tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3999733115240808012024-03-05T02:17:24.400-05:00Are you safe? How do you know?Discussion of sterilant gas safety in healthcare. Monitoring Technologies. Industry News. OSHA requirements. AAMI standards and best practices. FDA adverse incident reports.ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-13379205897783827142017-04-13T09:32:00.000-04:002017-04-13T09:32:09.373-04:00Is OPA the Same as Glutaraldehyde?<b>OPA, o-phthalaldehyde is one of the new replacements for glutaraldehyde in high level liquid disinfection. OPA shares many chemical similarities to glutaraldehyde and has similar toxicity, but the lower vapor pressure reduce the smell and vapor concentrations.</b><br />
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Glutaraldehyde has been used used as a high level disinfectant in healthcare for decades, particularly for endoscopes and other immersible items that need to be disinfected and turned around quickly. Glutaraldehyde is a very effective disinfectant but in recent years it has fallen out of favor because of eye, skin and respiratory irritation, sensitivity and occupational asthma. Glutaraldehyde has even been eliminated completely from use in the UK's National health service.<br />
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There are two main classes of chemical used for high level disinfection, the aldehydes and the oxidizers. The latter includes peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite and the race has been on to find alternatives to glutaraldehyde.<br />
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Glutarladehyde is a dialdehyde, i.e. it has two aldehyde groups. The aldehyde group is the -COH part of the molecule in organic chemistry. There have been numerous complaints of irritation, sensitivity and
occupational asthma from users of glutaraldehyde and substitutes have been sought.<br />
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The obvious substitutes are other dialdehydes such as OPA (shown below). Other dialdehydes, such as succinic dialdehyde have also been considered
as high level disinfectants however succinic dialdehyde is not on the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/deviceregulationandguidance/reprocessingofsingle-usedevices/ucm133514.htm" target="_blank">FDA's list of approved sterilants and disinfectants</a>.
These dialdehydes generally have similar chemical properties to
glutaraldehyde and function similarly. Disinfection is achieved by their
ability to cross link and hence inactivate proteins. <br />
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" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=399973311524080801" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
Glutaraldehyde OPA<br />
<br />
The most successful dialdehdyde substitute for glutaraldehyde is OPA which is now sold as a
replacement for glutaraldehyde. OPA has the advantage that it a solid
compared to liquid glutaraldehyde, though both are normally supplied in
solution, and so a OPA has lower vapor pressure and much less smell than
the pungent glutaraldehyde. In addition, OPA is more effective and so
can be used at a lower concentration. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=399973311524080801" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=399973311524080801" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>As can be seen from the two figures above, glutaraldehyde and OPA are structurally similar and so have similar chemical properties. On this basis <a href="http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/56/4/284.full.pdf" target="_blank">similar occupational health effects have been anticipated</a>. The disinfection mechanism is similar and so similar health effects on exposure may be expected. the lower vapor pressure of the OPA has reduced the irritation to the eyes and respiratory system and has greatly reduced the objection to the strong smell of glutaraldehyde. However, as with glutaraldehyde, there have been reports of sensitization with OPA as well as <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/joh/48/6/48_6_413/_article" target="_blank">occupational asthma and contact dermatitis</a>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=399973311524080801" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=399973311524080801" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
The use of glutaraldehyde has increased in recent years in the US with the widespread adoption of automatic reprocessors for endoscopes. This equipment significantly reduces the occupational exposure to the disinfectant. Even so, workers can still be exposed and measures should be taken to minimize exposure.<br />
<br />
As with handling any high level disinfection or sterilant chemical, the basic methods to increase workplace safety are as follows:<br />
<ul>
<li>The reprocessor should be located in a well ventilated area, preferably with a local exhaust to remove any vapors that are released from the equipment.</li>
<li>A continuous gas monitor for the chemical used should be installed to provide a warning in case the concentration gets too high (leak, malfunction of the reprocessor, or ventilation). Continuous gas monitors are available for peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide from ChemDAQ. For those compounds for which a continuous gas monitor is not available, regular air sampling should be performed where the operators work to check the vapor concentrations.</li>
<li>The operators should be provided with suitable personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, masks, and perhaps respirators depending on the circumstances.</li>
<li>The operators must be trained on the safe use of the chemicals and equipment they are using. This training should include an understanding of the chemical hazards, how to recognize exposure if it occurs, and what they should do to prevent exposure (just part of the training that they should receive under <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=10099" target="_blank">OSHA's Hazcom standard</a>.).</li>
</ul>
<br />ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-59819597872872337222017-04-13T09:31:00.001-04:002017-04-13T09:31:48.330-04:00NIOSH Requests more Information on PAA Health Risks and Occupational Exposures<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636363; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px;">
NIOSH has proposed an IDLH for Peracetic acid of 0.55 ppm, but is seeking more information from the industry before finalizing the level. NIOSH intends to evaluate the scientific data on peracetic acid (CAS#79-21-0) and develop appropriate communication products that convey the potential health risks, recommended measures for safe handling, and establish exposure recommendations including a Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) and an immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) value.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636363; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px;">
On March 7, 2017, NIOSH published a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/docket295/default.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #18aec9;">request for information</a> on the following topics related to health risks to workers associated with occupational exposures to PAA:</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636363; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 30px;">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Workplace exposure data;</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Possible health effects observed in workers;</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Workplaces and products where PAA may be found;</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Work tasks and scenarios with a potential for exposure;</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Reports and findings from in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies;</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Data for the quantitative risk assessment of health effects associated with workplace exposure;</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">PAA sampling and analytical methods; and</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Control measures used in workplace.</li>
</ul>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636363; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px;">
Comments are due by June 5, 2017.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636363; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px;">
If you are interested in collaborating with AAPPA on a response to NIOSH’s request for information, please contact Lisa McCombie at lmccombie@chemdaq.com.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #636363; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 30px;">
Click <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/chemicals/peracetic-acid-monitoring/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #18aec9;">here</a> for more information on accurate, real-time Peracetic acid vapor monitoring.</div>
ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-68981061445978726112013-12-20T08:38:00.004-05:002015-07-21T10:25:44.032-04:00NEWS!!!....The ChemDAQ Blog has moved<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The ChemDAQ Blog has moved to <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/blog/">http://www.chemdaq.com/blog/</a></span></b><br />
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Visit our new location and find all the old blog articles and some new ones as well.<br />
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<br />ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-48403383610755383382013-12-05T08:40:00.003-05:002013-12-05T08:42:19.793-05:00Industry News: ASP to Pay $1.2 M to FDA for Unsupported Shelflife of Biological IndicatorsThe FDA issued a <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm377588.htm">News Release</a> on 12/4/13 saying that it had reached a$1.25 million settlement with Advanced Sterilization Products and company executives for distributing adulterated and misbranded devices.<br />
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<i> ... The settlement requires ASP to pay $1.2 million, company President Bernard J. Zovighian to pay $30,000, and company Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Compliance Richard J. Alberti to pay $20,000.<br /> <br />This action was taken after the FDA learned that the company knew that it did not have sufficient data to support the shelf life stated on the label of its Sterrad Cyclesure 24 Biological Indicators, but continued to ship the product to customers with inaccurate expiration dates. Sterrad Cyclesure 24 Biological Indicators are used to monitor and confirm the effectiveness of the sterilization process in ASP’s Sterrad sterilizers.<br /> <br />“Accurate expiration dates are critical to ensuring product integrity,” said Steve Silverman, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “ASP’s actions violated the law and put patients at unnecessary risk for infection. ...”<br /> <br />During an inspection in June 2012, FDA learned that ASP had study data indicating that the effectiveness of the biological indicators had not been established for the entire 15-month shelf life indicated in the product labeling. ASP issued voluntary recalls of affected product in July 2012. ...<br /> <br />ASP has addressed the shelf-life issues relating to the recalled product by reducing the labeled shelf-life. ...</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span> </span>ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-5881094531630995112013-12-04T11:14:00.001-05:002013-12-04T11:14:33.094-05:00OSHA Publishes Regulatory Agenda for Fall 2013The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaMain" target="_blank">has published a unified regulatory agenda</a> for federal government departments and agencies. The <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaMain;jsessionid=75AD07159E3A0CE69AD87D5E111E3C6B?operation=OPERATION_GET_AGENCY_RULE_LIST&currentPub=true&agencyCode=&showStage=active&agencyCd=1200&Image58.x=45&Image58.y=9&Image58=Submit" target="_blank">Department of Labor's regulatory agenda</a> is on a linked page, including OSHA. There are two items of interest to readers of this blog.:<br />
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The first is the Review/Lookback of OSHA Chemical Standards (Pre-rule stage), <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201310&RIN=1218-AC74">1218-AC74.</a> This blog has frequently commented on the need to update the OSHA PELs and OSHA itself is well aware of the problem, and writes:<span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>The majority of OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) were adopted in 1971, ... and only a few have been successfully updated since that time. There is widespread agreement among industry, labor, and professional occupational safety and health organizations that occupational safety and health organizations that OSHA's PELs are outdated and need revising in order to take into account newer scientific data that indicates that significant occupational health risks exist at levels below OSHA's current PELs. ... Recently, OSHA sought input through a stakeholder meeting and web forum to discuss various approaches that might be used to address its outdated PELs. As part of the Department's Regulatory Review and Lookback Efforts, OSHA is developing a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from the public to help the Agency identify effective ways to address occupational exposure to chemicals.</i></span></blockquote>
It is still early days in the process and the wheels of government turn slowly, especially in a small agency like OSHA with limited resources and a large workplace to protect. Essentially the <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201110&RIN=1218-AC74" target="_blank">same proposal</a> was made in in the <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=UNIFIED_AGENDA&p_id=7068" target="_blank">Fall of 2011</a> and again in the<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201304&RIN=1218-AC74" target="_blank"> spring of 2013</a> with little progress so far; but we remain hopeful that OSHA will be able to issue modern standards in the not too distant future.<br />
