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Un-health Work

Only if you let it!


You hold the Keys to Safety
Just pick them up and apply your
knowledge

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O H & S Legislation
• The purpose of the O H & S Act is to
“assure so far as possible every working,
man and woman in the nation safe and
healthful working conditions and to
preserve our human resources.”

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Routes of Entry

• Inhalation
– airborne contaminants
• Absorption
– penetration through the skin
• Ingestion
– eating
– drinking

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O H & S Hierarchy of Control
Engineering controls

Work practice controls

Administrative controls

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

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Types of Exposure
• Acute
– Short term period between exposure and onset of
symptoms
• Chronic
– Long time period between exposure to an agent
and the onset of symptoms

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Exposure Limits
Air Contaminants
• OH&S
– Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• NIOSH
– National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
• ACGIH
– American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists

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Exposure Limits
Air Contaminants

• OH&S
– PEL, STEL, Ceiling
• NIOSH
– TWA, STEL, Ceiling
• ACGIH
– TWA, STEL, Ceiling

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Exposure Limits
Air Contaminants

• TWA
– takes into account variable exposure through a full
shift, 8 hour work day
• STEL
– limit of exposure during a short period, 15 minutes
• CEILING
– absolute maximum level of exposure not to be
exceeded

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Exposure Limits
Air Contaminants
• Legally enforceable

– O H & S PEL

– O H & S AL (action level)

– O H & S EL (excursion limit)

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Silica
Special Emphasis Program (SEP)
• Special Emphasis Program--Silica
• O H & S’s Industrial Hygiene initiative
• Collaboration of O H & S Compliance and
Consultation Programs

SiO2
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Why Target Crystalline Silica
Exposure?
• Widespread occurrence and use
• Number of related deaths
• Number of exposed workers
• Health effects

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Occurrence and Use of Silica

• SiO2 - basic component of sand, quartz &


granite
• Quartz - 2nd most common mineral in the
earth’s crust
• Airborne silica is produced by:

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Occurrence and Use of Silica
• Airborne silica is
produced by:
– sandblasting
– rock drilling – tunneling jack hammering
– foundry work – concrete manufacturing
– stone cutting – demolition
– drilling – asphalt pavement
– quarrying manufacturing

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Construction Targeting

• jack hammering
• rock drilling
• abrasive blasting
• concrete mixing
• brick and concrete block or slab cutting

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Permissible Exposure Limit
(PEL) for Silica

10 mg/m3
= ? mg/m3
% Quartz +2

PEL for respirable dust


containing a % silica.
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Silicosis Prevention Program

• Medical surveillance program


– baseline examination
• medical and occupational history
• prior to exposure
– every 5 years if < 20 years of exposure
– every 2 years if > 20 years of exposure
– baseline chest x-ray
– pulmonary function tests (PFT)
– x-ray upon termination of employment

Source: O H & S SEP


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Silicosis Prevention Program
• Personal air monitoring program
• Training and information on crystalline silica
• Availability of air and medical surveillance data to
workers
• Respiratory protection program

Source: O H & S SEP


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Silicosis Prevention Program
• Hygiene facilities and clothing change areas
• Recordkeeping
• Personal exposures below the PEL OR facility has
an abatement program that provides interim
worker protection
• Housekeeping program
• Regulated areas

Source: O H & S SEP


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Health Effects
• Acute - intense crystalline silica exposure
• Accelerated - more intense exposure over 5 to
15 years
• Chronic - 20 to 45 years prolonged exposure
to crystalline silica

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Common Hazard

• Abrasive blasting

• Paint removal

• Renovation & demolition

• Road repair

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Exposure Controls
Substitution

• Coal slag (black beauty)


• Steel grit
• Aluminum oxide
• Wild stuff (frozen CO2, walnut
shells, baking soda

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Exposure Controls
Wet Methods
• Water suppression of dust
• Very effective method
• May be less efficient
• Requires supply of water and clean up
• Power tools with HEPA exhaust

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Examples in a Large World

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Cadmium

• Blue-white metal
• Grayish-white powder
• Found in lead, copper, and zinc sulfide ores
• Compounds
– highly colored from brown to yellow and red

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Cadmium

• Uses
– electrode component in alkaline batteries
– stabilizer in plastics
– paints

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Cadmium

• Short term exposure


– irritation of upper respiratory tract
– constriction of the throat
– metallic taste
– cough
– flu-like symptoms

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Cadmium

• Long term exposure


– kidney damage
– lung cancer
– prostate cancer

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Scope
• All occupational exposure to cadmium
compounds
– in all construction work
• construction
• alteration
• repair

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01/12/100
Covered Activities

• Wrecking • Electrical grounding


• Demolition w/cadmium
• Salvage • Installation of
• Use of cadmium cadmium products
containing paints • Emergencies
• cutting, brazing, • Transportation,
burning, grinding or disposal, and storage
welding

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01/12/100
Definitions
• Action level (AL)
– 2.5 g/m3
• Competent person (29 CFR 1926.32)
– determines presents of cadmium
– regulated areas
– access
– PPE
– training

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01/12/100
Permissible
Exposure Limit

PEL = 5 g/m3

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01/12/100
Exposure Monitoring
• Prior to performance
• Exposure at or above the AL
– relevant plans
– reports
– MSDSs
– other records
• Frequency
• Additional monitoring
?
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01/12/100
Initial Monitoring
• As soon as practicable
• Higher concentrations
– monitor while conducting task
• Objective data
• Documentation
– > 5 g/m3
– < 5 g/m3

