Industrywide studies report of an industrial hygiene survey at the Childrens' Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Elliot, Larry J. ; Kercher S ; Morelli-Schroth P ; Mortimer, Vincent D. ; Ringenburg VL
• Description:
  An industrial hygiene survey was conducted at Children's Hospital Medical Center Facility (SIC-8062) in Cincinnati, Ohio, as part of an industrywide study, to evaluate occupational exposure to ethylene- oxide (75218) (EtO) in hospital workers and to evaluate engineering controls. General area sampling and personal breathing zone sampling was conducted in the surgery area and in the respiratory therapy department. Eight hour time weighted average (TWA) EtO exposure test results indicated that two surgery and one respiratory therapy personal samples were below the revised OSHA permissible exposure limit, but above the NIOSH level of less than 0.1 parts per million (ppm). The NIOSH short term recommended standard of 5ppm for a maximum of 10 minutes per workday was not exceeded in four surgery and eight respiratory therapy samples. Findings from nondetectable to 2.61ppm were found in 16 surgery area EtO TWA samples. The authors recommend the following measures to reduce EtO exposure potential at this facility: use of appropriate gloves while changing EtO cylinders and while unloading EtO sterilizers; installation of a double valve connection system to minimize leakage during cylinder change; installation of a local exhaust ventilation hood over the sterilizer safety relief valve and coupling point; waiting 15 minutes to unload the EtO sterilizer; restricting access to sterilizer areas; and periodic retraining of workers in proper procedures. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Content Notes:
  in NTRL, no pdf
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Preceptorship Safety Surface-Active Agents Textile Industry
• Keywords:
  NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Survey; Field-Study; Region-5; Fumigants; Textiles-industry; Surfactants; Oxides; Air-quality-control
• Series:
  Industry Wide Field Studies
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• 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:
  1-48
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00165789
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB87162863
• 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, IWS 152-19, 1986 Jul; :1-48
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ethylene oxide (CAS RN 75-21-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1986
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  8062 - General medical & surgical hospitals - (SIC)
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/233325/cdc_233325_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]