I'm seeking information concerning the requirements for heavy equipment operators working with Regulated Asbestos Containing Materials (RACM).
What is required when these individuals are working with asbestos; ie. demolition of structures containing RACM?
Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.
I spoke with Wenqi "Sam" Sun, an asbestos expert. He says you are looking for "A Guide to Normal Demolition Practices Under the Asbestos NESHAP" by EPA.
I am currently preparing to take my ASP examination. Do you have any suggestions on what the best study guides are for an adequate prep. I would also appreciate any information on preparation guides for the CSP. My ASP examination is 6 weeks out and I am utilizing the ASSE CSP study guide(4 volumes) but I dont feel I am preparing well enough with that alone. Any suggestions?
I used the study guide from Las Vegas Workshop. Their toll free number is 888-589-6757. I was VERY pleased with their material for the ASP. I spent a few hours on weekends and then took an entire week to study their material - that was about IT. And I felt it was very good prep for the ASP. I also used their material plus another company's for the CSP. I thought Las Vegas was better for the CSP BUT no one really prepared me for the CSP. I was just glad I passed it and didn't have to try again. I've known a bunch of people that haven't passed those exams the first try, so if you don't pass at first, don't give up.
Also take a look at EPA's web page. At least scan through it so you have an idea about the terminology.
I belong to a safety committee and my company is working on proper disposal of bloodborne pathogen waste. I know that you must bag and tag all material that is considered blood from accidents (i.e. razor blade cuts, machine accidents, etc.).
1) What is the proper procedure for disposal? Who collects it, does the trash company?
2) Do sanitary pads from the ladies room have to be tagged as BIOHAZ waste?
The best answers to most questions on the bloodborne pathogen standard
can be found on the OSHA web page in the interpretations
http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Interp_data/I19930201A.html
OSHA's answer to sanitary napkins is:
"Q. Are feminine hygiene products considered regulated waste?
A. OSHA does not generally consider discarded feminine hygiene products, used to absorb menstrual flow, to fall within the definition of regulated waste. The intended function of products such as sanitary napkins is to absorb and contain blood. The absorbent material of which they are composed would, under most circumstances,prevent the release of liquid or semi-liquid blood or the flaking off of dried blood.
OSHA expects these products to be discarded into waste containers which are properly lined with plastic or wax paper bags. Such bags should protect the employees from physical contact with the contents.
At the same time, it is the employer's responsibility to determine the existence of regulated waste. This determination is not based on actual volume of blood, but rather on the potential to release blood, (e.g., when compacted in the waste container). If OSHA determines, on a case-by-case basis, that sufficient evidence of regulated waste exists, either through observation, (e.g., a pool of liquid in the bottom of a container, dried blood flaking off during handling), or based on employee interviews, citations may be issued." (end OSHA interp)
How you handle contaminated materials is another question. It depends on if the material is reusable (e.g. tools, machinery, knives, saws, clothing) or if it is disposable. It also depends on if the object is "saturated" on not. For cleanup of machinery & floors after an accident, may want to use a 10% solution of bleach or another "approved" disinfectant. Clothing and other PPE can be laundered but who does it and the procedures need to be clear. Disposable sharps are "usually" collected by a biohazardous waste company for a fee and incinerated. Although there are some other methods which encapsulate the sharps and render them harmless. Red bags of disposable materials other than sharps are often incinerated too, but there are other methods of effectively sterilizing these materials.
How you handle infectious material is usually regulated by your local health department. If you give them a call, they can direct you towards some good methods.
I enjoyed your math class at the Fl H+S conference. Please email me the name of the cih book you told me about at your mathematics class yesterday for preparation for the cih exam. Also let me know if there is some place that I can purchase the book for a reasonable price. I am interested in any other materials you could direct me to that help me prepare for the cih exam.
The name of the book is "Quantitative Industrial Hygiene: A Formula Book" by Jack Caravanos available from ACGIH publication #3260 for $37. (It may be more if you aren't a member. Phone # 513-742-2020 I looked for a used copy but couldn't find one. I think this one is worth the money.
Jeff Burton's book that is used with the "Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene" is also a very good book to study.
I would like relevant information on compressed gas safety training
with the following topics;
1. General awareness
2. Emergency Response/procedure
You need to read the OSHA standards in 29 CFR (Code of Federal
Regulations) 1910.101 for compressed gasses. If you are doing welding,
cutting or brazing, you will need to read that section too. If you
don't have a copy they are available on the OSHA web page at
http:www.osha.gov. Or you can get to it
at:
http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshStd_data/1910_0101.html
Also, there are some very good instructions at the below web page: http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/hazmat/labman/chapt2b.htm
If you need more advanced assistance you should contact the Compressed Gas Association.
