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Special control methods Many of the general methods mentioned previously (either alone or in combination) can be used for the control of most occupa tional health hazards A lew additional situ ations, however, deserve special mention Shielding is one of the best protective meas ures employed to reduce or eliminate ex posures to ionizing radiation Lead and con crete are two materials commonly employed to shield high-energy sources such as highvoltage X ray, particle generators, and ra dioisotopes Shielding is also used to protect against exposure to a radiant heat source For example, heat-treating furnaces can be shielded with aluminum panels Nonreflective sheet metal is not effective for it is a "black body," which absorbs heat and then acts as a secondary source of radiation Reduction of work periods is another method of control in limited areas where engineering methods are too costly or im practicable In the job forge industry, es pecially in hot weather, a shorter work day and frequent rest periods are used to minimize exposures to extremely high temperatures, thereby lessening the danger of heat ex haustion or heat stroke For workmen who must labor in a compressed air environment, schedules of maximum length of shift and length of decompression have been prepared The higher the pressure, the shorter the shift and the longer the decompression period Proper illumination of the work area is necessary to prevent eyestrain leading to in creased accidents or loss of visual acuity and to eliminate glare that may interfere with vision Lighting is discussed in Chapter 16, "Industrial Buildings and Plant Layout," and levels of illumination are given m Table 47-G2, in Chapter 47 Training and education Proper training and education are supple ments to the engineering controls Here, the nurse and safety engineer sometimes can be key figures Perhaps by getting a workman, for example, to change his manner of weigh ing a toxic material, or of handling a scoop or shovel, there will be no dust exposure The worker must also know the proper operating procedures that make engineering controls effective If he performs an opera tion away from an exhaust hood, .he will not only defeat the purpose of the control but also contaminate the work area Workers can be alerted to safe procedures through booklets, instruction signs, labels, safety meetings, and other educational devices (See Chapters 7 and 8 ) Since new materials are constantly being marketed and new processes developed, re education and followup instruction must also be part of the training program Setting Up an Effective Industrial Hygiene Program A typical company program to minimize occupational health hazards is described in the following section The success of any safety and industrial hygiene program requires the cooperative effort of the engineering, medical, industrial hygiene, safety', and purchasing organizations, and the supervisor and the individual em ployee Engineering organization The introduction of new plant proccesses and operations begins with the engineering organization For this reason, the engineer ing group plays a most important role in the control of occupational health hazards Their responsibilities are To plan all operations using established engineering procedures to prevent unneces sary exposure to harmful environmental factors or stresses To notify the medical, industrial hygiene, and safety organizations, whenever it is plan ned to introduce new operations or pro cesses To request an industrial hygiene survey of new installations before permitting shop personnel to operate the equipment Medical organization The responsibilities of the medical organi zation in the industrial hygiene program are To recommend the placement only of those employees whose physical and emo tional health capacities meet the minimum job requirements 1291