Engineering
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Common safety and health topics:
Potential Hazard
Employee exposure to the legionella organism and Legionnaires' Disease from breathing
aerosolized water that contains the legion Ella bacteria.
- Hazard of breathing contaminated, aerosolized water while working in areas where:
- Cooling towers, humidifiers and/or air conditioning systems or domestic hot water systems are used.
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Spray nozzles are used: kitchens, janitorial closets, and showers.
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Can cause a mild respiratory illness (that may not require treatment) or severe pneumonia like symptoms 2 to 10 days after exposure.
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If not detected and treated promptly with appropriate antibiotics, it can lead to death.
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Fatality rate is approximately 15%.
Possible Solutions
For additional information, see Healthcare Wide Hazards - Legionnaires' Disease.
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Potential Hazard
Employee exposure to hazardous chemicals from cleaning and maintenance
work. Including exposure to paints, adhesives, pesticides,
solvents used in maintenance shops, waste anesthetic gases and ethylene
oxide if repairing ventilation or exhaust systems that are used to remove
these gases.
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The Hazard Communication Standard is based on the concept that:
Employees have both a need and a right to know the hazards and the identities of the chemicals they are exposed to when
working, and what protective measures are available or needed to prevent adverse effects from occurring.
Possible Solutions
Implement a written program which meets the requirements of the
Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to provide for worker training, warning labels, and access to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
The Hazard Communication Standard ensures employee awareness of the hazardous chemicals they are exposed to in the
workplace.
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All hazardous chemicals such as those found in some soaps, disinfectants, pesticides, must be clearly labeled as hazardous
[29
CFR 1910.1200(f)].
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Provide PPE (e.g., gloves, goggles, splash aprons) as appropriate when handling hazardous cleaning agents and chemicals
[29
CFR 1910.132(a)].
Other Recommended Good Work Practices:
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Employers need to be aware that paints, adhesives, solvents, and cleaners may give off toxic vapors, and special
ventilation and air monitoring practices may be needed.
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Never mix ammonia and chlorine in a cleaning solution and never pour both down a drain
together. When mixed, these chemical form a deadly gas.
For additional information, see Healthcare Wide Hazards -
Hazardous Chemicals.
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Potential Hazard
Potential fire hazards for employees in engineering:
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Heat-producing equipment.
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Storage of flammable chemicals.
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Faulty electrical wiring.
Possible Solutions
For additional information, see Healthcare Wide Hazards -
Fire.
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Potential Hazard
Maintenance employees can be exposed to possible amputations, and strangulations while performing maintenance to machines, if no machine
guarding measures are utilized.
Possible Solutions
According to OSHA Machine Guarding Standard, machine guarding must be provided to protect employees from hazards
[29
CFR 1910.212]:
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Machine guarding can be accomplished through the positioning of hazards so they are inaccessible to employees (i.e. provide barrier guards
over dangerous equipment to prevent hazards of strangulation or amputations).
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Other methods of machine guarding include:
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Two-handed tripping devices.
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Electronic safety devices.
Additional Information:
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Potential Hazard
Employee injuries occurring during servicing or maintenance of machines or equipment from the unexpected release of
hazardous energy.
Possible Solutions
OSHA Lockout/Tagout Standard identifies procedures necessary to shut down, isolate, and lock
out or tag out machines and equipment to prevent possible injury [29
CFR 1910.147].
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Before service or maintenance is performed on machines or equipment, the machines or equipment must be turned off and disconnected
from the energy source, and the energy-isolating device must be locked out or tagged out appropriately. In addition, any stored energy must be relieved or otherwise effectively
controlled.
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Service or maintenance tasks that expose workers to the unexpected release of hazardous energy are covered under this
standard.
Additional Information:
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Asbestos is a widely used, mineral-based material that is resistant to heat
and corrosive chemicals. Typically, asbestos appears as a whitish, fibrous material which may release fibers that range in
texture from coarse to silky. However, airborne fibers, that can cause health damage, may be too small to see with the naked eye.
Inhaling these airborne asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis (scarring of the lungs resulting in loss of lung function
that often progresses to disability and to death); mesothelioma (cancer affecting the membranes lining of the lungs and abdomen); lung
cancer and cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum.
