Nanotechnology Work Health & Safety

Food & Grocery Nanotechnology Forum26 February 2013

Howard Morris (Safe Work Australia)

1

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

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

6

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)

7

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)

8

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

9

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)

10

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

11

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

12

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)

13

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

14

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