Existing Default Values and Recommendations for Exposure Assessment - A Nordic Exposure Group Project 2011

Default values are often used in exposure assessments e.g. in modelling because of lack of actually measured data.  The quality of the exposure assessment outcome is therefore heavily dependent on the validity and representativeness this input data. Today the used default factors consist of a wide range of more or less well-documented values originating from many different sources. The purpose of this report is to give an overview and to evaluate exposure factors that are currently used by the authorities and industry in the exposure assessments for both adults (occupational and consumer exposure) and children in relation to REACH.  Another important purpose of the report is to contribute towards a further harmonisation of exposure factors by giving recommendations of most valid and representative defaults.  These recommendations can be used besides REACH also in biocide's and plant protection product's exposure assessments. The exposure default values were collected from the relevant European sources (ECHA, Consexpo, EUSES, Biocide TNsG, ECETOC, ExpoFacts) as well as from WHO and US-EPA. The following key default factors selected to the evaluation: body weight, body surface area, inhalation rate, soil and dust ingestion, drinking water, food intake, non-dietary ingestion factors, lifetime expectancy, activity factors and consumer product

New Chelating Pt(II) Complexes For C - H Bond Activation

New chelating ligand systems were made and further complexed with platinum centers to give complexes for hydrocarbon C H activation. The first of the complexes was the [(1,1 -dimethyl-3,3 -methylene diimidazoline-2,2 -diylidine) platinum(II) dichloride]. This was made starting with 1-methylimidazole and through a series of reaction giving the final product. Attempts to synthesize another bis-carbene complex of similar skeleton, but with tert-Btuyl groups instead of the methyl groups failed to give significant and useable results. The second was the dimethyl (glyoxal-(4-methoxy terphenyl imine) platinum(II) complex having sterically demanding side groups. The ligand was synthesized starting with 4-bromoanisole, going through Grignard reaction, Suzuki coupling, condensation reaction and finally complexing to a metal center. This complex was protonated under different conditions i.e. different temperatures and in different solvents/ solvent mixtures to give the cationic and dicationic species with irreversible loss of methane. All the products were characterized by different spectroscopic methods including NMR, MS, UV and IR. Element analysis was also used as confirmatory test in addition to spectroscopy

Work environment development using cognitive work analysis’ decision ladders.

The study aimed to create decision-making content for workplace work environment development, followed by a limited evaluation to determine the perception of the importance of the identified content in different sectors. Enforcement/administrative orders in workplace inspection reports were used as empirical infor-mation on workplaces. This information was used to design decision ladders, which form the second phase of cognitive work analysis, the activity analysis. The decision ladders, which support decision-making, cov-ered work functions identified in an earlier work domain analysis study, i.e., exposure prevention, organisa-tional management, competence realisation, workers’ empowerment, psychosocial work environment man-agement, and administration. Specified content of decision ladders for each function was used to prepare a questionnaire for evaluating the content validity for work environment development. Altogether, 29 items were identified as the content for work environment development. Statistical analysis of the limited evaluation showed no significant difference between the different sectors in their perceptions of the importance of the content in developing work environments. Similar sectoral perceptions' trends support the content utility and validity in work environment development. The procedure formulation step of the decision ladders,  with the phrase “What steps are needed to...” applied preceding the identified content constructs, provides practical activities regarded as essential for work environment development. Using enforcement inspection reports as the basis for work environment development is a novel approach to addressing workplace safety and health management challenges. Further, the universal utility of the content allows for its implementation across sectors, allowing for workplace-specific decision-making on management measures

Economic and Strategic Consequences For SMEs in Norway Following Implementation of the New EU Chemicals Legislation, REACH.

On the last day of May 2008, new chemicals legislation, REACH came into force in Norway following its implementation within the EU in 2007. The regulation streamlines and improves an earlier legislative framework for chemicals of the European Union. To be able to comply with the new regulation, enterprises will have to put in place considerable measures and undertake possibly restructuring part of or the entire enterprise. Such measures could include the need for training, external consultancy and need for new practical software. Other measures include strategic changes in the enterprises such as the centralization of operations, change of short/long term plans, venturing into areas, change in procurement procedures etc. These may vary from enterprise to enterprise depending on their position on the supply chain as defined by the new legislation. Importers and producers of chemicals have more duties under REACH than downstream users and distributors. This study investigates how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the chemical industry in Norway have been affected by the implementation of the legislation; the main focus of the study is on the economic and strategic effects of REACH on SMEs. Most SMEs in Norwegian chemical industry fall under REACH’s definitions of downstream users and distributors meaning they have fewer duties compared to producer and importers. Despite fewer duties, the effect of REACH on SMEs is quite comprehensive and far-reaching.Address: Austadvn 99 3034 Drammen Tel: +47-9094960

Effectuality of Cleaning Workers' Training and Cleaning Enterprises' Chemical Health Hazard Risk Profiling

Background: Goal-oriented communication of risk of hazards is necessary in order to reduce risk of workers' exposure to chemicals. Adequate training of workers and enterprise priority setting are essential elements. Cleaning enterprises have many challenges and the existing paradigms influence the risk levels of these enterprises. Methods: Information on organization and enterprises' prioritization in training programs was gathered from cleaning enterprises. A measure of enterprises' conceptual level of importance of chemical health hazards and a model for working out the risk index (RI) indicating enterprises' conceptual risk level was established and used to categorize the enterprises. Results: In 72.3% of cases, training takes place concurrently with task performances and in 67.4% experienced workers conduct the trainings. There is disparity between employers' opinion on competence level of the workers and reality. Lower conceptual level of importance was observed for cleaning enterprises of different sizes compared with regional safety delegates and occupational hygienists. Risk index values show no difference in risk level between small and large enterprises. Conclusion: Training of cleaning workers lacks the prerequisite for suitability and effectiveness to counter risks of chemical health hazards. There is dereliction of duty by management in the sector resulting in a lack of competence among the cleaning workers. Instituting acceptable easily attainable safety competence level for cleaners will conduce to risk reduction, and enforcement of attainment of the competence level would be a positive step

Are safety data sheets for cleaning products used in Norway a factor contributing to the risk of workers exposure to chemicals?

