Document wqo4kxm23aVR3pkzbVbG0VE73

FILE NAME: National Safety Council (NSC) DATE: 1959 Mar DOC#: NSC035 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NSC - National Safety News - Respiratory Protection piratory Protection ^ , Hrvive in unfareathabie air Section if-- Personal Protection-- Part T A ^ a MINANTS, the undeiw-products of many indus'-3 y CS. provide some of the ,uS problems of occupapublic health. These conrange from relatively /nuisance" substances to vapors, mists, and gases, of contaminants at the enclosure of processes gf' concentrations in the jfhir should be the aim of p a d hygiene program but breakdowns of equipment fh There are also operati exposure is brief or iF o r such situations per fection is needed. Biker's air intake may be fed by three principal iff :hi meal filters to remove feists. irpiion or chemical reaction pises and vapors, pd air. give general types of t'equipmeni are; jESa the j 0ij gas Ig ^ n c tio n in g efficiently. (Dia- : !<y'M-eWs/ M a r c h . 7959 4. Supplied-air equipment (hose masks and air-line respirators). 5. Self-contained apparatus supply ing oxygen or air. Each type of equipment has a definite field of usefulness, as well as limitations. Manufacturers and dealers therefore want to know the type of exposure when equipment is ordered. Approval. Equipment which meets accepted standards carries the label of the Bureau of Mines. Approval specifies type of exposure as well as design and construction. Gas Masks A gas mask consists of a face piece connected by a flexible tube to a canister. Inhaled air is drawn through the canister which cleans it chemically. No one chemical yet discovered will remove all contam inants, so the canister must be chosen for the exposure. The greatest range of protection is provided by the universal mask for use against combinations of acid gases, organic vapors, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and smokes. However, as the number of gases in creases, the service time of the can ister decreases. Canister gas masks with full facepiece are for emergency protection in atmospheres immediately danger ous to life. Their effectiveness is limited to concentrations of twe per cent by volume, except for ammonia, for which the limit is, three per cent. Characteristics. Types of gas masks, their identifying colors and uses are: White--'Acid gases, such as hydro gen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, chlorine, hydrocyanic acid. Black--Organic vapors, such as ani line, benzene, ether, gasoline, carbon tetrachloride, chloropicrin. Green--Ammonia gas. Blue--Carbon monoxide. SANDBLASTER dons safety equipment be fore working in booth. O perator is supplied with air through dust-tight mask, (MSA.) Yellow--Combination acid gas and organic vapor. Brown--Combination acid gas, or ganic vapor and ammonia gas. Red--U niversal--a ll industrial gases, including carbon monoxide, smoke, and fumes. White with green stripe--Hydrogen cyanide. White with yellow stripe--Chlorine. Cartridge Respirators Chemical cartridge respirators usually have a half-mask face con nected directly to a small container. Chemicals are similar to those used in gas masks. Cartridge respirators are approved only for non-emergency situations -- for atmospheres which are harm ful only after prolonged or repeated exposures. For hot jobs. A heat-exchanger cartridge permits work in excessive ly hot atmospheres. When the work er breathes in, heat is stored in the cartridge; when he exhales, heat is removed. Inhaled air is then re duced to a tolerable temperature. This respirator is worn with a spe cially designed hood. Filter Respirators Protection against any form of particulate matter can be provided by a mechanical filter respirator. Major items to be considered are resistance to breathing offered by the filter element, adaptation of .............- ' - 93 S e c on 5-- - P e rso n a l P r o t e c t i o n 1-- P a r t J facepiece to faces of various shapes, and fineness of particles to be filtered out ASA Code 7.