Health, Safety & Environment (CBB 2012)

TOPIC DATE

: DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAZARDS : 10 AUGUST 2010, WEDNESDAY

LECTURE 7.4 : INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE

Contents and Outcomes

Able to
Define Industrial hygiene & scope of IH Quote the relevant OSH regulations Describe hazards of toxic materials, doseresponse relationship and define different types exposure/measurement Identify entry of routes for toxic material Define sick-building syndrome and confined space

What is Industrial Hygiene?

Industrial Hygiene Industrial safety
and health specialty

Concerned with predicting, recognising,

assessing, controlling, and preventing environmental stressors in the workplace that can cause sickness or serious discomfort to workers.

Environmental Stressors
An environmental stressor is any factor in the
workplace that can cause enough discomfort to result in lost time or illness. Examples:
Hazardous Substances: gases, fumes, vapors, dusts, oxidizers, acids, caustics, etc.

Harmful Physical Agents hazards such as noise, vibration, temperature, radiation

Infectious Agents hazards such as TB, HIV, HBV, and other diseases carried in bodily fluids. Ergonomic hazards Others: mold, fungus, animal feces, bugs

IH Scope - Assessment
Identify potential exposure hazardous
substances
Labels or MSDS Process design, ventilation, altered chemicals, migrant vapors/fumes/dust

Spot test dosimeter tubes, monitoring equipment

IH Scope - Control/Prevention Strategies

Eliminate: isolation/ventilation or
replacement of hazardous substance Guard: ventilation/dilution, PPE, rotate employees Training: task, method, avoidance Warning: MSDS, signage, chemical labels

IH Scope - Monitoring
Plan for greatest or representative
personal sample by individual/job/task/time Take multiple (short) samples to ensure quality of monitoring (look for spikes) Take ambient measures to support personal results Get samples analyzed, calculate exposure

Related Regulations
Occupational
Safety and Health (Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Hazardous Chemicals) Regulations 1997

Occupational Safety and Health (Use and

Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2000

Occupational Safety and Health (Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Hazardous Chemicals) Regulations 1997

Classification - suppliers responsibility to

classify hazardous chemicals according to the specific nature of the risk involved. Packaging - safe packaging (material, fastening and seal) Labelling - clear (name of chemical, supplier and symbol)

Symbols

Occupational Safety and Health (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2000

Employer identify and record all chemicals

hazardous to health Employer shall ensure that the exposure is within limit Employer is responsible to prepare a exposure control action plan Labelling, training, health surveillance, medical and warning signs

Chemical Hazards - Material Safety Data Sheets

MSDS - special sheets that summarise all pertinent information about a specific chemical. Designed to provide workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance Manufacturer's name, address, and telephone number List of hazardous ingredients Physical/chemical characteristics Fire and explosion hazard information Reactivity information Health hazard communication Safety precautions for handling Recommended control procedures

Material Safety Data Sheets

MSDS must contain specific information in eight categories: Section I: General information Section II: Hazardous ingredients Section III: Physical and chemical characteristics Section IV: Fire and explosive hazard data Section V: Reactivity data Section VI: Health hazards Section VII: Safe handling and use Section VIII: Control measures

Toxic Materials
People are exposed to a variety of substances every day in the home and at work - paints, paint remover, detergent, cleaning solvents, antifreeze, and motor oil. Many of the substances we interact with are not dangerous in small quantities or limited amounts.

Hazards of Toxic Materials

A toxic substance is one that has a negative effect on the health of a person or animal. Toxic effects are a function of several factors:

properties of the substance amount of the dose level of exposure route of entry resistance of the individual to the
substance

Relationship of Doses and Response

A major goal of health and safety research, and
industrial hygiene is to understand the relationship between the dose of a substance and the human response
Dose - can be amount per unit body weight (g/kg) Dose threshold - minimum dose to produce a measurable effect Lethal dose (LD) - a dose that is highly likely to cause death Lethal concentration (LC) - inhaled concentration is very likely to cause death

Level of Exposure (Measurement of Toxicity)

Setting a standard level of effect is difficult since people vary in sensitivity. Exposure Ceiling concentration level of a given substance that should not be exceeded at any point during an exposure period Emergency Exposure Limit (EEL): approximate length of time a person might remain without ill effect in an atmosphere contaminated with specific concentration of toxic gases.

