The article describes the experience gained in the work of the sanitary and epidemiological station (SES) on preventive sanitary surveillance at the stage of technological assignment for the converter refractory shop using coal-tar pitch. According to the demand of the SES, coal-tar pitch was excluded from the technology, thus it became possible to eliminate emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, including benzo(a)pyrene. Participation of the SES authority in the development of technological assignment was regarded as the most effective method of preventive sanitary surveillance.