-7 requires that the complete respirator show a resist ance not in excess of 50 mm of water at an inhalation rate of 85 iiters of air per minute. Resistance to exhalation under the same conditior s may not exceed 25 mm. Com ma] cial respirators are usually held to <onsiderablv lower resistances. Mechanical filter respirators are not effective against solvent vapors, injt rious gases, or oxygen defici ency. Types of mechanical filters ap proved by the Bureau of Mines are: 1. Pneumoconiosis - producing and nuisance dust respirators, for such dusts as aluminum, cellu lose, cement, coal, charcoal, coke, flour, gypsum, iron ore, limestone, and wood. 2. Toxic dust respirators, for pro tection against toxic dusts that are not significantly more toxic than lead, such as arsenic, cad mium, chromium, lead, manga nese, selenium, vanadium, and their compounds. C lass I. Eiseases POTENTIAL ASPHYXIA HAZARDS (Globe Industries, Inc.) Type Preventive Measures a. Cardiac conditions b. Asthmatic, circulatory cases c. Hypertension sufferers Regular physical checkups Constant surveillance and encourage ment to observe doctor's advice Employee instruction and job selection 2 . Equipment a. Chemical, oil tanks b. Vats and containers c. Poorly ventilated rooms Hoods over tanks, etc. Exhaust systems Make-up air systems Oxygen masks (self-contained breath ing apparatus) for special areas and jobs Employee training 3, Electricity a. Power and transmission lines b. Powered equipment c. Transformers d. Portable power tools e. Lightning Signs, identifying color, guard rails and fences Maintenance and inspection of tools Proper grounding of tools . Isolation of areas Employee training 4. Asphyxiating g;:ses 5. Chemical irdtants a. Carbon monoxide b. Exothermic and cndothermii atmospheres c. Carbon dioxide d. Volatile hydrocarbons Signs, identifying color, guard rails and a. Chlorine b. Ammonia c. Hydrochloric acid d. Hydrogen sulphide e. Lime f. Sulphur g. Hydrofluoric acid gas h. Nitrous fumes i. Chloride of lime j. Bromine k. Beryllium l. Nitric acid m. Phenols n. Phosgene o. Benzol p. Anticholinesterase agents q. Naphth.ol r. Sulphuric acid s. Hydrocyanic acid Hoods and exhaust equipment Continuous atmosphere sampling and checking Regular maintenance of all equipment, pipes, fittings and tanks Oxygen masks (self-contained breath ing apparatus) for special jobs and areas not rendered safe by other methods Employee training J. yawl ^oyuuiors, t o r prot against pneumoconiosis.^TM mg, chromic acid, and nuill mists. SIT 4. Fume respirators, for p ro tjl against^ fumes (solid dispi3 or particulate matter) forrnj condensation of vapors, as fjj heated metals or other substa " Supplied Air Hose masks. Atmospheres ? mediately hazardous to life reef air supply from a point beyond?" contaminated area. With a f ' mask, air is normally supplied'" a blower. The wearer can i through the hose when the bf is not operating. .f- Hose lines (with at least af' connection) are recommeh rather than air lines connected a compressed air system for f operations. In a case of failur, air supply, it is possible to brl, through a considerable lengthy hose. Hose masks are not approf with more than 150 ft. of hose'l where inhalation resistance exc ;L 2.5 in. of water, or the exhalaj resistance exceeds 1 in. of wa" Attachments of additional^ should not exceed the totals scribed length. It should bejf proved for use with that tyj| mask and should have appjg| couplings. The blower shout located so that only fresh, cleap is supplied to face masks. The' hose mask should always used for work which involves e ing tanks or pits where there) dangerous or unknown concefi tion of dust, mist, vapor, or gas oxygen deficiency. | Harness to pull the hose | n should be inspected before ^ Component parts of harness nl be able to withstand a pull ojj least 250 lbs. Air-line respirators, connected compressed air lines, provide es-^ tially the same protection as masks. They are not intendeds atmospheres immediately hazard to life where the wearer could , escape if failure of the. air su _ required him to remove the resp_ tor. This respirator differs fro hose mask mainly in two featu ectlon 5-- Personal Protection-- P art I it has a hand-operated, quickly delachable coupling connected to the belt or body harness so that the operator can connect to a com pressed air hose, also a flow-limitiag device to permit air flows only between 2 and 20 cfm. A trap and filter installed in the compressed air line ahead of the masks to separate oil, water, scale, or other extraneous matter from the ;.:.r stream is desirable. An air-pressure regulator in the 1ne is required if air is supplied at t pressure in excess of 25 psi., also t pressure release valve which will cperate if the regulator fails. Suppiied-air respirators are the l est type for continuous use at