Hello.
My husband is a concrete finisher..Last year he developed alkali burns from the cement...He has always soaked the burned area in peroxide, then covered the area with an antibiotic ointment (over the counter), he then places sterile bandages on the site, and wraps that with bandades to hold the bandage in place, so that he can work. We saw our family Dr. last year for this, and he said what he was doing was fine.
Recently my husband has developed these burns again.....Using the same treatment.....There is one burn on one finger, that has eaten away most of the layers of skin, to the first knuckle..It is beet red and oozing with infection..... Yesterday there are starts of the alkali burn starting on his other hand, affecting three fingers...
My question to you, is there anything else we should or could be doing.....to treat this and to prevent it...
Your husband's burns sound like he needs more than first aid is needed. He probably needs to see a dermatologist. Also, try to get him to wear gloves or a barrier cream. Concrete, as you know, can inflict nasty alkali burns. If he works for someone else, the treatment of these burns should be covered by workers' comp.
Below are excerpts from a Material Safety Data Sheet for Portland cement. This information is supposed to be taught to each employee exposed to this type of hazard. The sheet with the hazard information (MSDS) is supposed to be provided by the supplier or manufacturer to each employer on request.
PORTLAND CEMENT
Toxicological Properties: The hazardous ingredients, when in contact with water, produce calcium hydroxide, with an alkalinity level of pH 12 to pH 13. This level of alkalinity can cause skin and eye irritation.
Route of entry: skin contact, eye contact, inhalation, ingestion.
Effects of acute exposure: Cement and wet cement mixtures can dry skin, cause alkali burns, and irritate the eyes and upper respiratory tract. Ingestion can cause irritation of the throat.
Effects of chronic exposure: Cement dust can cause inflammation of the tissue lining of the interior of the nose, and the cornea (white) of the eye. Hypersensitive people may develop allergic dermatitis.
Personal Protective Equipment:
Engineering controls: Ventilation should be sufficient in volume and distribution to maintain dust exposure below the TWA (10 mg/m3).
Spill or release: Remove by dry clean-up methods, which minimize the dispersion of dust. Avoid breathing the dust.
First Aid Measures:
I CAN NOT FIND ANY REGULATIONS THAT STATE WHETHER IT IS LEGAL OR NOT TO WHERE SHORTS WHILE YOU ARE WORKING ON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SUCH AS FRAMING AND FINISH WORK.
COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME.
I was not able to find anything in the "standards" that specifically says long pants are required on construction sites. However, the employer must assess the hazards and make work rules to protect the employees and these rules may include certain dress requirements.
There is an OSHA letter of interpretation dated 04/17/1997 on "Citations
for the wearing of short pants by employees engaged in hot tar and asphalt
construction work." This letter is located at:
http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Interp_data/I19970417A.html
This letter includes the following instructions to OSHA Regional Administrators.
"Other factors may exist, however, which would pose a greater safety or health hazard than that of being burned by hot tar or asphalt. In such cases a citation of the PPE standard for lack of skin protection may not be appropriate. Naturally, workers at the site who are not exposed to the hazard of hot tar or asphalt coming into contact with their skin would not be required by the regulation to wear any kind of PPE intended to provide protection against that danger. To ensure consistency in the future application of 1926.95(a), compliance officers shall be instructed to carefully balance the need for personal protective clothing, such as long pants, during hot tar and asphalt operations against the need for clothing that is appropriate for severe environmental conditions such as extremely warm weather. "
I hope this helps,
Cynthia
I'm a medical courier and I carry about 20 pounds of dry ice in my vehicle. I drive about 300 miles and am in the vehicle for an extended period of time. Is there any health effects from breathing the co2 from the dry ice evaporating inside the car. I frequently open the window to get some air inside. I get headaches often while driving but I think it maybe my vision, going for an exam tomorrow.
Yes, there can be serious health effects from carbon dioxide. Carrying dry ice in a closed vehicle for long periods of time could result in exposure to high levels of carbon dioxide.
In itself, carbon dioxide is not considered to be highly toxic. However, one of the greatest risks is that it can displace the air in a closed system which will result in oxygen deficiency. Lower oxygen will cause you to loose coordination and mental abilities which are critical when driving a vehicle.
Making a few assumptions, if 1 pound of dry ice evaporated in a vehicle (5 cubic meters volume) with no loss from ventilation, it would result in a carbon dioxide level over 48,000 ppm. This is considerably higher than the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 5000 ppm averaged over 8 hours and nearly at the 50,000 ppm that NIOSH considers "immediately dangerous to life and health".
