Environmental Health & Safety

210 East Fourth Street 328-6166

Prospective Health

Warren Life Sciences 744-2070 EH&S Administration Industrial Hygiene & Safety Environmental Management Workers’ Compensation Radiation Safety Biological Safety Infection Control Employee Health

 Employer must comply with OSHA and other safety and health standards.

 “General duty” to provide workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause injury.

 University subject to inspection by OSHA, EPA and other regulatory agencies.

Employee must:  Comply with applicable rules, regulations and policies.

 Participate in training.

 Notify supervisor of accidents (including near misses), spills, damaged equipment, safety deficiencies, prescription drug use or other conditions that may affect alertness or ability, etc.

     Employee has basic right to make a complaint regarding unsafe or unhealthy workplace conditions.

Address complaint in-house by notifying supervisor and/or EH&S at 328-6166.

Contact NCDOL if issue cannot be resolved in-house (1-800-LABOR-NC).

Employer cannot retaliate against an employee for making a complaint.

Employee confidentiality upon request.

      OSHA Hazard Communication Standard 29 CFR 1910.1200 - “Right to Know”.

Informs employees of hazards encountered in the work area and of operations where hazardous chemicals are present.

Training is required upon initial employment, when a new hazard is introduced or when it is apparent employee does not understand requirements.

EH&S provides a general overview at orientation and complies with the standard by providing chemical inventory and information . Supervisor provides chemical specific training.

Key is Hazard Identification – Labels, Chemical Inventories, MSDSs and Training.



Labeling:

– Used to identify hazardous materials.

– – All containers must be labeled with at least:   Name of the chemical. (Spelled out completely) Hazard warnings associated with product.

 Name and address of manufacturer.

Labels should never be removed unless they are immediately replaced .



Employees must learn to:

– Read the warning label.

– Understand the warnings.

– Check the MSDS for more information, and/or ask Supervisor if unsure of any information on the hazard label or what the warnings mean.



DOT labels are distinguishable diamond shapes that describe the hazard and give a code number that corresponds to the U.N. hazard classification system.



Conform to the U.S. Department of Transportation hazardous material placard placement guidelines.



Numbers on placards denote hazard class, while images provide pictorial information of hazards.



National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Labeling System:

 The NFPA uses a symbol known as the “fire diamond” to categorize hazardous materials. Each diamond indicates the chemical’s level of danger in that category.

NFPA Diamond

Every container (original and secondary) must be labeled with:  Complete chemical name or trade name – no abbreviations, no formulas.

 Label all appropriate hazard warnings.

 Name of manufacturer, or responsible party.

 Date of preparation.

 Warnings can be written or pictorial:

   

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Must be accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Must be available for every chemical on departments CIL.

Information covered:         Identification of chemical Manufacture name , address, & phone number.

Physical and chemical information.

Health hazards.

Handling and storage.

Accidental release measures.

Exposure controls/PPE.

Emergency and first aid treatment for exposures.

All departments must maintain a current Chemical Inventory List that is reviewed and updated at least annually.

Department Building Room # Chemical Name CAS # Quantity Units MSDS on file?

Hazard Class Shelf Life Vendor Catalog# EH&S can not accept inventories that contain metric units. You must convert metrics to English standard units.

Biology Flanagan South 3212 Phenol 108-95-2 * Sample use only 1 0.2 gal yes Class 6 Poison Not critical Fisher S93321



There are two general types of chemical hazards:

– Physical Hazards create dangerous situations and have been proven to be a combustible liquid, compressed gas, explosive, flammable, organic peroxide, oxidizer, pyrophoric, unstable, or water reactive.

– Health Hazards are chemicals that can produce negative health effects in exposed employees. (ex. Irritants, carcinogens, corrosives, neurotoxins)  Can be acute or chronic.



Acute health effects are the negative effects from a substance that occur after one or multiple exposures in a short period of time. (Ex. Hydrochloric Acid can cause chemical burns)



Chronic health effects are the negative effects from a substance that occur over a longer period of time, usually from repeated exposure of low doses. Sometimes delayed for years. (Ex. Asbestos can cause cancer and lung disease)



Routes of Exposure:

 Inhalation.

   Absorption.

Ingestion.

Injection.

**The most likely exposure target depends upon the characteristics of the material being used.



Inhalation:

– Primary route of entry.

– Airborne contaminants such as gases, vapors, and particulate matter that enters the body.



