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Chemical Control Banding: Control-focused Guidance and Solutions for Management of

Occupational HazardsT.J. Lentz, Ph.D., MPH

TLentz@cdc govTLentz@cdc.govCatherine C. Beaucham, MPH

CBeaucham@cdc.govNIOSH/CDC

Ohio Safety Congress and ExpositionWednesday, April 1, 2009

U.S. Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act - 1970

NIOSH = Research and recommendations in occupational safety and health

OSHA = Development and enforcement of standards

Mission Statement:Safety and health at work for all people through research and preventiong p

Responsibilities• Researching hazards present in

the workplace through laboratory and field studies

• Training safety and health professionals

• Recommending occupational safety and health standards

NIOSH Locations Overview

• Rationale/strategy behind control banding

• Control-focused approach and conceptspp p• Examples of applications• Ongoing activities• Additional considerations

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History and use of OELs

• 1883 - First OEL: carbon monoxide• 1916 – OEL for dust with high quartz/

crystalline free silica • 1921 – Exposure limits for 33 workplace

substances (U.S. Bureau of Mines)

OELs in the United States

• NIOSH has fewer than 1,000 Recommended Exposure Limits.

• OSHA has fewer than 500 Permissible Exposure Limits.

Scope of Challenge (chemicals)

• 35,403,118 organic and inorganic substances

• 21,195,573 commercially available chemicalschemicals

• 246,882 inventoried/regulated substances• 170,000 chemicals may require registration

under the European Union REACH* regulations

*REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals

Complications of traditional approaches

• limitations – resources and expertise required

• increasing number of hazardous chemicals in global commerce

• inability of many small/medium enterprises to comply with regulations

Evolution of qualitative risk assessment/ management

• U.S. pharmaceutical industry approach (early 1990s)

• U.K. HSE COSHH Essentials (late 1990s)1990s)

• ILO International Chemical Control Toolkit (after 2004)

Risk Assessment / Management Paradigms*

Traditional1. Risk = ( Hazard Exposure Control )

Pharmaceutical Industry2. Risk = ( Hazard Control Exposure )

*Keith Tait, Corporate Health & Safety, Pfizer ‐ National Control Banding Workshop, Washington, DC, March 2005

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Qualities of Control Banding

• A complementary approach to traditional industrial hygiene

• Focuses resources on exposure l h hcontrols rather than exposure

assessments• Provides technical expertise to chemical

users through simplified guidance

There are few There are few Many problemsMany problems

Two Things Make Two Things Make Control Banding PossibleControl Banding Possible

basically different basically different approaches to approaches to control…So wecontrol…So wecan band risks.can band risks.

Many problems Many problems have been met have been met ––

and solved and solved ––before.before.

Four Main Control Bands*

• Band 1: Use good industrial hygiene practice and general ventilation.

• Band 2: Use local exhaust ventilation• Band 2: Use local exhaust ventilation.• Band 3: Enclose the process. • Band 4: Seek expert advice.

*Primarily addressing exposure to chemicals by inhalation

Control bands for exposures to chemicals by inhalation

Band No.

Target range of exposure concentration  Hazard group Control

1 >1 to 10 mg/m3 dust>50 to 500 ppm vapor 

Skin and eye irritants Use good industrial hygiene practice and general ventilation.

2 >0.1 to 1 mg/m3 dust >5 to 50 ppm vapor 

Harmful on single exposure 

Use local exhaust ventilation. 

3 >0.01 to 0.1 mg/m3 dust>0.5 to 5 ppm vapor 

Severely irritating and corrosive

Enclose the process. 

4 <0.01 mg/m3 dust<0.5 ppm vapor 

Very toxic on single exposure, reproductive hazard, sensitizer* 

Seek expert advice. 

Why Control Banding?• Control-focused approach• Task-based guidance• Supplement to OELs• Guidance in absence of OELs (new and• Guidance in absence of OELs (new and

existing chemicals)• Special Cases: encourages use of experts• Supports Globally Harmonized System for

Hazard Communication

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Mandate and objectives for 2008*• Develop a globally harmonized system for

classification and labeling of chemicals• Provide criteria for classifying health and

Consistency with GHS

• Provide criteria for classifying health and environmental effects of chemical and physical hazards

• Assign harmonized hazard phrases for container labels

* Based on a presentation by Jennifer Silk, 2ICBW, * Based on a presentation by Jennifer Silk, 2ICBW, Cincinnati, 2004Cincinnati, 2004

Case Study—How to determine control band.