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The second item is the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements--NAICS Update and Reporting Revisions (Final rule stage). <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201310&RIN=1218-AC50">1218-AC50</a> which has already been <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/11/government-news-osha-proposes-new-rules.html" target="_blank">discussed in this blog</a>. <br />
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ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-65929273426993373952013-12-03T15:07:00.001-05:002013-12-03T15:07:23.001-05:00NIOSH Solicits Comments on New Classification of CarcinogensNIOSH has published a draft document titled <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/docket240A/pdf/EID-CIB-11052013.pdf">Current Intelligence Bulletin: Update of NIOSH Carcinogen Classification and Target Risk Level Policy for Chemical Hazards in the Workplace</a> and and has published a notice in the <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CDC-2013-0023-0001">Federal Register</a>. soliciting comments. <br /><br />There have been several criticisms of NIOSH's current system for classifying carcinogens. The current method is described in <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2013-title29-vol9/xml/CFR-2013-title29-vol9-part1990.xml">29 CFR 1999 "Identification, Classification and Regulations of Potential Occupational Carcinogens.</a>" <br /><br />One of the objections is the term "<u>Potential</u> Occupational Carcinogen" which makes it sound as if the dangers of carcinogens such as benzene, ethylene oxide etc. are only 'Potential Carcinogens' and not the more definitive 'Known Carcinogens'. <br /><br />Another criticism is that unlike other organizations such as the National Toxicology Program (<a href="http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=03C9B512-ACF8-C1F3-ADBA53CAE848F635" target="_blank">NTP</a>), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (<a href="http://www.iarc.fr/" target="_blank">IARC</a>) and the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/toxsource/carcinogens.html" target="_blank">EPA</a>) the current NIOSH carcinogen policy does not classify compounds based on the weight of the scientific evidence. The new proposals would bring NIOSH into line with these other organizations and avoid duplication of effort.<br /><br />NIOSH will also continue to provide quantitative assessment of cancer risk but will modify the way it estimates its recommended exposure limits (RELs). The RELs will continue to be health-based but unlike before, NIOSH will no longer '<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/docket240A/pdf/EID-CIB-11052013.pdf" target="_blank">specifically consider technical 10 achievability (i.e., ability to control exposures) in establishing RELs.</a>' Instead, the RELs include a note saying whether existing controls are available or effective, and suggest alternative methods to reduce worker exposure.<br /><br />Comments must be submitted to NIOSH by February 13, 2014.ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-15581956477783883182013-12-02T11:56:00.003-05:002013-12-02T11:56:56.435-05:00Blame Health and Safety!Everyone knows that Health and Safety of important in the workplace and this blog often discusses serious issues related to health and safety. The <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Health and Safety Executive</a> (HSE) is the UK's occupational safety agency, similar to the US OSHA.The HSE has <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting/index.htm" target="_blank">collected a number of cases</a> where individuals have cited Health and Safety regulations in situations that may not strictly apply. A few of the more humorous 2013 cases are copied below. <br />
<ul>
<li>The Chef at a carvery restaurant refused to serve the customer some skin
off the turkey on the grounds of health and safety. The Chef said it
was a 'choking hazard'. </li>
<li> A member of staff in a café refused to put sauce on the enquirers' ice cream due to health and safety reasons.</li>
<li>The enquirer visited a racecourse as a spectator. While she was there, a
steward confiscated her parasol because it posed a health and safety
risk. She was told that someone could use it as a weapon.</li>
<li>The enquirer and a friend went to a restaurant in a Department store and
decided to share a baguette between them. When they asked for the
baguette to be cut in half to share the assistant told them they were no
longer able to do that because the store had taken away all the knives
on health and safety grounds.</li>
<li>During children's swimming lessons, the local swimming pool has banned
spectating parents from reading e-readers, for child protection and
health and safety reasons</li>
<li>The school had planned to run a sports day for 3-4 year old pupils in
the morning – followed by activities for older pupils in the afternoon.
The morning event was postponed due to dew on the grass.</li>
<li>The enquirer visited a department store restaurant with friends for
breakfast and were told they couldn't have fried eggs because of 'health
and safety issues'. Puzzled at this remark they enquired further. They
were told it was because someone in another store had left a pan on the
heat whilst frying eggs causing a fire, therefore the decision was made
to stop supplying fried eggs in all store restaurants.</li>
<li>The enquirer wanted to purchase filleted trout in her local supermarket.
None was available pre-packed so they asked the assistant on the fresh
fish counter if he could fillet some from a whole fish. He agreed but
then his supervisor intervened saying that this wasn't possible on the
grounds of health and safety because the fish are too slippery. The
enquirer noted that on the supermarket website, it states "just ask if
you'd like your fish skinned or filleted".</li>
<li>A custard pie fight at a local event has been cancelled because the
event organisers could not get insurance on the basis that the activity
is too dangerous.<br /><br />
</li>
</ul>
Some of these cases may be the result of people blaming health and safety laws in order to get their own way; others may be an over reaction to past accident and some may be the result of poor education, i.e. people learning about the regulations third or fourth hand; by which time they have become greatly embellished.<br />
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Therefore, if one does not want to end up on a list like the one above, is always important to ensure that both the employer and the employees have an accurate understanding of the health and safety laws and to apply common sense.<br />
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There are many <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting/index.htm" target="_blank">more cases on the HSE website</a>, including the HSE's commentary on each one.ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-85509590367320489142013-11-21T12:55:00.003-05:002013-11-21T14:50:42.376-05:00OSHA uses General Duty Clause to Work Around Obsolete PELs<b>OSHA shifts tack with obsolete PELs and fines a company under the General Duty Clause for exposing workers to high levels of styrene vapor, resulting in lung injuries, despite the measured styrene concentration being below the outdated OSHA PEL. To do so, OSHA uses third party occupational exposure standards as the accepted standard of care instead of the PEL.</b><br />
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OSHA inspected a fiber glass factory and issued a fine in September for $49,500, in part for exposing workers to high levels of styrene—even though OSHA determined that styrene exposure at the factory was below OSHA's Permissible exposure limit (PEL) for styrene (<a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=9993&p_table=STANDARDS">currently 100 ppm 8 hr TWA, 200 ppm ceiling</a>)<br />
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The <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=9991&p_table=STANDARDS">OSHA </a> (PELs) are <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=UNIFIED_AGENDA&p_id=4157">widely acknowledged to be out of date</a>, most being over 40 years old. OSHA recognizes that some of the PELs do not adequately protect worker health and in some cases are far above other exposure standards such as the the <a href="http://www.acgih.org/tlv/">ACGIH TLVs</a> (TLV for styrene = 20 ppm 8 Hr TWA, 40 ppm STEL (ACGIH 2008)) and <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/">NIOSH recommended exposure limits</a>. (<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0571.html">REL for styrene = TWA 50 ppm (215 mg/m3) ST 100 ppm (425 mg/m3)</a>)<br />
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OSHA tried to update the PELs in the 1980s, but the revised PELs were <a href="ftp://law.resource.org/us/case/reporter/F2/965/965.F2d.962.89-7256.89-7274.89-7355.89-7430.89-7253.html">struck down by the </a><a href="ftp://law.resource.org/us/case/reporter/F2/965/965.F2d.962.89-7256.89-7274.89-7355.89-7430.89-7253.html">11th Circuit Court of Appeals</a> in 1992 on the grounds that OSHA did not sufficiently demonstrate that the new PELs were necessary or that they were feasible.OSHA's PEL for styrene that was struck down was <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/nengapdxg.html">8 hr TWA 50 ppm (215 mg/m3), STEL 100 ppm (425 mg/m3)</a>, or half the current limits, but still two and half times the ACGIH's TLV.<br />
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For OSHA to prosecute an employer for exposing employees to a chemical vapor below the PEL, OSHA must use the General Duty clause in the <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id=3359">1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act, Sec. (5), Duties</a>.<br />
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<i>(a) Each employer --<br /> (1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;...</i><br />
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To successfully prosecute under the general duty clause, OSHA must prove that the employer failed to provide a safe work environment and consequently that the styrene exposures were greater than safe levels, i.e. above the safe occupational exposure level (perhaps the ACGIH TLV). <br />
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It places OSHA in the ironic position of having to use another organization's occupational exposure limit, rather than the PEL and is a sad reflection on the inability of the agency to update its standards such that it must use this approach. However, OSHA appears to have decided that it needed a work-around for its obsolete PELs involving recommended third party occupational exposure limits and use of the General Duty clause.<br />
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<a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/10/annotated-pels-from-osha.html">As this blog recently reported</a>, OSHA posted on its website an <a href="http://www.osha.gov/dsg/annotated-pels/index.html">annotated table of exposure limits</a>
that includes occupational exposure limits from third-party
organizations such as ACGIH and NIOSH that, for many chemicals, are much
lower than the OSHA PELs. The fiber glass factory, (<a href="http://www.fiberdome.com/">Fiberdome Inc</a>) has already said that it intends to appeal. If the court accepts OSHA's approach, we can expect to see OSHA applying the same tactic against many other employers that use chemicals whose PELs are obsolete. <br />
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For employers it means that the compliance with OSHA PELs is no longer a bright line safe harbor and if workers are experiencing symptoms of chemical exposure, employers must take appropriate measures to protect their people and look to other applicable standards such as ACGIH. Appropriate measures include engineering controls (air turn overs, exhausts), continuous gas monitors, PPE and of course training on how to use the chemicals safely.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-7982821593617691912013-11-19T10:30:00.003-05:002013-11-19T10:30:54.077-05:00Peracetic Acid Spills in Hospitals - an Administrators nightmareEvery hospital administrator's nightmare is to see hazmat crews dressed in white overalls breathing through respirators running into their facility in front of the TV cameras while staff are evacuating patients in response to a chemical spill. High level disinfectant (HLD) chemicals such as peracetic acid are an essential part of modern healthcare, being used to disinfect those items that cannot be heat treated. These HLDs are used safely everyday across the world; but if something goes wrong, these chemicals pose a risk to anyone exposed to them and the administrators start having those dreams again.<br />
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Recently a few adminstrators had to face this very problem.On November 8th, over <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-24864879">100 staff and outpatients were evacuated from Harrogate Hospital</a>, in the UK after a spill from a drum of peracetic acid in the endoscopy department. Closer to home, on November 15th a hazmat crew <a href="http://www.abc-7.com/story/23979880/cape-crews-clean-up-hospital-chemical-spill#.UotspNLkuSo">responded to report of</a> a leaking peracetic acid container at a dialysis unit of Cape Coral Hospital in Florida. <br />
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In February last year <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-17215178">Llandudno Hospital, Wales</a> evacuated their outpatient department due to a peracetic acid spill and in June a <a href="http://www.marinij.com/ci_20762717/novato-firefighters-respond-acid-spill-at-medical-center">peracetic acid spill at the Northbay Surgical Regional Center</a> in Novato, CA resulted in one employee being treated for throat discomfort from the acid fumes. and evacuation of the first-floor patients who were able to walk, while three surgery patients who were semi-sedated were sheltered in a sealed room with their attendants. In 2010 another spill had <a href="http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Acid-spill-at-hospital.htm">Addenbrook's hospital near Cambridge, UK in 2010</a> evacuate staff and patients. <br />
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Peracetic acid is widely used as a high level disinfectant because of its superior antimicrobial properties but like all high level disinfectants, it poses a risk to anyone exposed to it. These hazards are well recognized and the <a href="http://www.acgih.org/store/ProductDetail.cfm?id=2199">ACGIH has proposed a TLV of 0.4 ppm</a> 15 minute STEL. <br />