If you are employed by a company, I suggest you ask to see the Material Safety Data Sheet for the dry ice you carry. I also suggest you ask the company to assess the level of carbon dioxide you are exposed to during your travels. If the company would like some free assistance, they can contact the state agency in your area that provides FREE SAFETY & HEALTH CONSULTATIONS. To find the agency nearest you, go to the Consultation Project Directory http://www.osha.gov/oshdir/consul.html on the internet or you can call the local OSHA office for the telephone number.
For your information, I've included some excerpts of a material safety data sheet for carbon dioxide.
I have a conflict. As I read the OSHA requirements for forklift inspections, I do not find that a "written" inspection document is required. Will OSHA accept as verification, the fact that the Safety & Health Manual has written procedures and if they note, during the walk through, that employees are examining forklifts prior to use? Thank you for your help.
My understanding is that if OSHA observes that good safety practices
are in place, there is no written requirement now. If you are applying
for ISO 9000 or others you may find that written verification will be
required for that. So you know what to look for, I sometimes find the
following problems when I observe forklift operations:
We recieve numerous requests from local law enforcement agencies asking our department to cut open fuel tanks which contain contraband. I am in the process of developing a written procedure for this operatiion. I would appreciate any input that you may have on safely opening these tanks.
I was pretty sure the right way to open fuel tanks is to purge them first with something like carbon dioxide (dry ice). But I checked with a friend in the Division of Safety, Kris Bancroft, who is very knowledgeable about hazardous materials. This is his response.
__________________________________________________________________
opening fuel tanks to look for contraband is not much of a problem, but there may not be a reason to do that. what you do is either:
1. run a lighted fiber optics camera down into the tank while the fuel is in it.
2. empty and remove the tank and open the plate where the gage and filter are installed and then run in the fiber optics stuff.
3. write the auto manufacturers for the weights of their various fuel tanks when empty, and you create a database. when you stop a vehicle and you want to inspect the fuel tank, you empty it and weigh it and compare the actual weight with the recorded weight. if the tank you remove is significantly heavier, you open it.
to safely open a gasoline tank, you:
1. create a bonded ground and maintain the bond at all times while the tank is separated from the vehicle.
2. empty the tank
3. remove the tank
4. find the plate where the fuel gage is installed.
5. insert through the filler neck a tube for:
a) an explosimeter
b) an O2 meter, and
c) a CO2 line
6. inert the tank with CO2 and open that sucker up.
7. do your thing and reseal the tank with an aftermarket resealer kit.
8. work backwards through the removal process if there ain't nothin' but gas in there.
i don't know any of the people at DEP in the UST area, but their phone numbers are:
[Area Code 850]
Bureau of Solid & Hazardous Waste. . . . . . . . 487-3299
Bureau of Waste Cleanup. .. . . . . . . . . . . .488-0190
Storage Tank Regulation. . . .. . . . . . . . . .488-3935
Petroleum CleanUp & Reimbursement. . . . . . . . 487-3299
hope this helps,
kris
What are GFCIs?
GFCIs are Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. You see them in bathrooms a lot now and some appliances are manufactured with them. What they do is compare the amperage coming in on the hot wire to the amperage returning on the neutral wire. If the difference exceeds about 5 milliamps, the circuit breaks. This is still enough to give someone a jolt, maybe even make him loose balance and fall. But it isn't enough to make his muscles seize up (about 10-20 milliamps) or kill him (about 100 milliamps). You get a difference in the return electricity when some goes to ground either through the ground wire or through a person's body.
If you install GFCIs on all electrical circuits, especially in a manufacturing area, you can stop worry if people bring in appliances that aren't protected by good grounds like two wire radios, old power drills, extension cords with ground prongs broken, wet conditions, etc.
The National Electric Code has been gradually changing code to include GFCIs on more and more. They didn't require it on everything at once, not because the hazard wasn't there, but because the country couldn't afford to change that fast.
A friend works for an airline outside on the ramp. The largest part of her duties include driving passengers in a large double bus between the terminal and the planes. Often the bus has a broken air-conditioner. The uniform she is required to wear includes wool pants and a wool blazer. On some days this past summer the temperature reached 105 degrees plus 80-95% humidity.
One of these days she was getting dizzy, on the edge of blacking out, and nauseous. The bus drivers are not allowed to carry beverages on the buses, and they are allowed breaks only for lunch. She had volunteered to take on a second shift to help out a co-worker, and so she was working on her 12th hour.
When she complained to her supervisor, she was told to "wipe of the sweat and deal with it." Unable to cope any longer, she walked off the job. They threatened to fire her but ended up suspending her for 1 day.