Absorption:

– Can occur very quickly through cuts or abrasions on the skin.

– – Depending on contaminant characteristics, absorption may occur through intact skin.

Mucous membranes and eye tissue are particularly vulnerable.

 Liver (carbon tetrachloride)  Kidney (uranium, chloroform)  Nervous System (mercury)  Blood (carbon monoxide)  Lungs (silica, asbestos)  Reproductive System (lead)  Skin (acetone)  Eyes (organic solvents, acids)



Ingestion:

– Direct tasting of chemicals.

– – – Occurs mostly when contaminated items are placed in mouth. Known as indirect ingestion.

 Reason for banning food, drinks, cosmetics, and other items from lab areas.

Personal hygiene labeling, and housekeeping are very important to ingestion hazard control.

Wash hands before leaving each lab.



Injection:

– – Includes all puncture wounds.

 Ex. Needle sticks, broken glass, capillary tubes, or pipettes.

Use carefully planned procedures and personal attentiveness when working around or handling.

– Any area that can be exposed should have proper disposal equipment.

 You should be informed of the following to be compliant with “right to know”: – Location and availability of hazard communication program, chemical inventory and MSDSs.

– – – – Methods to detect presence or release of hazardous chemical.

Protective measures.

Chemical waste.

Additional training.



Hazardous Materials Training:

– Required for all employees who work with or have chemicals in their workplace.

– – Required upon employment and when new chemicals are introduced.

Supervisor will provide more in depth mandatory training for those working with chemicals that covers:   Proper use.

Handling.

 Personal Protective Equipment.

.



OSHA & ANSI PPE Regulate PPE

 Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

 American National Standards Institute.

 

Three main controls to prevent overexposure:

Administrative – Policies and procedures that control the amount and time of exposure. (ex. Breaks, job rotation)  Engineering – Physical changes to a workplace. (ex. Lifting aids, machine guarding)  PPE – Used to protect the head, face, eyes, feet, respiratory system, hearing, and body. (ex. Ear plugs, nitrile gloves, steel toed shoes) 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided to employees at NO COST, and your supervisor should issue proper PPE for job duties.



Fundamentals of PPE:

– Identify the hazards and take corrective action to mitigate those hazards.

– Shop Supervisor Duties:  Reviews the use and care of PPE required for worker.

 Documents that the employees in their department have completed the training.



Fundamentals of PPE Continued:

– Protecting your PPE:    Inspect before each use to make sure it is sanitary and in good working condition.

Things to check for:  Holes, cracks, scratches, wear & tear, frayed parts.

Clean before storing.

  Store in a cool, dry, and secure area.

Respirators and ear plugs should not be shared.



Head Protection (OSHA 1910.135

, ANSI Z 89.1) :

– – – – Common injuries include neck sprains, electrical shock, concussions, and skull fractures.

Causes include falling or flying objects, and falling or walking into hard objects.

Hard hats have a rigid shell on the outside and a suspension system inside.

Classes of hard hats for industry:    Class A – general service, limited voltage protection; impact resistant Class B – utility service, high voltage protection; impact resistant Class C – special service, no voltage protection and no corrosive substance protection; impact resistant



Eye and Face Protection (

OSHA 1910.133

, ANSI Z 87.1

)

:

– Required if you are exposed to flying particles, molten metals, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemicals gases or radiation.

– Safety glasses, goggles, or a face shield may be required.

 May be required to be worn together depending on departmental procedures.



Hand Protection (OSHA 1910.138

):

 Gloves should be worn to prevent cuts, abrasions, punctures, contact with chemicals, or exposure to temperature extremes.

 Types of gloves:     Nitrile – acids.

Rubber – electricity.

Latex – weak chemicals.  Should not be used when working with petroleum based chemicals.

Leather – sharp or rough surfaces.



Foot Protection (OSHA 1910.136

, ANSI Z 41.1 1967 (before 7/5/1994 ), Z 41-1991 (after 7/5/1994

–

), Z41-1999 ) , ASTM F 2412-05 and F2413-05 (after 2006):

Required if there is potential for falling/rolling objects, electrical shock, or objects that can pierce the sole of your shoe.

–  University will pay up to $ 80 for safety shoes in accordance with the Office of State Personnel (Shoe Vouchers will be sent out via EH&S).

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM F…) will:    Have label located on inner flap of safety shoe.

Tells exact hazards the shoe protects against.

