A Cumulative Risk Perspective for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Professionals

Cumulative risk assessment (CRA) addresses the combined risk associated with chemical and non-chemical exposures. Although CRA approaches are utilized in environmental and ecological contexts, they are rarely applied in workplaces. In this Perspectives article, we strive to raise awareness among occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals and foster the greater adoption of a CRA perspective in practice. Specifically, we provide an overview of CRA literature as well as preliminary guidance on when to consider a CRA approach in occupational settings and how to establish reasonable boundaries. Examples of possible workplace co-exposures and voluntary risk management actions are discussed. We also highlight important implications for workplace CRA research and practice. In particular, future needs include simple tools for identifying combinations of chemical and non-chemical exposures, uniform risk management guidelines, and risk communication materials. Further development of practical CRA methods and tools are essential to meet the needs of complex and changing work environments.

Impact/Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to raise further awareness and understanding of CRA approaches among OHS practitioners worldwide, and promote the greater adoption of a CRA perspective when evaluating health and safety risks in the workplace. The specific objectives of this paper are three-fold: (1) provide guidance for determining when a CRA approach may be beneficial in occupational settings, (2) present several examples of co-exposures in the workplace that could lead to combined health risks and decision making and risk management actions that can be taken in these situations, and (3) discuss important implications for occupationally-based CRA research and practice in the OHS community. Utilizing a CRA approach can help improve the reliability of and confidence in occupational health assessments and risk management decisions by focusing more holistically on how multiple exposures can interact to contribute to a health outcome. Learning to adopt a CRA perspective in occupational settings can also augment the skillset of OHS practitioners and better enable the profession to meet the needs of complex and changing work environments. Although important considerations, this paper does not address broader social or policy issues, such as employee and employer responsibilities, regulatory jurisdictional issues, or personal privacy issues.

Citation

Niemeier, R., P. Williams, A. Rossner, J. Claougherty, AND G. Rice. A Cumulative Risk Perspective for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Professionals. Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, SWITZERLAND, 17(17):6342, (2020). [DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176342]

DOI: A Cumulative Risk Perspective for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Professionals