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Peracetic acid spills and leaks can occur form many reasons including container failure, equipment malfunction, wear and tear and of course human error. Leaks may be as vapor or liquid, though with the latter, there will always be vapor associated with liquid. Therefore when using peracetic acid it is important to employ good engineering controls, continuous gas monitoring, person protective equipment and good training etc.<br />
<br />
Some problems appear suddenly and if the problem results in the release of peracetic acid vapors a continuous gas monitor will sound an alarm if the concentration approaches hazardous levels. However, many, perhaps most problems develop gradually over time. For these problems, a continuous gas monitor may provide an alert of the problem before it becomes a major issue. For more information about continuous gas monitors for peracetic acid or other gases and vapors <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/contact_us.html">contact </a>ChemDAQ by e-mail at info@chemdaq.com or by telephone at 412-787-0202.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-28098126928017507492013-11-15T16:58:00.000-05:002013-11-15T16:58:16.950-05:00Government News: OSHA proposes new rules to increase reporting of workplace injuries<a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25047">OSHA has announced</a> proposed rules to increase reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses. Employers are currently required to keep records of workplace injuries and illnesses but under the new rules instead of just recording injury data, OSHA would require companies with more than 250 employees and some smaller high-risk organizations to report quarterly on-line. The proposed rules are <a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=24002">available on-line in the Federal Register</a> and the public has until Feb. 6, 2014 to submit written comments.<br /><br />For comparison, the current reporting/recording regulations are summarized below. <br /><br /><b>Reporting</b><br />If an employee is killed in a work place related accident or three or more employees are hospitalized then Under the current regulations (<a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=STANDARDS&p_toc_level=1&p_keyvalue=1904">29 CFR 1904</a>) the employer must orally report the death to OSHA within eight (8) hours.<br /><br /><b>Recording</b><br /> Employers are also required to keep records of serious occupational injuries and illnesses, using the <a href="https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/new-osha300form1-1-04.pdf">OSHA 300 Log</a> (with certain exceptions for very small and/or very safe workplaces) <br /><br /><a href="https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/">OSHA Lists the recordable events</a> as follows:<br /><ul>
<li><i>Covered employers must record all work-related fatalities.</i></li>
<li><i>Covered employers must record all work-related injuries and illnesses that result in days away from work, restricted work or transfer to another job, loss of consciousness or medical treatment beyond first aid.</i></li>
<li><i>In addition, employers must record significant work-related injuries or illnesses diagnoses by a physician or other licensed health care professional, even if it does not result in death, days away from work, restricted work or job transfer, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness.</i></li>
<li><i>Injuries include cases such as, but not limited to, a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation.</i></li>
<li><i>Illnesses include both acute and chronic illnesses, such as, but not limited to, a skin disease (i.e. contact dermatitis), respiratory disorder (i.e. occupational asthma, pneumoconiosis), or poisoning (i.e. lead poisoning, solvent intoxication).</i></li>
<li><i>OSHA's definition of work-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities are those in which an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the condition. In addition, if an event or exposure in the work environment significantly aggravated a pre-existing injury or illness, this is also considered work-related.</i></li>
</ul>
Annually, the <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=12776">summary of all incidents must be posted in a public area where employees can see it</a>. <br /><br />Further information about the current requirements is available at <a href="https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/">https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/</a>. ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-23873858857533050422013-11-12T08:28:00.002-05:002013-11-12T08:28:23.020-05:00The New AAMI Chemical Sterilization and High Level Disinfection Standard<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As<a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/09/industry-news-aami-publishes-chemical.html" target="_blank"> mentioned earlier in this blog</a>, AAMI recently released a revised version of ST58, <span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"<u>Chemical sterilization and high-level disinfection in health care facilities</u>" and copies are available from <a href="http://my.aami.org/store/detail.aspx?id=ST58" target="_blank">the AAMI website</a>. </span></span></span>Most people in healthcare know of <a href="http://www.aami.org/" target="_blank">AAMI</a> and the AAMI standards which provide best practices for a range of healthcare operations. AAMI has several standards associated with sterilization and high level disinfection/disinfectant (HLD) and these standards have become the go-to documents for current best practices. Sterilization and HLD is a subject currently undergoing rapid developments with new equipment, new chemicals and new practices introduced in recent years and this topic is likely to continue to rapidly evolve.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The completely revised ST58 standard covers both gas sterilization (hydrogen peroxide and ozone) as well as HLDs (glutaraldehyde, o-phthalaldehdye (OPA), peracetic acid (PAA) and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)) and provides practical advice to enable users to employ the best practices. Ethylene oxide (EtO) is not included in ST58 since it has its own standard ST41 </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://my.aami.org/store/detail.aspx?id=ST41" target="_blank">Ethylene oxide sterilization in health care facilities: Safety and effectiveness</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Compared to the prior version, this new version has greater emphasis on workplace safety, a subject about which ChemDAQ cares passionately about, well beyond gas detection. ChemDAQ's own David Hilliker and Richard Warburton served on the <a href="https://standards.aami.org/kws/public/workgroup?wg_abbrev=ST-WG61" target="_blank">AAMI Chemical Sterilants Hospital Practice Working Group</a> that revised the standard.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">About half of the standard is comprised of annexes and each of the FDA approved chemical sterilants and HLDs has its own annex that provides succinct information including the following topics:</span></span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Sterilant/ HLD chemical's properties and how it is used</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Health effects (short and long term)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Exposure limits</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Suitable personal protective equipment for eyes, skin, respiratory system</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Guidance on how to use the chemical safety (ventilation, transportation, storing, use, rinsing (for HLDs))</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">What to do in the event of a leaks or spill</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Disposal and </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Vapor monitoring. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Hydrogen peroxide is listed twice, once in Annex C as an HLD and again in Annex H as a sterilant gas (Steris' VHP & ASP's plasma sterilizers) since the applications are very different.</span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The vapor monitoring section in each annex has been updated to indicate the need for continuous gas monitoring and whether they are commercially available. For example, <a href="http://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1015.pdf" target="_blank">in light of the hazards of inhaling hydrogen peroxide vapor</a>, the vapor monitoring section of annex H now reads:</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></i></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>H.7 Vapor monitoring</i><br /><i>Vapor monitoring is recommended if there is the potential for the hydrogen peroxide vapor concentration to exceed the OSHA recommended permissible exposure limits. Emissions from properly operated and maintained chemical vapor sterilizers should be well below the OSHA PEL (see H.4.1.3), but sterilizers and exhaust systems, as with any other complex equipment, can and sometimes do fail. If monitoring is deemed necessary, continuous personal and area monitors for hydrogen peroxide are commercially available.</i></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i><br />Gas and vapor emissions can occur from even the best made equipment and odor is an unreliable indicator of the presence and concentration of hydrogen peroxide gas below hazardous concentrations. Continuous gas monitoring systems are available to help employers satisfy the requirement to provide a safe work environment by providing alerts in case of potentially hazardous concentrations, informing workers when it is safe to return after a release and provide record keeping. Review the SDS and consult the suppliers of the hydrogen peroxide solutions and the manufacturers of the sterilizer and the gas monitoring equipment for more information.</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">In addition to the chemical annexes, there is also a new section (Annex N) that provides users some background on gas monitoring, the pros and cons of the technologies available and the difference between personal monitoring and area monitoring and the advantages of each. This annex should prove very valuable to anyone who uses chemical sterilization and who knows they need gas monitoring but is not sure where to start. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Of course, readers of this blog know that the best place to start for any gas/vapor monitoring question is <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/">www.chemdaq.com.</a></span></span> ChemDAQ offers continuous gas monitors for <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/gases/ehtylene_oxide.html" target="_blank">ethylene oxide</a>, <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/gases/Hydrogen_Peroxide.html" target="_blank">hydrogen peroxide</a>, <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/gases/Peracetic_Acid.html" target="_blank">peracetic acid</a> and <a href="http://www.chemdaq.com/gases/Ozone.html" target="_blank">ozone</a> among others. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">While the annexes are chemical specific, there is a lot of valuable general information in the body of the annexes, especially regarding:</span></span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The safe use of chemical sterilants and HLDs </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Location of a sterilizer or automatic reprocessor</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Storage of chemicals</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Qualifications and training of personnel</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Personal protective equipment</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Selection of appropriate sterilization technologies including health and safety considerations, </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Decontamination</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Device storage</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Quality control and Quality improvement. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>The new <a href="http://my.aami.org/store/detail.aspx?id=ST58" target="_blank">ST58 standard</a> should prove to be a valuable resource to those healthcare facilities that use chemical sterilization and high level disinfection.</span></span></span><br />
<br />ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-61580536565559461152013-11-08T09:05:00.001-05:002013-11-08T09:05:47.824-05:00Comparision of Healthcare Injury Rates in the US and UKThis <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2012/12/patient-health-and-employee-safety-go.html" target="_blank">blog has commented</a> several times about the very high injury rate in healthcare compared to other industries and has repeated the statements made in the Executive Summary of the 2009 NORA report “<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-139/pdfs/2009-139.pdf">State of the Sector Healthcare and Social Assistance</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>The </i><i>HCSA </i><i>[Healthcare and Social Assistance] sector is burdened
by the historical and entrenched belief that patient care issues
supersede the personal safety and health of workers and that it is
acceptable for HCSA workers to have less than optimal protections
against the risks of hazardous exposures or injuries. Because patients
and providers share the healthcare environment,
efforts to protect patients and providers can be complimentary, even
synergistic,
when pursued through a comprehensive , integrated approach.</i><br />
<br />
An <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=21192" target="_blank">OSHA press release</a>, discussing statistics from the BLS for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in 2010 in healthcare stated that <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>... the incidence rate for health care support workers
increased 6 percent to 283 cases per 10,000 full-time workers, almost 2
1/2 times the rate for all private and public sector workers at 118
cases per 10,000 full-time workers. The rate among nursing aides,
orderlies and attendants rose 7 percent, to 489 per 10,000 workers.
