Occ Health Flashcards
What regulatory body/document does not mandate an occupational health program?
AWA
What did the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 develop?
OSHA and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
What is the role of NIOSH?
Research and recommendations for preventing work injuries and diseases. Publish hazard guidelines.
What federal standards govern occupational health and safety.
29 CFR Part 1910
How often are federal OHS programs inspected? What organization provides oversight?
Annually
Office of Federal Agency Programs
What is the priority list for occupational health and safety?
Primary prevention - Control/eliminate hazards
Secondary prevention - Premorbid case detection
Tertiary prevention - Case finding and disease management
Define risk and hazard.
Risk - Measure of a likelihood of a consequence
Hazard - Inherent danger in a material or system
Describe OSHA Forms 300 and 301.
OSHA 300 - Log of work related injuries and illnesses
OSHA 301 - Supplementary record of occ injury or illness. Must be prepared and kept by employers for each OSHA 300 log injury.
Who has ultimate responsibility for providing a healthy and safe work environment?
The senior official of the institution.
Program managers, program implementers, and employees also play a role.
What is the NFPA?
National Fire Protection Association
How are fires classified?
Class A (Wood, paper) - Leaves ash
Class B (Liquids, solvents) - Boils volatile chemicals
Class C (Electrical)
Class D (Mg, Na, K) - Requires dirt/a suppressant to be put out
Define flash point.
Lowest temp at which liquid will produce vapor sufficient to propagate a flame.
Describe flammable vs combustible liquids.
Flammable - Flash point <100F
Combustible - Flash point >100F, <200F
Describe UV-A radiation.
Black light region. 320-400nm
Affects skin pigmentation
From black light and sunlight
Describe UV-B radiation
Erythemal region, 280-320nm
Affects photokeratitis, cataracts, erythema
From sunlight and artificial sources
Describe UV-C radiation.
Germicidal, 100-280nm
Germicidal, from germicidal lamps
What types of solvents does UV radiation react with?
Chlorinated solvents to produce phosgene gas. do not use UV-B or UV-C around these solvents
What UV radiation is window glass effective at blocking?
UV below 320 nm = B and C
Unless light is coming from a very intense source
What organization classifies lasers?
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
What are the classes of lasers?
Class I - No hazardous radiation
Class II - Not enough power to injure accidentally, but can cause injury if viewed for extended periods of time
Class IIIa - Can cause injury if viewed with a viewing device
Class IIIb - Can cause injury if viewed directly. Can cause damage if reflected off mirrors, maybe start fires
Class IV - Can start fires
Define ionizing radiation.
Must have enough energy to remove electrons from atoms to create ions.
What are the two classifications of ionizing radiation?
Particulate and Non-particulate
What are the two types of particulate ionizing radiation?
Alpha particles - 2 Neutrons/2 protons, cannot penetrate skin
Beta - Emitted from radioisotopes, stopped by skin from deep penetration but can damage skin and eyes
What are the two types of non-particulate ionizing radiation?
X-rays - Electron dislocation
Gamma rays - Nuclear decay
How is radiation a hazard?
Inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, and proximetry
What organization controls use of radioisotopes?
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
OSHA covers noise frequencies below what level?
20 kHz
At what decibel reading do exposed employees need to participate in a hearing conservation program?
85 dB
What is the OSHA limit for employee exposure to noise averaged over an 8 hour work shift?
90 dB
What are the four types of chemical hazards?
Flammability, corrosiveness, reactivity, explosivity
What is the mechanism of allergic response?
Immediate hypersensitivity is IgE mediated, causes release of histamines.
In birds, mediated by IgG. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in pigeon serum and droppings with a reaction several hours after repeated exposure to allergens.
What percentage humidity helps limit airborne allergens?
54-77%
Define TWA and STEL.
TWA - Time weighted average. For example, 0.75ppm for formaldehyde
STEL - Short-term exposure level. Formaldehyde is 2.0ppm
Which businesses do not require a OSHA 300 log?
Those with fewer than 10 employees
Describe the aspects of a danger diamond.
Blue, left = Health hazard
Red, top = Fire hazard
Yellow, right = Reactivity
White, bottom = Specific hazard
Higher number is more dangerous
