Which are the four foundational components of an industrial hygiene program?

• A. Anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of hazards.
• B. Planning, budgeting, scheduling, reporting.
• C. Monitoring, auditing, training, incident response.
• D. Design, implementation, evaluation, disposal.

Answer: (A)

The question tests a proactive, stepwise framework used to manage workplace hazards in industrial hygiene. The four foundational components are anticipating hazards that could arise, recognizing hazards that exist, evaluating the exposure and risk they pose, and controlling those hazards to reduce or eliminate risk. Anticipation means thinking ahead about processes, materials, and tasks that could create exposures and planning preventive measures. Recognition involves identifying actual hazards present in the work environment through observations, hazard surveys, and process knowledge. Evaluation is about measuring or estimating exposures, collecting data, and comparing results to occupational exposure limits to assess risk. Control is selecting and applying the most effective measures to reduce exposure, following the hierarchy of controls from elimination and substitution to engineering and administrative controls, and finally PPE when necessary, with ongoing monitoring to ensure effectiveness.