Source and Hazard Identification and Characterization

1. Source and Hazard Identification and Characterization

2. Purpose/Goals Collect and organize available information on: • workplace/community • workforce/community members • agents • controls • historical data

3. Steps • Define scope • Workplace/community characterization • Workforce/community member characterization • Characterization of agents • Characterization of existing controls • Past assessments/results • Historical exposure data • Environmental emission data • Past biological monitoring data

4. Define Scope • How narrow or broad is the scope of your investigation?

5. Are you investigating the risk to one worker? Are you investigating one incident involving one or more workers?

6. Are you investigating the risk to the workforce from one agent or part of the facility?

7. Are you investigating the risk to the workforce at one facility?

8. Are you investigating the risk to the community from one facility?

9. Are you investigating the risk to the community from all facilities in that community?

10. Workplace/Community Characterization • What is the process? • Activities? • Raw materials? • Products? • By-products? • Waste products? • Processing aids?

11. Process Description Sources of Information • International Labor Organization: Encyclopedaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, 3rd Edition, Geneva: ILO, 1983. • Burgess, WA: Recognition of Health Hazards in Industry, New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1995. • Kirk-Othmer: Concise Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, New York: John Wiley Sons, 1985.

12. Process Description • Dry Cleaning • washing and degreasing by non-aqueous solvents of natural and synthetic fibers, furs, leather goods, etc. • dirt is removed in washing machines by means of a solvent which is thereafter extracted from the fabrics by centrifuging followed by drying in tumbling machines

13. Process Description • Dry Cleaning (continued) • finished by steam pressing • stains may be “hand spotted” • solvents are recovered for further use by means of filtration, adsorption, and distillation • solvent vapor may enter the workroom (and atmosphere), especially where there is manual handling of goods

14. Raw Materials • Dry Cleaning • perchloroethylene • petroleum solvents • dirty clothes

15. Products/By-Products • Dry Cleaning • clean clothes • recovered solvent

16. Waste Products • Dry Cleaning • grease, dirt, etc. with some waste solvent • air emissions • ground emissions • water emissions

17. Processing Aids • Dry Cleaning • machinery used to wash, centrifuge, and dry clothing • in some cases, these machines are all separate • newer machines perform all tasks (reducing solvent release)

18. Hazard Identification • Dry Cleaning • perchloroethylene • “hand spotting” agents (benzene, chloroform,etc) • heat, humidity • machine hazards (acute trauma) • material handling (acute and cumulative trauma) • noise • steam presses (burns)

19. Workforce/Community Characterization • job title / job description • task analysis • exposure duration • shift length; continuous • number of workers / community members • other considerations • children

20. Form of agent chemical physical biological Health effects toxicology epidemiology Exposure Limits occupational environmental Characterization of Agents

21. Characterization of Agent • Form of Agent • chemical • physical • biological

22. Characterization of Agent • Chemical • solid • liquid • gases • vapors • aerosols • dusts, mists, fumes, soot

23. Characterization of Agents • Physical • temperature extremes (heat, cold) • noise and vibration • ionizing radiation • non-ionizing radiation (uv, visible, ir, microwave/radiowave, power transmission) • trauma (acute, cumulative)

24. Characterization of Agents • Biological • bacteria • viruses • allergens • genetically modified organisms

25. Characterization of Agents • Health Effects • Sources of Information • Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) • Toxicology Literature • Epidemiology Literature • Internet

26. Characterization of Agents • Exposure Limits • Regulatory • Occupational Safety and Health Administration • Environmental Protection Agency • Nuclear Regulatory Commission • State and Local Health Departments • Non-regulatory

27. Other Information • Characterization of existing controls • permits, walkthrough • Past assessments/results • literature, company records • Historical exposure data • past permits, regulatory agency data, company data • Environmental emission data • regulatory agency data, permits, company data, literature • Past biological monitoring data • company data, health department data

28. Outcome Complete summary of available essential information on workers, community members, tasks, agents, potential exposures, and potential health effects

29. Assignment • For Monday’s class: • Find some information that would be useful in characterizing the sources/hazards associated with chromium electroplating • The information could be a process description, hazard list, fact sheet, or msds, etc.

30. Bibliography

31. Material Safety Data Sheet