Balancing more than 500 airplanes, 300,000 passengers and thousands of flights a day takes customer service, dependability and good industrial hygiene?
Industrial hygiene is an important component to the airline industry according to Steve Tochilin, CIH, manager of corporate industrial hygiene for Delta Airlines.
Tochilin was the guest speaker at the 3M Industrial Hygiene Scholarship Awards Luncheon Tuesday in Orlando, Fla.
Industrial hygienists have many responsibilities when it comes to safety, health and the environment in the airline industry.
In the area of health, Tochilin explained that industrial hygienists conduct traditional industrial hygiene methods, ergonomics, indoor air quality other health issues.
Fall protection, electrical safety, passenger and aircraft safety also come into play.
With regards to the environment, industrial hygienists need to keep chemical management, emissions and compliance issues in mind.
Tochilin gave an example of one of the hazards industrial hygienists tackle in the industry.
"Beverage carts cause the highest injury for flight attendants," said Tochilin. "The weight of the cart, size and ergonomic hazards are some of the things we try to mitigate."
Tochilin said the solution to the problem required at the cart loading specs, training of attendants and in the long term, using new carts.
At Delta, Tochilin noted that they view themselves as internal consultants, not compliance officers.
"We are there to help balance employees, the company and the customers," said Tochilin.
by Virginia Sutcliffe