Workplace Safety

Question 1

Exposure limit usually one half of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) legal limit for a regulated substance. This level is established to ensure adequate protection of employees at exposures below the OSHA limits, but to minimize the compliance burdens for employers whose employees have exposures below the 8-hour permissible exposure limit (PEL). The AL for formaldehyde is 0.5 ppm.

Answer 1

Action level (AL)

Question 2

Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) regulation concerning exposure of employees to blood and other body fluids.

Answer 2

Bloodborne Pathogen Rule

Question 3

Disinfection practices carried out during the embalming process.

Answer 3

Concurrent disinfection

Question 4

Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulation limiting the amount of occupational exposure to formaldehyde gas.

Answer 4

Formaldehyde rule

Question 5

Form that must accompany a hazardous product. Requirements of the Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration under the Hazard Communication Standard.

Answer 5

Material Safety Data Sheet/Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS)

Question 6

A governmental agency with the responsibility for regulation and enforcement of safety and health matters for most U.S. employees. An individual state OSHA agency may supersede the U.S. Department of Labor OSHA regulations.

Answer 6

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Question 7

Maximum legal limit established by the OSHA for a regulated substance. These are based on employee exposure and are time-weighted over an 8-hour work shift. When these limits are exceeded, employers must take proper steps to reduce employee exposure. For formaldehyde, it is 0.75 ppm.

Answer 7

Permissible exposure limit (PEL)

Question 8

Disinfection carried out before the embalming process.

Answer 8

Primary disinfection

Question 9

Legal limits established by OSHA to which workers can be exposed continuously for a short period without damage or injury. Exposures should not be no longer than 15 minutes and not repeated more than four times per workday.

Answer 9

Short-term exposure limit (STEL)

Question 10

Institution of disinfection and decontamination measures after preparation of the remains.

Answer 10

Terminal disinfection

Question 11

Exposure that is time-weighted over an established period. It allows the exposure levels to be averaged generally over an 8-hour period.

Answer 11

Time-weighted average (TWA)

Question 12

An approach to infection control in which all human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if they are contaminated with HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and other bloodborne pathogens.

Answer 12

Universal Precautions