Occupational Health

Immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH)

Limit to where "death may occur within 30 minutes" Mainly used in emergency response (only in emergency) The maximum level of a dangerous atmosphere one can be exposed to within 30 minutes and still escape without experiencing any effects that may impair escape or cause irreversible health effects (death).

Injury Prevention

Lockout/tagout Equipment is "locked out" so no one can turn it on while someone is working on it Both hands required to perform operation to prevent limbs and digits getting caught or severed

conditions for molds/mildew formation indoors:

"wet" and "68-92 degrees F "and "humidity > 60%" and stagnant air *very persistent even after dry as in porous material such as carpeting; drywall etc. *with concrete- use bleach Humans love humidity 30-60% so keep <60% and air moving Humidity less than 30% - dry air and cough

TLVs

(threshold limit values per "ACGIH"

distribution of injuries and illnesses

* Trunk injuries lead the way here, mostly from improper lifting or poor ergonomics 34% Fingers, hands, and arms (upper extremities, 23.3%) feet, toes, and legs (lower extremities, 22.2%)

PPE- Glove types

*Latex gloves are great for hospitals and offer protection from germs *

ways to decrease transportation incidents

*Safe employee driver's training, * banning cellphone use, and *reducing other distracted driving

WBGT correction

- from the WBGT under OSHA guidelines- not legally enforceable

PPE- Hard Hats

Type 1: full brim/top Type 2: front brim/top and sides Class A: protect against falling objects and electrical shocks up to 2,200Â volts Class B: protect against falling objects and electrical shocks up to 20,000Â volts Class C: protect against falling objects, but offer no protection from electrical shocks

Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL) or Ceiling Limit

Used when a chemical can harm within a short period of time (e.g., cyanide) STEL Max concentration allowed during a 15-minute continuous period Allowed 4x /day, 60 minutes between 10.4 slide 63

OSHA guidelines for hot work that advise work/rest cycles is based on:*

Wet-bulb globe temperature

ergonomics

Whatever keeps the body closest to a neutral position for the job is often best

Hazardous noise

_________ are defined as environments or equipment that produce continuous noise (68 hour shift) levels at or above 85 dB(A) time weighted average( ie for about 8 hours) (TWA) and impact noises exceeding 140 dB(A) and protective measures must be taken to reduce exposure to personnel. 60 db is conversational level 90 db- motor cycle, lawn mower

Odor Threshold

Lowest concentration detected by smell (often too high) "Olfactory fatigue"- brain "shuts it off" Numbs olfactory nerves (hydrogen sulfide- rotten eggs) Immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) Limit to where death may occur within 30 minutes Mainly used in emergency response (only in emergency) Biological Exposure Indices (BEI) Bioindicator of exposure (blood, urine, breath) Varies: based on gender; genetics; chronic and acute diseases

with ventilation 10.6.1

NEED to KEEp the air with pollutants away from the workers Breathing zone air also comes into a room 10.6.1 slide 59 from behind the worker and then drawn into a ventilator away from the breathing zone

NIOSH

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health—research arm

Occupational Exposure Limits

OSHA calls them PEL- permissible Exposure Limits ACGIH calls them TLV- threshold limit values both are based on the 8 hour time limit

Primary control methods for repetitive motion injuries are:

Reduce repetition (# of times/day) Reduce force/weight Position—maintain near neutral

Hearing conservation program

annual hearing evaluation- audiograms

8 hour time weighted average

average concentration after an 8 hour day- usually for those have a long term chronic affect basis for PELs and TLVs

"Olfactory fatigue"-

brain "shuts it off"- although it is till there Numbs olfactory nerves (hydrogen sulfide- rotten eggs)= sewer fatigue therefore need detectors to truly evaluate

PPE- Radiation workers

canary suits protects from alpha particles keep particles off of you

1body uses sweat to cool itself-

cannot work on a humid day as it can't evaporate off your skin

confined space entry

causes health risks need to have "3 people present"- one that goes into the hole- tethered. supervisor and worker aboveNeed to maintain 2-way communication- to maintain his need to monitor air concentrations before getting into the hole

lasers

columated light - goes in one specific direction- can do damage to the eye Intense collimated beam of light or electromagnetic radiation.

