Toxic workplace

Land Acidification potential Photochemical ozone creation potential Human toxicity Eco-toxicity Workplace hazards etc. Index metrics Eco-indicator 99 [37] GSK s FLASC score [38] BASF s eco-efficiency fingerprint [39]... 

Toil and Toxics Workplace Struggles and Politkal Strategies for Oca ational Sefety and Health. Berteley University of California Ptess. 

E. E. Jones, Toxic Organic Vapors in the Workplace, Global, Denver, Colo., 1994. 

Toxicity Data on Af- Vinyl-2-Pyrrolidinone. Results of a chronic inhalation study in rats warrant a review of industrial hygiene practices to assure that VP vapor concentrations are maintained at a safe level. One of the manufacturers, ISP, recommends that an appropriate workplace exposure limit be set at 0.1 ppm (vapor) (9). Additionally, normal hygienic practices and precautions are recommended, such as prompt removal from skin and avoidance of ingestion. In case of accidental eye contact, immediately flush with water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Refer to the manufacturers Material Safety Data Sheets for more detailed information. Table 3 provides some toxicity data. 

BTX processing has come under steadily increasing pressure to reduce emissions and workplace exposures (see Industrial hygiene). Reductions in the permissible levels of both benzene and total aromatics (BTX) in gasoline have been legislated. Whereas all BTX components ate to be controUed, the main focus is on benzene because it is considerably mote toxic than the others and is classified as a known carcinogen (42). 

In recent years, the use of solvent-borne adhesives has been seriously restricted. Solvents are, in general, volatile, flammable and toxic. Further, solvent may react with other airborne contaminants contributing to smog formation and workplace exposure. These arguments have limited the use of solvent-bome adhesives by different national and European regulations. Although solvent recovery systems and afterburners can be effectively attached to ventilation equipment, many factories are switching to the use of water-borne rubber adhesives, hot melts or 100% solids reactive systems, often at the expense of product performance or labour efficiency. 

Congress passed the Occupational and Safety Health Act to ensure worker and workplace safety. Their goal was to make sure employers provide their workers a place of employment free from recognized hazards to safety and health, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions. In order to establish standards for workplace health and safety, the Act also created the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as the research institution for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA is a division of the U.S. Department of Labor which oversees the administration of the Act and enforces Federal standards in all 50 states. 

The hazards of chemicals are commonly detected in the workplace first, because exposure levels there are higher than in the general environment. In addition, the exposed population is well known, which allows early detection of the association between deleterious health effects and the exposure. The toxic effects of some chemicals, such as mercury compounds and soot, have been known already for centuries. Already at the end of the eighteenth century, small boys who were employed to climb up the inside of chimneys to clean them suffered from a cancer of the scrotum due to exposure to soot. This was the first occupational cancer ever identified. In the viscose industry, exposure to carbon disulfide was already known to cause psychoses among exposed workers during the nineteenth century. As late as the 1970s, vinyl chloride was found to induce angiosarcoma of the liver, a tumor that was practically unknown in ocher instances. ... 

Many very hazardous solvents, such as benzene and carbon tetrachloride, were widely used until the 1970s. The situation was very similar for the use of pesticides. Among the toxic pesticides that were still in wide use 20 years ago were chlorophenols, DDT, lindane, and arsenic salts, all of which are classified as human carcinogens as well as being acutely toxic. Fortunately, use of these kinds of very toxic chemicals is now limited in the industrialized world. However, because the number of chemicals used in various industries continues to increase, the risks of long-term health hazards due to long-term exposure to low concentrations of chemicals continues to be a problem in the workplace. 

Another difficulty comes from the consideration of the route of entry (sf the contaminant, as chemicals can enter the body by various routes and the human body responds to the action of a toxic agent primarily on the basis of the rate and route of exposure. Without any doubt, the most important route of exposure at the workplace is inhalation, and this should be the route used to set OELs. However, if there is a threat of significant exposure by other routes, such as cutaneously (including mucous membranes and the eyes), either by contact with vapors or by direct skin contact w ith the substance, additional recommendations may be necessary. 

Certainly, some workplace operations involving highly toxic and/or valuable materials can be controlled more effectively by LVHV ventilation than by conventional local exhaust ventilation. These situations represent opportunities to improve worker protection, recover valuable materials, and to reduce replacement air requirements. Designers of local exhaust ventilation systems should be mindful of such opportunities and take advantage of LVHV control methods. 

Air cleaning (dust collection) can be cost effective for LVHV systems handling valuable dusts. Care must be taken when handling potentially toxic dusts from air cleaners. Regular, routine reconditioning of fabric filters (e.g., by automatic shaking or pneumatic pulsing) is impottant. This can be accomplished on a set maintenance schedule or as a function of pressure drop across the fabric filter. It is not recommended to recirculate airflow back to the workplace because of the low air volume and potential hazards in the event of filter failures. 

Professional society of persons conducting research in occupational safety and health or responsible for implementing industrial hygiene programs in governmental and industrial organizations. Establishes exposure limits for toxic chemicals used in the workplace. 

Human health effects of operations. This requires assessment of such things as workplace exposures effects of exposure to air toxics, contaminated drinking water and soil and exposures during product use, misuse, and disposal. 

With the increasing use of polymers in both the home and the workplace, there seems to have been a change in the nature of fires. Fire brigades now report fires that are shorter and more intense than previously there is also much more smoke and significantly greater amounts of toxic gases. All of these arise from the nature of the polymers being used in everyday life. 

CHEMpendium regularly updated information on the transport of hazardous materials, chemical toxicity, industrial chemicals and environmental contaminants, workplace safety, regulatory compliance, WHMIS and Right-to-Know, Canada s DLS and NDSL, Emergency response. 

EPA has established that hydrogen sulfide is a regulated toxic substance and is a hazardous substance as defined under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. OSH A has established an acceptable ceiling concentration of 20 parts per million (ppm) for hydrogen sulfide in the workplace, with a maximum level of 50 ppm allowed for 10 minutes maximum duration if no other measurable exposure occurs. NIOSH has set a maximum Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) ceiling value (10 minutes) of 10 ppm. A complete listing of federal and state regulations and recommendations are found in Chapter 7. 

Acute-Duration Exposure. Information is available regarding the effects of acute-duration inhalation exposure of humans to acrylonitrile and the effects are characteristic of cyanide-type toxicity. Quantitative data are limited but are sufficient to derive an acute inhalation MRL. Further studies of humans exposed to low levels of acrylonitrile in the workplace would increase the confidence of the acute MRL. Studies in animals support and confirm these findings. No studies are available on the effects of acute-duration oral exposure in humans however, exposure to acrylonitrile reveals neurological disturbances characteristic of cyanide-type toxicity and lethal effects in rats and mice. Rats also develop birth defects. Animal data are sufficient to derive an acute oral MRL. Additional studies employing other species and various dose levels would be useful in confirming target tissues and determining thresholds for these effects. In humans, acrylonitrile causes irritation of the skin and eyes. No data are available on acute dermal exposures in animals. 

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