Administrative controls: LEED program for construction
Administrative controls can include work practices and
administrative policies supplemented by exposure monitoring
and medical surveillance that can result in a reduction
of workplace exposure. Administrative controls
are a critical component of where green chemistry and
sustainability principles can overlap with occupational
health and safety.
For example, the construction sector is both the place
where many green innovations will be used and where
workers performing many jobs labeled as green are at
risk of injury, disease or death. A pivotal piece of the
green building movement is the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) certification system. Use of the
LEED Green Building Rating System is growing rapidly,
with nearly 9 billion square feet of building space participating
in the suite of rating systems and 1.6 million
feet certifying per day around the world [44]. LEED is an
internationally-recognized green building rating and certification
system, providing building owners and operators
with a framework for identifying and implementing
practical and measurable green building design, construction,
operations, and maintenance solutions. LEED
promotes strategies intended to improve environmental
and health performance of buildings using metrics such
as energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental
quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to
their impacts [45].
USGBC defines green building as structures that have
significantly reduced or eliminated negative impacts on
the environment and the occupants [46]. The LEED system
measures specific criteria related to sustainability and
holds untapped promise to promote and protect occupational
safety and health. LEED could be used as an administrative
control if occupational safety and health are
appropriately valued. Construction workers can be characterized
as the earliest occupants in the initial lifecycle
stage of a green building; these construction workers and
others will also maintain, remodel, and decommission a
green building throughout its lifecycle [47].
The proposed LEED V4 includes credits for the Avoidance
of Chemicals of Concern [45]. These credits are
intended to reduce the presence of potentially hazardous
substances from the material supply chain. LEED point