Additionally, the rate of musculoskeletal disorder cases with days away
from work for nursing aides, orderlies and attendants increased 10
percent to a rate of 249 cases per 10,000 workers.</i></span></span><i>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i> </i></span></span></i><br />
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Assistant Secretary
for the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration Dr. David
Michaels issued the following statement in response:</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"It is
unacceptable that the workers who have dedicated their lives to caring for our
loved ones when they are sick are the very same workers who face the highest
risk of work-related injury and illness. These injuries can end up destroying a
family's emotional and financial security. While workplace injuries, illnesses
and fatalities take an enormous toll on this nation's economy – the toll on
injured workers and their families is intolerable...."</i></div>
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It is interesting to compare the situation in the US with
the UK to determine if this lack of regard for employee safety is an industry or US problem or a
more global issue. Both the US and UK are modern industrialized countries with
comparable levels of healthcare technology and life expectancy (79 and;
80 yrs for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy" target="_blank">US and UK respectively</a>), though the former is largely private institutions and the latter is a mix of National Healthcare Service (<a href="http://www.nhs.uk/" target="_blank">NHS</a>) and private hospitals.<br />
<br />
In the US occupational injury statistics are collected and reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (<a href="http://www.bls.gov/" target="_blank">BLS</a>) and in the UK by the Health and Safety Executive (<a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/" target="_blank">HSE</a>). The HSE has a webpage dedicated to the <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/healthservices/index.htm" target="_blank">healthcare sector</a> and has issued a report <i><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/healthservices/health.pdf" target="_blank">Health and safety in human health and social care in Great Britain, 2013</a> </i>from which most of the UK data is drawn from.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> In the UK the rate of non-fatal injuries in healthcare (<a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/classifications/current-standard-classifications/standard-industrial-classification/index.html" target="_blank">SIC 2007</a> divisions 86, 87, 88) has been slowly decreasing over time. The <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/healthservices/" target="_blank">chart below</a> shows the estimated averaged numbers of all self-reported workplace injury and of non-fatal injury with over three day absence, for people working in health and social care in the last 12 months. </span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">If we compare the UK and US numbers for 2010, the injury rate requiring time off was 2,830 per 100,000 workers for the US compared to the UK all non-fatal injuries 2,500 and 1,000 for injuries requiring more than 3 days off work. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The two numbers though are not directly comparable since the US numbers are based on taking time off, whereas the UK numbers are based on both any reported non-fatal injury and non-fatal injuries taking three or more days off. It is reasonable to assume that the UK any non-fatal injury requiring time off would be between these lines. This data suggests that the non-fatal injury rate for UK healthcare personnel is significantly less than their US based colleagues, but because of the different data formats we are unable to say by how much less. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=399973311524080801" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">One of the more striking aspects of the US summary was the high rate of injury in healthcare compared to general industry. The same trend is seen in the UK. The <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/healthservices/health.pdf" target="_blank">tables below</a> based on the labor force survey (<a href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/lfsurvey/lfsurvey.list?p_lang=en" target="_blank">LFS</a>) clearly shows that people in the caring personal services sector of healthcare are much more likely to suffer an injury and take time off work because of that injury than the general workforce. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Non-fatal injuries vary with occupation</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" 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" /> </span></span><br />
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/><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The injury rate rate for caring personal services was (0.28/0.17=) 1.65 times greater than general industry compared to almost 2 1/2 times in the US indicating that this industry is more injury prone on both sides of the Atlantic.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We should be cautious about drawing too many conclusions
from these numbers since the data may have been collected in different ways, with different assumptions made and the analysis above is only a cursory review of published summaries and so as <a href="http://www.twainquotes.com/Statistics.html" target="_blank">Mark Twain credited Disraeli</a> with saying "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned
lies and statistics."</div>
<br />
However, overall it appears that the UK has a lower injury rate in healthcare compared to the US. In part this difference may be because OSHA's enforcement arm is needlessly cash limited, <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/08/oshas-enforcement-budget-need-not-be.html" target="_blank">as discussed previously in this blog</a>, and OSHA is limited to the size of the fine it can issue. Consider for example where an employee is fatally injured. Section 17 of the <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id=3371" target="_blank">Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970</a> sets the fine.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=399973311524080801" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Any employer who
willfully violates any standard, rule, or order promulgated pursuant to section
6 of this Act, or of any regulations prescribed pursuant to this Act, and that
violation caused death to any employee, shall, upon conviction, be punished by
a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">fine of not more than $10,000</b> or
by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both; except that if the
conviction is for a violation committed after a first conviction of such
person, punishment shall be by a fine of not more than $20,000 or by imprisonment
for not more than one year, or by both.</i></div>
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OSHA's fines and the associated publicity are more embarrassing to organizations than having any real financial impact. In comparison, the HSE <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/coi-nw-40iss.htm" target="_blank">fined </a><span style="color: #111111; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/coi-nw-40iss.htm" target="_blank">a cleaning company</a> £175,000 ($281,000 at today's exchange rate) after a hospital porter was killed by an industrial waste compactor.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem with small OSHA fines has been recognized by
OSHA others and the <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr190" target="_blank">Protecting America's Workers Act</a> was introduced to Congress
in January 2011 and would have increased OSHA fines, but it was not passed and
the chance of it passing in the new future appears to be small.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajim.22258/abstract" target="_blank">recent RAND report </a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>suggests that the UK may have a stronger culture of workplace safety than the US, finding that</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span>in 2010, the fatality
rate in the UK was about 1/3
the rate in the US.
In construction the rate was about ¼ the US rate, a difference that had
grown substantially since the 1990s. ..., lower rates were associated with
high-level management attention to safety issues and to in-house preparation of
“risk assessments</i>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The authors
concluded<i> "Although work fatality rates have declined in the US, fatality rates
are much lower and have declined faster in recent years in the UK.
Efforts to find out the reasons for the much better UK outcomes could be
productive</i>."</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px none; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-7098547066690444282013-10-25T17:03:00.003-04:002013-10-25T17:03:44.396-04:00Annotated PELs from OSHAOSHA has long recognized that its permissible exposure limits (PELs) for gases and vapors <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=24990" target="_blank">are in need of an update</a>. Many of them have not been updated since the PELs were first promulgated over forty years ago. As this blog has commented previously, <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2012/05/osha-its-not-as-easy-making-standards.html" target="_blank">OSHA faces an enormous administrative burden to produce updated or new standards</a>. <br />
<br />
OSHA has just published annotated standards in which the OSHA PELs are placed side by side with the NIOSH Recommended exposure limit (REL) and the ACGIH threshold limit values (TLVs). As <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-difference-between-rel-and-pel.html" target="_blank">discussed previously</a>, the OSHA PEL is a legal maximum exposure limit, whereas the NIOSH REL and the ACGIH are values set based on the best available science but are considered recommendations as opposed to legal limits.(Note in some jurisdictions outside the US, the ACGIH TLVs are legally enforceable, not in their own right, but because the legislature in that country/province/territory etc. has adopted them into their law).<br />
<br />
In OSHA's <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=24990" target="_blank">own words</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>OSHA also created another new web resource: the Annotated Permissible Exposure Limits, or annotated PEL tables, which will enable employers to voluntarily adopt newer, more protective workplace exposure limits. OSHA's PELs set mandatory limits on the amount or concentration of a substance in the air to protect workers against the health effects of certain hazardous chemicals; and OSHA will continue to enforce those mandatory PELs. Since OSHA's adoption of the majority of its PELs more than 40 years ago, new scientific data, industrial experience and developments in technology clearly indicate that in many instances these mandatory limits are not sufficiently protective of workers' health</i>.</span> </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"There is no question that many of OSHA's chemical standards are not adequately protective," Michaels [<a href="https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/michaels_bio.html" target="_blank">David Michaels</a>, Assistant Secretary for Labor, Occupational Safety and Health] said. "I advise employers, who want to ensure that their workplaces are safe, to utilize the occupational exposure limits on these annotated tables, since simply complying with OSHA's antiquated PELs will not guarantee that workers will be safe."</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The annotated PEL tables provide a side-by-side comparison of OSHA PELs for general industry to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health PELs, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure limits, and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist threshold limit values. They offer an easily accessible reference source for up-to-date workplace exposure limits, which are available at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" title="Annotated PEL Tables">http://www.osha.gov/dsg/annotated-pels/index.html</a>.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" title="OSHA.gov">http://www.osha.gov</a>.</i></span></span></span></div>
<br />
The annotated PELs are available for not only gases and vapors but also solids. The annotated PELs are drafted around the PELs published in <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=9991&p_table=STANDARDS">29 CFR 1910.1000</a> and its tables <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9992" target="_blank">Z-1</a>, <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=9993&p_table=STANDARDS" target="_blank">Z-2</a> and <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9994" target="_blank">Z-3</a>. The Annotated PELs are available at <a href="https://www.osha.gov/dsg/annotated-pels/tablez-1.html" target="_blank">Z-1</a>, <a href="https://www.osha.gov/dsg/annotated-pels/tablez-2.html" target="_blank">Z-2</a> and <a href="https://www.osha.gov/dsg/annotated-pels/tablez-3.html" target="_blank">Z-3</a>.<br />
<br />
The NIOSH RELs and ACGIH TLVs have been in use for many years and are widely respected. However many organizations have not understood the difference between them and the PELs and have relied solely on the OSHA PELs, as the prime means to protect their people, because of the legal status of the latter. These annotated PELs will hopefully encourage employers to use the RELs and TLVs with OSHA's blessing and so create a safer work environment. <br />
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<br />ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-68662732845316261482013-10-01T10:48:00.001-04:002013-10-01T10:48:22.860-04:00Public Citizen Report that Insufficient OSHA Inspections Leave Healthcare Workers Unprotected<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On July 17th 2013, <a href="http://www.citizen.org/">Public Citizen</a>, a national non-profit
organization released a report titled "<a href="http://www.citizen.org/documents/health-care-workers-unprotected-2013-report.pdf">Health
Care Workers Unprotected. Insufficient Inspections and Standards Leave Safety
Risks Unaddressed.</a>" The report cites the a <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthcare/">CDC article</a> that shows
that <span style="background: white; color: black;">Healthcare is the
fastest-growing sector of the U.S.
