Most occupational hazards don't announce themselves. They accumulate quietly — in decibels, degrees, and millisieverts — until the damage is done

 Most occupational hazards don't announce themselves. They accumulate quietly — in decibels, degrees, and millisieverts — until the damage is done.

Here's a quick-reference breakdown of the limits that protect workers every single day:

Noise — OSHA's legal limit is 90 dB over 8 hours. NIOSH recommends 85 dB. Every 3–5 dB increase cuts your safe exposure time in half. At 100 dB, you have just 15 minutes before hearing damage risk kicks in.

Heat & Cold — Heat stress limits (WBGT) drop as workload increases: 30°C for light work, all the way down to 26°C for heavy labor. Cold stress becomes dangerous below 10°C ambient or -7°C wind chill. Frostbite risk rises fast.

Vibration — Whole-body vibration above 0.5 m/s² over 8 hours requires attention. Hand-arm vibration above 2.5 m/s² triggers action; 5.0 m/s² is the hard limit.

Radiation — Workers are limited to 20 mSv/year (averaged over 5 years), with an absolute ceiling of 50 mSv in any single year. The general public limit? Just 1 mSv/year.

Illumination — Office work needs 300–500 lux. Inspection tasks demand 750–1,000 lux. Poor lighting isn't just inconvenient — it's a safety hazard.

EMF (Non-ionizing) — Worker limits per ICNIRP: 1 mT magnetic field, 10 kV/m electric field. Distance and shielding are your primary controls.

Monitor. Control. Protect.