Shoes can be steel toe or carbon fiber toe as long as they are ASTM certified.

CAN BE STEEL TOE OR CARBON FIBER TOE AS LONG AS THE SHOE IS ASTM CERTIFIED.

  

Respiratory Protection (OSHA 1910.134

, ANSI Z 88.1

):

Worn to prevent exposure to dust, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smoke, sprays, or vapors.

Should never be the first line of defense.

 First line of defense is to “engineer out” the need.   Required where exposure cannot be fully controlled.

ECU has a program in place that offers (done before a respirator can be worn):     Selection of respirators.

Annual medical evaluation.

Annual training.

Annual fit testing.

 

Hearing Protection (OSHA 1926.101

):

Helps prevent hearing damage fatigue, and stress caused by excessive noise.

 

Hearing Conservation Program

Requires annual training and annual audiometric testing to help prevent hearing loss.

  

OSHA Requirements

Anyone exposed to a noise level of or higher over an 8 hour-Time Weighted Average must be part of a Hearing Conservation Program.

85 decibels Employer must provide training in the use of all provided hearing protectors.  

Types of hearing protection offered:

Earplugs, earmuffs, ear bands.



Other PPE:

– Some PPE is for full body usage, this ranges from simply using lab coats to full body Hazmat suits. – Hazmat suits have different ratings ranging from A to D – PPE also exists for electrical hazards. This covers grounding equipment and electrically safe gear such as rubber gloves and boots.

      Naturally occurring fibrous mineral found in building materials on campus including ceiling material, pipe insulation and floor tile.

Potential to cause health hazard if inhaled.

Intact, undisturbed material does not pose significant health risk.

Report damaged material to EH&S.

Additional training required.

Visit asbestos page on EH&S web site for additional information .

  Lock out/tag out rules are used to keep dangerous or broken equipment from being used. Other signage used on campus includes warning signs, spill placards, and access warnings

 Recycle  Regular trash  Biological waste  Radioactive waste  Chemical waste  Glass/sharps  Drains

  EH&S is responsible for the collection and disposal of hazardous chemical waste on campus The EH&S webpage on on campus.

Hazardous Waste provides up to date information on new guild lines for disposal, how to schedule a pick up, and other procedures for a variety of chemicals and wastes that are generated

     ECU participates in a Chemical recycling program known as Recy-chem.

Purpose is to redistribute unopened or uncontaminated surplus chemicals to other individuals within the University system.

Reduces costs of hazardous waste disposal.

provides faculty and researchers FREE chemical.

Helps keep the ECU on the road to become more sustainable.

 More information on the EH&S Recy-Chem page

        Required when engaged in laboratory use of hazardous chemicals - 29 CFR 1910.1450.

Methods to detect presence or release of hazardous chemical.

Physical and health hazards.

Protective measures.

Chemical Hygiene Plan.

Hazardous waste storage and disposal.

Initial employment, new hazard is introduced and every 3 years.

Additional 2 hour training is required.

      Radiation Sources – use requires review and approval by Radiation Safety Committee.

NRC compliance – shipping and receiving restrictions.

Radiation Safety Committee.

Radiation Safety Officer.

Radioactive waste.

9 hour training required.

        Biohazardous agents – infectious microorganisms, recombinant DNA molecules, agents carried in human tissue and experimental animals.

5 classes of agents - 1 being the least hazardous Work with class 2 or greater, human blood, tissue or body fluid requires approval from Biosafety Committee.

Biosafety level 1 through 4 – each level consists of a combination of prescribed practices and safety equipment.

Biosafety cabinets.

Biohazardous waste.

Biosafety Officer.

Additional training required.

      OSHA 1910.1030 – Occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials.

Must have exposure control plan.

Universal precautions – Treat all blood and body fluid as if potentially infectious.

Sharps; needles, blades, sharp objects.

PPE – gloves, masks, eye protection.

Additional training required.

       Lead.

Formaldehyde.

Ethylene Oxide.

Benzene.

Cadmium.

Carcinogens.

Exposure monitoring, regulated areas, medical surveillance, training and specific hazard control measures are a must.

   Much more training available at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/oehs/Training Resources.cfm

.

Contact the EH&S department for information regarding Training and Campus Health & Safety.

EH&S Monthly and Quarterly Training Opportunities.

QUESTIONS?

Environmental Health & Safety

210 East Fourth Street 328-6166 [email protected]

Prospective Health

Warren Life Sciences 744-2070