economy, employing over 18 million workers. Women represent nearly 80% of the
healthcare work force. Health care workers face a wide range of hazards on the
job, including needlestick injuries, back injuries, latex allergy, violence,
and stress. ... The high rate of injuries among healthcare workers has been <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2012/12/patient-health-and-employee-safety-go.html" target="_blank">discussed before on this blog</a>, especially with regard to chemical exposures.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Cases of nonfatal occupational injury and illness among to
healthcare workers are among the highest of any industry sector. By contrast,
two of the most hazardous industries, agriculture and construction, are safer
today than they were a decade ago.</span> This at a time when <a href="http://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2009/health_care/">healthcare spending and
the number of people employed in healthcare is increasing</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Public Citizen places the blame in OSHA's lack of inspection and lack of
suitable ergonomic standards applicable to healthcare and the following
statistics show that they have a good point.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.55pt;" valign="top" width="121"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Industry</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.65pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">No. Employed</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">No Injuries</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 91.85pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">No Fatalities</span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.35pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">No. Inspections</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.55pt;" valign="top" width="121"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Construction</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.65pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9.1 million</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">74,950</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 91.85pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">744</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.35pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">52,179</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.55pt;" valign="top" width="121"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Manufacturing</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.65pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">14.1 million</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">127,140</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 91.85pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">329</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.35pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">19,566</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 37.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 37.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 90.55pt;" valign="top" width="121"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Healthcare and Social
Assistance</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 37.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 93.65pt;" valign="top" width="125"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">18.9 million</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 37.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 89.4pt;" valign="top" width="119"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">176,380</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 37.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 91.85pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">141</span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 37.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 77.35pt;" valign="top" width="103"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2,504</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
The number of inspections in healthcare and social assistance is
proportionately much smaller than in either manufacturing or construction. Some
of this difference is due to the more severe injuries in manufacturing and
construction, but even when comparing the relative rates of fatalities the
report says that OSHA conducts fewer than 1/4th as many inspections in health
care as in construction in proportion to the number of fatalities.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html">This blog has also
commented </a>previously on the lack of OSHA inspections, due to a lack of
resources, even though the revenues from the additional inspections would
almost fully reimburse the treasury.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
The other point that the Public Citizen report makes is that there are
insufficient standards relevant to healthcare, especially ergonomics. <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2012/05/osha-its-not-as-easy-making-standards.html">This
blog has also discussed previously</a> about how it is more difficult for OSHA
to promulgate new standards and regulations compared to many other government
agencies. If there are not applicable standards available, then OSHA must use
the <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id=3359">General
Duty Clause</a> in order to prosecute unsafe work practices. The additional
evidentiary burden makes these prosecutions few and far between.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
As <a href="https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=21192">Assistant
Secretary of Labor David Michaels said </a>"<span style="background: white; color: black;">It is unacceptable that the workers who have dedicated their
lives to caring for our loved ones when they are sick are the very same workers
who face the highest risk of work-related injury and illness.</span>"</span></div>
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<br />ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-17830194549062719292013-09-25T16:25:00.002-04:002013-09-25T16:25:47.276-04:00Industry News: ISA Transfering Overlapping Standards to ULIn the United States there are many standards organizations that fall under the umbrella of the <a href="http://www.ansi.org/" target="_blank">American National Standards Institute (ANSI)</a>. All these organizations follow the general ANSI protocol for developing consensus standards.<br />
<br />
In the area related to gas detection the <a href="http://www.isa.org/" target="_blank">International Society of Automation</a> (ISA) has two main committees, <a href="http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=146&CommitteeID=4608" target="_blank">ISA12 </a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=146&CommitteeID=4608" target="_blank">Electrical Equipment for Hazardous Locations</a> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">that </span></span>is to be used in hazardous (flammable/explosive) atmospheres and <a href="http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=278&CommitteeID=4740" target="_blank">ISA92</a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=278&CommitteeID=4740" target="_blank">, Performance Requirements for Industrial Air Measurement Instrumentation Related to Health and Safety</a>; i.e. </span></span></span>performance requirements for portable and fixed gas monitoring systems. The gases covered include oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and chlorine.<br />
<br />
At one time the ISA had separate standards for each gas, but in recent years these have been consolidated into a standard for oxygen monitors<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> [<a href="http://www.isa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Standards&template=/Ecommerce/ProductDisplay.cfm&ProductID=12944" target="_blank"><span class="ecTitle ecBlue" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">ANSI/ISA-92.04.01, Part I-2007 (R2013)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="ecTitle ecOrange" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">Performance Requirements for Instruments Used To Detect Oxygen-Deficient/Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres</span></a>] an</span></span>d a standard for toxic g<span style="font-size: small;">ase<span style="font-family: inherit;">s monitors [<a href="http://www.isa.org/Template.cfm?Section=Standards8&Template=/Ecommerce/ProductDisplay.cfm&ProductID=11549" target="_blank"><span class="ecTitle ecBlue" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">ANSI/ISA-92.00.01-2010<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span class="ecTitle ecOrange" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal;">Performance Requirements for Toxic Gas Detectors</span></a>] along with documents providing advice on <a href="http://www.isa.org/mstemplate.cfm?section=home&template=/TaggedPage/getStandards.cfm&MicrositeID=278&CommitteeID=4740" target="_blank">installation, operation and maintenance</a> of the monitors.</span></span><b> </b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.1875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span></b><br />
<a href="http://www.ul.com/" target="_blank">UL (Underwriters Laboratories)</a> is both a standards organization and an OSHA approved <a href="https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/" target="_blank">Nationally Recognized Testing Lab</a> with particular emphasis on safety. UL has a standards committee that develops standards for explosive atmospheres, and more recently has adapted many of its explosive atmosphere standards to parallel the <a href="http://www.iec.ch/" target="_blank">International Electrical Commission (IEC)</a> standards IEC 60079-x.<br />
<br />
The IEC is an international standards organization that develops standards with the consensus of <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:5:0" target="_blank">national standards organizations</a> (ANSI for the United States). Obviously there is considerable overlap between the work of the UL 60079 and the ISA12 committees and both organizations have worked hard to <a href="http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=146&CommitteeID=4608" target="_blank">ensure compatibility between them and the IEC standards</a>. <br />
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UL and ISA both recognize the inefficiency of having two organizations doing the same work and have agreed to combine the effort. The two organizations have agreed that the ISA12 committee and subcommittees will be transitioned to the UL 60079 committee. <br />
<br />
Obviously since many gas monitors are designed to operate in hazardous atmospheres, there is overlap between the work and personnel between the ISA12 and ISA92 committees and under the agreement the ISA92 committee will also be transitioned to UL. ISA will continue its standard development efforts in its primary area of expertise, automation and control systems. ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-9987770459338009032013-09-19T09:43:00.001-04:002013-09-19T09:43:31.384-04:00Industry News: New Study Shows ROI for Safety Spending<span style="font-family: inherit;">Several studies in the past have shown that organizations gain a net return on investment for dollars spent on workplace safety, for examples see the list <a href="https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/products/topics/businesscase/" target="_blank">compiled by OSHA</a>. A recent study published by Fabius et al in the <i><a href="http://journals.lww.com/joem/pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine</a> </i>supported this conclusion.The abstract to the article is shown below:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="ej-article-box-text" id="ej-article-box-text1" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 25px 15px 35px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div id="P12" style="margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 9px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Objective: To test the hypothesis that comprehensive efforts to reduce a workforce's health and safety risks can be associated with a company's stock market performance.</span></span></div>
<div id="P13" style="margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 9px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Methods: Stock market performance of Corporate Health Achievement Award winners was tracked under four different scenarios using simulation and past market performance.</span></span></div>
<div id="P14" style="margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 9px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Results: A portfolio of companies recognized as award winning for their approach to the health and safety of their workforce outperformed the market. Evidence seems to support that building cultures of health and safety provides a competitive advantage in the marketplace. This research may have also identified an association between companies that focus on health and safety and companies that manage other aspects of their business equally well.</span></span></div>
<div id="P15" style="margin-bottom: 9px; margin-top: 9px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Conclusions: Companies that build a culture of health by focusing on the well-being and safety of their workforce yield greater value for their investors.</span></b></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">"<a href="http://journals.lww.com/joem/Abstract/2013/09000/The_Link_Between_Workforce_Health_and_Safety_and.1.aspx" target="_blank">The Link Between Workforce Health and Safety and the Health of the Bottom Line: Tracking Market Performance of Companies That Nurture a “Culture of Health</a>”"; Fabius, R.; Thayer, R.D.; Konicki, D.L.; Yarborough, C.M.; Peterson, K.W.; Isaac, F.; Loeppke, R.R.; Eisenberg, B.S.; Dreger, M.; J<i>ournal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine</i> <a href="http://journals.lww.com/joem/pages/currenttoc.aspx">September 2013 - Volume 55 - Issue 9 - p 993–1000</a></span>ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-60134184033990020622013-09-05T12:12:00.000-04:002013-09-05T12:12:05.423-04:00Industry News - AAMI Publishes Chemical Sterilization Standard ST58The <a href="http://www.aami.org/" target="_blank">Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation</a> (AAMI) has received final approval from <a href="http://www.ansi.org/" target="_blank">ANSI</a> for publication of the standard 'Chemical sterilization and high-level disinfection in health care facilities' ANSI/AAMI ST58:2013. <br />
