Occupational Health Standards

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Occupational Health Standards

• Industrial Hygiene
• IENG 341
• Carter J. Kerk
• Industrial Engineering Department
• SD Tech
• Spring 2006

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Reading Assignment

• Nims, Chapter 3

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Introduction

• Hazardous substances have been recognized as
  causing illness for more than 2000 years
• 1833, Factory Acts (England)
• Restricting employment of children in textile
  mills
• 1908, first US workers compensation laws
• 1936, Walsh-Healy Act provided some protection
  for those working for government contractors
• 1969, Federal Coal Mine Health Safety Act
• 1970, Occupational Safety Health Act
• www.osha.gov

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Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

• Preamble
• To assure safe and healthful working conditions
  for working men and women by authorizing
  enforcement of the standards developed under the
  Act by assisting and encouraging the States in
  their efforts to assure safe and healthful
  working conditions by providing for research,
  information, education, and training in the field
  of occupational safety and health and for other
  purposes.

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The OSHAct

• Created the Occupational Safety and Health
  Administration (OSHA)
• Located in the Department of Labor (Secretary of
  Labor, Elaine Chao)
• Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA (OSHA
  Director), John Henshaw (just resigned)
• Develop and enforce regulations aimed at
  protecting US workers
• Created the National Institute for Occupational
  Safety Health (NIOSH)
• Located in the Department of Health Human
  Services (Secretary of HHS, Tommy
  Thompson-resigned)
• NIOSH Director, John Howard
• Researcher and advisor to OSHA methods
  development for exposure sampling and analysis,
  respiratory protection, and issuance of
  recommended levels for exposure to hazardous
  substances

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General Duty ClauseSection 5 of the Act

• (a) Each employer
• (1) shall furnish to each of his employees
  employment and a place of employment which are
  free from recognized hazards that are causing or
  are likely to cause death or serious physical
  harm to his employees
• (2) shall comply with occupational safety and
  health standards promulgated under this Act.
• (b) Each employee shall comply with occupational
  safety and health standards and all rules,
  regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this
  Act which are applicable to his own actions and
  conduct.

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OSHA Standards

• Title 29 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations)
• Part 1904 Recordkeeping Reporting
  Occupational Injuries Illness
• Part 1910 Occupational Safety Health
  Standards (General Industry)
• See Appendix I of Nims
• Part 1926 Safety Health Regulations for
  Construction
• See Appendix II of Nims
• Other Important Safety Health Standards
• 40 CFR Environmental Protection Agency
• 49 CFR Department of Transportation

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Adoption ofConsensus Standards

• OSHA has on occasion adopted consensus standards,
  including when it first started (early 1970s)
• Consensus Standards
• Existing standards that are voluntarily being
  followed by industry typically these contain the
  minimum requirements for materials, procedures,
  and applications

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American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH)

• ACGIH has made significant contributions to
  chemical exposure standards
• ACGIH publishes threshold limit values (TLV)
• Often these TLVs lead to OSHA permissible
  exposure limits (PEL)
• www.acgih.org

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State Plan States

• States can choose to have their own state OSHA
  plan that meets or exceeds the OSHA standards
• States thus have more control and get 50 funding
  from Federal government to run the program

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State Plan States

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Hawaii
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Nevada

• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• Puerto Rico
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wyoming

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Special State Plan States

• Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Virgin
  Islands have plans that cover public employment
  only (state and local government)
• Be aware of how your state(s) operate

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Promulgation ofOSHA Standards

• A mixture of science and politics
• Proposal of a new standard
• Receive and evaluate recommendations from
  advisory committees and other interested parties,
  including NIOSH
• Notice of intended rulemaking published in the
  Federal Register
• Receive input through public comments / hearings
  (60-90 days)
• Final version of the standard is published in the
  Federal Register

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OSHA Standards

• It took the Confined Space Entry Regulation 12
  years to become finalized
• Emergency Temporary Standards
• Can be used if OSHA determines that workers are
  in grave danger due to exposure to a toxic
  substance or agent
• Can happen in less than 6 months
• Little used
• Appealing Standards
• Anyone adversely affected may file a petition for
  review of the standard in US Court of Appeals

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OSHA Standards Variances

• Temporary Variance
• Employer cannot comply because of unavailability
  of technical personnel, materials, equipment, or
  major construction
• Permanent Variance
• Employer has an alternative method, practice, or
  operation at least as safe as the standard
• Experimental Variance
• Employer is participating in an approved
  experiment to demonstrate or validate new safety
  and health techniques

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Exposure Limits

• For this chapter, mainly concerned with air
  quality values in the workplace
• Air concentration below which health hazards are
  unlikely to occur among most exposed workers
• Based on scientific studies (animal, human)
• Later chapters noise, electromagnetic fields,
  ionizing radiation, etc.