Since then, very little has changed. We did some research and found OSHA has no requirement for coping with heat. And that as long as the windows were open on the bus, as they were, then they were complying with the rules. We found a couple of cases whereby the employees won the case on the basis of it being too hot, without available coping techniques - such as regular breaks, available water, etc.
We called the OSHA dept in ____, where this occurred. They said the rules were different in _______ (favoring big companies), and the workers were pretty much without rights. This just doesn't seem right. Isn't there anything one can do to get things changed?
Unfortunately, it is true that there are no specific regulations regarding heat stress and hot working conditions. There is, however, a general duty clause that states each employer shall furnish safe and healthful employment to all employees. Being in a position to lodge a complaint requires that the employee/employer relationship is in tact. Therefore, if a person is fired or quits their job, there is no basis for a complaint to be filed.
Hence, here's my advice:
Tell this person to NOT quit her job.
Find the phone number of the OSHA Area Office nearest the place of employment and call them. Ask to speak to the Duty Officer about a "health related incident." The caller MUST divulge their name.
Have all pertinent facts related to the ongoing incident at hand when th call is made. Names, times, dates, conditions, and witnesses are crucial.
State that the complaint is being filed under the provisions of the "General Duty Clause," and ask for a written confirmation that the call was received.
In the interim, perform your duties to the specifications of company policy. Don't give your employer anything to complain about. Drink plenty of liquids - water is best. Eat low-sugar and low-fat foods before and during work hours. Apologize to the riders on the bus for the hot conditions - this will often prompt them to complain to the company.
(Thanks to Kris Bancroft for his expert assistance in answering this question.)
My question is this are you allowed to work a person say 16 or 17 hour's per day four or five day's in a roll? I say that it is against the law to do this to a person, but most of the people I talk to say that is not the case. If you could answer this question it would be greatly appreciated.
This question is outside my area of experience but I looked up what it says on the web page for the Dept. of Labor. It says:
"The Act does not limit the number of hours in a day or days in a week an employee (at least 16 years old) may be required or scheduled to work, including overtime hours. The Act requires that covered employees, unless otherwise exempt, be paid not less than one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek."
You can locate this inforamtion at: http://www.dol.gov
Statutory and Regulatory Information
Summary of Laws, Regulations and Technical Assistance (Small Business
Handbook)
Table of Contents
C. WAGE, HOUR AND OTHER WORKPLACE STANDARDS
Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay
I am looking for some OSHA inspection checklists on-line. I am encouraging my line managers to conduct safety audits, but many of them lack the requisite safety and health background to conduct effective audits. I think simple checklists covering various topics would aid the process. Do you have any ideas as to where I might find checklists such as these?
If what you want are inspection checklists, my favorite is the booklet, OSHA 2209- Handbook for Small Businesses, which you can download from the OSHA web page (http://www.osha.gov) under "Publications" or you can order a copy from the Government Printing Office.
If you want to get into heavy duty auditing, the procedures to guide OSHA compliance officers is also on the web page. It may be under "Other Documents" and is called the FIRM. It's a little much to just read through, but it's very good as a reference when you have a question on a topic.
You might want to ask your state consultation program to provide training to your supervisors. It's a free service or at least your taxes already paid for it.
I am developing new LO/TO procedures for my workplace. The old ones were too generic. My question is this; we have similar pieces of equipment throughout the area. Do we need procedures for every piece or can we group them together such as motor control, positive displacement pumps, etc.?
I hope this letter of interpretation will answer your question. You
can get to it at:
http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Interp_data/I19950919.html
The following are the date, person addressed, etc. Let me know if you can't find the letter and I'll copy it into email for you.
Title: Certain provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's (OSHA's) lockout/tagout standard.
Record Type: Interpretation
Standard Number: 1910.147
Subject: Certain provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's (OSHA's) lockout/tagout standard.
Information Date:09/19/1995
Addressed to: Mr. Lawrence P. Halprin
Will an ozone generator help get rid of the chemical exposure from a nail salon?
Ozone "reacts' easily with many chemicals, but that doesn't mean the resulting chemical is something you want. Also, Ozone is sometimes used as a disinfectant (e.g. drinking water). It works pretty well to kill bacteria and other living things. Consequently, ozone has a lower permissible exposure limit than many of the chemicals commonly found in a nail salon. (It can cause respiratory problems and headaches.)
I did some research and didn't find a reference to ozone generators used for nail salons. My personal opinion, it doesn't sound like a good choice.
I've included excerpts from a NIOSH Report for exposures and nail salons. I hope this helps.