<br />
This standard has been completely revised since the prior edition, and for the subjects particularly close to ChemDAQ's heart, there is significantly more information in this revision on workplace safety including expanded annexes with safety information for each of the chemical sterilant chemicals that are approved by the FDA and a new annex on gas and vapor monitoring. ChemDAQ's own Richard Warburton and David Hilliker were members of AAMI Chemical Sterilants Hospital Practices Working Group that developed the standard.<br />
<br />
We sure that this standard will provide valuable information to all helathcare facilites using chemical sterilization and high level disinfection.The standard will be available for purchase from AAMI's <a href="http://www.aami.org/publications/standards/" target="_blank">website</a> next week.ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-11741066537122675242013-08-07T12:52:00.001-04:002013-08-07T12:52:14.436-04:00OSHA's Enforcement Budget Need Not be Limited by Expense Concerns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYIvSHQqB3XqzkHmKF74c1B0yoM8A_jO7u4yaNFEfNnu9l_FiLdUIUcq7VkQXYIkPzA1ve7SD1vCg2mGE3JQKzNOvde-6HSvM-HDx1qz9SDS20JT6UB2o-ucoOF39mbNJxzky1AKKmuE/s1600/OSHA+budget+2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Every year as part of the budget process OSHA submits its request for funding. For 2013, OSHA requested $565.5 million, just under the 2012 appropriated amount of $565.8 million. Full details may be found in the "<a href="http://www.dol.gov/dol/budget/2013/PDF/CBJ-2013-V2-12.pdf">FY 2013 Congressional Budget Justification Occupational Safety and Health Administration.</a>" </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">OSHA's anticipated expenditure is broken down between the various functions that OSHA performs as shown in the pie chart below (in $ thousands)</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.dol.gov/dol/budget/2013/PDF/CBJ-2013-V2-12.pdf" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4ntZrKoAp5llCzqoPvcNnl2T1ZGHitlbSyZGlV6cwkxREesoxwtZX4Pcp0LlVL-Q0Ejun9fvs10X2uGxH7_CUQ0uefzo93UY10nhwSYLDVvJ4PLzJ7w7z34slT5voWDccchrzSSW1ms/s320/OSHA+budget+2013.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYIvSHQqB3XqzkHmKF74c1B0yoM8A_jO7u4yaNFEfNnu9l_FiLdUIUcq7VkQXYIkPzA1ve7SD1vCg2mGE3JQKzNOvde-6HSvM-HDx1qz9SDS20JT6UB2o-ucoOF39mbNJxzky1AKKmuE/s1600/OSHA+budget+2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The <a href="http://www.dol.gov/dol/budget/2013/PDF/CBJ-2013-V2-12.pdf">federal enforcement part of the budget</a> is an appropriation of $207 million and 1,580 FTEs (full time employee equivalents), which OSHA anticipates using to conduct a total of 43,100 federal inspections – 35,215 safety inspections, and 7,885 health inspections, compared to <span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html">40,961 inspections in 2012</a> (federal only).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18.1875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">There have been many discussions concerning the cost of enforcement versus the need to improve workplace safety and the<a href="http://www.nhpr.org/post/osha-responsible-worker-safety-rarely-visits-coos"> limited resources available</a> to OSHA (see also <a href="http://www.progressivereform.org/CPRBlog.cfm?idBlog=25309B4F-DABA-7944-19223CA1E417227C">BP</a> and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/04/28/where-osha-falls-short-and-why/osha-has-a-big-job-on-a-tiny-budget">West fertilizer</a></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.citizenvox.org/2013/04/18/texas-refinery-explosion-draws-attention-to-limited-osha-resources-as-factor-preceding-tragedy/"></a></span></span>). As <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/04/28/where-osha-falls-short-and-why/osha-has-a-big-job-on-a-tiny-budget" style="background-color: white; border: 0px none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Randy Rabinowitz</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><span style="color: black;"> po</span>inted out in the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">New York Times</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">, with over 8 million workplaces </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">federal OSHA can conduct an inspection of every facility only once every 131 years. However, this argument of limited resources for inspections may be false.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">In 2012 OSHA issued a total of $266,988,844 in penalties and collected $173,206,213. The amount of penalties collected is 84% of the federal enforcement budget. All income from OSHA penalties goes directly to the US treasury (<a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id=3371">sec. 17(l) of the 1970 OSH Act</a>) , presumably in order to avoid rich targets being more more heavily inspected.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">However, like any large enterprise, costs typically are not linearly scalable with income. Hiring more inspectors will bring in more penalties but the cost will of course be higher. However, out of the operations funded by the $207 million budget for federal enforcement, some part of the funding will be indirect costs (utilities, office personnel etc.) whose costs are not proportional to the number of inspectors. Unless OSHA's enforcement division is unusually efficient, it is likely that these indirect costs will exceed 16% of the budget. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">The debate on whether additional inspection is required to <a href="http://social.dol.gov/blog/osha-saves-lives-and-jobs/">improve safety </a>or an<a href="http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/warning-osha-can-be-hazardous-to-your-health#axzz2VqnBTgKH"> unnecessary burden on industry</a> will undoubtedly continue. However, this decision can be made by the US Congress on policy grounds and not based on budgetary concerns since it is likely that every additional dollar spent will result in at least one more dollar being returned to the US treasury. </span></span></span><br />
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<br />ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-79425495304983076862013-07-30T16:53:00.001-04:002013-07-30T16:53:24.536-04:00Industry News: EPA Seeks comments about ETO Inhalation Carcinogenicity <span style="font-family: inherit;">The EPA recently published a request for public comments in the Federal Regist<span style="font-size: small;">er "</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/07/23/2013-17675/notice-of-a-public-comment-period-on-the-draft-iris-carcinogenicity-assessment-for-ethylene-oxide" target="_blank">Notice of a Public Comment Period on the Draft IRIS Carcinogenicity Assessment for Ethylene Oxide</a>"</span></span></span></span>. The comment period closes on 8/23/2013. The National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA), part of the EPA's Office of Research and Development has drafted a report titled "<i>Evaluation of the Inhalation Carcinogenicity of Ethylene Oxide</i>" available on the <a href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=239586" target="_blank">ISIS website</a>. The first draft of this report was released in September 2006, and was revised following public comments, the second issue has now made its debut. The report summarizes the available evidence of carcinogenicity of EtO in humans and estimated the risk of developing cancer to someone as a result of exposure to EtO.<br />
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The two main conclusions of the report are that:<br />
<ul>
<li>The weight of evidence from epidemiological studies and supporting information is sufficient to conclude that ethylene oxide is carcinogenic to humans. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Total cancer risk based on human data―lymphoid cancer incidence and breast cancer incidence in females is 1.80 × 10<sup>-3</sup>.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The report explained that "The derivation of unit risk estimates, defined as the lifetime risk of cancer from chronic inhalation of EtO per unit of air concentration, for lymphohematopoietic cancer mortality and incidence and for breast cancer mortality and incidence in females, based on results of the recent analyses of the NIOSH cohort, is presented in the following subsections."</span><br />
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In other words, a woman exposed to 1 ppm EtO for her lifetime has a 0.18% chance of contracting either breast or lymphoid cancer due to this exposure, i.e. on top of the risk of developing these or other cancers due to others reasons.<br />
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This report is 174 pages long and so the brief summary here does not do it justice and therefore anyone interested is advised to <a href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=239586" target="_blank">download and read the report</a> and perhaps offer comments to the EPA..ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-29771521082904512272013-07-09T10:28:00.000-04:002013-07-09T10:28:03.887-04:00Chemical Management in HealthCareA recent paper by Byrns, Nelson and Bradbury (<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15459624.2013.795806#.UdLxcthknU0" target="_blank">The Importance of Good Chemical Management in Health Care, <i>J. Occup. & Environ. Hyg.</i> (2013), <u>10</u>(7), D86-93</a>) discussed their results from auditing two large hospitals for chemical management. Hospitals use a large number of chemicals from disinfectants by house keeping, sterilants by sterile processing and pharmaceuticals, especially antineoplastic drugs, by pharmacy and medical staff; and many of these chemicals pose significant risks to anyone exposed to them. The use of chemicals in the workplace, whether a hospital or in general industry is regulated by <a href="http://www.osha.gov/" target="_blank">OSHA</a> and the management of chemicals in the workplace is governed by OSHA's <a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=10099" target="_blank">Hazard Communication Standard</a>.<br />
<br />
The goal of the HazCom standard is to inform workers of the risks of the chemicals that they use. The standard's philosophy is that if workers know and understand the risks of the chemicals they are using then they will be more careful and there will be fewer chemical related injuries. The HazCom standard includes requirements for labeling chemicals (recently revised under the <a href="http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html" target="_blank">Global Harmonization System</a>), safety data sheets (SDSs), formerly MSDSs, and employee training as well as maintaining an inventory of all chemicals on-site.<br />
<br />
Byrns et al found very poor adherence to the Hazcom standard. In the first hospital they audited they found that the facilities engineering department had 248 chemicals on-site, but there were SDSs for less than half of the chemicals (115) and only 114 of them were in the chemical inventory. On the positive side the authors found most of the workers knew which were the most hazardous chemicals, but the use of personal protective equipment was inadequate. Similar results were found with housekeeping.<br />
<br />
Hospital 2 did not do any better in their audit. The facilities Engineering had poor control of their chemical inventory (46% of chemicals listed), the nursing and radiology had very poor control, but the sterile processing department was much better with over 90% of their chemicals listed.<br />
<br />
On the positive side, there were no reports of serious acute exposures and the percentages of employees who said they had received training on how to use the chemicals in their workplace safely was 100% in Sterile Processing and Chemotherapy Nursing though it fell to 44% for Engineering and 0% for pharmacy.<br />
The overall low focus on worker safety in healthcare is well documented (and well cited in the article), and the above results support this conclusion.<br />
<br />
For comparison, <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/05/no-osha-hazcom-training-in-healthcare.html" target="_blank">ChemDAQ's informal survey at the recent IACHSMM show</a>, which was discussed in a recent blog found that almost half of respondents (predominantly sterile processing personnel) said that they had never received training on the Hazcom standard, which indicates that the two hospitals taking part in the Byrns et al study may be been among the more progressive with regard to chemical safety.ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-52370608276177476292013-07-02T09:51:00.001-04:002013-07-02T09:51:05.293-04:00Protective Action Criteria - Emergency Exposure Limits<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Most of us are aware that there are exposure limits for
chemical exposures in the workplace, so called occupational exposure limits
(OELs). In the US,
the legal exposure limits are in the form of OSHA Permissible exposure limits
(PELs) available at<a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9992"> 29 CFGR1910.1000 Tbl Z-1</a>. There are several other OELs that are based on scientific
data including the NIOSH <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/">recommended exposure limits</a> (RELs), the <a href="http://www.acgih.org/tlv/">ACGIH threshold limit values (TLV</a>s) and the <a href="http://www.aiha.org/">AIHA’s</a> workplace environmental exposure levels (WEELs)<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: small;">I</span>n addition to OELs, there are also emergency exposure
levels. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main difference between OELs
and PAC levels are that OELs are intended for the workplace where one may be
safely exposed to this concentration or concentration over time, for eight
hours, 5 days a week for a full work life without adverse effects. Emergency
exposure levels on the other hand are intended for emergency responders as a
tool to assess the risk to people who have had a one time exposure to a
