Two methods for establishing industrial hygiene priorities.

There is a need for a method to establish industrial hygiene priorities so that our limited health resources can be directed to those chemicals and conditions of use that pose the greatest risk to employee health. The Health Team hazard rating method presented in this paper accomplishes this goal and has been used successfully for several years. Also presented is a proposed method for calculating hazard ratings for inhalation exposures to gases and vapors that may allow those responsible for promulgating standards to address the hazard rather than the toxicity of a regulated chemical.