Screening potential hazards

In the first step, a screening process will be applied to separate the major potential hazards these will be addressed in more detail. QRA techniques are used to evaluate the extent of the risk arising from hazards with the potential to cause major accidents, based on the prediction of the likelihood and magnitude of the event. This assessment will be based on engineering judgement and statistics of previous performance. Where necessary, risk reduction measures will be applied until the level of risk is acceptable. This of course is an emotive subject, since it implies placing a value on human life. 

The contractor at Site H had established area and personnel sampling consistent with HAZWOPER requirements. A photo ionization detector (PID) and a real-time aerosol monitor (RAM) were used on a daily basis to screen for potentially hazardous levels of contaminants. On a weekly basis, personal air samples were collected and submitted for laboratory analysis. PPE requirements, however, were often not based on this data because the oversight agency had established inflexible minimum PPE requirements. The audit team found many of the PPE requirements on Site H to be excessive in light of site monitoring data and hazard determinations. 

Under contract to the Systems and Strategy Development Division of the OAQPS/EPA, Systems Applications developed and applied modeling methods for the estimation of human exposure and dosage from airborne materials. The model is intended for a screening analysis of the impacts of chemicals under EPA review as potentially hazardous by the definitions of the NESHAPS program. 

In Figure 2.3, the starting point (Box 2) is the compilation of the potential hazardous properties resulting from the theoretical evaluations. On the basis of this information, together with data obtained in the screening tests, it can be determined whether or not the substance is an energetic one. In general, a... 

The evaluation of hazards in a process starts at the initial screening of the process parameters. Several technical issues that will need more attention will arise from this screening procedure. Hazard evaluation procedures, however, are no substitutes for engineering codes of practice and for design standards, but are used as supplementary ideas and concepts. A prerequisite for any process hazard evaluation is a full knowledge of the chemistry of the process (including potential unwanted side reactions) with supporting data. 

The use of screens in environmental assessment and occupational health is fairly straightforward. On the occupational side, the concerns (as addressed in Chapter 11 of this volume) address the potential hazards to those involved in making the bulk drug. The need to address potential environmental concerns covers both true environmental items (aquatic toxicity, etc.) and potential health concerns for environmental exposures of individuals. The resulting work tends to be either regulatorily defined tests (for aquatic toxicity) or defined endpoints such as dermal irritation and sensitization, which have been (in a sense) screened for already in other nonspecific tests. 

The process safety assessment module screens potential chemical substitutes to determine if they could potentially pose a safety hazard in the workplace. 

Drying of Solventless Double-Base Propellants. Since the manuf of solventless double-base proplnts is potentially hazardous, particularly rolling, drying, extruding machine operations, all such opns are performed by remote control. Following the final mixing, wringing screen opns, the water-wet paste is preheated to 90°F and fed by remote control into differential rollers in sufficient quantity to make two sheets. Hot water or steam is used to control... 

Horizontal-flow cabinets are satisfactory for aseptic manipulations such as media preparation where potentially hazardous aerosols are not generated. In these the filtered air enters through the back of the cabinet and leaves through the front. A horizontal-flow cabinet is a miniaseptic room which is much easier and cheaper to maintain than a walk-in aseptic room. In addition, it has the advantage that the worker is not confined within a small room which may become extremely hot and stuffy and, secondly, that the worker s head is separated from the cultures by a perspex screen thus further reducing the chance of contamination. 

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