chemical.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are the three main emergency exposure levels in common
usage. The EPA has promulgated <a href="http://www.epa.gov/oppt/aegl/">acute exposure guidelines</a> (AEGLs) and the AIHA
has issued <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/erpgs">Emergency Response planning guidelines</a> (ERPLs). The AEGLs and ERPLs
are subdivided based on the impact of an exposure.The <a href="http://www.epa.gov/oppt/aegl/pubs/define.htm">AEGL levels are defined </a>as follows:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="background: white;">AEGL-1</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">is the airborne concentration, expressed as parts
per million or milligrams per cubic meter (ppm or mg/m3) of a substance
above which it is predicted that the general population, including
susceptible individuals, could experience notable discomfort, irritation,
or certain asymptomatic nonsensory effects. However, the effects are not
disabling and are transient and reversible upon cessation of exposure.</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="background: white;">AEGL-2</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">is the airborne concentration (expressed as ppm
or mg/m3) of a substance above which it is predicted that the general
population, including susceptible individuals, could experience
irreversible or other serious, long-lasting adverse health effects or an
impaired ability to escape.</span><b><span style="background: white; color: black;"> </span></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="background: white;">AEGL-3</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span style="background: white;">is the airborne concentration (expressed as ppm
or mg/m3) of a substance above which it is predicted that the general
population, including susceptible individuals, could experience
life-threatening health effects or death.<span class="apple-converted-space"></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"> The ERPLs are similarly divided, with <a href="http://orise.orau.gov/emi/scapa/chem-pacs-teels/erpg-definitions.htm">similar definitions</a>: </span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">ERPG-1</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is the maximum airborne concentration
below which it is believed that nearly all individuals could be exposed for up
to 1 hr without experiencing other than mild transient adverse health effects
or perceiving a clearly defined, objectionable odor.</span> </li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">ERPG-2</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is the maximum airborne concentration
below which it is believed that nearly all individuals could be exposed for up
to 1 hr without experiencing or developing irreversible or other serious health
effects or symptoms which could impair an individual's ability to take
protective action.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><b><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">ERPG-3</span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>is the maximum airborne concentration
below which it is believed that nearly all individuals could be exposed for up
to 1 hour without experiencing or developing life-threatening health effects.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The main difference between the AEGLs and the ERPGs is the
ERPGs are based on a one hour exposure, whereas the AEGLs are calculated for
exposures from 10 minutes to 8 hours.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The AEGL and ERPG values can be compared with the NIOSH
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/intridl4.html">immediately dangerous to life and health levels</a> (IDLH). </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Some values for representative compounds are shown in the
table below:</span></span></div>
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</span></span></span><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.2in;" valign="top" width="115"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">Compound</span></b></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-image: none; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">AEGL 1</span></b></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-image: none; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">AEGL 2</span></b></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-image: none; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">ERPG 1 </span></b></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-image: none; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">ERPG 2</span></b></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-image: none; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">IDLH</span></b></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-image: none; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">ACGIH TLV</span></b></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-image: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.2in;" valign="top" width="115"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">Ethylene oxide</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">45 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">50 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">800 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">1 ppm 8 Hr TWA</span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-image: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.2in;" valign="top" width="115"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">Formaldehyde</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">1.7 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">5.0 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">1 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">10 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">20 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">0.3 ppm ceiling</span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-image: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.2in;" valign="top" width="115"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">Glutaraldehyde</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">0.2 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">1 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">0.05 ppm ceiling</span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-image: none; border-right: 1pt solid windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.2in;" valign="top" width="115"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">Hydrogen Peroxide</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">10 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">50 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">75 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">1 ppm 8 Hr TWA</span></span></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">Peracetic Acid</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">0.17 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">0.51 ppm</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 0.75in;" valign="top" width="72"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 45pt;" valign="top" width="60"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a</span></span></span></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black;">n/a*</span></span></span></div>
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<![endif]--> Notes: AEGLs based on 60 minute exposure</span>.</span></span><br />
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"> *<span style="font-size: x-small;">The <a href="https://www.acgih.org/store/ProductDetail.cfm?id=2199">ACGIH has proposed </a>a 15 minute STEL for peracetic acid of 0.4 ppm. </span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">As may be expected, the
AEGLs and ERPGs are significantly higher than the ACGIH TLVs, since the former
apply to a one time exposure in an emergency situation and the latter to
occupational exposure, 40 hours a week. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Both the AEGLs and the ERPGs are based on scientific studies;
however for many chemicals systematic exposure studies have not been conducted.
The last member of the PAC family are the DOE Office of Emergency Operations’
temporary emergency exposure limits (TEELs) developed by <a href="https://orise.orau.gov/emi/scapa/default.htm">SCAPA</a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The TEELs are estimates made <a href="http://orise.orau.gov/emi/scapa/files/doe-hdbk-1046-2008_ac.pdf">based on OELs, chemicalproperties, chemical structures, health hazard warnings etc</a>. </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"> The
goal behind the TEEL program is to estimate an emergency exposure level based
on the information available. The development of a TEEL is not a rigorous as an
AEGL or ERPG, but in an emergency situation it is much better to have TEEL guidance
than nothing at all. The TEELs are subject to periodic update and TEEL
compounds may also rise to the top of the pile and become and AEGL or ERPG. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The TEELs are also divided similarly to the
AEGLs and ERPGs into <a href="http://www.atlintl.com/DOE/teels/teel/teeldef.html">TEEL-1, TEEL-2 and TEEL-3.</a> </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Today there are over <a href="http://orise.orau.gov/emi/scapa/chem-pacs-teels/aegls-erpgs-teels.htm">3000 TEELs</a> </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">
compared with about <a href="http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/aegl/pubs/compiled_aegls_apr302013.pdf">140 final AEGLs</a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"> and
about <a href="http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/erpgs">145 ERPGs</a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The <a href="http://orise.orau.gov/emi/about-emi-sig/default.htm">Emergency Management Special Interest Group</a> (sponsored by
the Department of Energy) </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">
combines these emergency exposure limits into <a href="http://orise.orau.gov/emi/scapa/chem-pacs-teels/default.htm">Protection Action Criteria</a> (PACs)</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to give PAC-1, PAC-2 and PAC-3 as with the
AEGLs and the ERPGs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For any particular
chemical, the PAC is based on the following hierarchy of values:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">1) Use AEGLs (including final or interim values) if they are
available. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">2) If AEGLs are not available, use ERPGs. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">3) If neither AEGLs or ERPGs are available, use TEELs.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The PAC values are designed for use by first responders and other people dealing with potential chemical exposures in an emergency. The PAC values are available from <a href="http://www.atlintl.com/DOE/teels/teel.html">an on-line database and tabulated in pdf and Excel formats</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-61551074369596160642013-06-13T11:13:00.002-04:002013-06-13T11:13:47.123-04:00Occupational Exposure Limits in AustraliaEvery country has its own legal system and within that system its own occupational safety laws. For people not familiar with these laws, finding the relevant occupational exposure limits (OELs) can be time consuming. This blog recently provided an <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/06/occupational-exposure-limits-for.html">article with links for readers to find occupational exposure limits in Canada</a>, and compared these to the US OSHA Limits. This article provides similar information for Australia.<br />
<br />
Unlike
the United States which has a strong federal government and relatively
weak states, in Australia the opposite is true.
The provinces are considered co-sovereign states with the federal
government; and the territories though under the egis of the federal
government, also promulgate their own laws. However, all the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_and_territories_of_Australia">six states and several territories</a> <span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;">c</span>ollaborated through an organization called <a href="http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA">Safe Work Australia </a>to develop a common set of OELs and a model occupational statute and associated regulations that the states and territories can adopt. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Occupational Exposure Limits</b><br />
<safe a="" an="" australia="" developed="" has="" href="http://www.hsis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/ExposureStandards" work="">Safe Work has created an on-line database for occupational exposure limits,</safe> which allows chemicals to be searched by name or CAS number. The <a href="http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/Publications/Documents/639/Workplace_Exposure_Standards_for_Airborne_Contaminants.pdf">complete list of OELs</a> is also available for download as a pdf. The OEL for some representative compounds are shown below and for the most part they are fairly similar to those used in the US.<br />
<br />
<b>Australia </b><b><a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9992">US-OSHA</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.acgih.org/products/tlvintro.htm">ACGIH TLV</a></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ethylene Oxide </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 ppm (8 hr TWA) 1 ppm (8 hr TWA) 1 ppm (8 hr TWA)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Glutaraldehyde 0.1 ppm peak n/a 0.05 ppm ceiling</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hydrogen peroxide 1 ppm (8 hr TWA) 1 ppm (8 hr TWA) 1 ppm (8 hr TWA)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ozone 0.1 ppm 0.1 ppm (8 hr TWA) 0.05 - 0.2 ppm </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Notes: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1) TWA = time weighted average, peak = ceiling = maximum permissible exposure at any time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2) Regulations are always
subject to change and to the readers should verify that the above
information is correct before relying on this information.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
