An Exploratory Assessment of Applying Risk Management Practices to Engineered Nanomaterials

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cioffi DL ; Guseva Canu I ; Iavicoli I ; Leso V ; Piacci M ; Schulte, Paul A.
• Description:
  The widespread industrial application of nanotechnology has increased the number of workers exposed to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), but it is not clear to what extent prevention guidance is practiced. Our aim was to explore the extent that companies manufacturing and/or using ENMs apply risk assessment and management measures. Thirty-four companies were surveyed with an international 35-item questionnaire investigating company and workforce features, types of ENM handled, and risk evaluation and preventive measures adopted. Among participating companies, 62% had a maximum of 10 employees. Metal-based nanomaterials were most frequently identified (73%). Environmental monitoring was performed by 41% of the companies, while engineering exposure controls were approximately reported by 50%. Information and training programs were indicated by 85% of the sample, only 9% performed specific health surveillance for ENM workers. Personal protective equipment primarily included gloves (100%) and eye/face protection (94%). This small-scale assessment can contribute to the limited amount of published literature on the topic. Future investigations should include a greater number of companies to better represent ENM workplaces and a direct access to industrial settings to collect information on site. Finally, deeper attention should be paid to define standardized frameworks for ENM risk assessment that may guide nano-specific preventive actions. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Eye
  • Metals
  • Occupational Health
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Protective Clothing
  • Respiratory Protective Devices
  • Risk Assessment
  More +
• Keywords:
  • Nanomaterials
  • Nanotechnology
  • Workers
  • Exposure levels
  • Risk factors
  • Risk assessment
  • Questionnaires
  • Statistical analysis
  • Metals
  • Environmental monitoring
  More +
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSI - Division of Science Integration
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  16
• Issue:
  18
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057298
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019 Sep; 16(18):3290
• Contact Point Address:
  Ivo Iavicoli, Department of Public Health, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
• Email:
  ivo.iavicoli@unina.it
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214693/cdc_214693_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 940.26 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1065bed41cfd1b48fbf998460bbbed31fe5c1994d12f6178f3905101ec54d322548c623240a6a3fc54b8aa634a6d112b9122cb3b76176a152d9dfcc9f271c114