SENTINEL EVENT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR OCCUPATIONAL RISKS (SENSOR):
IN-DEPTH SURVEY REPORT: CONTROL OF ETHYL METHACRYLATE EXPOSURES DURING
THE APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL FINGERNAILS at Moore's University of Hair
Design, Cincinnati, Ohio
REPORT WRITTEN BY: Amy Beasley Spencer, Cheryl Fairfield Estill
REPORT DATE: August 1994 REPORT NO. ECTB 171-22a
PRESENT CONTROLS
Present controls vary from shop to shop. There are many methods used by salons to control emissions/dust from artificial fingernails. The following are some of the methods used alone or in conjunction with another method: (1) general building ventilation systems; (2) general room fans exhausting air outside or into a general ventilation system; (3) general room air-purifying systems; (4) local exhaust fans; (5) local air-purifying systems; (5) placement of towels on the manicure tables to collect dust (which do not capture vapors or respirable dusts); or (6) use of no controls.
Many control systems currently being used do not follow basic industrial ventilation principles. For general ventilation systems, the worker must be far enough away from the contaminant source so that an exposure will not be excessive. For local ventilation systems, the location of the air inlet should be near the source of contaminant generation. The location of the worker should not be between the contaminant and the contaminated air inlet, because the worker would breathe contaminated air.
NIOSH researchers observed several recirculating downdraft tables with charcoal filters during the walk-through evaluations. A number of problems with these manicure tables were noted. Leaks were detected around the charcoal filter, thereby allowing contaminated air to escape before reaching the filter. There was no indicator on the charcoal filter to notify the operator when the filter needed replacing, nor was there a backup filter. There was uneven air flow across the face of the downdraft ventilation, and the volume of air was not adequate to overcome room air currents.
It was also observed during walk-through evaluations that in some of the salons, the salon air purifiers were located in out-of-the-way places, usually not near the generation source. Even if the purifiers were completely effective in removing the contaminants, the workers would be exposed to high local concentrations of contaminants. This exposure would occur before the contaminants could diffuse into the room and subsequently be removed by the purifier. The air purifier may have an effect on the removal of the low level background contamination in the room, but the purifier will have little or no effect on reducing worker exposure near the generation source. For these reasons, general room air purifiers were not evaluated. The study focused on the evaluation of local exhaust controls that properly use industrial ventilation principles....
COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MANICURE TABLE
After examining various controls, a commercially available recirculating downdraft manicure table with charcoal filters was purchased and evaluated (Model #0592M, Professional Fabricators, Inc., Cypress, California)....
It appeared that there were several manufacturers with similar designs. The table was 3.4 feet long by 1.5 feet wide and 2.6 feet high. On the client's side of the table, a 5.2-inch wide padded arm rest was extended from the table. The client's side of the table was 2.6 inches higher than the technician's working surface, so the client's hands would extend over the downdraft face. The downdraft air exhausted through a perforated plate which was located 6.5 inches from the technician's side of the table. The perforated plate was13 inches long, and 4.2 inches wide, with 67.3 percent void space. The air for the downdraft ventilation entered the table through the perforated plate. A small centrifugal fan was used for the downdraft flow. The measured average flow of downdraft air through the table as purchased was 62 cfm; the average face velocity was measured at 160 ft/min. The air passed through a carbon filter, and exited the table though the bottom. The ventilation of the manicure table was deemed inadequate due to the following factors: (1) leaks were detected around the charcoal filter, thereby allowing potentially contaminated air to escape before reaching the filter; (2) there was no indicator to notify the operator when the filter needed replacing, nor was there a backup filter; (3) there was uneven air flow across the face of the downdraft opening; and (4) the volume of air was not adequate to overcome room air currents.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE MANICURE TABLE
The following modifications were made to the commercially available manicure table: (1) The downdraft air volume was increased from 62 to 235 cfm by using a larger fan; (2) The plenum was enlarged such that the plenum velocity equaled half the perforated plate velocity for more consistent air flow rates at the face of the table; (3) The charcoal filters were removed and an exhaust system to the outdoors was incorporated; and (4) An extension around the duct leading to the perforated plate at the face of the table was added. The extension brought the duct (downdraft plenum) on the technician's side up to the height of the client's side of the table, up approximately 2.6 inches.
The added outdoor exhaust system incorporated approximately 8 feet of flexible corrugated duct. The duct connected the downdraft exhaust from an exhaust for the building....
DISCUSSION
The modified ventilated manicure table is clearly better than the unventilated manicure table for lowering exposures to ethyl methacrylate during artificial nail application; personal exposures were reduced more than tenfold. The exposures to methyl methacrylate measured during this study and others14,16 were well below the current NIOSH REL and OSHA PEL of 100 ppm as an 8-hour TWA. The levels observed in the present study seem to indicate that PBZ results for ethyl methacrylate can be achieved down to 0.7 ppm on an 8-hour TWA with the modified ventilated table, as compared to a range of 7 to 14 ppm with the unventilated table.
