Domain IV: Facility operations Involving Materials with Hazards

Question 1

When trying to determine the hazards present at a site, what should be included in a sampling plan?

Answer 1

Sampling plans should include an introduction and background, sampling plan objectives, use of collected data, and quality assurance.

Question 2

There are two types of sampling techniques. What are they?

Answer 2

Grab Samples
A grab sample is a discrete aliquot collected at one specific point in time from specific sampling location. The analytical results of this type of sample provide information about the concentration and type of contaminants at the point that the sample was taken.

Composite Sample
A composite sample is a non-discrete sample made of two or more equal aliquots collected at various times and/or points. Composite samples provide information on the average concentration and type of contaminants present.

Question 3

What is OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard?

Answer 3

29CFR 1910.1200

Also known as “Worker’s Right-to-know”

The major objective of this standard is to ensure that workers are protected from physical and health hazards of chemicals in the workplace

This standard involves three groups in safe handling of chemicals:
1.) The chemical manufacturers, importers, or distributors
2.) Employers
3.) Employees

Question 4

According to OSHA, What is a physical hazard?

Answer 4

Physical hazards are things such as flammability, corrosion, and explosivity.

According to Wikipedia:
A physical hazard is an agent, factor or circumstance that can cause harm with contact. They can be classified as type of occupational hazard or environmental hazard. Physical hazards include ergonomic hazards, radiation, heat and cold stress, vibration hazards, and noise hazards.[1] Engineering controls are often used to mitigate physical hazards.

Question 5

According to OSHA, what is a health hazard?

Answer 5

Health hazards are things such as irritation, sensitization, and carcinogenicity.

According to Wikipedia:
Hazards that would affect the health of exposed persons, usually having an acute or chronic illness as the consequence.

Question 6

Under OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, what are the responsibilities of chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors?

Answer 6

They are required to determine the physical and health hazards of each chemical they manufacture, import, or distribute. They are required to pass this information on to users of this chemicals using labels and safety data sheets (SDS).

Question 7

Under OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, what are the responsibilities of employers?

Answer 7

Employers who have employees who work with hazardous substances must develop a written hazard communication program which explains how the provisions of this standard are put into effect, and the facility’s training procedures for employees.

Employer’s must also provide training to employees about chemical hazards at the time of the initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced in the work area.

Employer’s must also make copies of SDS’s and chemical inventory list readily accessible to employees during each work shift.

Question 8

Under OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, what is the one responsibility of employees?

Answer 8

The one responsibility of employees are to read labels and SDS’s and to follow instructions.

Question 9

OSHA defines an oxygen deficient atmosphere as……

Answer 9

An atmosphere is oxygen deficient if the concentration of oxygen is less than 19.5 percent by volume.

Question 10

What are the requirements of a respiratory protection program?

Answer 10

OSHA’s respiratory protection standard is 29CFR 1910.134.

Any workplace that has oxygen deficient environments or airborne contaminants at hazardous levels will be required to protect employees from these hazards using respiratory protection and therefore will need a respiratory protection program.

This program must consist of medical evaluations of employees required to use respirators, fit testing, training of employees in the respiratory hazards to which they are potentially exposed, and training of employees in the proper use, storage, cleaning, and maintenance of their respirators.

Employers are also required to provide respirators at no cost to employees.

Question 11

What are the 2 major types of respirators?

Answer 11

Air Purifying Respirators
These use cartridges on the facemask. These cartridge’s are designed for specific hazards and can only remove contaminants for which they are designed. Air purifying respirators can not be used in oxygen deficient atmospheres. Air purifying respirators should also not be used in atmospheres where the type and concentration of the contaminants are unknown. Air purifying respirators remove contaminant gases and vapors from the air by the process of adsorption.

Atmosphere Supplying Respirators
These respirators fall in 2 broad categories:
1.) Airline Respirators
These have their own supply of air supplied through an air line. OSHA limits the length of this air line to 300 feet. The advantage of these respirators is that the supply of air can be unlimited and provide breathing are for a long time. The disadvantage of this type of respirator is mobility and limited range.

2.) Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
SCBA can be open loop or closed loop. The former exhausts the used air. The latter recycles the air after removal of carbon dioxide and water and addition of makeup oxygen.

Question 12

What is an IDLH atmosphere?

Answer 12

Immediately Dangerous to life or health

In these atmospheres only Positive pressure demand SCBA’s maintains a positive pressure in the facemask and reduce the possibility of leakage.

Question 13

Certain chemicals, although they may be hazardous, are exempt from the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard because they are regulated by other government agencies under other statutes: they are:

Answer 13

Hazardous Waste
Controlled under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by the EPA

Foods, food additives, drugs, and cosmetics
Controlled under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act by the Food and Drug Administration

Pesticides
Controlled under Federal Insecticide, fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) by EPA

Alcohols not intended for industrial use
Controlled by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms of the Department of Treasury

Question 14

Under OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, how are trade secrets handled?

