With Natasha Edwards, Senior Environmental Consultant, MBC Group.
Natasha Edwards, a Senior Environmental Consultant at MBC Group, has devoted over a decade and a half to Industrial Hygiene (IH). Based in Alberta, she advocates for the creation and maintenance of a safe and healthy work environment. Her dedication to the field is evident in the depth of her knowledge, which she uses to ensure safety and health in the workplace.
Industrial Hygiene, as Natasha describes it, is a multifaceted discipline that draws on the combined principles of engineering, public health, and occupational safety. It’s a field that requires a broad understanding of various scientific disciplines. The primary focus of this field is to identify and mitigate factors in the workplace that have the potential to cause sickness, impair health and well-being, or cause significant discomfort among workers or community members. Natasha and the environmental team’s role involves a careful analysis of these factors and the development of effective strategies to mitigate them.
When asked what her team does, she is quick to describe a multitude of services. “Our team of environmental professionals offers a comprehensive suite of consulting services. These include conducting surveys and inventories of hazardous building materials, either for specific projects or entire buildings. We provide summary reports with recommendations for regulatory compliance and best practices. Our team develops remediation and management programs, including Emergency Response plans, and prepares abatement specifications and tender documents. We provide a daily fee for air monitoring. Abatement contractors provide their own quotes and timelines.
We conduct contract administration and oversee contractors from tender award to contract completion. Our services also include inspections and air monitoring during abatement or remediation work, and we provide summary reports confirming the successful completion of work.
We conduct annual re-assessment surveys, including locations, quantity, and condition of hazardous building materials, and offer training for hazardous building materials awareness and safe handling and disposal procedures. Our team also performs indoor air quality monitoring, industrial hygiene contaminant sampling, fume hood assessments, and radon measurement.
We sample potable drinking water, develop and audit safety management systems and standards, and conduct Environmental Site Assessments. Our goal is to ensure a safe and healthy environment in all aspects of your operations.”
On top of her learned experience, Natasha’s academic credentials are impressive. She holds a Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety and throughout her career, she has earned several noteworthy designations and affiliations. She is a recognized National Construction Safety Officer and has also successfully completed accredited courses designed for asbestos workers, and Indoor Environmentalists, among others.
Professionals in the field of industrial hygiene, like Natasha, play a pivotal role in maintaining a safe and healthy indoor environment. They are often the first point of contact when there is a need to identify, evaluate, and control real or potential environmental stressors or hazards that can impact the well-being of workers or community members. Their expertise is invaluable in ensuring that all spaces are safe.
By implementing measures to mitigate these hazards, the MBC Team ensures a safe and healthy environment. Natasha emphasizes, “Our role is to ensure that potential hazards are identified and mitigated, ensuring a safe and healthy work environment. Therefore, anyone concerned about potential hazards or looking to implement safety initiatives should consider consulting an industrial hygiene professional.”
In her capacity as a senior environmental consultant, she shoulders the responsibility of evaluating these factors. She then devises and implements measures to mitigate them. This task requires a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of workplace dynamics. Natasha underscores the importance of recognizing and evaluating risks as a critical part of maintaining safety. She says, “Safety isn’t just about implementing initiatives, it’s about being proactive in identifying potential hazards. The health and well-being of employees, residents and users of buildings is always my top priority. A safe and healthy work environment is a cornerstone for the success of any organization.”
Comments