The technicians and clients preferred to use the modified ventilated table to control the odor of the nail application products.
I would like to find out the ventilation requirements for nail salons/hair salons with acrylic nail operators. The salon emanates fumes of acetone to the point I get light headed, very severe headaches and extreme nausea. The owner insists that nothing has changed and the operator is just much busier. They are now using a small air purifier, the type most people use in their household for smokers. Can you help me or at the very least give an alternate direction to take?
There are OSHA limits on the exposures of chemicals to employees. As a customer though, you aren't protected. However, if you feel the levels are excessive, you can file a complaint with the local OSHA office.
The only way to know if the ventilation is adequate is to sample the air. There are private companies that will do this for a fee. Or, you could suggest that the employer contact the state agency that does free safety & health consultations. The OSHA sponsored consultation service can take measurements and give advice on ventilation at the request of the employer.
The permissible exposure limit for acetone is 1000 parts per million averaged over an entire day. There are some higher limits that concern the fire department because of explosion and fire. EPA would be concerned with any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released to the atmosphere. However, the amount a nail salon releases is likely to be exempt.
There are several possible solutions to the problem. The salon could use some local ventilation (a small device to remove vapors at the source and send them outdoors). It is unlikely that the air filters used for cigarette smoke are the right type for acetone. They could switch to a different product that didn't release as much vapor or used a less harmful chemical. They could also control the amount accidentally released by replacing caps quickly and using smaller containers.
i hope that we can get our question answered here.
my company seems to think that cleaning up rodent droppings has minimal if any risks to the workers. they claim that resulting cleanups have produced no dangers if a mask & hepa vac are used. are we worried about nothing???
I suggest you read the information from the Centers for Disease Control on hantavirus. I've also included some abstracts from CDC's MMWR. You may want to read the text on these.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hantvrus.
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MMWR --- February 13, 1998 / Vol. 47 / No. 5 --- Preview
Rat-Bite Fever --- New Mexico, 1996
Rat-bite fever (RBF) is a systemic bacterial illness caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis that can be acquired through the bite or scratch of a rodent or the ingestion of food or water contaminated with rat feces. Cases are rarely reported in the United States and the true incidence of disease is unknown. On August 7, 1996, a physician in a rural community reported a case of infection with S. moniliformis bacteremia in a 15-year-old boy to the New Mexico Department of Health. This report summarizes the results of the investigation of this case and indicates the need for ongoing surveillance for this illness.
MMWR --- April 12, 1996 / Vol. 45 / No. 14 --- Preview
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome --- United States, 1995 and 1996
Sporadic cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe cardiopulmonary illness first identified in 1993, continue to be recognized in the United States. This report describes the investigation of two cases of Sin Nombre virus (SNV)-associated HPS involving feedlot workers in a single household during May--June 1995, and summarizes national reporting for HPS through March 21, 1996. The findings of this investigation and of other investigations suggest that, although domestic and occupational exposures to rodents have rarely resulted in infection, sporadic clusters of HPS probably will continue to occur even though individual cases will predominate.
MMWR --- October 10, 1997 / Vol. 46 / No. 40 --- Preview
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome --- Chile, 1997
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) was first recognized in Chile in October 1995; through July 1997, nine cases had been identified in the country. However, during August 1--October 8, 1997, a total of 12 persons with HPS, including two family clusters, were recognized. A collaborative investigation is under way to determine the magnitude of this outbreak, the associated rodent reservoir for hantaviruses, and the major risk factors for human infection. This report summarizes the preliminary results of the ongoing investigation, which suggest that the outbreak among humans is paralleled by exceptionally high densities of potential rodent reservoir species.
I just took over safety manger for a software company. The information I was given is from 1995. I would like to get updated information. All we are is a company that makes software for hospitals. We do not deal with blood or chemicals. There is on any given day 35 to 39 people in the office. I have called are local OSHA office and asked if they could give me any information. They just told me to look on the web. The only thing with that is all I have found is regarding if you work with blood or chemicals. Any information or help would be great.
There are some minimum safety & health standards and recordkeeping requirement you must comply with.
You need to post the OSHA safety & health poster. You can down load a copy from the OSHA web page.
Depending on your industry classification, you probably need to maintain an OSHA 200 log of injuries & illnesses, even if you have none. Copies need to be kept 5 years and in Feb, the summary of the previous year's log must be posted. Also available on the web page.
You should have a first aid policy - what to do in an emergency, 1st aid kit, what numbers to call.
You should plan what to do in other emergencies, fire, earthquake, hurricane, flood, robbery,.. whatever seems reasonably possible.