OSHA standards

concentrations based on an " 8 hour regimen or short term exposure limit (STEL) or Ceiling lImit BASED on assumption worker- "exposed 40 hours per week, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for a 40 year working Life time"

being overweight

correlates with increased clo value

protection of ear loss 10.7 slide 62

ear

30 air changes per hour in a hospital

every hour flow rate caused evacuation of the air and then replaced

respirators

fit around the mouth is most important- it allows for proper filtering air . breathing against something

Elimination:

getting rid of a hazard from the workplace (chemical, noise, etc.) -the most desired hazard control! Not needing to use a hazardous chemical means less worker exposure.

supplied air respirators ex emergency escape bottle

gives protection for a" short protection" as well 5-10 minutes use in the case of being on a high floor not if you can quickly get out of a building

OSHA

government governed by law Occupational Safety and Health Administration—legal authority- enforces the law in 1970—when established, OSHA adopts 1968 ACGIH Exposure Standards ensures employers provide a safe work place

animal slaughter houses ex chicken planters

have high injury rates repetitive actions with sharp instruments at fast speeds -> musculoskeletal injuries OSHA has no standard for these facilities

Occupational Abuses most notable with

heat stress and hazardous noises

Occupational injuries in hospitals

highest rate of injuries ~ largest employment sector of the US ex patient handling- as patients are getting bigger needlestick- OSHA has a bloodborne pathogen standard requires every facility to provide Hep B vaccine should they want it; proper procedures regarding disposal of sharps but low fatality rate especially as compared to construction

rules of thumbs to measure HAZAROUS NOISE!

if standing 3 feet away from someone and have good hearing and you need to raise your voice to be heard therefore hearing protection for yard work

Engineering:

installing filters, ventilation, noise-absorbing walls, scrubbers, guards, balometer , hot wire.(measures flow rate where there are chemicals).etc "can control things more at the source"

Respirator protection program

need a lung function test annually respirator fit needs to be assessed regularly Cartridge must match the pollutants

Agricultural Injuries

primarily Repetitive motion injuries . Usually immigrant workers- with little ability to voice concerns

Administrative:

procedures to reduce opportunity for exposure ex limiting the amount of time that the engine can run or limited amount of time of direct exposure

Personal protective equipment (PPE):

respirators, ear plugs, goggles, gloves, boots, etc. BUT ! whenever you implement something that requires the worker to take an action, compliance becomes a concern incorrect use of equipment=hazard

Hydrofracing

risk of exposure to silica- SILICOSIS identified as a lung carcinogen

supplied air respirators ex SCBA type respirator

self contained breathing apparatus - assumed that the air is bad ex fireman

Balometer

uses a hood attachment calculates air flow volume or rate Q automatically, used for infection control, dilution ventilation

EPA research on exposures

usually research done on workers

acid plating tank

ventilation system draws air away from process

OSHA work rest cycles

wet bulb temperature of 86 derees- can continue to work light work for 87 degrees and more- work rest cycles GUIDELINES- NOT ENFORCEABLE

types of workplace hazards

"CHEMICAL"- gas/vapor aerosol (particles) skin contact "PHYSICAL"- ergonomics noise radiation. heat/cold stress Building ( mild/mildew) "BIOLOGICAL"-safety precautions no good air sampling as hey grow and multiply

1980 Benzene decision—U.S. Supreme Court

"OSHA must find that the toxic substance in question poses significant health risk in the workplace and that a new lower standard is reasonably necessary

Note about the 5 hierarchy of hazard controls

"most desired outcome is to eliminate the hazard all together". If you can't do that, you can substitute the hazard with something less hazardous. However there is the need to rely on someone else to wear it

PELS

(Permissible Exposure Limits per " OSHA "and

Gamma Radiation Defense ex x-ray or gamma ray

*Time - limit time of exposure *Distance- the further away the better *Shielding- thick concrete or leaded walls to stop radiation from passing through Badges that detect radiation exposure- radiation decimeters

Explain the difference between the two types of respirators and when they should/should not be used

*air purifying *Supplied air

Eye Protection

*safety goggles protect from debris or objects *chemical goggles protect from chemical exposure.

PPE

- fit test cleaning and maintainance of masks

acceptable risk

10 E-6 to E-4 per EPA

Key Court Case That Shaped OSHA Risk Legislation

1980 Benzene decision

most fatalities in on slide 4 10.8- does homicides constitute an occupational hazard

2010, c Construction had the most "number of fatalities (774)" but agriculture/forestry, mining, and transportation had the highest "fatality rates"- ie #/ per 100,000 full time workers * Transportation incidents are the dominant cause of workplace deaths- kills both men and women. then assaults and violent acts (mostly women) *92% of workers killed in the workplace were men.

c

= ceiling level

If you are breathing the air near you through a filter that is attached to your respirator, you are probably breathing from a(n):

Air-purifying respirator

ACGIH

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists- private organization that issues RECOMMENDED guidelines- unencumbered by legalities

What is significant?

