Radon progeny in underground mines

"This document presents the recommendations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) regarding occupational exposure to radon progeny in underground mines. Ventilation is discussed as an important control technology approach in the management of excessive concentrations of radon daughters. Data is presented pertaining to the linkage of radon exposure with the risk of human lung cancer. The NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) takes into account studies and documentation of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as its own risk assessment modeling, accumulated measurement data, and technical feasibility assessments. The REL allows for 0.2 pCi/l (picocuries per liter of air) at 1 working level month (WLM - 170 hours per month). This should be considered as an upper limit and it is recommended that mine operators limit exposure to the lowest levels possible. In addition, it is emphasized that this recommended standard contains many important provisions in addition to the annual exposure limit. These include recommendations for limited work shift concentrations of radon progeny, sampling and analytical methods, recordkeeping, medical surveillance, posting of hazardous information, respiratory protection, worker education and notification, and sanitation." - NIOSHTIC-2Cover title: A recommended standard for occupational exposure-- radon progeny in underground mines.Shipping list no.: 88-26-P."October 1987."Includes bibliographies

Criteria for a recommended standard

"Standard designed to protect the health and safety of employees exposed to ethylene-glycol-monobutyl-ether (111762) (EGBE) and ethylene-glycol-monobutyl-ether-acetate (112072) (EBGEA) by reducing those exposures to not more than 5 parts per million. The document contains information on recommended exposure limits for EGBE and EGBEA, exposure monitoring, medical monitoring, labeling and posting, protective clothing and equipment, informing workers about the hazards of EGBE and EGBEA, engineering controls and work practices, sanitation and hygiene, recordkeeping, chemical and physical properties of the substances, production methods and uses, number of workers potentially exposed, effects on humans, metabolism, elimination, effects on animals (hematologic effects, reproductive effects, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, cytotoxicity), environmental sampling, analytical methods, correlation of effects and exposure, work practices (worker isolation, storage and handling, sanitation and hygiene), and spills and waste disposal." - NIOSHTIC-2"September 1990."Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-158)

NIOSH recommendations for occupational safety and health: compendium of policy documents and statements

"A compilation of NIOSH documents that contain recommendations for safety and health standards in the workplace was provided. Section- A listed all NIOSH documents containing recommendations for chemical, physical, and other hazards in the workplace. Section-B contained the NIOSH recommended exposure limits (RELs) for all the hazards mentioned as well as associated health effects. Section-A included NIOSH publications and written testimony from NIOSH on rules proposed by regulatory agencies such as OSHA, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, or the United States Environmental Protection Agency as well as testimony provided by NIOSH at regulatory hearings by OSHA or MSHA. Documents were in the form of Criteria Documents, Current Intelligence Bulletins, Alerts, Special Hazard Reviews, Occupational Hazard Assessments, Miscellaneous Statements and Reports, and Responses to Regulatory Agencies. Section-B contained three tables listing hazardous chemicals, physical hazards, and the particular industry, process or work environment. Five appendices dealt with classes of chemicals and chemicals for which RELs were and were not adopted by NIOSH and chemicals for which NIOSH revised existing RELs. Pesticides were categorized into three levels of toxicity based on the 1978 NIOSH criteria." - NIOSHTIC-2"January 1992."Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (p. 4-44) and indexes

Occupational exposure to ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, and their acetates

"September 1991."Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (p. 258-293)

Environmental tobacco smoke in the workplace: lung cancer and other health effects

"NIOSH has determined that environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is potentially carcinogenic to occupationally exposed workers. In 1964, the surgeon general issued the first report on smoking and health, which concluded that cigarette smoke causes lung cancer. Since then, research on the toxicity and carcinogenicity of tobacco smoke has demonstrated that the health risk from inhaling tobacco smoke is not limited to the smoker, but also includes those who inhale ETS. ETS contains many of the toxic agents and carcinogens that are present in mainstream smoke, but in diluted form. recent epidemiologic studies support and reinforce earlier published reviews by the surgeon general and the national research council demonstrating that exposure to ETS can cause lung cancer. These reviews estimated the relative risk of lung cancer to be approximately 1.3 for a nonsmoker living with a smoker compared with a nonsmoker living with a nonsmoker. Recent evidence suggests a possible association between exposure of nonsmokers to ETS and an increased risk of heart disease. Although these data were not gathered in an occupational setting, ETS meets the criteria of OSHA for classifying substances as potential occupational carcinogens. NIOSH recommends that ETS be regarded as a potential occupational carcinogen in conformance with the OSHA carcinogen policy, and that exposures to ETS be reduced to the lowest feasible concentration. Employers should minimize occupational exposure to ETS by using all available preventive measures." - NIOSHTIC-2U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer [and] Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluation, and Field Studies."June 1991."Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (p. 14-18)

Recommendations for control of occupational safety and health hazards: foundries

"is document presents the complex processes surrounding metal castings work and the associated worker injuries and illnesses that are related to exposure to the chemicals and physical agents generated by or used in the casting process. The foundry operations that have been studied include: (1) handling raw materials such as scrap metal and sand; (2) preparing sand; (3) making molds and cores; (4) reclaiming sand and other materials used in mold and core production; (5) melting and alloying metals; (6) pouring; (7) removing cores and shaking out castings: (8) rough cleaning of castings including chipping, grinding and cut-off operations; (9) maintaining and repairing equipment used in coremaking, moldmaking, and in melting, pouring, shakeout, and rough cleaning operations; and, (10) cleaning foundry areas in which molding, coremaking, melting, pouring, and rough cleaning of castings occur." - NIOSHTIC-2"September 1985."Bibliography: p. 129-152

