Chapters 1,2,3 Safety

The National Water Quality Standards

- All United States waters shall be fishable and swimmable - No discharge of toxic pollutants in toxic quantities will be allowed -Technology must be developed to eliminate pollutant discharge

TSCA Inventory

75,000; was established to trace and record all products manufactured, imported, sold, processed, or used for commercial purposes.

Solid Waste Categories

Class One: Hazardous: Ignitable, reactive, corrosive, toxic (for non-hazardous materials, RCRA regulations do not apply Class Two: Examples: Garbage, cured epoxy resin, biopond filter solid Class Three: Example: Uncontaminated or inert material such as wood

Solid Waste

Non-liquid, non-soluble material ranging from municipal garbage to industrial waste that contains complex and sometimes hazardous substances.

Absorption (Skin contact)

Only a small number of chemicals are known to have serious impacts upon skin contact. These chemicals should be identified quickly if they are in your unit.

Clean Water Act

Passed in 1898, initially focused on toxic pollutants; in 1972, adopted the Best Available Technology (BAT) strategy for all cleanups; in 1987, provisions for funded sewage treatment plants were provided as well as citizen suit provisions. Regulates the release of pollutants into lakes, streams, and oceans.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Passed in 1976 to protect human health and the environment by ensuring the correct disposal of hazardous wastes, recycling practices, and solid waste disposal.

ACB Penalties

Penalties for civil and criminal abuses of the Clean Air Act range from $25,000 a day to $250,000 and 2 to 15 years in jail. An example of an ACB regulation is that smoking flares in excess of five minutes should be reported. Failure to report results in severe penalties. Environmental awareness is an important part of a process tech's job.

Air Permits

Permits must be obtained for any project that has the potential of producing air pollution

Environmental Protection Agency

Primary agency charged with enforcing toxic substance control.

Air Pollution

Produced by factories, homes, and motor vehicles that produce gases containing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Sulfur Dioxide mixes with rain to form sulfuric acid. Nitrogen Dioxide combines with hydrocarbons and sunlight to form smog.

Pipelines

Regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, these are lines of pipe that convey liquids, gases, or finely divided solids.

Clean Up Of Waste Sites

Regulated by the comprehensive environmental response compensation and liability act (CERCLA). This act is frequently referred to as the "Superfund law." Under CERCLA, many large companies have been required to provide money for cleanup activities for materials dumped by them or their parent companies years ago.

Federal Railroad Administration

Regulates railroad traffic, including the transportation of hazardous materials

Federal Highway Administration

Regulates the transportation of hazardous materials and truck traffic.

Response

Response is defined as the toxic effect the dose has upon the subject. Ingestion: The amount per unit of body weight. Injection: The amount per unit of body weight Absorption: The amount per body surface area Inhalation: The amount per unit volume breathed

Water Permit

The Clean Water Act requires a chemical processing industry to have a water permit. In some states, a two-permit system exists. This requires the States and Federal government to approve the water permit.

Cradle To Grave Law

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted as public law in 1976. The purpose of RCRA is to protect human health and the environment. RCRA focuses on the correct disposal of hazardous wastes, recycling practices, and solid waste disposal. A secondary goal of RCRA is to conserve our natural resources. RCRA completes this tasks by regulating all aspects of hazardous waste management: generation, storage, treatment, and disposal. This concept is referred to as "cradle-to-grave."

Community Right-to-Know

The community right to know principle increases community awareness of chemicals manufactured or used by local chemical plants and businesses, involves communities in emergency response plans, improves communication and understanding.

Water Pollution

The human-made or human-induced alteration of physical, biological, chemical, or radiological integrity of water.

Injection

This is a process in which a toxic or hazardous material is injected into the body by a needle or sharp object, or through cuts in the skin.

Lethal Dose

Used to describe the amount of dose of a given substance that will likely cause death . In areas where gases and vapors are used, the term lethal concentration (LC) is used to identify how much the airborne material would be inhaled in order to cause death.

Safety

often described as an attitude that includes careful planning, following safety rules, safe work practices, and the use of PPE. Many techs believe that safety is the SINGLE most important aspect of running a process. Safety conscious people are invaluable assets that can't be replaced.

Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970

Designed to (1) enhance the quality of the nation's air; (2) accelerate a national research and development program to prevent air pollution. (3) Provide technical and financial assistance to state and local government; (4) develop a regional air-pollution-control program. The CAA approved the establishment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect the environment and public health. In 1990, new standards were established that were designed to reduce acid rain, air toxins, ground-level ozone, and stratospheric ozone depletion.

Biological System

Designed to remove hydrocarbons from wastewater. A biological system includes an aeration basin, clarifiers, lagoons, sewer systems, pumps, and so on.

Inhalation

Inhalation of a hazardous agent is the most common route of entry in the workplace. Some gases or vapors will not irritate the respiratory tract but will be absorbed into the blood system through the lungs. This process can affect the blood, brain, liver, fatty tissue, kidney, and colon. Airborne chemical particulates may be retained in the respiratory tract and cause allergic reactions, lung scarring, cancer, or fibrosis.

Permitting

More than 90 days of storage for a hazardous chemical requires a permit. An ideal facility would include the following: Coverage to prevent rainwater contamination No contact with soil Containment for all equipment Raised equipment to permit inspection for leaks

Air Pollution

The presence of contaminants or pollutant substances in the air that interferes with human health or welfare or produces other harmful environmental effects.

Ingestion

This is a process in which a hazardous chemical is transmitted to food, liquid, or cigarettes and then swallowed. Typically, large quantities of hazardous chemicals are not ingested however, small quantities of arsenic, lead, or mercury can be highly toxic over a period of time.

Routes of entry

1. Inhalation 2. Absorption 3. Ingestion 4. Injection

When a hazardous chemical comes into contact with skin, these are four possible results.

1. Nothing will occur. 2. The chemical will react with skin and cause primary irritation. 3. The chemical will penetrate the skin and cause sensitization. 4. The chemical will penetrate the skin and enter the blood.

Emergency Planning and Community Right to know act (EPCRA)

1986; Enacted by congress. The purpose of the right to know act is fourfold: to provide the community with information about chemicals and hazardous materials used near them, to establish a national system for reporting accidental releases, to provide a structured system for responding to emergency situations, and to give communities access to a central database of material safety data sheets (MSDSs) that describes how to respond to each emergency.

RCRA penalties

A civil penalty of $25,000 a day, a criminal penalty for willful endangerment comprising a $250,0000 fine and 15 years in jail, and a $1 million fine for the company. Any person involved in breaking the law will be held liable by the enforcement agencies. This will include any process tech who knowingly breaks the law.

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

A federal law enacted in 1976 intended to protect human health and the environment. TSCA was also designed to regulate commerce by (1) requiring testing and (2) necessary restrictions on certain chemical substances. TSCA imposes requirements on all manufacturers, exporters, importers, processors, distributors, and disposers of chemical substances in the United States.

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

A federal law enacted in 1976. TSCA was intended to protect human health and the environment. TSCA was also designed to regulate commerce by (1) requiring testing and (2) establishing necessary restrictions on certain chemical substances. TSCA imposes requirements on all manufacturers, exporters, importers, processors, distributors, and disposers of chemical substances in the US.

Dose-Response Relationship

Concentration (C) X Duration of exposure (T) = Constant (K). The minimum dose required to produce a measurable effect called the threshold concept.

Dose

Dose is defined as the amount of chemical entering or being administrated to a subject.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Enacted as public law in 1976. The purpose of the RCRA is to protect human health and the environment. A secondary goal is to conserve our natural resources. RCRA completes this goal by regulating all aspects of hazardous waste management: generation, storage, treatment, and disposal (a concept referred to as "cradle to the grave").

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Established in 1974 to regulate the nuclear devices used in the chemical processing industry. This includes X-ray and measuring devices used to inspect vessels and equipment.

Good characteristics associated with the safe operation of a chemical plant or refinery include

Having a familiarity with the system; being alert, serious, and exact; and visualizing potential problems or risks.

Earth Day, 1970

Held to educate the U.S. public about environmental concerns