Spirometry, the most common type of pulmonary function test (PFT), is used to evaluate worker respiratory health in medical surveillance programs and to screen workers for their ability to perform certain tasks. Spirometry results can play a central role in decisions about worker job assignments and personal protective equipment, and in the assessment of exposure-related health effects. OSHA standards for asbestos, cadmium, coke oven emissions, and cotton dust require spirometry testing as part of medical surveillance (see 29 CFR 1910.1001, 1910.1027, 1910.1029, and 1910.1043). OSHA standards...

Asbestos is the generic term for a group of naturally occurring, fibrous minerals with high tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat, chemicals, and electricity. In the construction industry, asbestos is found in installed products such as sprayed-on fireproofing, pipe insulation, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts and shingles, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, drywall joint compounds, and acoustical products. Because very few asbestos containing products are being installed today, most worker exposures occur during the removal of asbestos and the renovation...

In a final rule on Assigned Protection Factors (APFs), OSHA revised its existing Respiratory Protection standard to add definitions and requirements for APFs and Maximum Use Concentrations (MUCs). (See 63 FR 1152; 29 CFR 1910.134; 71 FR 50122, August 24, 2006.) This guidance document focuses on the mandatory selection provisions of the APFs, MUCs, and their role in the overall Respiratory Protection standard. The provisions can only be used when respirators are properly selected and used in compliance with the full Respiratory Protection standard. The final Respiratory Protection standard (29...

Healthcare workers risk occupational exposures to chemical, biological, or radiological materials when a hospital receives contaminated patients, particularly during mass casualty incidents. These hospital employees, who may be termed first receivers, work at a site remote from the location where the hazardous substance release occurred. This means that their exposures are limited to the substances transported to the hospital on victims' skin, hair, clothing, or personal effects. The location and limited source of the contaminant distinguishes first receivers from other first responders...

In 2005, OSHA published the Best Practices for Hospital-Based First Receivers guide that provided guidance for those healthcare facilities that receive and treat victims of hazardous substance releases. At the request of stakeholders that participated in the development of that guide, OSHA has developed a similar guide for emergency medical service (EMS) responders who provide medical assistance during an incident involving a hazardous substance release. This guide is intended for employers of EMS responders and discusses the measures these employers need to take to protect their EMS...

The mission of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of America's workers. As part of the Department of Labor, OSHA promotes worker safety and health in every workplace in the United States. OSHA'S bloodborne pathogens standard protects employees who work in occupations where they are at risk of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. OSHA's hazard communication standard protects employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals. Both standards require employers to develop written documents to...

This guidance document addresses the control of employee exposures to respirable dust containing crystalline silica, which is known to cause silicosis, a serious lung disease, as well as increase the risk of lung cancer and other systemic diseases. This document provides information on the effectiveness of various engineering control approaches for several kinds of construction operations and equipment, and contains recommendations for work practices and respiratory protection, as appropriate. Quartz is the most common form of crystalline silica. In fact, it is the second most common surface...

Falls cause more deaths in construction than any other hazard. In 2011, falls accounted for over a third of the 721 total construction deaths. Workers performing tasks 6 feet or more above lower levels are at risk of fatal falls or serious injuries. This training guide will help you plan how to prevent injuries and fatalities from falls among your crew, and provide training to your workers. It includes the following tools: Instructions for using the Toolbox Talks to train workers in fall prevention; A series of Toolbox Talks about various fall prevention topics. Preventing falls can mean the...

The purpose of this manual is to increase the safety of building occupants and emergency responders by streamlining fire service interaction with building features and fire protection systems. The information in this manual will assist designers of buildings and fire protection systems to better understand the needs of the fire service when they are called upon to operate in or near the built environment. To put this another way, architects and engineers create workplaces for firefighters. Designs can be tailored to better meet operational needs, thereby reducing the time it takes to mitigate...

Every year, a number of emergency responders are injured, and sometimes killed, during emergency operations in facilities where combustible dusts exist. In some cases, responders have inadequate information or training on the explosible characteristics of combustible dust and/or the conditions present in the facility, which has increased the challenge of handling incidents safely and effectively. When there is a delay or setback during an incident, the risk of injury rises for facility workers as well as for emergency responders. Everyone is safer when facility and emergency personnel share...