Exposure Assessment and IH Report Writing

Elizabeth Pullen, CIH

Basic Characterization - main elements Issues in Batch operations Clariant (newer) method for EHWA

◦ Examples in different business units IH Report Writing

◦ Elements of an IH report◦ Examples (good and poor)

Agenda

Questions to answer:◦ Chemical, physical and biological agents◦ Health effects from excessive exposure◦ What OELs for each agent◦ How is work force organized◦ Significant sources of exposure

Processes, operations, tasks and work practices

◦ Controls in place How used and how effective are they

Basic Characterization

“Begin with the end in mind” (S. Covey) Purposes:

◦ Determine which hazards are uncontrolled or not fully assessed, and create plan to address them

◦ Collect data for future epidemiological studies◦ Collect data to address possible future litigation

How to Design EA

Talk with other groups to find out what data and information they have already generated◦ Product Stewardship

Chemical lists – finished products and raw materials, possibly create spreadsheet with percentages, OELs, GHS classification, pictograms, etc.

◦ Process Safety / Engineering Process diagrams Hazards assessment Controls

Gather Information

Refer to slides from 2002 presentation on Batch Plant Exposure Assessments

Learning lessons from different type batch plants

Pitfalls and what I learned to do differently

Issues in Batch Operations

Evaluation of Hazards in the Work Area Newer concept for Clariant to combine

assessment of all health and safety hazards in one assessment◦ Keeps assessment separate from Process Safety

and Environmental assessments, to not duplicate efforts Show Visio diagram

Show slides for Clariant EHWA

Clariant Method for EHWA

Create a branched structure◦ Allows you to separate the levels and group

similar issues together Link various sources of information

together, rather than replicating data Helps to focus on the main issues of

concern

Branched Structure

Work Area◦ Jobs / processes – process map helpful

Tasks Groups of chemicals / substances

Components of chemicals Chemicals with OELs

Chemicals monitored

Elements of structure

Masterbatches production◦ Weigher operator

Transferring pigment from bags/drums to smaller bag on weigh scale and move to pallet 100s of different pigments

10-20 metals make up most of the main colors (with varying compositions to make the pigment color) 80% of metals have OELs

Monitored the weighing task using a 21-metal scan, to catch whatever metals might be in the pigments being used that day

Example structure

Main part of EHWA contains:◦ Work area◦ Jobs / processes◦ Tasks◦ Main hazards (with groups of chemicals that have

similar exposure profiles)◦ Controls◦ Risk assessment◦ Action plan

Links to other documents

Structure of EHWA

Health inventory◦ Full list with finished products and components, or

Grouped list, with main hazardous components◦ Information on usage, potential exposures,

existing and planned monitoring, risk assessment and action plan (unless already addressed in EHWA)

Monitoring data (in database or spreadsheet)

IH survey reports JSA (Job Safety Analyses) Production lists (on days monitored)

Links to other documents

Show examples:◦ Masterbatches template - EHWA◦ Masterbatches Manual – appendices for EA◦ Estevan assessment – modified JSA

Show examples at: ◦ Bakersfield for PPE◦ The Woodlands for chemicals

Various Assessments

Databases: Can provide consistency in data collection across

many sites Makes it easy to compare information at different

locations and over time May be expensive to purchase & maintain and

expensive to make modifications May limit flexibility with different types of work

places and business units May take a significant amount of resources to

support Older versions of a database may not be recognized

(e.g. Access databases)

Database vs. Excel spreadsheets

Excel spreadsheets:◦ May take different forms at different locations◦ May not always be filled in completely◦ Allow flexibility to:

identify the important processes and issues group processes, chemicals, tasks Change the format without significant expense

◦ Provides less consistency for comparisons◦ Less likely for computer systems to not recognize

the version

Database vs. Excel spreadsheets

Elements of a good IH report◦ Show my ‘Expectations’ list

Show examples of good and poor reports◦ Include my list of issues with one of the poor

reports

Report Writing

Prioritize the assessments Document the most important information Group similar issues where possible Use ‘branched structure’ where possible

◦ Have the more detailed information as references in the larger assessment

Include the employees in the process◦ They know the process well, can help you put it

into perspective and verify the actual practices, and can identify the exposure points

General Advice