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Sources of Exposure Limits

• OSHA limits are the only ones enforceable as law
• Other sources
• NIOSH
• ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
• ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials)
• ACGIH
• AIHA

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Exposure Limit Terms

• TWA Time-Weighted Average
• 8 hour, 15 minute, 5 minute, instantaneous
• 8-Hr TWA (CxTx)(CnTn)/8
• Cx concentration measured during time interval
  Tx
• n total number of intervals measured
• Make sure time intervals in numerator match time
  in the denominator
• Concentrations
• Parts per million (ppm) gases, vapors
• Milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) solids
  (fumes, dusts, mists)

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OSHA PELs

• OSHA PELs are found in Tables Z-1 and Z-2 of
  29CFR1910 Subpart Z
• Posted on the course website
• Use these to look up substance-specific standards

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Example PELs (Table Z-1)
Substance PPM Mg/m3
Ammonia 50 35
Carbon Dioxide 5000 9000
Carbon Monoxide 50 55
Chlorine (C) 1 (C) 3
Notes PELs are 8-hr TWA unless otherwise noted.
C refers to ceiling limit
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Example Benzene PEL

• Table Z-2
• 8-hr TWA 10 ppm
• Acceptable ceiling concentration 25 ppm
• Acceptable max peak above acceptable ceiling
  concentration for an 8-hr shift 50 ppm for 10
  min
• See 29CFR1910.1028 for more specific standards on
  benzene

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Other OSHA Requirements

• Employee training on hazards associated with the
  agent
• Establish regulated areas to limit the number of
  employees exposed
• Use engineering and other controls to reduce or
  control the level of the agent
• Use PPE
• Medical surveillance of exposed workers
• Periodic measurement of exposure levels
• Recordkeeping of exposure and medical
  surveillance
• Written programs, policies, procedures to ensure
  compliance

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ACGIH TLVs

• Source of many OSHA PELs
• TLV/BEI Booklet, 40, www.acgih.com
• TLV Threshold Limit Value
• BEI Biological Exposure Limit

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IDLH

• Immediate Danger to Life and Health
• Poses a threat of exposure to airborne
  contaminants that is likely to cause
• death
• immediate or delayed permanent adverse health
  effects
• prevent escape
• See NIOSH CD

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Carcinogens

• Substances known to cause cancer
• NIOSH uses notation Ca
• OSHA addresses carcinogens through
  substance-specific regulations
• ACGIH uses a 5 category system
• A1 through A5 (see text for details, p. 63)

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Overall IH Program Components

• Exposure Limits
• Hazard Communication (HAZCOM)
• Respiratory Protection
• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
  (HAZWOPER)
• Confined Spaces
• Noise

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Hazard Communications Standard

• HAZCOM, 29 CFR 1910.1200
• Right to Know standard
• Identify and maintain a list of all hazardous
  materials
• Maintain MSDS in locations known and accessible
  to employees

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HAZCOM Cont.

• Train employees on
• safe use, handling, and storage of hazardous
  materials
• Health hazards associated
• Steps to protect their health
• Training on new hazards
• Proper labeling of containers and pipes
• Train employees on the regulation itself
• Prepare a written program that describes your
  compliance
• Keep records

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Respiratory Protection Standard

• 29 CFR 1910.134
• Assign responsibility for program
• Written procedures on selection, use and care of
  respirators
• Medical surveillance program
• Employee training on use, care and limitations of
  respirators
• Fit testing appropriate for contaminants

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Respiratory Std Cont.

• Procedures for cleaning, storing, maintaining,
  and inspecting respirators
• Periodic monitoring of contaminant levels
• Periodic review of the program for effectiveness

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HAZWOPER

• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
  Standard
• 29 CFR 1910.120 (1926.69 Construction)
• Ensure health and safety of workers at sites
  where hazardous materials have been either
  accidentally released or dumped or where they are
  treated, stored, or disposed of.

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Confined Space Standard

• 29 CFR 1910.146
• Confined Space
• Large enough to enter and perform work
• Limited or restricted means for entry or exit
• Not designed for human occupancy
• Study permit on p. 67

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Occupational Noise Exposure Standard

• 29 CFR 1910.95
• Chapter 9 of your text

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