You need to look at the possible hazards to your employees and plan what can be done to prevent injuries and illnesses. Examples for your business might be: extension cords that are trip hazards, lifting heavy boxes, paper, scissor or stapler cuts and punctures that could be infected, climbing on chairs and tables to reach high places, repetitive stress and improper arrangement of office furniture, lighting, telephones, etc., violence against employees in parking lots or during business trips, vehicle accidents, and so on. Some of these you can find advice on the web page in the form of fact sheets.
If you have any chemicals that are used more often or differently than they were intended, you need a Hazard Communication program. In any case, read the directions on ALL chemicals and make sure everyone follows them. Typical misuses in an office setting are with lubricants, solvents, cleaning materials, and pesticides.
You should include your employees in making these plans. A safety committee is usually recommended. The safety committee should review accident investigations and near miss accidents and should also make recommendations.
Employees should be trained in the hazards and how to prevent them or reduce the risk.
In addition you may want to ask for the assistance of a state consultation program. This is a free service in every state. You can read about the service at http://www.osha.gov/oshprogs/consult.html. The list of addresses and phone number used to be on the Internet, but You can call OSHA office back and ask them for the telephone number of the nearest "7(c)(1) Program Office".
I hope this helps. Good Luck.
I work in an small office where most of the employees smoke in the office. Because of my concerns, my boss put an air filter in the room where they smoke. However, the smoke circulates throughout the office through the heating vents. I don't want to quit because I like my job, but I can't deal with it. Is this illegal?? Is there anything I can do without getting my boss into trouble??
It is generally agreed that secondhand smoke increases the risk of cancer and heart disease. However, there are no federal standards addressing tobacco smoke in the workplace. There are standards for carbon monoxide and nicotine which are components of tobacco smoke.
You can contact your local area OSHA Office and file a complaint and you can remain anonymous.
I suggest that you make your boss aware that:
Although OSHA has not established a specific standard for tobacco smoke in the workplace, it is preparing to address it as part of an indoor air quality standard.
EPA recommends that smoking be restricted to separately ventilated areas directly exhausted to the outside, or by completely eliminating smoking from the buildings.
Without more information on your filter system, I can't say much about it. But I will comment on the failings of many. Many room filtration systems are effective at removing particles for the size rooms the instructions describe. Often people use them for much larger areas. Particle filters won't remove gases and vapors, but some systems also have an activated charcoal filter which is good for removing organic chemicals (the stuff that smells bad). But the carbon filters must be changed regularly. Neither of these filters will help with gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. There is a good bulletin by NIOSH, "Environmental Tobacco Smoke in the Workplace, Current Intelligence Bulletin 54", published June 1991 (DHHS Publication No. 91-108). You can get a copy by calling 1-800-35-NIOSH.
I am trying to install an oven inside a finishing area. I would like to know OSHA requirements for placing that oven closed to a spray booth. Thanks for your help.
The specific section you asked about and some that are closely related are as follows. But I think the answer you want is 20 feet. You may be able to have it closer if the oven is specially designed.
You will need to comply with all of 29 CFR 1910.107. If you don't have a copy you can read it on the OSHA web page at www.osha.gov in the standards section.
1910.107 (c)(2)
"Minimum separation." There shall be no open flame or spark producing
equipment in any spraying area nor within 20 feet thereof, unless
separated by a partition.
1910.107 (c)(3)
"Hot surfaces." Space-heating appliances, steampipes, or hot surfaces
shall not be located in a spraying area where deposits of combustible
residues may readily accumulate.
1910.107 (c)(5)
"Combustible residues, areas." Unless specifically approved for
locations containing both deposits of readily ignitable residue and
explosive vapors, there shall be no electrical equipment in any
spraying area, whereon deposits of combustible residues may readily
accumulate, except wiring in rigid conduit or in boxes or fittings
containing no taps, splices, or terminal connections.
1910.107 (c)(6)
"Wiring type approved." Electrical wiring and equipment not subject to
deposits of combustible residues but located in a spraying area as
herein defined shall be of explosion-proof type approved for Class I,
group D locations and shall otherwise conform to the provisions of
subpart S of this part, for Class I, Division 1, Hazardous Locations.
Electrical wiring, motors, and other equipment outside of but within
twenty (20) feet of any spraying area, and not separated therefrom by
partitions, shall not produce sparks under normal operating conditions
and shall otherwise conform to the provisions of subpart S of this part
for Class I, Division 2 Hazardous Locations.
I am looking for information on the threshold limits of zinc produced in a welding environment, welding galvized steel. Any OSHA information and or OSHA solutions to this would be a great help.