Answer 14

After a manufacturers trade secret and protection application has been approved by OSHA, the identity of a hazardous chemical may not be revealed on the SDS. However, all physical and health hazards and means of protection must be mentioned.

The manufacturer must disclose and identify a chemical which is protected under the trade secret to health professionals during an emergency. Under non-emergency situations a written request must be submitted to the chemical manufacturer for disclosure of chemical identity.

Question 15

Which organization set forth standards for eye and face protection?

Answer 15

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sets forth standard for eye and face protection (ANSI Z87.1). These standards have been adopted by OSHA.

Question 16

According to OSHA regulations, how often must SCBA’s be inspected?

Answer 16

SCBA’s must be inspected at least every 30 days and after each use.

Question 17

What are TLV’s?

Answer 17

Threshold Limit Values (TLV’s) are airborne concentrations of substances at which it is believed that most workers may be repeatedly exposed day after day without adverse health effects.

Question 18

TLV’s can be categorized into 3 categories:

Answer 18

TLV-TWA : (Time Weighted Average) The time-weighted average, in an 8-hour workday and a 40-hour work week, at which most workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse health effects

TLV-C : (Threshold Limit Value Ceiling) The maximum concentration of a chemical that should not be exceeded at any time.

TLV-STEL : (Threshold Limit Value Short Term Exposure Limit) the maximum allowable concentration of a chemical for exposure not exceeding 15 minutes

Question 19

How to handle environments with gaseous mixtures with individual TLV’s?

Answer 19

Two or more chemicals may be present at the same time. under these circumstances, the mixture TLV of the mixture must be calculated. When two or more compounds are present in the atmosphere, the mixture TLV has been exceeded if:

∑ (Ci/(TLV)i) > 1

Where:
Ci is the measured atmospheric concentration of component i

(TLVi) is the threshold limit value for component i expressed in parts per million or milligram per cubic meter

NOTE: It should be pointed out the in the calculation of a mixture in this manner, the assumption is made that each component has similar effects on a given organ.

Question 20

How to handle environments with liquid mixtures with individual TLV’s?

Answer 20

When h=the source of contamination is a liquid mixture, the atmospheric composition is assumed to be similar to the liquid mixture, and that the liquid eventually evaporates, the TLV for the mixture is calculated from the following relationship:

(TLV)mixture = 1/(∑(fi/(TLV)i)

Where:
Fi is the weight fraction composition in the liquid mixture

(TLVi) is the TLV for the component expressed in mg/m3

Question 21

How to convert TLV concentrations for ppm to mg/m3?

Answer 21

In calculations dealing with TLV’s, it may become necessary to convert from mg/m3 to ppm or vice versa. The following relationships can be used:

Ppm = C(mg/m3)*(24.25)/(M.W)

Mg/m3 = (C in ppm)*(M.W)/24.45

Where:

C is concentration of contaminant
Ppm is parts per million
Mg/m3 is milligrams per cubic meter
M.W. Is molecular weight.

Question 22

What is the Hierarchy of Hazard Control?

Answer 22

From most effective to least effective:

1. Elimination - physical removal of the hazard
2. Substitution - replace the hazard
3. Engineering controls - Isolate people from the hazard
4. Administrative Control - Change the way people work
5. PPE - protect the worker with PPE

Question 23

What is TCLP?

Answer 23

Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure

This procedure is designed to determine the mobility of both organic and inorganic analytes. it basically simulates landfill conditions and test the mobility of heavy metals to the landfill.

Used to determine if a waste has any characteristic of toxicity.

Question 24

What is a scrubber?

Answer 24

A scrubber system is a diverse group of air pollution control devices that can be used to remove some particulates and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams.

Question 25

What is a cyclone?

Answer 25

Cyclones use centrifugal and inertial forces to separate particulate from the contaminated gas stream as it spirals through the cyclone. In general, cyclones are used to collect particles greater than 10 micrometers in diameter.

Question 26

What is an electrostatic precipitator?

Answer 26

An electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is a filtration device that removes fine particles, like dust and smoke, from a flowing gas using the force of an induced electrostatic charge and is very efficient in its consumption of energy.

Question 27

How are pesticides classified by the EPA under FIFRA?

Answer 27

EPA classifies pesticides as:

• restricted use pesticides (RUPs) - these are not available for purchase by the general public. These can only be applied under direct supervision under a certified applicator. If a pesticide is restricted use it should be stated on the label.
• general use pesticides -

Question 28

What is half-life in radiation?

Answer 28

Half-life (symbol t1/2) is the time required for a quantity to reduce to half its initial value.

Radioactive materials naturally deteriorate over time. This half life tells you the amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive substance to decay.

Question 29

What is the Ames Test?

Answer 29

The Ames test is a biological assay to assess the mutagenic potential of chemical compounds. The test serves as a quick and convenient assay to estimate the carcinogenic potential of a compound.

Question 30

What is a mutagen?

Answer 30

In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that permanently changes genetic material, usually DNA, in an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level.

Question 31

What is a teratogen?

Answer 31

an agent or factor which causes malformation of an embryo