Health Effects from Overexposure to Epoxy. We have a long history of working with and around epoxies daily. As builders and epoxy manufacturers, we’ve had a much higher risk of exposure to epoxy than the average builder or casual epoxy user. Through our own experience, and the experience of other builders, we can estimate the likelihood of health problems from handling WEST SYSTEM resins and hardeners.
The following are the most common health problems stemming from epoxy use. Nearly all of us can prevent these problems. The majority of those who do develop a health problem can continue using epoxy with adequate precautions. Dermatitis Fewer than 10% of epoxy users react when overexposed to epoxy resin or hardener. Allergic Dermatitis (Sensitization) Allergic dermatitis is a more serious problem, but less than 2% of epoxy users are likely to get it. You may become sensitized to epoxy after many exposures or just one.
Allergic reactions to epoxy can result in irritated skin or respiratory problems. Hardener burns are uncommon. NIOSH Publications and Products - Preventing Silicosis and Deaths in Construction Workers (96-112) DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 96-112 WARNING! Exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust during construction activities can cause serious or fatal respiratory disease. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requests assistance in preventing silicosis and deaths in construction workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica. Construction workers, coworkers, managers, and equipment manufacturers urgently need information about the hazards of breathing respirable crystalline silica. Your assistance in this effort will help prevent silicosis-related death and disease, a national goal for health promotion and disease prevention stated in Healthy People 2000 [PHS 1990].
This Alert describes six case reports of construction workers who have died or are suffering from silicosis. Background Types of Silica Crystalline silica may be of several distinct types. Potential for Exposure During Construction Health Effects of Crystalline Silica Exposure Types of Silicosis. NIOSH Publications and Products - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (2005-149) Ventilation. Ventilation Ventilation is one of the most important engineering controls available to the industrial hygienist for improving or maintaining the quality of the air in the occupational work environment. Broadly defined, ventilation is a method of controlling the environment with air flow. Ventilation is addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, longshoring, and the construction industry. OSHA Standards This section highlights OSHA standards and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to ventilation.
Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. Standard Interpretations Hazard Recognition Field Operations Manual (FOM). Possible Solutions Industrial ventilation generally involves the use of supply and exhaust ventilation to control airborne contaminants, in the workplace, to acceptable levels. Chemical Hazard Communication. Chemical Hazard Communication U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA 3084 1998 (Revised) This informational booklet is intended to provide a generic, non-exhaustive overview of a particular standards related topic. This publication does not itself alter or determine compliance responsibilities, which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader should consult current administrative interpretations and decisions by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the courts.
Material contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, without permission of the Federal Government. This information will be made available to sensory impaired inpiduals upon request. Contents Who is Covered? How Must Chemicals Be Labelled? Silicosis. Silicosis (particularly the acute form) is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis (bluish skin). It may often be misdiagnosed as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis. The name silicosis (from the Latin silex, or flint) was originally used in 1870 by Achille Visconti (1836-1911), prosector in the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.[3] The recognition of respiratory problems from breathing in dust dates to ancient Greeks and Romans.[4] Agricola, in the mid-16th century, wrote about lung problems from dust inhalation in miners.
In 1713, Bernardino Ramazzini noted asthmatic symptoms and sand-like substances in the lungs of stone cutters. With industrialization, as opposed to hand tools, came increased production of dust. The pneumatic hammer drill was introduced in 1897 and sandblasting was introduced in about 1904,[5] both significantly contributing to the increased prevalence of silicosis. Classification[edit] Chronic simple silicosis. Silica, General Publications - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic. Silica Crystalline - Silicosis in Construction. By John A. Mineo - Director of Construction & Engineering American Insurance Service Group New York, New York Crystalline silica is the basic component of sand, quartz and granite rock.
Airborne crystalline silica occurs commonly in both work and non-work environments. Activities such as a sandblasting, rock drilling, roof bolting, foundry work, stonecutting, drilling, quarrying, brick/block/concrete cutting, gunite operations, lead-based paint encapsulant applications, asphalt paving, cement products manufacturing, demolition operations, hammering, chipping and sweeping concrete or masonry, and tunneling operations can create an airborne silica exposure hazard. Occupational exposure and inhalation of airborne crystalline silica can produce silicosis, a disabling, dust-related disease of the lungs. Inhaling silica dust has also been associated with other diseases, such as tuberculosis and lung cancer. What Is Silica? Types Of Silica Exposure During Construction. Silica dust protection paper masks and respirator and sandblasting hoods Get Silicosis Lawyer -Attorney Help Now.
Silicosis- Silica Dust Protection:Respirators, Paper Dust Masks, Sandblasting Hoods & Other Equipment Silicosis Warning: Disposable Paper Dust Masks will not protect the silica worker or sandblaster from dangerous free silica dust. that can cause silicosis. Respirators are not to be used as the primary means of preventing or minimizing exposures to airborne contaminants. Instead, use effective source controls such as substitution, automation, enclosed systems, local exhaust ventilation, wet methods, and good work practices. Such measures should be the primary means of protecting workers. However, when source controls cannot keep exposures below the NIOSH REL, controls should be supplemented with the use of respirators. Respiratory Protection Program to Protect the Silica Worker --periodic environmental monitoring, OSHA NIOSH Silica Dust Exposure. Silicosis - OSHA & NIOSH Recommended Limits of Silica Dust Exposure The NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) for respirable crystalline silica is 0.05 mg/m^3 (50g/m^3) as a TWA for up to 10 hours/day during a 40-hour workweek [NIOSH 1974].
NIOSH recommends the following measures to reduce exposures to respirable crystalline silica in the workplace and to prevent silicosis and deaths in construction workers: 1. Recognize when silica dust may be generated and plan ahead to eliminate or control the dust at the source. Awareness and planning are keys to prevention of silicosis. 2.
Do not use silica sand or other substances containing more than 1% crystalline silica as abrasive blasting materials. 3. 4. 5.Practice good personal hygiene to avoid unnecessary exposure to other work site contaminants such as lead. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. OSHA Exposure Limits For More Information see www.osha.gov. See, General Housekeeping For control methods ALSO: dry sweeping alternatives especially vacumn.