management of hazardous materials and waste - review
TRANSCRIPT
Chemical Hazards Communication (HAZCOM)
orRight To Know
This is a law about chemical information being available to
employees from the manufacturers.
Hazard CommunicationRight to Know Law
Chemical Safety
• Material Safety Data Sheets
• All containers must be labeled
• Proper storage and handling
• Know specific health hazards
This Law gives YOU RIGHTS TO KNOW what?
What hazardous chemicals are in your workplace
What the associated hazards are
What Personal Protective Equipment is required
What to do in an emergency
EXAMPLES OFHAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN
HEALTHCARE
• Solvents
• Paint Thinners
• Pesticides
• Boiler Chemicals
• Glutaraldehyde
• Lead
• Formalin
• Chemotherapy Drugs
Hazardous Materials That Are Present Within Maine Medical Center
• Asbestos ( Most in Richards Building)• Lead (Maine General Building, 1929&1956)• Ethylene Oxide (ETO) (Central Sterile
Dept.)• Liquid Nitrogen (Clinics, Blood Bank)• Oxygen (Hospital)• Silica (Hospital)
Silica Dust
• Is a known Carcinogen
• Causes Silicosis (scaring of lung tissue)
• Reduces the ability to get oxygen from the air
• Silica exposures may come from brick, block, concrete or sand dust
Dust Generation in a Construction Area
• Area must be under negative pressure
• Before cutting, grinding, jack hammering of concrete, bricks or blocks contact project manager.
• Utilize proper engineering and work practice controls (example wet methods for cutting)
Exposure to chemicals can occur by the following routes:
- Ingestion (eating)
- Inhalation ( breathing)
- Absorption (soaking)
- or Injection (such as a needle stick)
If You Feel That You Have Had a Chemical Exposure
1. Follow Maine Medical Center’s Indoor Air Quality Policy
2. Communicate Concerns to Supervisor/Manager
3. Supervisor/Manager Determines Urgency:
- Emergent - Urgent- Non Urgent- Preventive
Supervisor/Manager may need to:
1. Call a Code Orange2. Evacuate Area 3. Ask you to make an
Appointment with Employee Health Services
4. Contact Safety Dept.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
To use on the job, PPE:• Must be correct for the job and
protection needed• Must fit you comfortably• Must be available for your use• Must be supplied by MMC with
training on how to use
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Examples
• Eye - glasses or goggles
• Face - face shield• Skin - protective clothing• Hands - special gloves• Feet - special footwear• Breathing - respirators• Hearing - earplugs
or earmuffs
Respirator Program
• You may need a respirator if you work with patients who might have an airborne illness, an example would be TB, SARS or if you work with hazardous chemicals.
• The Safety Office trains instructors who then offer respirator instruction and fit testing on several types of respirators to their department.
Respirator Program Requirements
• All staff must be medically cleared by EHS prior to respirator usage
• Attend respirator training
• If using N95, must pass “fit” testing
• Periodic health screening for respirator
• Attend mandatory annual fit testing class in their department, or through Safety
THE BEST SOURCES OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION FOR MMC WORKERS
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the Intranet
• Container Labels• MMC Pharmacist • Northern New England
Poison Control Center(1-800-222-1222)
NFPA WARNING LABELS are used at MMC; colors and numbers define hazard
• FLAMMABLITYREACTIVITYREACTIVITY
• HEALTH• SECIFIC HAZARD (example
= do not mix with water)
• 0=no hazard• 1=low hazard• 2=moderate hazard• 3=high hazard• 4=extreme hazard
HAND WRITTENLABELS
On secondary containers, hand written labels need to be permanent,
accurate and complete
What Is Hazardous Waste?• It Is:
– A useless, unwanted, or discarded hazardous substance or material
– whether or not such substance has any other or future use
– includes spilled, leaked, pumped, poured, emitted, disposed, emptied, or dumped onto the land or into the water or ambient air
– Questions about proper disposal? Contact the Safety Office 662-2513
We Recycle! i.e. Paper and Universal Waste
• Paper: blue, green, purple, newspaper if it’s paper we recycle it
• Computers / Electronics• Fluorescent Light Bulbs • Batteries ( NiCad,
Lithium, Rechargeable)• Alkaline Batteries go in
regular trash
CYLINDER SAFETY• Cylinders must be:
Restrained…Chained, Strapped or Racked
• Do Not Leave a Oxygen Bottle on a Stretcher
No more than (12) O2 cylinders in approved storage area
Potential Hazards:• Explosion• Projectile• Chemical Content• Weight of Cylinder