Work Safe has also <a href="http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/about/publications/pages/workplace-exposure-standards-airborne-contaminants"><span style="font-size: small;">developed a guide</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW;"><span style="font-size: small;"> on the application of
workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants (exposure standards) in
the workplace. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<b>Occupational Safety Statutes and Regulations </b><br />
The federal government and all of the states and territories, except for Victoria, have adopted the
model statute and regulations. As with most common law countries, the legislature passes a broad act or statute that empowers a government agency to then develop more specific regulations. The statutes and regulations are listed below as a reference but will not discussed further in this article.<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW;"><a href="http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/2011-35/current/pdf/2011-35.pdf">Work Health and Safety Act</a> 2011</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW;"><a href="http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/SWA/about/Publications/Documents/616/Model%20Work%20Health%20and%20Safety%20Regulations.pdf">Model Work Health and Safety Regulations</a> 2011</span><br />
<br />
While Victoria's statute is different
from the other states, its occupational laws are generally compatible.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW;">The Victoria
<a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt7.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/E5E8EC941606A605CA257B81000B39CA/$FILE/04-107aa021%20authorised.pdf">Occupational Safety and Health Act</a> of 2004</span><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: PMingLiU; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW;">The Victoria - <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt7.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/0BD8FE05A9E9D002CA257B420002FD29/$FILE/07-54sra010%20authorised.pdf">Occupational Health and Safety Regulations</a> 2007</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<br />
<br />ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-29936950139557474062013-06-05T09:01:00.000-04:002013-06-10T17:34:25.203-04:00Occupational Exposure Limits in Canada Compared to the US.<br />
The primary goal of this blog article is to allow readers to easily find exposure data in the US and Canada, by following the links in the text. Hydrogen peroxide will be used as an exemplary chemical to compare exposure limits, but the exposure limits for other chemicals are usually in the same sources, though some jurisdictions list carcinogens separately.<br />
<br />
The Canadian provinces each set their own occupational exposure limits, though the majority of them follow the <a href="http://www.acgih.org/">American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists</a> (ACGIH) <a href="http://www.acgih.org/tlv/">threshold limit values</a>
(TLVs). The occupational exposure limits for each Canadian province (P) and Territory (T) is set out below:<br />
<br />
<ul type="circle">
<li>Federal Government: <a href="http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-86-304/page-49.html#h-122">follows ACGIH</a></li>
<li>Alberta (P): Based on <a href="http://humanservices.alberta.ca/documents/WHS-LEG_ohsc_p04.pdf">2006 ACGIH</a>, <a href="http://humanservices.alberta.ca/documents/WHS-LEG_ohsc_2009.pdf">exposure values tabulated</a>.</li>
<li>British Columbia (P): largely follows ACGIH, but issues its <a href="http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/ohsregulation/GuidelinePart5.asp?ReportID=32895">own table of exposure values. H2O2 = 1 ppm 8 Hr TWA.</a>.</li>
<li>Manitoba (P): <a href="http://safemanitoba.com/sites/default/files/resources/lim_part_36_-_july_18_2006.pdf">follows ACGIH</a></li>
<li>New Brunswick (P): follows <a href="http://www.gnb.ca/0062/pdf-regs/91-191.pdf">1997 ACGIH</a></li>
<li>Newfoundland and Labrador (P): <a href="http://www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/regulations/rc120005.htm">follows ACGIH</a></li>
<li>Northwest Territories (T): follows ACGIH, <a href="http://www.wcb.nt.ca/YourWSCC/WhoWeAre/Documents/OHS%20Regs%20Digests%20Vol%203%20NWT.pdf">legislation pending</a></li>
<li>Nova Scotia (P): <a href="http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/regs/hpaohs.htm">follows 1976 ACGIH</a></li>
<li>Nunavut (T)follows ACGIH, <a href="http://www.wcb.nt.ca/YourWSCC/WhoWeAre/Documents/OHS%20Regs%20Digests%20Vol%203%20NWT.pdf">legislation pending</a></li>
<li>Ontario (P): <a href="http://canlii.ca/en/on/laws/regu/rro-1990-reg-833/102971/rro-1990-reg-833.html">Published list or else ACGIH,</a> H2O2 is under ACGIH</li>
<li>Prince Edward Island (P): <a href="http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/wcb_ohs_regs.pdf">follows ACGIH</a></li>
<li>Quebec (P): <a href="http://www2.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/dynamicSearch/telecharge.php?type=3&file=/S_2_1/S2_1R13_A.HTM">1 ppm 8 hr TWA</a></li>
<li>Saskatchewan (P): <a href="http://www.qp.gov.sk.ca/documents/English/Regulations/Regulations/O1-1R1.pdf">1 ppm 8 Hr TWA, 2 ppm 15 min TWA (STEL)</a></li>
<li>Yukon (T): <a href="http://www.wcb.yk.ca/Media/documents/Occupational_Health_Regs.pdf">1 ppm 8 hr TWA, 2 ppm 15 min TWA (STEL)</a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Note:</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Regulations are always
subject to change and to the readers should verify that the above
information is correct before relying on this information. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The current <a href="http://www.acgih.org/products/tlvintro.htm">ACGIH TLV</a> for hydrogen peroxide is 1 ppm calculated as an 8 hour TWA. </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ACGIH TLVs are time weighted exposures (TWA) that are
reviewed periodically based on the available scientific data. </span></span><br />
<br />
For the US, the <a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9992">OSHA PEL for hydrogen peroxide</a> is 1 ppm (8 hr TWA) with no short term exposure limit. <a href="http://labor.hawaii.gov/hiosh/files/2012/12/12-60-General-Safety-Health-Requirements.pdf">Hawaii</a> and <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-841-20025">Washington</a> have the same 8 hr PEL, but also have a STEL of 3 ppm (15 min. TWA). <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
There are significant jurisdictional differences between the US and Canada. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) establishes safety standards for the entire
country including <a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9992">permissible exposure limits (PELs)</a>
for workplace exposure to chemicals. Most state agencies with
responsibility for workplace safety follow the federal limits, though a
few, such as <a href="http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/5155table_ac1.html">California</a>, <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=296-841-20025">Washington</a> and <a href="http://labor.hawaii.gov/hiosh/files/2012/12/12-60-General-Safety-Health-Requirements.pdf">Hawaii</a> set
their own PELs but these state PELs are either the same or more restrictive than
the OSHA PELs because of the Supremacy clause in <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html">Article VI of the US constitution</a>.<br />
<br />
Unlike
the United States which has a strong federal government and relatively
weak states, in Canada the opposite is true. In Canada there are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada">ten provinces and three territories</a>.
The provinces are considered co-sovereign states with the federal
government; and the territories though under the egis of the federal
government, also promulgate their own laws. Thus people working with chemicals in Canada need to look at the requirements of each province and territory separately.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
</ol>
ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-6203253325177384422013-05-31T09:07:00.001-04:002013-05-31T09:07:33.612-04:00No OSHA Hazcom Training in HealthcareThe last two blog entries described a survey of <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/05/survey-of-low-temperature-gasvapor.html">low temperature sterilization</a> and <a href="http://chemdaq.blogspot.com/2013/05/survey-of-liquid-sterilants-and-high.html">liquid sterilants and high level disinfectants.</a> The survey was conducted at the recent IAHCSMM show where we invited attendees to complete a short information card in exchange for being entered into a competition to win some prizes. <p>
We had about 175 respondents and eliminated entries that did not list the chemicals and equipment, and multiple people from the same institution. For this analysis non-US facilities were also excluded, leaving 117 US based facilities that use low temperature sterilization and in most cases liquid sterilants/high level disinfectants <p>
The most startling answer we received on our survey was to the question "<i>Have you ever received OSHA HAZCOM Training?</i>" Of the 89 people who answered this question, 45 (51%) said YES and 44 (49%) said NO. <p>
OSHA's Hazard Communication (Hazcom) Standard <a href="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=10099">29 CFR 1910.1200</a> applies to any work location where chemicals are used and requires training about the chemicals used (safe use, how to recognize leaks, safety data sheets, and labels; and of course training about the standard itself.<p>
Our survey was shocking since it is a federal law that everyone who uses chemicals in the workplace be trained on the HazCom standard. The International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM) show is for primarily for people who work in sterile processing departments in healthcare. Additionally, all of the people included in this survey had identified the chemical used for low temperature sterilization and so presumably are working with or near potentially hazardous chemicals.<p>
However, the percentage of people who have not had Hazcom training may be conservative. ChemDAQ's President & CEO, David Hilliker, frequently gives talks about the HazCom standard to people from hospital sterile processing departments and he estimated that about 80% audience members that he talked to individually have never had HazCom training. Our survey was voluntary and perhaps a disproportionate fraction of the 28 people who did not answer this question in the survey would have selected NO had they checked a box. For information about ChemDAQ's Hazcom training program contact Kevin Vaughn at kvaughn@chemdaq.com.<p>
In 2009 the NIOSH-NORA State of the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-139/pdfs/2009-139.pdf">Sector Healthcare and Social Assistance</a> report stated in the Executive Summary that <p>"<i>The HCSA sector is burdened by the historical and entrenched belief that patient care issues supersede the personal safety and health of workers and that it is acceptable for HCSA workers to have less than optimal protections against the risks of hazardous exposures or injuries.</i>" <p>
If our survey is representative across healthcare in the US, then it suggests that healthcare can make significant improvement in workplace safety, at least with respect to exposure to hazardous chemicals, by improving training and ensuring at a minimum that everyone has the training they are required to receive by law.
ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-399973311524080801.post-47262096298176835172013-05-30T08:12:00.000-04:002013-05-30T08:12:08.983-04:00Survey of Liquid Sterilants and High Level DisinfectantsAs discussed in the previous blog article, ChemDAQ was pleased to see many new and familiar faces at the recent IAHCSMM show. This show is almost exclusively attended by people who are responsible for or who work in sterile processing departments. As part of the show we asked attendees to complete a short information card in exchange for being entered into a competition to win some prizes. This survey is not a scientific random sample, but it probably shows a reasonable snap-shot of low temperature chemical sterilization in the US today.<p>
The survey asked which chemicals were used for high level disinfection and sterilization and which manufacturers equipment was used, but the survey did not ask about specific models. We had about 175 respondents and eliminated entries that did not list the chemicals and equipment, and multiple people from the same institution. There were not enough responses from outside the US to be able to draw any conclusions and so non-US facilities were also excluded. <p>
Some of the numbers may not add up exactly because of rounding errors. In the end we had responses from 117 institutions from people who used low temperature sterilants (ethylene oxide and hydrogen peroxide) but of these responses only 69 (59%) indicated that they performed liquid sterilization or high level disinfection. It is not clear why more responses were not completed for the liquid sterilants and high level disinfectants. The statistics below therefore are based on a population of 69.<p>
Of the chemicals used, 54 (78%) used peracetic acid (PAA), 26 (38%) used o-phthalaldehdye (OPA) and 14 (20%) used glutaraldehyde. These results indicate that PAA is the dominant liquid sterilant/high level disinfectant in use today. Glutaraldehyde which used to be the dominant high level disinfectant in the past is now relegated to third place behind OPA. <p>
Among the PAA users 27 (50%) use Steris, 21 (39%) use Medivator, 9 (17%) use Custom Ultrasonics and 8 (15%) use Olympus equipment. <p>
For OPA use, the equipment is evenly split between Steris and Custom Ultrasonics with 11 users each and four unspecified. <p>
For glutaraldehyde, with 14 users, the two manufacturers again are Steris and Custom Ultrasonics with 7 (50%) and 5 (36%) users each, with two users unspecified.<p>
We hope you found the results of this survey interesting and would like to thank everyone who completed their survey cards at the IAHCSMM show. Whether you agree or disagree with these findings, we welcome your comments below.
ChemDAQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17325881830772675169noreply@blogger.com0