Summary
In short
- A chemical exposure assessment is an assessment used in KnowHealth that assesses exposure to a specific chemical across the tasks where it is used. It is built against ACGIH, WHMIS and forms part of the Occupational Health Surveillance programme.
- Run when a chemical is introduced and after process changes. Carried out by a hygienist.
- The template holds 56 fields across 6 sections.
- Scoring is aiha category, where high is bad.
- ACGIH is american Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Publishes threshold limit values for chemical and physical agents. Guidance, but widely adopted into law.
- It connects to the rest of the library: links Substance, SEG.
What it is
What it is
What is a chemical exposure assessment?
A chemical exposure assessment is an assessment used in KnowHealth that assesses exposure to a specific chemical across the tasks where it is used. It is built against ACGIH, WHMIS and forms part of the Occupational Health Surveillance programme.
When is a chemical exposure assessment completed?
A chemical exposure assessment is completed when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Run when a chemical is introduced and after process changes.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This assessment is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this assessment covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form EXP-2026-000
- You are running the Occupational Health Surveillance programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links substance, seg
Not for
- Similar Exposure Group Register, which groups workers who share the same tasks, agents and exposure patterns.
- Qualitative Exposure Assessment, which rates likely exposure using professional judgement, task knowledge and existing data, before any sampling.
- Personal Air Sampling Record, which records a sample taken from a worker's breathing zone over a shift.
- Anything outside KnowHealth, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
ACGIHAmerican Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
Publishes threshold limit values for chemical and physical agents. Guidance, but widely adopted into law.
WHMISWorkplace Hazardous Materials Information System
Canada's chemical hazard communication system covering labels, data sheets and worker education.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the chemical exposure assessment template based on?+
It is built against ACGIH, WHMIS. ACGIH is american Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Publishes threshold limit values for chemical and physical agents. Guidance, but widely adopted into law. WHMIS is workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. Canada's chemical hazard communication system covering labels, data sheets and worker education.
What sections does the chemical exposure assessment contain?+
There are 6 sections: header, exposure characterisation, measured or estimated exposure, controls, health surveillance, outcome. Together they hold 56 fields, 41 of which are required.
How often is a chemical exposure assessment raised?+
A new record is raised when the task, area or population being assessed is new or has materially changed. Each one is given an ID in the form EXP-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the chemical exposure assessment belong to?+
It is part of Occupational Health Surveillance. A monitoring plan per exposure group, with surveillance findings feeding back into the controls.
How is a chemical exposure assessment scored?+
Scoring is aiha category. High is bad. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the chemical exposure assessment template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the chemical exposure assessment library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowHealth — employee wellbeing. Exposure monitoring, health surveillance, case management and return to work.
Meet KnowHealth→Sources
Sources
- ACGIH — American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
- WHMIS — Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System