I'm not sure if you are looking for standards for welding fume exposure or typical exposures. OSHA standards are available from the OSHA web page located at www.osha.gov. If you look under OSHA Laws, Regulations & Compliance you can select the appropriate standard. For General Industry, it's 29 CFR 1910.1000 with some of the exceptionally hazardous chemicals referenced to other standards. Construction is in 29 CFR 1926 and the Maritime standards are in 29 CFR 1915, 1917 & 1918.
In addition, there are guidelines from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, They publish a handbook of Threshold Limit Values (TLV) which are general accepted by most everyone. OSHA usually adopts these but lags by a number of years. You can order a copy of the TLV book from ACGIH. Their web page is www.acgih.org
Welding fume exposures cause varying symptoms depending upon the specific components of the welding fumes. Some of these include metal fume fever; flu-like symptoms; dyspnea; cough; muscle pain; fever; chills; interstitial pneumonia; and cancer. Besides metal fume exposures, welders are exposed to other hazardous chemicals such as ozone, nitrogen oxides and fluorides.
Exposures to all of the chemicals and the fumes will depend on the composition of the metal, fluxes and rod materials, and residual coatings. The level of exposure is often dependent on the local ventilation. If you are welding in an enclosed or confined space, you could get in trouble quickly. You would be wise to do some representative sampling to determine exposures so you can decide on the type of respiratory protection needed. The best solution is to use local exhaust ventilation.
My second choice, if I had to wear a respirator and the levels were not real high, is a powered air purifying respirator. Not only will it clean the air you breathe without making you work so hard, it will even cool you off. These are now available incorporated in a welding helmet.
Below is an example of some welding fume sampling I did recently. This welder was working in a very well ventilated area doing high detail, low volume work. Let me say, I have seen over-exposure results for nearly every welder working in the hold of a ship.
Welding Fume Monitoring Results
_______, 1998
Employee: ___________
Work Position: Welder
Total Time Monitored: 460 min.
Chemical
Measured Exposure Level 8-Hour (TWA)
Allowable Exposure Level 8-Hour (TWA)
Aluminum Welding Fumes (as Al)
0.023 mg/m3
15 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Cadmium Fumes (as Cd)
ND <0.100 ug/m3
5 ug/m3 (PEL)**
Cobalt, Metal, Fume, Dust
ND <0.0001 mg/m3
0.1 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Chromium, Metal & Insol
0.0094 mg/m3
1 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Copper Fume (as Cu)
<= 0.0014 mg/m3
0.1 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Iron Oxide Fume (as Fe)
0.091 mg/m3
10 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Magnesium Oxide Fume
0.008 mg/m3
15 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Manganese Fume (as Mn)
0.010 mg/m3
5 mg/m3 (Ceiling)*
Molybdenum (Insolubles)
<= 0.001 mg/m3
15 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Nickel, Metal, Insoluble
0.0085 mg/m3
1 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Lead, Inorganic Fume and Dust
ND <0.001 mg/m3
50 ug/m3 (PEL)***
Zinc Oxide Fume
0.004 mg/m3
15 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Total Particulates
0.437 mg/m3
15 mg/m3 (PEL)*
Air samples were collected using Gilian GilAir pumps and 2 Piece Polyvinylchloride (PVC) filter 5 micron. Pumps were pre and post calibrated using a Gilian Gilibrator Bubblemeter. The Wisconsin Occupational Health Laboratory analyzed the sample media.
PEL= Permissible Exposure
TWA= Time Weighted Average
ND = Not Detectable
* 29 CFR 1910.1000
** 29 CFR 1910.1027
*** 29 CFR 1910.1025
I hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Is it an OSHA violation to have exposed wires on the "ground" connector of an arc welding lead?
dear cynthia,
the photo you've shown me is of an electrode lead. if that is what you're citing, you are extremely correct to do so. however, if what you're citing is the work lead--that is, the end that is not supposed to hold the electrode--you are still correct to cite the exposed wires.
why?
well, i believe in .252 (a) (xiii) (or somewhere around there) there is a requirement for the employer to keep the equipment in "proper" working order and in a safe condition. this means that the insulation on the work lead shall flush with the connection point. this is also supported in subpart S.
so, what's the danger?
well, an exposed conductor is apt to birdcage or stress break or corrode via electrolysis. this increases the resistance of the worklead and causes both the electrode and work lead cables to overheat. one constructs the following scenario.
if the worklead breaks and moves the circuit path from the work, say to the floor, the welder potentially becomes part of the circuit. one should eschew, and look upon with utter disdain, being a part of an electrical circuit, as it is not conducive to a long life. (besides, it will likely cause one to dance the funky chicken.) you may quote me on this.
kris
(Thanks to Kris Bancroft for his expert assistance in answering this question.)