one location. Other types may give adecoate protection, but offer breathing resistance and are consequently more fatiguing. To obtain clean air, the com pressor intake must be kept away from sources of contamination. The compressor should be well maintuned. It must not run too hot, as dangerous amounts of carbon mon oxide can be produced by decom position of lubricating oil. Air-supplied suits. Sometimes rescue or emergency repair work must be done in atmospheres ex tremely corrosive to the skin and rrucous membranes, in addition to being acutely poisonous. For these conditions, complete suits of imp Tvious material with breathing equipment are available. If a hose line is used, it should be connected to the suit itself as well as to the helmet. Unless well venti lated, such a suit is fatiguing and dangerous to wear for long periods. Abrasive blasting requires an adequate supply of filtered air, also mechanical protection for the head and neck-- either an impregnated cloth hood or a helmet of some rigid material. It should be covered both inside and outside with a plas tic material, such as soft rubber, to increase both comfort of wearer and resistance to abrasive. A window of transparent mate rial, suitable for optical use, pro tected from the abrasive by a 30to 40-mesh fine wire screen should be provided. Both window and pro tective screen should be readily re placeable. Self-Contained Apparatus For work in atmospheres im mediately hazardous to life at dis tances more than 150 ft. from the source of fresh air, self-contained oxygen-breathing apparatus should be used. Two principal types of self-con tained apparatus are: (1) Com pressed air or compressed oxygen type; (2) Internal generation type which produces oxygen by reaction of chemicals in the canister with the moisture in exhaled breath. Care of Equipment A central station for care and maintenance of respiratory equip- deOfxicyigeenncy Self- yinlJttned b rathing a< pnratus Hose m ast with blower Im m e dia te ly dangerous to life I----------i--- Sell-contained H o mask breathing w lh apparatus blower HAZARD Toxic contaminant Gaseous NOT im m ed ia te ly dangerous to life I i-----------1--- Gas Air-line Ho-so mask mask respirator wbiltohwouetr Gaseous and particulate I--- Dust, mist, or (Urne respirator Particulate respirator ---1 Abrasive b la stin g re sp ir a to r Chemical cartridge respirator Immediately dangerous to Hie I----------- 1--- Self-contained Hose mask breathing with spoaratus blower Gas m5k with special filter Air-line re sp ir a to r NOT im m edia te ly dangerous to life -- !-----------1 Hose mask Chemical without cartridge respirator blower with special fitter RESPIRATORY protective devices for various types of exposure. (Reprinted from Informatioi Circular 7792, U. S. Bureau of Mines,) 96 oRerferences---Resp;ratQ7* Equipment National Safety Council Accident Prevention Manual trial Operations, 1955. Hard Hats; D ata Sheet D-425 Respiratory Protective Equi^eniii Sheet D-444. P cn|* National Safety News Gas Masks fo r Peacetime; G M- den, Jan. 1953. ' Protection Against Contaminated pheres; B. F. Postman, Nov. 1953 Investment in Protection; June "19 Is Your P lant Immune to A, John B. Dunne, Nov. 1957. Respiratory Emergencies: Esthcr Stephenson, Jan. 1958, American Standards Assn. Identification of Gas Mask c f K13.1-1950. U. S. Bureau o f Mines List of Respiratory Protective ment is desirable where m3 pirators are in use. Such a u also handle distribution and, tenance of other personal prot equipment. Each employee should b l| vided with two respirators' either a locker or a hook central station. Each res|S should be branded or taggi the employee's number. -? mi y-N 'gjja Cleaning and disinfecting, parts, except canisters asjT tridges, should be cleaned aiS Facepieces, air lines and ho| be washed with soap and rinsed, and dried. All respiratory devices sh l disinfected before being pass] _ employee to employee. Meif| sterilizing include: 1. Immersion in solution of| nary ammonium salt detergen| material is not injurious to a to rubber. jg 2. Subjection to a moist atm of antiseptic gas, such as font hyde, for 10 minutes. 