Alternatives to Di-2- ethylhexyl phthalate ("DOP") in respirator quantitative fit testing

"The toxicity of dimethicone (9006659), di-2-ethylhexyl-sebacate (7313544) (DEHS), and corn-oil (8001307) is reviewed. The goal is to suggest alternatives to the use of di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (117817) (DEHP) in quantitative fit testing of respiratory protective devices. DEHP has been used for many years to generate a polydisperse aerosol test atmosphere in testing and to determine facial leakage in individual respirator wearers by quantifying aerosol leakage by light scattering photometry. However, DEHP has been found to be carcinogenic in two rodent species. NIOSH has thus reevaluated the overall toxicity of DEHP in respirator testing. Refined corn-oil, DEHS, and dimethicone exhibit polydisperse aerosol properties essentially equivalent to those of DEHP. Limited available reports indicate little toxicity data on DEHS and dimethicone that is relevant to testing. Refined corn-oil demonstrates lack of carcinogenic potential in its extensive use as a vehicle in carcinogenesis bioassay and in other more direct experimental applications. The author concludes that refined corn- oil aerosol is best suited as an alternative to DEHP in testing." - NIOSHTIC-2"March 1983."Includes bibliographical references (p. 24-29)

Acrylamide: a review of the literature

"Information on acrylamide (79061) was reviewed as a basis for the development of an occupational health standard. Topics included: chemical properties, physical properties, production levels, uses, the potential for occupational exposure, occupational exposure limits, toxicology, methods for monitoring exposures, and adverse health effects from exposure. Acrylamide is a raw material used in the manufacture of polyacrylamides. It is an odorless, white, crystalline solid. The potential for occupational exposure to acrylamide exists in acrylamide manufacturing and processing, grouting operations, and research and analytical laboratories. The monomeric form has been found to be toxic, but tests have shown the polyacrylamide products to be generally nontoxic. Possible hazards include neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity, genotoxicity, and harmful effects to the reproductive system. Studies have confirmed that exposure to acrylamide can cause cancer and reproductive disorders in animals. However, epidemiological data are not available to confirm these findings in human workers." - NIOSHTIC-2Vlasta Molak.Includes summary in Swedish.This document was prepared by Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (NIOSH) in cooperation with the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH).Includes bibliographical references (p. 29-37).CurrentPrevention and ControlEnvironmental Healt

Criteria for a recommended standard, occupational exposure to hot environments

"This document contains the recommendations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for worker exposure to heat stress. Heat-induced occupational illnesses, injuries, and reduced productivity occur in situations in which the total heat load exceeds the capacities of the body to maintain normal body functions without excessive strain. The total heat load represents the sum of the heat gained from the environment plus the heat generated in the body. Total heat stress is the heat load minus the heat lost from the body to the environment. This document presents how the reduction of adverse health effects can be accomplished by the proper application of engineering and work practice controls, worker raining and acclimatization, measurements and assessment of heat stress, medical supervision, and proper use of heat protective clothing and equipment." - NIOSHTIC-2Bibliography: p. 115-127.Prevention and ControlEnvironmental HealthSupersede

NIOSH criteria for a recommended standard

"This document examines the occupational health problems associated with the use of vibrating tools (including both hand-held vibrating tools and stationary tools that transmit vibration through a workpiece), and it provides criteria for reducing the risk of developing vibration-induced health problems. The major health problems associated with the use of vibrating tools are signs and symptoms of peripheral vascular and peripheral neural disorders of the fingers and hands. These signs and symptoms include numbness, pain, and blanching of the fingers. This composite of vibration-induced signs and symptoms is referred to as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), sometimes called Raynaud's phenomenon of occupational origin, or vibration white finger disease. In the United States, an estimated 1.45 million workers use vibrating tools. The prevalence of HAVS in a worker population that has used vibrating tools ranges from 6% to 100%, with an average of about 50%. The development of HAVS depends on many factors, including the level of acceleration (vibration energy) produced by the tool, the length of time the tool is used each day, the cumulative number of months or years the worker has used the tool, and the ergonomics of tool use. The tools most commonly associated with HAVS are powered hammers, chisels, chainsaws, sanders, grinders, riveters, breakers, drills, compactors, sharpeners, and shapers. The prevalence and severity of HAVS usually increase as the acceleration level and duration of use increase. HAVS is a chronic, progressive disorder with a latency period that may vary from a few months to several years. The early stages of HAVS are usually reversible if further exposure to vibration is reduced or eliminated; but treatment is usually ineffective for the advanced stages of HAVS, and the disorder may progress to loss of effective hand function and necrosis of the fingers. Prevention is therefore critical. Adherence to the exposure controls recommended in this document should prevent or greatly reduce the potential for vibration-exposed workers to develop HAVS." - NIOSHTIC-2"September 1989."Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-124)