Preliminary evaluation of the draft NIOSH occupational exposure banding protocol

Details

• Personal Author:
  Gilbert S ; McKernan L ; Seaton M ; Whittaker C
• Description:
  NIOSH recognizes that chemicals are being introduced at a rate that significantly outpaces occupational exposure limit (OEL) development. While NIOSH develops new OELs and updates existing OELs, guidance is needed for the thousands of chemicals that lack exposure limits. To that end, NIOSH is developing an occupational exposure banding (OEB) protocol to address the myriad unregulated chemicals in commerce. The protocol would sort chemicals into five air concentration bands based on toxicity. Chemicals with the lowest toxicity would be grouped in band A, while band E would include the most toxic chemicals. The proposed protocol uses a three-tiered evaluation system and gathers available toxicological data from preselected sources to assign the appropriate band or range of chemical concentrations. Important questions include the reliability of the protocol over a variety of chemical types and families and the reproducibility of the system across users. In a pilot testing of the draft OEB protocol, the concentration range corresponding to each band was compared with published OELs for 47 chemicals banded in Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the protocol. For 46 of the chemicals, the resulting bands were as or more protective than the published OEL. Only one chemical received a band less protective that the OEL. Preliminary comparisons of novel user experiences with the banding protocol indicated some inconsistencies in application of the protocol across users. Further analysis indicated that one of the primary reasons for the inconsistencies was the user not following the instructions. NIOSH staff are working to simplify and clarify the instructions to ameliorate that issue. [The findings and conclusions in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.] [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution Chemistry Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Toxicology
• Keywords:
  Air Analysis Air Quality Air Samples Chemical Agents Chemical Analysis Control Banding Data Processing Exposure Limits Guidelines Hazard Communication Hazard Recognition Health Protection Occupational Exposure Banding Occupational Exposure Limits OELs Performance Capability Protective Measures Toxic Materials

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Louisiana ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  150
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047674
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2016 Mar; 150(1):273
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 55th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 13-17, 2016, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d57686f36288f50fd9083417549742868865a5437e2acf2264c113d8ac6fed9f93f6628cfebff6ff67577373bf732d1d7ca5790adfca72a11e46d01a222e19bb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/202679/cdc_202679_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 442.01 KB ]