5|| 3. Immersion for 10 mmute| solution of formalin made by ing 1 part of 40 per cent formal, in 9 parts of water. Parts should be rinsed thort| after sterilizing to remove tra disinfectant, then dried. Elastic head bands may be, aged by sterilizing but they,be washed with soap and a ....To jm |J 1 C irc le ' liem No. 3-- Reader 5ery,',ce Secfio 7 5~--Persona/ Protection Part I R esp ira to ry Protection -- From page 96 Bands should be replaced when the respirator is transferred to another employee. Tht respirator should be turned in to the central station at the end of ea :h shift to ' be cleaned and sterilj; ed and repaired if necessary. Whtre the maintenance crew works several shifts, one respirator per employee may be sufficient. Us ually, however, it is necessary to have erne complete unit in the proc ess of cleaning while the other is being worn. Filters should be replaced when clogged, and used ones discarded. Canisters should be replaced at regula: intervals. Even when not in use they lose their effectiveness with tim e.s * * Trai ning In Use of Respiratory Equipment Respirators are often used as emergency equipment under con ditions of strain and excitement. Those who will have to use them should therefore be trained thor oughly Regular inspection is also nec essary to avoid deterioration of equipment which is not used regu larly. Training 1. Train each person in putting mask on and adjusting it rapidly to his face. 2. Have each person wear it long enough to become accustomed to the breathing resistance and to put ting it on and taking it off. 3. Repeat training at regula.: in tervals. Maintenance 1. Set up a card for each.mask to indicate date of latest inspection and replacement of canister and amount of use, if any, which can ister has had. 2. Replace-canister at least an nually, even if not used. 3. When a canister is replaced, examine facepiece, harness, hose, and headbands for leaks or dete rioration. Replace defective parts. 4. Canisters are ordinarily sup plied with seals to keep out air while in storage. Remove seals when canister is placed in service. 5. Store mask in a place as cool and dry as possible and accessible to hazardous area. 6. If mask is for emergency use only, canister should be replaced after use. * * * Safety Gear Saves Boilermaker 5 Times J o e K a s p e r , 40 years a boiler maker at the Standard Oil Com SB against his hat. H e didn't suffer^ scratch. Another time, he was walki,,6 u?, a still that was being repaired, ^ falling chunk of steel knocked Q| | his hard hat. Unharmed, he pickML up his dented headgear and went Qal his way. And he's had similar luck safety-toe shoes. He was wearing*" this type of footwear one day, whiE| he and two helpers put a 1000-lb sheet of boiler steel in place. Tbjl sheet dropped, pinning one of J0e"| feet. al His assistants rushed in with J | jack and raised the plate. The shoe! was ruined. A nd all that trouble Joe was a slight bruise over the arcj. of his foot. (T he two helpejjp scrambled to order safety shoes,)i Joe is also indebted to safe!; goggles. Once, he and a fella, worker were shaping a power fill for a still. Just as the helper wtf about to hit the chisel, Joe rememf bered about wearing safety goggl| He halted work and put them o l|| Then at his signal the other matf swung. A piece of metal smashep the goggles' right lens. But the eyijf was unhurt. M Even off the job Joe's safety geaffi has earned him continued eyesighiSj On a building project he grabbeffijl heavy hammer and attacked a cqiy F Crete partition. A piece of roqr shattered the left lens of his safe ' goggles. , At times Joe has had a dept hard hat, crushed shoes, smashed goggles-- but he's satisfie pany's (Indiana) Casper, Wyo., re finery, is a walking testimonial for safety equipment. His unusual re cord is described in Standard Oil's employee magazine, The Torch, for January 1959. If Joe hadn't used his hard hat, safety shoes, and goggles on and off the job, today he'd probably be totally blind and unable to walk properly. Back in the days before hard hats, i 111 i Joe was clipped twice by falling ! rivets. Medical treatment involved I seven stitches, plus. When hard hats were issued, he was just about first in line . . . and glad to be there. One day he climbed a 120-ft. tower and began to install a steel HOSE MASKS and life lines safeguard crews choking new gas service connection in manhc le. Crank supplies air to men un* derground sheet. He had on his hard hat. A sudden blast of wind lifted the metal and swung it with crushing force CLEAN, sterilized respirators should : available where there is a possibility a contaminated atmosphere. (Mine Si Appliances Co.) no Nat/ona/ Safety News, March, 1 ^