Evaluation of Fire Debris Cleanup Employees’ Exposure to Silica, Asbestos, Metals, and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Report: Evaluation of Fire Debris Cleanup Employees’ Exposure to Silica, Asbestos, Metals, and Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons: HHE 2018-0094-3355
• Personal Author:
  Beaucham, Catherine C. ; Eisenberg, Judith S.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program received requests from construction company managers, representatives of two unions, and a government agency for the state of California concerning exposures to asbestos, heavy metals, respirable crystalline silica, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons during cleanup of structural debris and burn ash after wildfires spread into homes and business. When structures are destroyed by wildfires, hazardous materials may be left behind, which can impact workers cleaning up the area, the public, and the surrounding environment. After a wildfire in 2018, our evaluation of fire debris cleanup included observation of work practices, employee interviews, review of previous exposure assessments during wildfire debris cleanup work, and measurement of airborne exposures to respirable crystalline silica, asbestos, metals, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and skin exposure to metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Many of the fire debris cleanup employees we evaluated were exposed to respirable crystalline silica. Two skid steer operators were exposed to concentrations above the ACGIH threshold limit value and the OSHA action level. Employees exposures to airborne asbestos, metals, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons were well below exposure limits. Employees' hands had detectable amounts of metals on them
  
  most of the skin wipes had nondetectable amounts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons. We observed inconsistent use of personal protective equipment. We also observed instances where dust suppression with water was not used. Although noise level measurement was not included in our assessment, noise from construction equipment could expose operators and laborers to noise levels above the NIOSH recommended exposure limit. To address the silica overexposures, we recommended consistently using water spray to reduce dust, developing a silica medical surveillance program, and educating employees on silica and silicosis. We recommended the construction companies ensure consistent and proper wear of personal protective equipment. Additional recommendations included (1) evaluating employees' noise exposures
  
  (2) adding handwashing facilities
  
  (3) requiring employees to wash their hands before eating, drinking, or smoking
  
  and (4) discontinuing use of latex gloves.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Dust Ear Fires Inorganic Chemicals Metals Metals, Heavy Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Sense Organs Silicon Dioxide Wildfires

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• Keywords:
  Asbestos Dust Asbestos Fibers Author Keywords: Administration Of Air And Water Resource And Solid Waste Management Programs Disaster Clean-up Dust Suppression Heavy Metals Noise Exposure OSHA Region 9 PAC PAH Personal Protective Equipment Polyaromatic Compounds Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PPE RCS Respirable Dust Silica Silica Dusts Surveillance Programs Wildfire Debris Work Practices

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• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2018-0094-3355, 2019 Aug ; :1-54
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201800943355
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• 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:
  54 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Tyrawski, Jennifer ; Booher, Donald ; Gomez, Pita ; Eastlake, Adrienne ; Moore, Kevin
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057066
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-101383
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2019]. Evaluation of fire debris cleanup employees’ exposure to silica, asbestos, metals, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. By Beaucham C, Eisenberg J. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2018-0094-3355. https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201800943355
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4) ; Crystalline silica, quartz (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Editor(s):
  Hamilton, Cheryl
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  924110 - Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c0a3d002f493ba30295e025d6fe603f65d2b92464afab25263fe926b85adf27c16653c42dffd0921bbecf0d322062aacaf43887d5c07dc5b10defb5663fc77ac
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/82199/cdc_82199_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 982.44 KB ]