Health Hazard Evaluation Determination Report No. HE 80-4-706: Small Animal Surgery Department, Auburn University: Auburn, Alabama

Details

• Personal Author:
  Patnode, Richard H.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  An environmental survey was conducted on December 3 and 4, 1979 at the Small Animal Surgery Department of Auburn University (SIC-8922) in Auburn, Alabama. The department head and the campus safety engineer requested the evaluation to determine health hazards from exposure to anesthetic gases. Area and personal breathing zone samples were collected to measure concentrations of nitrous-oxide (10024972), methoxyflurane (76380), and halothane (151677). Personal breathing zone samples in the client surgery area indicated exposure concentrations of 2.56 parts per million (ppm) methoxyflurane and 0.133ppm halothane. In the student surgery laboratory area and personal breathing zone concentrations of methoxylflurane were 1.36 ppm and 2.12ppm, respectively. In the client surgery area nitrous-oxide exposure exceeded 150ppm for surgeons and ranged from 30 ppm to 80ppm for other personnel. The recommended exposure standard is 2ppm for halogenated anesthetic agents and 25ppm for nitrous-oxides. The authors conclude that an exposure hazard existed to the anesthetic gases. They recommend that scavenging equipment be employed, low leakage work techniques be taught, preventive maintenance practices be used, and leak testing be conducted regularly. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Halothane Hazardous Substances Maintenance Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety Solvents Workplace
• Keywords:
  Air-contaminants Anesthetic Gases Halogenated Anesthetic Agents Hazard-Confirmed Health-hazards HHE-80-4-706 Inhalation Methoxyflurane NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation Nitrous Oxide Operating-conditions OSHA Region 4 Toxic-effects Vapors Work-environment

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE804706
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; Auburn (AL) ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  17 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Gorman, Richard W. ; Pryor, Paul D. ; Whitlock, Monica
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00098070
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB81-101636
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 80-4-706, 1980 Jun ; :1-17
• CAS Registry Number:
  Nitrous oxide (CAS RN 10024-97-2) ; Methoxyflurane (CAS RN 76-38-0) ; Halothane (CAS RN 151-67-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1980
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  8922 - Noncommercial Research Organizations - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6b652bbd2e9baf0d928a884d6c2ad2f5d6734d819ada89075cc25ec57114b4ef68c38433cf0f7f1ba2706b8cb68caf7c74ea926848d230f17155890450c4d3b6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/173688/cdc_173688_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.52 MB ]