Anesthetic Gas: A Risk for Veterinary Workers

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  California. Department of Public Health
• Description:
  There is increasing evidence that exposure to isoflurane, the anesthetic gas commonly used in veterinary practice, may pose health risks, including nervous or reproductive system harm. A new Workplace Hazard Update, Isoflurane May Harm Veterinary Worker Health (PDF), details how staff are exposed. It also provides guidance for minimizing exposure. A California Department of Public Health investigation found high levels of isoflurane in workers' breathing zones during common veterinary procedures. Staff at veterinary practices were often unaware of the dangers of isoflurane, Cal/OSHA requirements, and ways they can protect themselves from the hazard. Did you know? Cal/OSHA has set a legal limit on the maximum level of isoflurane that can be in the air workers breathe. This Permissible Exposure Limit, or PEL, for isoflurane is 2 parts per million (ppm). CDPH found that many veterinarians, clinic owners, and workers were unaware of this regulation. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Anesthesia Health Personnel Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Veterinarians
• Keywords:
  Anesthetic Gases Breathing Zone Occupational Exposure PELs Permissible Exposure Limits Veterinary Medicine
• Publisher:
  California Department of Public Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Newsletter
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059587
• Citation:
  Occupational Health Watch: June 2019. Richmond, CA: California Department of Public Health, 2019 Jun; :1-2
• Email:
  OHW@cdph.ca.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Isoflurane (CAS RN 266Trifluoromethane (CAS RN 75-46-7))
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• Performing Organization:
  Public Health Institute
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational Health Watch
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:425bcfbc8a4d2903fa3d26461c1c0e82165d54dcc7b177d9a25cbf90c5e9c22e2f5d81a71861f7e03084b698e58b11a29b1fdabade96fda03e02281767b44c23
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223756/cdc_223756_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 80.26 KB ]