The concordance of pollution prevention and occupational health and safety: a perspective on U.S. policy.

BACKGROUND Occupational health and pollution prevention, although conceptually linked by the common goals of preventing exposure to toxic materials and lowering risk functions, have been largely confined to separate patterns of practice and professional development. Some analysts see this as a missed opportunity for synergy and raising the level of protection afforded to both the worker and the ambient environment. By using current specific examples we show how strategies that integrate pollution prevention and occupational health practices can be effective at reducing chemical exposures and environmental releases beyond the levels normally achieved using traditional methods alone. METHODS Similarities in approaches to addressing chemical hazards at the source, are analyzed in the context of U.S. policy and recent state and federal initiatives. Results obtained from the analysis of multi-pathway risks found within the automotive refinishing sector serve as examples of how best to select engineering and control strategies. RESULTS Industry survey, metal speciation, and methylene chloride usage data from studies conducted in Rhode Island, coupled with case reports from other settings, demonstrate that opportunities exist to concurrently mitigate multiple environmental and occupational health hazards. CONCLUSIONS The collaborative initiatives undertaken in the automotive refinishing industry sector demonstrate that an integrated environmental and occupational health approach can more effectively address multiple chemical releases and workplace exposures. Such synergy should be advanced in the future by similar integrative and collaborative strategies.