Court rules 1 in a billion risk of dying from cancer would "clearly" not be significant 1 in a 1,000 risk could reasonably be considered significant- OSHA reaches for This sets up current risk workplace cancer risk of 1 in 1,000

The hierarchy of hazard controls, from most to least desirable, is as follows:

Elimination: Substitution: Engineering: Administrative: Personal protective equipment (PPE):

Occupational Health—The Early Years

Hippocrates (~400 BC) First writings of occupational disease (lead poisoning) Bernardino Ramazzini (1713) "Father of industrial health" First book on occupational diseases Encouraged doctors to ask for occupation Alice Hamilton (1925) Industrial Poisons Used or Produced in the Manufacture Of Explosives . .

NIOSH puts out

IDLH

supplied air respirators

Provides breathing air "independent of environment". "Supplied air must meet Grade D purity requirements".

workplace fatalities in the United States between 1992 and 2010 declining (~4551)

?decline in U.S. manufacturing has ?implemented safer practices in the workplace.

short term exposure limit (STEL) or

Allow exposure for 15 minutes and concentration determined- usually can kill in a short period of time ex cyanide can fluctuate a little bit in the 15 minutes Allowed "4x /day, 60 minutes between"

Biological Exposure Indices (BEI)

Bioindicator of exposure (through testing blood, urine, breath) Able to determine Concentrations of chemical in biological fluids and tissues exposed to during 8 hour shift Above BEI- over exposed

Ceiling limit

CAN "never exceed" a prescribed limit - based on toxicity- "usually for those that can kill in a short period of time" Max concentration allowed at "any length of time"

wet bulb globe temperature

Combines the effects of 1. (globe temperature- radiant energy as from the sun or elevated temerature) radiation, 2.humidity, 3.(dry bulb TEMPERATURE) temperature and wind speed on the perception of temperature. It is not often used as the resulting figure is very location specific (e.g.: cloud cover and/or wind shielding). composite temperature used to estimate the effect of temperature, humidity, wind speed (wind chill), and visible and infrared radiation (usually sunlight) on humans. dry bulb- on thermometer if low humid day wet bulb temperature is lower if it is a humid day- wet bulb temperature=dry bulb temperature and little cooling effect. cooling is done through sweat and on a humid day it cannot evaporate off of skin to cool

air purifying respirators

Removes contaminates by filtration, adsorption, absorption, or chemical reaction with contaminates. Used only where there is: " "adequate oxygen" (19.5%-22%); non hazardous or unknown environments" "purifying air around your face" disposable masks- not a good seal- not advisable on a daily basis half mask full face piece- when worried about the eyes Gas mask- military setting- to protect against nerve gas

Occupational Health (Industrial Hygiene)

Science and art of anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of workplace conditions that may cause illness or injury Anticipation: Anticipate the hazards in a type of workplace Recognition Observe and recognize various health hazards Evaluation Exposure assessment (measure duration and intensity) sound leve Compare exposure to risk-based standards Control hazard

supplied air respirators ex airline respirator

Supply compressed air from a stationary source through a long hose- breathing air from outside compressed - assumed that the air is bad

American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) publishes which type of occupational exposure standards?*

Threshold limit values

OSH Act (1970)

To ensure so far as possible every working man and woman safe and healthful working conditions . . . No employee will suffer diminished health, function, or life expectancy from work "the primary law regulating health in the workplace"

Name the three industries with the highest fatality "rate"

agriculture/forestry ; mining; transportation

combustible gas indicator

measures the concentration of a combustible gas or vapor in the atmosphere; does not identify other hazards such as toxicity * "below 19.5 oxygen level- metation impaired" *Hydrogen sulfur gas *carbon monoxide- silent killer- odorless; color less-

coal mining

methane particles deep - need an even distribution of air across the shaft coming in and going out or one gets build up of coal dust and methane pockets- with an ignition- this leads to a potential for a spark causing incineration

clo value-

reflective of clothing 1.1 is akin to tee shirt - light weight clothes

Meat Processing Facilities

repetitive motion injuries cutting meat parts consistently. The sharper the knife the lesser the injury the economical incentive to go faster

Substitution:

replacing one substance or activity with a less hazardous one ex Trichlorethylene was a solvent used to clean engine -deemed hazardous, it was replaced by Citro Clean, an acidic cleaner that is less toxic. Lead-free piping solder, chemical-free cleaning, and formaldehyde-free carpet glue are all safe choices.

transmission of sound 10.7 slide 59

sound vibrates tympanic membrane --> movement of ossicles moves oval window --> perilymph in scala vestibuli & scala tympani moves --> P relieved at round window & waves cause activation of receptors in spiral organ in the cochlea of the ear -> sent to the brain cochlea has a bunch of nerve ending which when damaged cannot be repaired

Back injuries

the way you lift matters; any twisting or bending is not good and can lead to back injuries over time. Ideally, you want the object you're lifting to be as close to your waistline as possible. Always squat down to lift an object and, as they say, lift with your legs not your back Repetition can be harmful as well. interventions like conveyor belts or lift assist devices that reduce the potential for injury.