Workplace NIOSH guidelines

The federal government is concerned about the amount of hexachloroethane that you are exposed to in the environment. The government has established standards and guidelines to prevent you from being overexposed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a limit of 1 part per million (ppm) for the hexachloroethane in workplace air over an 8-hour workday. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) considers hexachloroethane as a potential occupational carcinogen (can cause cancer) and recommends 1 ppm in air as a tolerance value. 

OSHA sets levels of cyanide that are allowable in workplace air. The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for cyanide salts is 5 milligrams of cyanide per cubic meter of air (mg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour workday and 40-hour workweek. NIOSH sets guidelines for chemicals in workplace air. Their recommended exposure limit (REL) for workers for 10 minutes is 5 mg/m3 for calcium cyanide, hydrogen cyanide, potassium cyanide, and sodium cyanide. 

One of the best ways to determine that potential is to examine the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which by law in most jurisdictions must be provided by the manufacturer for any hazardous material used in the workplace and made available to the employees by plant management. The MSDS provides all the information necessary to determine the hazard potential and the requirements for control of any hazardous substance. Still other information can be found in the various guidelines published by the American Industrial Health Association, or by the U.S. National Safety Council, or by NIOSH (the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) or various other national, state, or provincial government bodies. (See Appendix II for information on sources.) Once you have an inventory, of course, you can start relating potential health problems to possible sources in particular areas. Also, in the process of preparing this report, you will begin to build an invaluable library that will stand you in good stead for further consideration of the problems at hand. 

EXPOSURE GUIDELINES ACGIH TLV TWA SOppm ACGIH TLV STEL 200 ppm OSHA PEL TWA 100 ppm OSHA PEL CL 200 ppm NIOSH REL TWA minimize workplace exposure IDLH 150 ppm. 

EXPOSURE GUIDELINES Threshold Limit Value (TLV/TWA) not established OSHA PEL none NIOSH REL none IDLH not determined AIHA Workplace Environmental Exposure Level 0.5 mg/m (TWA). 

OSHA limits the amount of tetrachloroethylene that can be present in workroom air. This amount is limited to 100 ppm for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek. NIOSH recommends that tetrachloroethylene be handled as a chemical that might potentially cause cancer and states that levels of the chemical in workplace air should be as low as possible. For more information on regulations and guidelines to protect human health, see Chapter 7. 

While acknowledging that more research is necessary in almost every aspect touching workplace safety, NIOSH has published some general guidelines for companies working with nanoscale materials (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006). These recommendations should be of prime concern to attorneys and EHS specialists advising their clients in the area. NIOSH s sjjecific recommendations include... 

Other specific tools can help analyze the workplace. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has voluntary and advisory guidelines relating to workplace violence, stress reduction, conflict resolution, risk assessment, and health issues related to this hazard. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has similar resources available. Many other private organizations will provide information and leads to professionals who practice the services needed. Of course, all of these organizations should be used throughout the process of developing and implementing the plan. 

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