Objectives: Cleaning products are considered less hazardous than those used in other sectors. Suppliers and distributors are less conscientious when it comes to informing users on health risks. The aim of the study was to elaborate on the usefulness and clarity of information in the safety data sheets (SDS) for cleaning products, and considering if the use of these SDSs can be seen as a risk factor towards occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in the sector. Material and Methods: Safety data sheets were selected based on the risk level of the product assigned in an industrial sector scheme. 320 SDSs for cleaning products were reviewed. Constituent components found in the products over a given threshold were listed and available information thereof used to assess the perceived non-hazard consideration of the chemicals. Results: The contents of the SDSs was generic and mostly incomplete. Safety measures and health information lacked sufficient specificity despite varying compositions and concentrations of components. There is generally incompatibility between mentioned sections on the suggested non-hazardous nature of the products and health effects. Not all substances used in these products have harmonized classifications, which makes them open to various classification of the products and the suggested safety measures. This results in different companies classifying similar products differently. Risk management measures and suggested personal protective equipment (PPEs) are given haphazardly. Physical properties relevant to risk assessment are not included. Conclusions: The safety data sheets are ambiguous, and they lack relevant and important information. Inadequate information and risk assessment concerning the products can lead to workers being exposed to hazardous chemicals. Underestimation of the hazard contribution of the components of the products and the insufficient, non-objective mention of appropriate control and protective measures are the major contributing elements. There is a need to test the products in order to establish health effects and product specific safety measures

Presentation of an approach for risk characterization of exposure to chemicals in cleaning work

Background Workplace risk assessment methods require expertise which cleaning companies may lack. Objective To present a methodological, easy-to-implement approach for risk characterisation of cleaning work, and elaborate on its applicability. Materials and method Determinants of chemical exposure including, inter alia, frequency of use (ν), use of PPE (θ) and spray bottle (σ), dilution of chemicals (δ), and workplace ambience (ξ) are used to characterise risk of cleaning work. These, are assigned numerical factors according to how they manifest in work situations. The conceptualised assessment factor, presented as ω = ν∗θ∗δ∗σ∗ξ is used to formulate work risk factor, ∑RF. Calculating ∑RF for workplaces with many cleaning workers and work patterns, agreement on how tasks are performed, use of PPE and spray bottles among minimum 60% of participants was set as acceptance criteria for uniformity of workplace trend. Risk characterisation ratio (RCR) used to compare cleaning work is obtained by collating actual ∑RF to a hypothetical minimum exposure ideal ∑RF. Results Assessing different work situations, cleaning Shopping Centre gave the lowest RCR = 1.65, whereas travel terminals had the highest RCR = 7.41. Offices, hospital and kindergarten cleaning gave RCR = 4.05, 4.47 and 4.82 respectively. From RCRs, the largest disparity was between shopping centre and terminals; the least was between office and hospital, and similarly between hospital and kindergartens cleaning. Conclusion The approach enables evaluation of work situation establishing the risk of exposure to chemicals. Use of determinants of exposure makes the approach a versatile tool for determination of risk of exposure

Are safety data sheets for cleaning products used in Norway a factor contributing to the risk of workers exposure to chemicals?

Objectives Cleaning products are considered less hazardous than those used in other sectors. Suppliers and distributors are less conscientious when it comes to informing users on health risks. The aim of the study was to elaborate on the usefulness and clarity of information in the safety data sheets (SDS) for cleaning products, and considering if the use of these SDSs can be seen as a risk factor towards occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in the sector. Material and Methods Safety data sheets were selected based on the risk level of the product assigned in an industrial sector scheme. 320 SDSs for cleaning products were reviewed. Constituent components found in the products over a given threshold were listed and available information thereof used to assess the perceived non-hazard consideration of the chemicals. Results The contents of the SDSs was generic and mostly incomplete. Safety measures and health information lacked sufficient specificity despite varying compositions and concentrations of components. There is generally incompatibility between mentioned sections on the suggested non-hazardous nature of the products and health effects. Not all substances used in these products have harmonized classifications, which makes them open to various classification of the products and the suggested safety measures. This results in different companies classifying similar products differently. Risk management measures and suggested personal protective equipment (PPEs) are given haphazardly. Physical properties relevant to risk assessment are not included. Conclusions The safety data sheets are ambiguous, and they lack relevant and important information. Inadequate information and risk assessment concerning the products can lead to workers being exposed to hazardous chemicals. Underestimation of the hazard contribution of the components of the products and the insufficient, non-objective mention of appropriate control and protective measures are the major contributing elements. There is a need to test the products in order to establish health effects and product specific safety measures