Evaluating the Occupational Environment

EOH 466B and 466B Lab

Online Syllabus for Spring 2010 Semester

Professor Peter Bellin, CIH, Ph.D.

Lectures are Tuesdays 4 - 7 PM (Room SG 103)

Lab sections are Tuesdays 7 - 10 PM (Room JD 1626)

My Office Hours are Tuesdays 3 - 4 PM and Thursdays 3 - 4 PM, or by appointment.

My office is located in JD 1515

My phone number is 818-677-4719.  You can also email me: peter.bellin@csun.edu

Course Description

Catalog description of the lecture: "An in-depth study of he measurement, evaluation and control of the potential health hazards found in the occupational environment."

Catalog description of the lab: "Practical application of the instrumentation necessary for evaluating potential health hazards in the occupational environment."

The purpose of the course and lab is to provide each student with fundamental knowledge of the methods used to measure the concentration of chemicals in air, how to interpret and present this information, and how this information can be used to improve conditions that threaten health.  Students will be expected to use computer software (word processing and spreadsheet) to accomplish data presentation.

It is expected that students will take both the laboratory and the lecture simultaneously. 

Course Objectives

By the end of the semester:

Students will be familiar with much of the instrumentation utilized in occupational and environmental health surveys.  Monitoring equipment demonstrated and used will include air sampling pumps, filters, direct reading instruments, radiofrequency monitors, noise monitoring equipment and analytical equipment.

Students will be able to present and analyze data collected from monitoring surveys.

Students will be able to prepare short reports summarizing the use of monitoring equipment.

Students will be able to plan and implement an exposure monitoring program.

Class Schedule and Outline

 

Class Meeting Lecture Topic Laboratory Topic Reading Assigned
January 19 Introduction

Report Writing

Lab Orientation Lab Manual

Ch 47

January 26 Calibration Pump and Air Flow Calibration Ch 13

NIOSH Applet

February 2 Statistics, Particle size and Particle Behavior

Problem Set

Standards Generation 

(Read: Ch 14)

Ch 12
February 9 Industrial Processes: Refineries   Dynamic Calibration  
February 16 EXAM 1 No Lab  
February 23 Sampling for Particulates Particles Lab Ch 12

NIOSH file

Web page

March 2 Sampling for Particulates Asbestos Counting Ch 12
March 9 Sampling for Gases and Vapors Direct Reading instruments

Ch 10, 11

March 16 Sampling for Gases and Vapors

Problem Set

Problem Set Solutions

Ch 10, 11
March 23 EXAM 2 No Lab  
March 30

Industrial processes (welding hazards)

Noise Monitoring

Noise Monitoring Ch 21
April 7 SPRING BREAK SPRING BREAK SPRING BREAK  
April 14 FURLOUGH DAY FURLOUGH DAY FURLOUGH DAY
April 20 Nonionizing Radiation and Lighting

Non-ionizing Radiation and Lighting

Ch 22, 24
April 27   Biological Monitoring   Thermal Environment

Respirator Fit Testing

Ch 16, 36
May 4 Survey Strategies   Ch 6
May 11 Final Exam No final lab exam  

 

Method of Evaluation

The course grade is based on three exams, weighted by the point value of each exam.  The exams will cover the various calculations discussed in lecture and lab as well as short answer questions.  The minimal passing score is 60 %.  Since the minimum acceptable grade is C for EOH majors, a student receiving a cumulative grade below 60 % will receive an F.

Lab grades are based on submitted reports, due one week after each lab. 

Graduate students must complete a class presentation or a project to achieve a grade greater than C.  This presentation will be graded, accounting for 10 % of a graduate student grade.  The presentation will be on a topic arranged in discussion with Dr. Bellin.

Academic honesty: I support the University's policy on academic honesty, a copy of which is here.  Students caught cheating will receive a grade of F.

Textbooks

The Occupational Environment - Its Evaluation and Control Di Nardi, Editor, AIHA Press.  You can order specific chapters directly from AIHA press, instead of the whole book.  The required chapters (8, 10 - 13, 15, 20, 21, 36 and 44) will cost $57.00.  The required chapters should also be on reserve in Oviatt LIbrary.

The Laboratory Notebook will be provided online - see first week reading assignment.

Supplemental
 

"Industrial Hygiene Evaluation Methods, Second Edition" by Bisesi and Kohn.  Lewis Publishers.  ISBN 1-56670-595-9

Lecture notes will be available each week on this web page.  All students are expected to download and print a copy for use during lecture.  Also, please check this page for additional assigned reading and problem sets.