Level of Exposure (Measurement of Toxicity)

Threshold Limit Values (TLVs): average concentration
of toxic agents that can be tolerated during exposure for a 40-hour week Time Weighted Average (TWA): average concentration of substance to which employees may be safely exposed over an 8 hr workday or a 40 hr work week Short-term Exposure Limit (STL): maximum concentration of substance to which employees may be safely exposed for up to 15 minutes without suffering irritation, chronic or irreversible tissue change

Entry Points for Toxic Agents

Inhalation Skin absorption Injection Ingestion

Entry Points - Inhalation

Inhalation (through respiratory system)
Major route of entry The amount of a toxic substance that can be inhaled depends on: Concentration of the substance Duration of exposure Breathing volume

Entry Points - Absorption

Absorption (through skin)
Corrosives - acids and alkalis progressive burns Dermatitis - removal of the oils from the skin Eye Damage - most damaging, because of sensitivity Rates depends - temperature, body site, molecular size, degree of ionisation, lipid solubility and aqueous solubility

Entry Points - Ingestion & Injection

Ingestion (intestinal track) - not a major
concern in industrial setting Gastrointestinal Absorption- substance is ingested unknowingly. Washing hands prior to eating is an important means of preventing accidental poisoning Direct Injection (needle and syringe) Not often a route entry Introduce in experiments involving animals

Effects of Toxic Materials

Acute effects/exposures
Sudden dose of a highly concentrated substance Effect can be severe Typically just one accident Cause immediate health problems

Chronic effects/exposures
Limited continual exposure over time Health problems develop slowly Limited concentration Progressive accumulation Little or no awareness of exposures

Airborne Contaminants

Dusts - solid particles Fumes - welding, heat treating Smoke - incomplete combustion Aerosols - very small liquid or solid particles Mists - tiny liquid droplets Gases - formless fluids Vapours - solid or liquid at room temperature turn to vapours when heated Toxic Substances

Effects of Airborne Toxics

Narcotics/ Anesthetics

Asphyxiants

Irritants

Effects of Airborne Toxics

Irritants: irritation to skin, eyes and the inner lining of the nose, mouth, throat and upper respiratory tract Asphyxiants: substance that can disrupt breathing so severely that suffocation can result Narcotics/Anesthetics: high dose can cause unconsciousness and even death

Ventilation and The Sick-Building Syndrome

Sick building makes people sick because it
has become infested with mould, fungi, spores and other airborne microorganisms

Health problems commonly associated

with poor indoor air quality include allergic reactions, respiratory problems, eye irritation, bronchitis etc.

Sick Building Syndrome Remedy

A key to prevent and eliminate sick building
syndrome - air exchange Important factors in a buildings ability to eliminate contaminated air and bring in fresh air are
ventilation air infiltration rates airflow rates in ducts airflow patterns fume exhaust

Confined Space
A confined space has limited or restricted means of entry or exit, is large enough for an employee to enter and perform assigned work, and is not designed for continuous occupancy by the employee. These spaces may include, but are not limited to, underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, pits and diked areas, vessels, and silos.

Confined Space Hazards

Why is confined space hazardous?

It is their potential to trap toxic and/or

explosive vapours and gases (hazardous atmosphere. Definition by OSHA on hazardous atmosphere: flammable gas, vapour or mist in excess of its lower flammable limit

Flammable Limits (Fire Hazards)

LFL - Lower Flammable Limit is the lowest
concentration of a gas or a vapour that can generate a flame when in presence of a sufficient ignition source.

UFL - Upper Flammable Limit is the

highest concentration that can propagate a flame.

Flammable/explosive Range for Vapours and Gases

100% Air LFL AIR
UFL

0% Air

Flammable/ explosive range

0% Gas GAS

100% Gas

Confined Space Hazards Permit

A permit-required confined space is one that meets the definition of a confined space and has one or more of these characteristics:
(1) contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere, (2) contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant, (3) has an internal configuration that might cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly

Entry to Confined Space Steps

Shut down equipment/power Test the atmosphere Ventilate the space Have a rescue personnel stand by Maintain communication Use a lifeline

Hazard Recognition and Evaluation

The degree and nature of the hazard must
be understood before effective hazard control procedures can be developed. Hazard evaluation
nature of material involved intensity of the exposure duration of the exposure

Prevention and Control

Most prevention and control strategies can be placed in on of the following four categories: Engineering controls
Less hazardous material, redesign a process, isolate hazardous process

Ventilation
Exhaust ventilation, dilution ventilation

Personal protective equipment

Last resort; safety goggles, face shields, gloves, boots and respirators

Administrative controls
Rotating schedules, work shifts, required breaks

Good housekeeping Self-protection strategies