Siemens Mobility Qualitative and Quantitative Exposure Assessment

Challenge
The Siemens Mobility North American Rail Manufacturing Hub has experienced substantial growth over the past several years bringing increased real estate acquisition and an increased workforce to house and perform the manufacturing operations. This placed a significantly higher level of demand and responsibility on the EHS team to continue to ensure safe operations for employees, contractors and vendors of the Site. A transition was needed to move away from reactive industrial hygiene sampling events to a comprehensive and proactive management program to address occupational exposures.

Solutions
To enhance the existing EHS programs, TRC was asked to provide industrial hygiene support and to assemble a team of qualified industrial hygienists to complete qualitative and quantitative exposure assessments for all processes performed at the Site. The TRC team, led by an experienced Certified Industrial Hygienist, collaborated with EHS and line supervisors to build a site-specific industrial hygiene program using the following approach:

• Employee interviews and observations of tasks
  performed
• Review of Safety Data Sheets for chemicals used
• Industrial Hygiene Hazard Assessment
• Development of priority chemicals of concern based
  on risk assessment ratings
• Quantitative exposure monitoring for priority
  chemicals of concern
• Occupational noise exposure monitoring and sound
  level mapping
• Providing accurate exposure assessment reports and
  written programs, which were peer reviewed by
  leading subject matter experts

Results
The collaboration between TRC, Siemens EHS and the employees helped to boost overall morale at the Site and reaffirmed Siemens’ safety commitment to its employees.

Comprehensive and well thought out exposure profiles for tasks at the Site reduced the need for reactive sampling events and captured meaningful occupational exposure monitoring data.

Employee interviews and observations identified additional opportunities for improvement and led to expanded assessments of personal protective equipment, ventilation and engineering controls. Employee exposure to chemical, physical and occupational hazards has been effectively controlled, reduced and/or eliminated following TRC’s exposure monitoring and ventilation assessments.