nanotechnology work health & safety program
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Nanotechnology Work Health & Safety
Food & Grocery Nanotechnology Forum26 February 2013
Howard Morris (Safe Work Australia)
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COAG SELECT COUNCIL ON WORKPLACE RELATIONS
SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA
ComcareACT WorkCoverWorkCover Authority of NSWWorkSafe - NTWorkplace Health & Safety QldSafeWork SAWorkplace Standards TasmaniaWorkSafe Victoria WorkSafe Western Australia
Workers
ACTU
Employers
ACCI, AIG
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Nanotechnology Work Health & Safety Program
• Managed by Safe Work Australia agency– funding under National Enabling Technologies Strategy
Focus areas• Nanotechnologies & WHS regulatory framework• Hazardous properties of manufactured nanomaterials• Effectiveness of workplace controls • Emissions and exposure measurement• Information for nanotechnology organisations• Participating in international initiatives & maintaining
consistency with international approaches
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Applying the Work Health and Safety Regulatory Framework to Nanotechnologies
• Obligations under work health and safety legislation need to be met for nanomaterials and nanotechnologies
• Where understanding of nanomaterial hazards is limited– use precautionary approach to eliminate or minimise
workplace exposures to manufactured nanomaterials• Model Codes of Practice for SDS & Workplace Labelling
– Recommend SDS/label should be provided for engineered or manufactured nanomaterials unless evidence they are not hazardous
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Precautionary ApproachApproach 1• By considering what would be a reasonable worst case, determine
how severe the hazard could be• Choose controls that are appropriate for that hazard severity
Approach 2• Assume nanomaterials are highly hazardous• Implement high level engineering controls – enclosure or isolation
Approach 3• Identify controls used for the same/similar process with larger
particles• Use more stringent controls for nanomaterials
– e.g. if general ventilation is used for larger particles, use LEV for nanomaterials
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Health Hazards of Nanomaterials Requirement under WHS Regulations to classify
according to the GHS• Considerable knowledge on health impacts of fine &
ultrafine particulate air pollution• Main concern for workplace is inhalation exposure• Range of hazard severities: low to high• Nanoparticles generally more toxic than larger particles of
same material
• Carbon nanotubes: NICNAS recommended classification as hazardous chemical– GHS, Suspected Carcinogen (Category 2)
Engineered Nanomaterials: A review of the toxicology & health hazards (R. Drew, Toxikos 2009)
Human health hazard assessment and classification of carbon nanotubes (NICNAS, 2012)
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Safety Hazards of Nanomaterials
• Potential safety risk e.g. fire & explosion• Likelihood of ignition is dependent on particle type• Potential to form explosive dust clouds?
– air concentrations of nanomaterials required for explosion much higher than due to fugitive emissions from well-controlled nanotechnology processes
– however, if production is not designed and/or controlled effectively, in processes or in handling there is potential for air concentrations in localised area to be high enough to result in explosion if ignited
Evaluation of potential safety (physicochemical) hazards associated with the use of engineered nanomaterials (Draft Report, Toxikos 2012)
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Workplace Controls for Nanomaterials • Potential exposure is material &
application dependent– highest when handling free
particles– lower if working with articles
containing embedded nanomaterials
• Control of exposure– apply the hierarchy of control– conventional engineering
controls can effectively reduce exposures
• if designed & maintained appropriately
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Effectiveness of Process Enclosure & LEV
Number of CNTs/cm3
Before process enclosure
After process enclosure
Personal 193.6 0.018
Area 172.9 0.05
Process enclosureBlending with carbon nanotubes for composites.
(Han et al, Inhalation Toxicology, 2008)
Process 2 - C
0.00E+00
1.00E+04
2.00E+04
3.00E+04
4.00E+04
5.00E+04
6.00E+04
7.00E+04
11:0
2
11:1
6
11:3
1
11:4
5
12:0
0
12:1
4
12:2
8
12:4
3
12:5
7
13:1
2
Time
Part
icle
Num
ber C
once
ntra
tion
(p c
m-3
)
CPC3781 background CPC3781 at source
release artificial smoke
extrusion machine started - polyurethane additive only clay
added to hopper
opened extruder plate
local extractionventilationturned on
extraction turned off
extraction turned back on
extrusion stopped
LEV EffectivenessFrom McGarry et al (QUT/WHSQ 2012)
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Control of Safety Hazards• Same principles that apply to management of fine powders, dusts &
dusty materials should be considered
– Avoid dust becoming airborne
– Handling combustible nanopowders in liquid form when possible
– Design of machinery to prevent ignitions and sparks
• control operating temperature of electrical equipment
– Use of controlled-atmosphere production and storage processes
• risk of asphyxiation
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Measurement of Nanoparticle Emissions
Research set-up for measurement of nanoparticle emissions
(P.McGarry et al, QUT/WHSQ, 2012)
Combination of P-Trak, DustTrak & OPC sufficient for workplace investigations
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Exposure Standards & LimitsType of Standard/Limit
Substance Size of material Exposure Standard/Limit8 or 10 hour TWA, mg/m33
Australian WES Graphite (all forms except fibres)
Respirable 3 (respirable)
Australian WES Carbon black Nanomaterial 3 (inhalable)
US NIOSHProposed REL
Carbon nanofibres, including CNTs
Nanomaterial 0.007
Japan AISTProposed EL
Fullerenes Nanomaterial 0.39
Australian WES Crystalline silica Respirable 0.1 (respirable)
Australian WES Amorphous silica Inhalable 10 (inhalable)
Australian WES Fumed silica Nanomaterial 2 (respirable)
US NIOSH REL TiO2 Nanomaterial 0.3
US NIOSH REL TiO2 Fine size fraction 2.4
Australian WES TiO2 Inhalable 10 (inhalable)
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Published Research Reports
Plus• Durability of carbon nanotubes and their potential to cause inflammation• Nanoparticles from printer emissions in workplace environments• Health effects of laser printer emissions measured as particles• Human health hazard assessment and classification of carbon nanotubeswww.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
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Summary
• Obligations under Work Health and Safety legislation need to be met for nanomaterials and nanotechnologies
• Limited but growing amount of information on hazards of nanomaterials
• Conventional controls can be used to minimise exposure– take precautionary approach in choosing controls
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