Chemical Hazards: Health and Safety - Coursework Example

Running head: chemical hazards: health and safety 12th January Introduction During the performance of their duties, workers are faced with quite a number of health and safety hazards that need to be addressed by the management. It is worth to note that in addition to increased salary and wages as well as training for the workers, employees are motivated by a favorable working condition that guarantees their security and health. One of the major aspects that are of key concern in a working environment is airborne dust. This is based on the fact that the dust is associated with classical occupational lung illnesses for example pneumoconiosis that may negatively affect the performance of the workers and the image of an organization. In developed and developing countries, overexposure to dusts has resulted to negative implications such as permanent and temporary disabilities, diseases and deaths. This paper seeks to discuss the controls of airborne dusts including the ineffectiveness of dust masks in dealing with the problem. Reasons why use of dust masks is a poor occupational hygiene practice Dust mask is a flexible pad that has elastic rubber straps to protect the workers against dust that is generated from natural sources such as handling of dusty materials or the generation of dust by cutting, grinding and milling of materials. In many working places, provision of dust masks to workers is a common feature which has turned to be a poor occupational hygiene practice based on the various issues. First they do not provide eye protection even though eyes are also likely to be affected by the dusts especially when grinding of metals and other wooden materials. For the workers who perform their duties in areas with chemicals, dust masks do not provide protection against gases such as ammonia (Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991). As a result, workers’ health is jeopardized an aspect that may affect their performance as well as the firms’ profitability. For the workers in an environment that is hot, dust masks can add to heat burden that may result to more health problems. While some of the companies aim at producing dust masks that meet the needs of the customers, many of the models that are produced do not have adjustable head straps thus making them not to fit well while they are being used. It is worth to note that misfitting masks provides a danger since they allow harmful materials to bypass the mask entirely (Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances in Air No 14). While the employees are working for example in areas which are dusty and the level of noise is high, communication between the workers is difficult. In their process of communication, the workers have to open their dust masks a practice that may expose them to dusty articles or dangerous vapor. Inward leakage at gaps in face seal is another issue that makes the dust masks to be ineffective in providing protection for workers. Suitable dust control regime Ventilation One of the best dust control method that organizations such as the one in the mining industry is ventilation. This is the process through which air is applied to reduce dust by displacement and dilution. This entails surrounding workers with a cloud of dust and then an additional air is used to reduce the dust through dilution. Displacement on the other hand ensures very high air intensity that keeps the dust down. One of the key ways to achieve best results through displacement ventilation in a mining firm is through the use closed tunnel boring machines. Additionally, workers can be advised to use the conveyor belt transfer point enclosure. Dust collectors During the control of dust, filtration plays an important role. In enclosed areas, filtration systems work effectively as compared to open spaces. Through the use of low volume and high volume systems, workers are able to perform their duties while avoiding the implications of dust. Wet systems In areas where dusty materials cannot be damaged by water, wetting through water is the common agent. According to Spraying Systems Company management team, wet systems should together with other technologies. In a firm within the mining industry, wetting can be done on the materials during their transit to prevent the rise of dust particles (MDHS 47/2). This can be done through the use of spray nozzles whereby spraying pattern and angle must be considered. Fume extractors In the tasks such as soldering, welding and paint spraying among others, the use of fume extractor is one of the best choices. The machines prevent the workers from the dangerous gases that are emitted during their duties. In the field of military, a bore evacuator is used. This entails a device that on the gun barrel to prevent poisonous gases from going back to the vehicle being used in fighting. Use of extraction systems Another notable method that can be applied is extraction system. Organizations are at liberty to choose two use either external or internal system. According to safety experts, local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system is one of the best (Environmental Health & Safety Office). LEV role is to capture the fumes being produced by the source thus preventing them from escaping into the working areas. Additionally, it filters hazardous particles as well as gases that would be directed into the environment resulting to pollution. Radiant heating Radiant heating entails the technology for heating outdoor and indoor areas. One of the advantages of using this method is that it results to decreased circulation of air inside the working place as well as reduction of spreading of airborne particles. While it is used in the outdoor areas, the system entails heating the outside air and blows it away with the air movement. Examples of specific controls of dusts It is vital to note that if it reasonably practicable, control of dust should be done without the use of protective devices. To control of dust escaping from machine openings, LEV should be used as indicated earlier. In a firm where handling of raw materials for example pulling bales and dropping, workers may be exposed to significant amount of dust. In such case, LEV or vacuum conveyor may not be effective in reducing the dust. This implies that the management should make changes in the working places for example by automation of the operations. For example in the cotton industry, bale pluckers that are automatic in nature have significantly reduced operator exposure. The use of scutchers that are fitted with LEV should be used between machines to create strong pressure to prevent the escape of dust. Additionally, in any industry that uses a beaming machine, there is a creation of significant amount of entrained air that results to difficulties in controlling dust by LEV (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, 2002). It also results into collection of the dust that is carried in the induced air flow in the beam. This implies that the maintenance personnel should use a fixed receptor hood with hood screens that is used to remove the large volume of air. Provision of good general ventilation is another way to reduce exposures to below the MEL. Within the wool textile industry, dust exposures are highly likely to occur for example when the bins are emptied in a manual way. In this case, the employees should use the vacuum conveyor systems that do not provide a notable amount of dust (HSE COSHH). Another point to note is that in automated as well as traditional blending bins, dust may accumulate in the bin roofs. To prevent this from happening, organizations have now embarked on using bins that are fitted with canopies which exhaust to a dust filtration system. One of the major tools that are applied during the radiant heating is the patio heater. This is an appliance that has a burner at the top of a post, whereby it burns that propane and liquefied petroleum gas following by the direction of flames to a metal screen. With the growing technology, electrically powered radiative heaters have been introduced (Charles, 2011). The heaters emit infrared energy on the surrounding are which in turn heat up the surrounding environment resulting to elimination of dust. However, heaters have nee challenged due to large amount of carbon dioxide they emit annually. As noted earlier, dust masks are not effective in protection against harmful gases and vapor. However, there are cases when dust masks can be used. For example, management can view it necessary for workers to be provided with dust masks in areas where non-hazardous dusts as well as non-toxic particulates are not available. They can also be used to buffer the effects of breathing for instance in a cold or warm air. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, it is clear that in order to avoid the negativities and ineffectiveness of dust masks, firms have quite a number of alternatives to use. Some of the notable aspects that make dust mask to be ineffective includes they do not offer eye protection, lack of adjustable head straps, poor communication among the users and inward leakage. Thus, there is need to use effective methods such as ventilation, dust collection, wet systems, fume extractors, extraction systems and radiant heating. References Charles G. (2011). Blue Ember Technologies, LLC.“Safety versus Security in Fire Protection Planning,”The American Institute of Architects: Knowledge Communities, May 2009. Retrieved on June 22, 2011. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Fifth edition) Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) Approved Codes of Practice and guidance Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS).Available from http://ehs.research.uiowa.edu/ HSE COSHH. Website http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm MDHS 47/2. Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances in Air Health and Safety Laboratory - Determination of rubber process dust and rubber fume (measured as cyclohexane- soluble material) in air) - Laboratory method using filters, gravimetric determination and soxhlet extraction – 1999 Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances in Air No 14: General methods for the gravimetric determination of respirable and total inhalable dust MDHS 14 HSE Books 2000 Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991. Available from http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90o01_e.htm Read More