Site Characterization and Analysis
Site characterization and analysis is the process of identifying specific site hazards and determining the appropriate safety and health control procedures necessary to protect site employees. The more accurate, detailed, and comprehensive the information available about a site, the more the protective measures can be tailored to the actual hazards the employees may encounter.
Preliminary Site Evaluation
Before your employees begin cleanup work at a new site, a designated qualified person must do a preliminary evaluation to identify hazards to which they may be exposed and to determine how to protect them with:
- engineering controls,
- work practices, and
- personal protective equipment.
Initial site characterization and analysis must be performed by a qualified person to choose and justify engineering controls, work practices, and PPE. The qualified person should examine historical data and the work plan to anticipate site conditions and then identify appropriate PPE and monitoring procedures. At the outset, site evaluations may be limited to conditions that:
- are immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH)
- exceed published exposure levels (e.g., OSHA PELs, ACGIH TLVs®, NIOSH RELs)
- indicate exposure over radioactive dose limits (see 10 CFR 20)
- are otherwise dangerous conditions, including but not limited to the presence of flammable or oxygen-deficient atmospheres
- historical data and known site processes should be used to identify potential chemical and physical hazards
After work begins, you must continue to evaluate conditions, update your hazard analysis, and choose appropriate controls, work practices, and PPE. Exposure controls and monitoring instruments must be based on an up-to-date characterization and hazard analysis.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-4. At the outset, site evaluations may be limited to which condition?
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