of causing occupational allergy
- seminars for laboratory animal workers
- face-fit testing for respirators
- training in face-fit testing and support for company in-house programmes
- expert witness in occupational asthma and allergy litigation cases
- chemicals
- assessment of exposure by inhalation, skin and ingestion
- development and evaluation of new exposure assessment methods
- exposure modelling
- retrospective exposure assessments for epidemiological studies
- assessment of the effectiveness of personal protective equipment
- development of exposure databases
- exposure assessment for input to regulatory risk assessment
- toxicological reviews of chemicals to develop hazard assessments
- advice on occupational exposure limits for substances such as pharmaceuticals for which there are no
- regulatory exposure limits
- product stewardship
- prediction of health impacts and advice following accidental exposures to hazardous substances
- product safety reviews, focussing on health risks to workers and consumers
- independent commentary on industry produced reviews
- development and evaluation of safety data sheets (SDS)
- advice on control measures in the workplace
- advice on legislative compliance including REACH regulations
- expert witness in litigation cases involving chemical exposure
- environmental air pollution
- evaluation of health impacts associated with air pollution for the EU CAFÉ programme
- development and evaluation of new tools for health impact assessment (HIA)
- analysis of the linkages between HIA and cost benefit analysis (CBA)
- advice to government of the health burden of air pollution
- HIA’s for the World Bank on major investment projects
- HIA’s for proposed open cast mines, incinerators, landfills and new road schemes
- expert advice to public inquiries relating to outdoor air pollution
- stack emissions monitoring
- musculoskeletal disorders
- epidemiological research into upper limb disorders in keyboard workers
- research into occupational back pain
- consulting services in relation to work environment, workplace design and product design
- manual handling risk assessments
- Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessments
- advice on legislative compliance
- expert witness service in relation to MSD’s arising in the workplace, human factors safety issues
- training programmes and seminars
- noise and vibration
- specialist physician services for Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) and Whole Body Vibration (WBV)
- advice on legislative compliance
- health surveillance for employees exposed to noise and / or vibration
- ergonomic workplace assessments
- expert witness service in relation to noise or vibration exposure
- measurement and control of vibration exposure
- measurement and control of noise exposure
- advice to management on risk reduction
- selection and use of personal protective equipment
- training programmes and seminars
- pesticides
- research into the neurological health effects associated with sheep dipping
- review of multiple chemical sensitivity
- assessment of bystander exposure to crop spraying
- nanotechnology
- advice to government on research priorities for nanoparticle toxicology and exposure
- review of the state of knowledge of the hazards of nanoparticles
- review of potential exposures and the effectiveness of control for nanoparticles
- in vitro toxicological assessment of nanoparticles
- leadership of the Safety of nanoparticles Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration - SnIRC
- advice to industry on best practice
