Nathan Winward

Title: Applying the Haddon Matrix to Industrial Hygiene in the Aerospace Manufacturing Industry

Abstract:

A proper chemical management system is a crucial aspect of maintaining workers safe in themilitary aircraft manufacturing industry. As technology develops and new research is found,manufacturing processes must be updated as well. This includes reducing exposure byeliminating any hazards that workers may be unnecessarily exposed to. When incidents do occur,it is important that a proper hazard analysis be performed. The Haddon matrix is a solution-basedoriented model that can be used to identify key interventions to prevent such incidents. Thoughthe matrix is commonly used in pedestrian vs motor vehicle accident scenarios, it has furtherapplications as well. During the 2023 summer, I was able to work as an intern with a worldwideaerospace manufacturing company. I was able to work on projects related to industrial hygieneand chemical management systems. Through this report, I was able to apply the Haddon matrixto industrial hygiene work and chemical exposures.The company that I interned for is organized into several different subsidiaries that servedifferent types of customers. The company has an Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS)structure that is modified according to the needs of each manufacturing site. The EHSorganization consists of several different support groups with different types of expertise.Industrial hygienist in particular, rely heavily on two computer software programs that allowthem to keep track of the chemicals and products found at each of the sites. As an intern, I hadthe opportunity to interact with these programs and perform a chemical inventory review andhazard communication analysis. Through these projects, I was able to remove a toxic productfrom a company site that contained a high amount of methylene chloride. I also had theopportunity to perform a noise survey risk assessment in a highly sensitive area, for a noisecomplaint due to white noise generators.Upon applying the Haddon matrix to a hypothetical scenario where a worker was exposed tomethyl propyl ketone in a confined space, I was able to develop several different types ofinterventions that could be applied prior to the exposure, during the exposure, or after theexposure. I was able to show that the Haddon matrix can be applied to the industrial hygienefield despite the fact that it is traditionally used in an occupational health setting. As I continuemy career in the occupational health and industrial hygiene fields, I hope to one day share theknowledge I have gained from my experiences with others.