In today’s systems of health and safety at work, the determination of exposure levels plays a central role in risk assessment and the choice of appropriate health and safety measures.

Whereas in other areas (e.g. disaster prevention or environmental protection) calculation methods have achieved widespread application in Europe for risk assessment, the use of mathematical methods and exposure models is not common practice in the field of occupational health and safety. It is clear that different countries have their own preferences regarding the choice of evaluation approach.

The ISSA International Section on Prevention of Occupational Risks in Health Services had set itself the goal for 2004 of organizing an international experts workshop in order to discuss the possibilities and limits of models and calculation methods to determine exposure to dangerous substances.

Health and safety specialists, such as engineers, occupational physicians, toxicologists and epidemiologists, who use or develop calculation methods to determine exposure to dangerous substances, were invited to attend this workshop. At the end of the workshop there was a panel discussion on the possibilities, limits and outlook for the models and methods presented, with the aim of achieving the broadest possible consensus as to how future work in this field should proceed in the view of the experts present.

Orders

The proceedings of this symposium can be ordered on a CD-ROM (presentation in the original language, summaries in English, French,  German) free of charge by filling out the order form.