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01/12/100
Prohibited Activities
• Eating
• Drinking
• Smoking
• Chew tobacco
• Apply cosmetics
OR
carry such products into regulated areas

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01/12/100
Methods of Compliance
• Intermittent exposure
• Exposure < 30 days per year
• Engineering and work practice controls are
not feasible
– reduce exposure to lowest level
– PPE

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01/12/100
Methods of Compliance

Employee
Rotation
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Compliance Program
• Exposure > PEL
• Written program
• Review and update as necessary

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01/12/100
Other Requirements
• Hygiene areas and practices
• Housekeeping
• Medical Surveillance
– 30 or more days > action level
– Communicating hazards
– Recordkeeping

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01/12/100
Lead in
Construction Standard
• SCOPE AND APPLICATION
– Applies to all construction work where an
employee may be occupationally exposed to
lead.
– Excludes construction work covered in the
general industry standard.

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Lead in
Construction Standard
• Applies to:
– Demolition
– Removal and – Lead contamination/
Encapsulation emergency cleanup
– New construction, – Transportation,
alteration, repair, or disposal, storage
renovation – Maintenance
– Installation of products operations associated
containing lead with construction

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Selected Definitions

• LEAD
– Metallic lead
– All inorganic lead compounds
– Organic lead soaps

~ Excludes organic lead compounds. ~

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Selected Definitions

• COMPETENT PERSON
• ACTION LEVEL (AL)
– 30 g/m3

• PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMIT (PEL)


– 50 g/m3

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Selected Definitions

• ALLOWABLE EXPOSURE (in


g/m3)

400

# hours worked

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Selected Definitions

• INITIAL DETERMINATION
– To determine whether employees are exposed
at above the action level
– May rely on historical data
– May rely on objective data

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Exposure Assessment
Lead in Construction

• INITIAL DETERMINATION
– TASK 1 TRIGGERS:
• Exposure up to 500 g/m3 (10 x the
PEL)
• Activities include:
– manual demolition of structures, hand scrapping or
sanding, heat guns, power tool cleaning with dust
collection systems, spray painting

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Exposure Assessment
Lead in Construction

• INITIAL DETERMINATION
– TASK 2 TRIGGERS:
• Exposure up to 2,500 g/m3 (>10 x the
PEL, but less than 2,500 g/m3 )
• Activities include:
– using lead containing mortar, cleanup where dry
expendable abrasives are used, rivet busting, power tool
cleaning without dust collection systems,
movement/removal of enclosures

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Exposure Assessment
Lead in Construction

• INITIAL DETERMINATION
– TASK 3 TRIGGERS:
• Exposure > 2,500 g/m3 (>50 x the PEL)
• Activities include:
– abrasive blasting, welding, cutting, torch burning

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Exposure Assessment
Lead in Construction
• POSITIVE INITIAL DETERMINATION
– Exposure at or above the action level and below
the PEL
• Conduct monitoring representative of each exposed
employee
– May use historical data
– Additional monitoring - every 6 months
– Document

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Exposure Assessment
Lead in Construction
• POSITIVE INITIAL DETERMINATION
– Exposure at or above the PEL
• Conduct monitoring representative of each exposed
employee
– May use historical data
– Additional monitoring - quarterly
– Document

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Exposure Assessment
Lead in Construction

• NEGATIVE INITIAL DETERMINATION


– No exposure at or above the action level

– Additional monitoring is not required unless


there is a change in:
– equipment, process, control, personnel or task resulting
in levels at or above the action level

– Document
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Methods Of Compliance
Lead in Construction

• Engineering Controls
• Respiratory protection
• Compliance program
• Mechanical ventilation
• Administrative controls
• Good work practices
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Respiratory Protection
Lead in Construction

• REQUIRED:
 While engineering and work practice controls are
being installed or implemented
 During activities when engineering and work
practice controls are not feasible
 Where engineering and work practice controls are
not feasible to reduce exposures below PEL/AL
 In emergencies

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Respiratory Protection
Lead in Construction

• Must be provided whenever an employee requests


a respirator.
• Must provide a PAPR whenever an employee
requests one and it is protective against the level of
exposure.

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Exposure > PEL
Lead in Construction
• Respiratory protection
• Personal protective equipment
• Change rooms
• Showers (where feasible in construction)
• Eating facilities
• Hand washing facilities

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Housekeeping
Lead in Construction

• Maintain surfaces as free as practicable of


lead accumulation.

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Medical Surveillance
Lead in Construction

• INITIAL MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE


– Exposure > AL one day

• MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM


– Exposure > AL for more than 30 days per year

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Medical Removal
Lead in Construction

• Two blood lead levels > 50 g/dL

• Return - < 40 g/dL

• Benefits

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Employee Training
Lead in Construction

• EXPOSURE > AL

• ANNUALLY

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Recordkeeping
Lead in Construction

• EXPOSURE DATA
– At least 30 years

• MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE
– Duration of employment plus 30 years

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Recordkeeping
Lead in Construction

• MEDICAL REMOVAL
– At least duration of employment

• OBJECTIVE DATA
– 30 years

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So are you
• So are you picking up the keys or are still
hunting for the set
• Can you fully apply the skills of your trade or
do you have to stumble around in the dark
• ARE YOU AFRAID TO ASK THE QUESTIONS LIKE
• I DONT KNOW CAN YOU SHOW ME

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