Application and comparison of four occupational health risk assessment methods in inorganic pigment manufacturing industry

Objective Taking an inorganic pigment manufacturing enterprise as an example, four occupational health risk assessment methods were applied to do risk assessment and the results were compared. The high-risk positions were identified to provide basis for choice of risk assessment and risk management methods in these enterprises.

Methods Based on the results of both field investigation and of occupational hazards monitoring, the methods of ICMM, MLSP, MOM and UQ were used to assess the occupational health risk of occupational hazards in the enterprise. The risk ratio was introduced to compare the evaluation results of these four methods.

Results ICMM method showed that the hazards in more than half of the positions were classified as level IV (high risk) and/or level V (extremely high risk). MLSP method and MOM method showed that the hazards in all positions were classified as lower than level III (medium risk). The risk classification level obtained by UQ method was relatively stable, and overall slightly lower than ICMM method but higher than MLSP and MOM methods, which was more consistent with the average risk classification.

Conclusion The hazards of noise in the positions of iron sheet cutting, black iron oxide mixing, grinding and packaging, and the heat stress in the positions of the iron feeding and drying line packaging were extremely high. When risk acceptance is relatively low in the enterprise, ICMM method and/or UQ method can be selected. When risk acceptance is relatively high in the enterprise, MLSP method can be selected. MOM method, which is more objective for risk assessment, can be selected in the positions where major hazards are chemicals.