Protection, personal

The following personal safety equipment is covered in this chapter  

Because personal protection is limited to the user and the equipment must be worn for the duration of the exposure to the hazard, it should generally be considered as a last line of defence. Respiratory protection in particular should be restricted to hazardous situations of short duration (e.g. emergencies, maintenance, or temporary arrangements while engineering control measures are being introduced). Occasionally, personal protection may be the only practicable measure and indeed even a legal requirement. If it is to be effective, its selection, correct use and condition are of paramount importance. 

Recommendations for the selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment are provided in the UK by BS 4275 1974. The two basic principles are  

If the oxygen content of the contaminated air is deficient (refer to page 43), breathing apparatus is essential. The degree of protection required is determined by the level of contamination, the hygiene standard for the contaminant(s), the efficiency of any filter or adsorber available, and the efficiency with which the facepiece of the device seals to the user s face (this is reduced by beards, spectacles etc.). The level of comfort and user acceptability are further considerations. 

The nominal protection factor (NPF) describes the level of protection afforded by a specific respirator  

Concentration of contaminant in air Concentration of contaminant inside facepiece 

Cleanliness comes very close to godliness in the laboratory. A worker always washes hands before eating or smoking, and many times in between. One thoughtful laboratory operator placed bottles of liquid skin cleanser and hand lotion next to all sinks. Apart from personal cleanliness, there are other important forms of protection for the worker. Most notable among these is eye protection. 

Any injuries or cases of illness treated should be recorded. The minimum details are  

---

The health and safety issues outlined herein for particleboard also apply to MDE. A special note should be made of the fact that, because the MDF raw material is of dry fiber base, there exists in MDF a large component of very small, broken, dust-like wood fibers. These contribute to the dust concerns in the manufacturing areas, requiring exceUent dust-control systems, good housekeeping, and personal protection. 

Safe handling practices are essential at all stages of production, from the laboratory to the manufacturing operations. The safety committee should inspect and advise on processing equipment and be responsible for providing personal protection, eye wash fountains, safety showers, etc. 

AH operations producing dust require the usual measures to prevent dust in the atmosphere exceeding the allowable daily concentration. If this is not feasible, personal protection devices should be used. Especially when hydroquinone is present as a powder, adequate eye protection should be provided. 

Options. Traditional control options for overexposure are material substitution, process change, containment, enclosure, isolation, source reduction, ventilation, provide personal protection, change work practices, and improve housekeeping. A simple way of looking at selection of control options is to find the cheapest option that results in the desired amount of exposure reduction. It is not actually that simple, however, because the various options differ in ways other than cost and degree of control. Some of the other factors to consider in selection of control options are operabiUty, rehabiUty, and acceptabihty. 

In view of the above, aniline should be handled in areas with adequate ventilation and skin exposure should be avoided by wearing the proper safety equipment. Recommended personal protective equipment includes hard hat with brim, chemical safety goggles, hiU length face shield, mbber gaundet gloves, mbber apron, and mbber safety shoes or mbber boots worn over leather shoes. 

Included ia the OSHA regulations are standards for safe work practices such as lock-out/tag-out and confined space entry, personal protective equipment, storage of hazardous materials, welding process, forklift operation, and requirements for fire protection. Basically, all activities within a chemical facihty are covered by OSHA standards. 

Occupational Safety and Health. OSHA has set no specific limits for sodium and potassium sibcates (88). A pmdent industrial exposure standard could range from the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for inert or nuisance particulates to the PEL for sodium hydroxide, depending on the rate of dissolution and the concentration of airborne material. Material safety data sheets issued by siUcate producers should be consulted for specific handling precautions, recommended personal protective equipment, and other important safety information. 

The adopted values for TWAs for airborne vanadium, including oxide and metal dusts of vanadium, is 0.5 mg/m the values for fumes of vanadium compounds is 0.05 mg/m. These limits are for normal 8-h workday and 40-h work-week exposures. The short-term exposure limit (STEL) is 1.5 mg/m for dusts (25). A description of health ha2ards, including symptoms, first aid, and organ involvement, personal protection, and respirator use has beenpubhshed (26). 

Personal Protective Equipment. Personal protective and emergency safety equipment should not be reHed on as the primary protection from aHyl chloride. Prevention of exposure should be considered the preferred precautionary measure. Where the exposure guideline may be gready exceeded, an approved positive-pressure air suppHed or self-contained breathing apparatus with fuH facepiece should be used (51). 

Tests have shown that citric acid is not corrosive to skin but is a skin and ocular irritant (50). Eor these reasons it is recommended that individuals use appropriate personal protection to cover the hands, skin, eyes, nose, and mouth when in direct contact with citric acid solutions or powders. 

Emergency response On-site communications Emergency shutdown equipment and procedures Site evacuation Safe havens Personal protective equipment Medical treatment On-site emergency plans, procedures, training, aud drills... 

Use personal protective equipment Provide sufficient bottled air/SCBA Develop emergency response procedures Develop appropriate evacuation plans... 

---