For each task/operation:

Step 1: Identify the Hazardous Substance(s)Step 2: Select the “Health Hazard Group”Step 3: Determine the Exposure PotentialStep 4: Find the Recommended Control

Approach

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Case Study 2– Control Banding (Online)

Web toolhttp://www.coshh‐essentials.org.uk/

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International Chemical Control Toolkithttp://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/ctrl_banding/toolkit/icct/index.htm

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Examples of Control Banding Activities in the United States

• OSHA Proposed Silica Standard for Construction

• NIOSH/Chilean partnership to control silicaNIOSH/Chilean partnership to control silica• Control banding workshops, conferences,

and publications• Partnerships and demonstration projects

OSHA DRAFT Standard: Occupational Exposure to Crystalline

Silica in Construction*Paragraph (d) Methods of Compliance.(1) Compliance hierarchy

(i) engineering controls and work practices(ii) supplementary respiratory protection(ii) supplementary respiratory protection

(2) Specific operations(i) if engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection in Table 1 are implemented, the employer shall be considered to be in compliance with (d)(1), and is not required to monitor employee exposures in accordance with paragraph (f)

* Draft – 08/22/03

OSHA DRAFT Standard:Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica in Construction*Operation Required Control Measures Required Air‐Purifying Respirator

for alternative PEL of:

50 µg/m3 75 µg/m3 100 µg/m3

Using Stationary Masonry Saws

Use wet method to continuously apply stream or spray at the cutting point.OREnclose saw within a ventilated enclosure operated with a minimum face velocity of 250 feet‐per‐minute. Saw blade must be contained entirely ithi th b th d h t t b di t d

Half‐mask

Half‐mask

Half‐mask

Half‐mask

None

Half‐mask

* Draft – 08/22/03

within the booth and exhaust must be directed away from other workers or fed to a dust collector.

Tuckpointing Use grinder equipped with commercially available shroud and dust collection system. Collector must be equipped with a HEPA filter and must operate at 25 cfm or greater airflow capacity per inch of blade diameter. Grinder must be operated flush against the working surface and operated in the direction of blade rotation.

Full facepiece

Full facepiece

Full facepiece

Using Rotary Hammers or Drills

Use drill equipped with hood or cowl and HEPA‐filtered dust collector. Eliminate blowing or dry sweeping drilling debris from working surface.

None None None

NIOSH Collaboration with Chilean Public Health Institute

• Partnership to implement qualitative risk assessment and control-focused solutions for silica exposuresfor silica exposures

• Control banding workshops in 2005 -2008• Silicosis eradication plan for the Americas

NIOSH/ Chilean ISP* Collaboration

Workshops plus field investigations for four industries:

•Dental labs

•Rock crushing

•Stone carvers/ artisans

•Mining

*Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile

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Control Banding and Glutaraldehyde

Glutaraldehyde(R42/43 – sensitization)

Manual Endoscope Reprocessing

(Draft Guidance Sheet)

NIOSH draft document

Qualitative Risk Characterization and Management of Occupational Hazards (Control Banding [CB])

Scope: a literature review and critical analysis of the state-of-the-art, validation, and effectiveness of control banding (public review/comment period, May – July 2008; in final prep now)

Other Publications

• AIHA Publication (2007)– Guidance for Conducting Control Banding

Analyses

• ACGIH Publication (2008)– Control Banding: Issues and Opportunities

• Others? – Chapter in Patty’s IH and Toxicology

Ongoing Activities• Control Banding language being written into

NORA Sector Goals• European countries continuing to develop

control banding approaches (Dutch Stoffenmanager for construction, Germany)WHO C ll b ti C t ti t• WHO Collaborating Centers continue to promote control banding

• WHO International Technical Group implementing a global control banding plan

• International and regional control banding workshops and symposia (latest in S. Africa, March 2009)

Additional considerations

• GHS• REACH requirements

– Hazard assessment (technical dossier)Ch i l S f t R t d t– Chemical Safety Report – documents a chemical safety assessment, describing exposure scenarios and risk management measures

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Emerging Issues –New applications?

• Engineered nanomaterials• Extremely low frequency

electromagnetic fields (ELF EMF)*• Integration with Prevention through

Design (PtD)

*3-3000 Hz associated with AC electricity

What we’ve learned

• Small Business– CB useful for its products – process is still

confusingBi B i• Big Businesses– CB is useful for prioritizing hazards– CB is useful for hazard characterization

and risk communication– CB products are useful for product

stewardship

Control Banding Precautions• Requires intelligent use and practical

experience• Needs training component• Not appropriate in all cases and• Not appropriate in all cases and

workplaces• Could overestimate exposures and

indicate need for a higher level of control • Not a replacement for OELs and exposure

assessments

NIOSH Control Banding Web Topic Pagehttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ctrlbanding/

To receive documents or more information about occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at

1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)TTY: 1-888-232-6348

E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Delivering on the Nation’s promise:Safety and health at work for all people through research and prevention.

DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions in this presentation have not been formally reviewed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.

or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh

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