Methane leak in Los Angeles
Formaldehyde Exposure
Monday, February 15, 2016
Methane Gas Leak in Los Angeles
Right now, there is a methane leak in Los Angeles that is mixing with solar heat and producing formaldehyde. This formaldehyde is being consumed by the surrounding area population by inhalation. Because of the magnitude of this situation, it is important for emergency responders to have a plan set in place so employees, employers, the surrounding area, and the responders are conducting tasks safely when trying to eliminate the hazard. For this incidence, it is extremely important to have blue print copy of the surrounding land in order to plan when and where the boundaries employers can be located safetly. Employees and safety responders must suit up in a Self Containing Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) suit to promote safe and healthy air quality while working with methane and formaldehyde. Because formaldehyde is so dangerous when inhaled, safety responders must complete safety tasks in intervals of 15 minutes due to the REL's. There must not be any combustibles in the surrounding area, for this chemical is highly combustible and has a boiling point of -19.5 degrees Celcius. It also has a melting point of -92 degrees Celcius and a flash point of 185 degrees Fahrenhieht. There should be a "safe zone" with an enclosed air tight end to ensure safety for employers and safety repsonders. This area can also be used for changing/replacing air tanks and providing fresh water and medical attention as needed. The medical examiners in the safe zone should also promote and complete biological testing. The research team should be composed of two parts; environmental aspects and community aspects. For environmental research, safety responders are devoted to air, water, and waste detecting and are solely responsible for making sure levels are controllable. They will conduct air quality testing as well as water quality testing in surrounding bodies of water. The community research aspect is responsible for conducting health surveys and researching the effect on reported cases of formaldehyde symptoms. In the surrounding area the hazards include methane, benzene, radon, formaldehyde, and sunlight. There must be Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when dealing with any involvement in the area. GHS classification states that formaldehyde is toxic, causes cancer, skin irritation, it can be harmful if swallowed or inhabited, it is combustible and harmful to aquatic life. Formaldehyde is a colorless gas/liquid with a pungent odor, and can be sometimes white or solid. It is soluble in alcohol, ether, acetone, benzene, and water. It produces decomposition products that consist of carbon monoxide and dioxide. Its toxicity is acute oral toxicity of about 42mg/kg. The REL states that it is a suspected human carcinogen. It's short-term exposure consists of irritation to eyes and respiratory tract along with lung odema. The long-term exposure consists of inflammation of respiratory tract and dermatitis. The lower exposure limit is 7% and the higher exposure limit is 73%. There also needs to be radioactive protection from the exposure to formaldehyde due to radon exposure. Worker health effects and direct reading instruments are very important especially for this incidence in Los Angeles.
OSHA Laboratory Standard vs. Other OSHA Standards
According to OSHA Laboratory Safety Guidance, over 500,000 workers are employed in laboratories in the United States. The laboratory can be a hazardous environment to work in, especially when employees are exposed to numerous potential hazards including biological, physical, and radioactive hazards. Muscular distresses are also considered hazardous. Laboratory safety has been regulated by OSHA over the years by publishing rules and guidelines which are regulated at the local, state, and federal regulation. These documents are intended for supervisors, principal investigators, and managers who are responsible for maintaining safe, healthy environments for all employees to work in.
Under Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the General Duty Clause, requires that employers "shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment in which are free from recognized hazards that are causing death or serious physical harm to his employees." This indicates that even if the OSHA standard has not been promulgated that deals with a specific hazard or hazardous operations may be enforceable under the section 5 (a)(1) of the OSH Act. The principle OSHA standards cover the major hazards that workers are most likely to encounter on a daily basis. Employers must be fully award of the OSHA standards and must implement all aspects of standards that apply to specific work conditions in their facilities. Occupational health and safety professionals use a framework called the "hierarchy of controls" to select ways of dealing with workplace hazards. This strategy prioritizes intervention strategies based on the premise that the best way to control a hazard is to systematically remove it from the workplace, rather than relying on workers to reduce their exposure. The hierarchy of controls consists of: engineering controls, administrative controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Most employers use a combination of control methods. They must evaluate their own individual workplace to develop a plan for protecting their workers that may combine both immediate actions as well as longer term solutions.
The purpose of the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) is to provide guidelines for prudent practices and procedures for the use of chemicals in the laboratory. The laboratory standards requires that the CHP sets forth procedures, equipment, PPE, and work practices capable of protecting workers from the health hazards presented by chemicals used in the laboratory. Each CHP must include Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Criteria for Exposure Control Measures, Adequacy and Proper Functioning of Fume Hoods, Information and Training, Requirement of Prior Approval of Laboratory, Medical Consultations and Examination, Chemical Hygiene Officer Designation, Particularly and Hazardous Substances.There are twenty-five states and two U.S territories that have their own OSHA-approved occupational safety and health standards, which must be at least "as effective as" the federal standards. The purpose of the laboratory standard is to ensure that workers in non-production laboratories are informed about the hazards of chemicals in their workplace and are protected from chemical exposures exceeding allowable levels The laboratory standard achieves this protection by establishing safe work practices in laboratories to implement a Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).
Under Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the General Duty Clause, requires that employers "shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment in which are free from recognized hazards that are causing death or serious physical harm to his employees." This indicates that even if the OSHA standard has not been promulgated that deals with a specific hazard or hazardous operations may be enforceable under the section 5 (a)(1) of the OSH Act. The principle OSHA standards cover the major hazards that workers are most likely to encounter on a daily basis. Employers must be fully award of the OSHA standards and must implement all aspects of standards that apply to specific work conditions in their facilities. Occupational health and safety professionals use a framework called the "hierarchy of controls" to select ways of dealing with workplace hazards. This strategy prioritizes intervention strategies based on the premise that the best way to control a hazard is to systematically remove it from the workplace, rather than relying on workers to reduce their exposure. The hierarchy of controls consists of: engineering controls, administrative controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Most employers use a combination of control methods. They must evaluate their own individual workplace to develop a plan for protecting their workers that may combine both immediate actions as well as longer term solutions.
The purpose of the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) is to provide guidelines for prudent practices and procedures for the use of chemicals in the laboratory. The laboratory standards requires that the CHP sets forth procedures, equipment, PPE, and work practices capable of protecting workers from the health hazards presented by chemicals used in the laboratory. Each CHP must include Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Criteria for Exposure Control Measures, Adequacy and Proper Functioning of Fume Hoods, Information and Training, Requirement of Prior Approval of Laboratory, Medical Consultations and Examination, Chemical Hygiene Officer Designation, Particularly and Hazardous Substances.There are twenty-five states and two U.S territories that have their own OSHA-approved occupational safety and health standards, which must be at least "as effective as" the federal standards. The purpose of the laboratory standard is to ensure that workers in non-production laboratories are informed about the hazards of chemicals in their workplace and are protected from chemical exposures exceeding allowable levels The laboratory standard achieves this protection by establishing safe work practices in laboratories to implement a Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).
Applying OSHA Standard Precautions to the workplace.
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