Industrial Hygiene consists of a science devoted to the prevention of occupational illness.  Exposure to chemicals and other work place health hazards can lead to disease or long-term illness that may be indicative of exposure.  The disease or illness may not occur until long after the exposure has stopped.  Since these diseases or illnesses are a consequence of exposure to hazards present in the workplace, they are known as occupational diseases.
 
Industrial Hygiene practitioners use a process of exposure identification and evaluation following the established principles of anticipation, identification, evaluation, and control. The goal of the process is to find a solution that will eliminate or reduce the hazard, and then evaluate the solution to provide protection from current or further health effects.