Document MM4p5J43M1kDmNzykMMmveNjM

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE fortable after wearing for extended periods, the worker must fully realize the need for protection or be will not wear it To get the worker's cooperation, these factors are important 1 Prescribe respiratory protective equip ment only after every effort has been made to eliminate the hazard. 2 Explain the situation fully to the worker 3. Fit the respirator carefully. 4 Provide for maintenance and cleanliness, including sterilization before reissue 5 Instruct the worker m the use of the respirator Pratectme creams and lotions help mini mize skm contact with irritant chemicals Their effectiveness vanes, but if properly selected and correctly used, they can be very helpful The cream or lotion must be selected on the basis of competent medical advice The worker must then be instructed in the value of the protection and its proper application Housekeeping Housekeeping, including immediate clean up of any spills of toxic material, is a very important control measure If allowed to accumulate, toxic dust can be redispersed to other parts of the building and many work ers may be exposed to hazardous concen trations A regular cleanup schedule using vacuum cleaners or lines is the only truly effective method of removing dust from the work area An air hose for blowing away dust should not be used Cood housekeeping is also essential where solvents are stored, handled, and used Leak ing containers or spigots should be remedied immediately by transferring the solvent to sound containers or by repairing the spigots Spills should he cleaned up promptly by workers wearing protective equipment All solvent-soaked mgs or absorbents should be disposed of in airtight metal receptacles and removed daily from the plant Special control methods Many of the general methods mentioned previously (either alone or in combination) can be used for the control of most occupa tional health hazards A few additional situ ations, however, deserve special mention Shielding is one of the best protective meas ures employed to reduce or eliminate ex posures to ionizing radiabon. Lead and con crete are two materials commonly employed to shield high-energy sources such as highvoltage X-ray, particle generators, and ra dioisotopes Shielding is also used to pro tect against exposure to a radiant heat source For example, heat-treating furnaces can be shielded with aluminum panels Nonreflective sheet metal is not effective for it is a "black body", which absorbs heat and then acts as a secondary source of radia tion. Redaction of work periods is another method of control u limited areas where engineering methods are too costly or im practicable In the job forge industry, es pecially in hot weather, a shorter work day is used to TniTumiTg exposures to extremely high temperatures, thereby lessening the danger of heat exhaustion or heat stroke For workmen who must labor in a com pressed air environment, schedules of maxi mum length of shift and length of decom pression have been prepared. The higher the pressure, the shorter the shift and the longer the decompression period Proper illumination of the work area is necessary to prevent eyestrain leading to in creased accidents or loss of visual acuity and to eliminate glare that may interfere with vision Lighting is discussed in Chap ter 14, "Industrial Buddings and Plant Lay out," and levels of illumination are given in Table 45-G2, m Chapter 45. Training and education Engineering controls and protective equip ment are no substitutes for safety education They can only supplement it When a toxic material is used in a process, workers must be given detailed information regarding the material and the safe practices used to pre vent exposure to it The worker must also know the proper operating procedures that make engineering controls effective If he performs an opera tion away from an exhaust hood, be will not only defeat the purpose of the control but also contaminate the work area Work ers can be alerted to safe procedures through booklets, instruction signs, labels, safety meetings, and other educational de vices (See Chapters 6 and 7 ) Since new materials are constantly being marketed and new processes developed, re education and followup instruction must also be part of the training program. 39-49