Potential Hazard
Maintenance workers and engineers can
be unknowingly exposed to asbestos from many possible areas and
sources. Engineers can be exposed while working in furnace
rooms where boilers are insulated with asbestos, or when
making repairs to old piping or doing minor renovations. Significant
asbestos exposures can occur when insulation in old buildings
is removed during renovations. Asbestos exposure is often
associated with areas or items that might not be expected to
contain asbestos. Maintenance personnel may be unaware and
untrained to handle these hazards.
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Asbestos is commonly found in old buildings,
built in the 1940's and 1950's, and
can be found in many items such as:
- HVAC Duct Insulation
- boiler insulation
- pipe insulation
- cooling towers
- floor tile/ceiling tile
- electrical wiring insulation
- wall board or spackling compounds
Possible Solutions
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Follow the requirements of the Asbestos Standard for
General Industry [29
CFR 1910.1001]
including:
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Follow permissible exposure limits (PELs) and include provisions for engineering controls,
respirators, protective clothing, exposure monitoring,
hygiene facilities and practices, warning signs,
labeling, record keeping, and medical exams.
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Workplace exposure is limited to 0.1 fibers per
cubic centimeter of air (0.1 f/cc), averaged over an
eight-hour work shift. The excursion or short-term
limit is one fiber per cubic centimeter of air (1
f/cc) averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes.
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Whenever asbestos fibers are exposed, they present a
hazard and should be removed or encapsulated so that
they will not be released. Asbestos should only be
removed by fully trained personnel using methods and
PPE covered in 1910.1001.
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Significant Changes in the Asbestos Standard for
General Industry, 1910.1001 (through June 29, 1995) including:
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The PEL was reduced from 0.2 fibers/cc to 0.1
fibers/cc from 0.2 fibers/cc as a TWA. The
Excursion Limit remains 1.0 fibers/cc averaged
over 30 minutes.
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Asphalt and vinyl flooring material installed
before 1980 also must be treated as
asbestos-containing.
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Installed thermal system insulation and
sprayed-on and troweled-on surfacing materials
found in buildings constructed no later than 1980
are presumed to be asbestos-containing materials
(greater than 1% asbestos).
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Sanding of asbestos-containing flooring material
is prohibited.
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Building and facility owners must determine the
presence, location, and quantity of
asbestos-containing material (ACM) and presumed
asbestos-containing material (PACM) and keep
records of ACM/PACM.
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Building and facility owners must inform other
employers, and their own employees who will
perform housekeeping activities, of the presence
and location of such materials.
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Employers must post signs at entrances to
mechanical rooms/areas that contain ACM/PACM and
that employees may enter.
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Employers must provide an asbestos awareness
training course to employees who will perform
housekeeping activities in an area containing ACM
or PACM.
EPA regulations
(40
CFR, Protection of Environment). The Toxic
Substances Control Act
(TSCA) asbestos regulations are found in
40 CFR 763,
Asbestos.
Additional Information:
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Potential Hazard
Possible electric shock and contact with electrical hazards from:
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Maintenance equipment and machinery.
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Using damaged receptacles and connectors.
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Ungrounded electrical service near sources of water.
Possible Solutions
Comply with OSHA Standard
29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, Electrical, General.
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Potential Hazard
Exposure to mercury from accidental spills that can occur during repair of broken thermometers,
Possible Solutions
Safety and health program that provides for prompt, safe, clean-up of spills by
workers trained in proper procedures.
- Prevent the spill in the first place by replacing outdated glass thermometers, and sphygmomanometers.
For additional information, see Healthcare Wide Hazards -
Mercury.
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Potential Hazard
Maintenance employee exposure to welding hazards and fumes as they are repairing items. Welding fumes contain particulate matter
and gases and may be a health concern for workers especially if welding is taking place in confined spaces, also potential for flash
burns to skin and eyes.
There are numerous health hazards associated
with exposure to fumes, gases and ionizing radiation formed or released
during welding, cutting and brazing, including heavy metal poisoning,
lung cancer, metal fume fever, flash burns, and others. These risks vary
depending upon the type of welding materials and welding surfaces.
Possible Solutions
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Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Welding, Brazing, and
Thermal Cutting.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 88-110, (1988, April). Recommends, reducing exposures to
all welding emissions to the lowest feasible concentrations using state-of-the-art engineering controls, and work practices
(e.g., use local exhaust ventilation units to remove fumes).
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![Local Exhaust Ventilation unit removing fumes Local Exhaust Ventilation unit removing fumes](images/photo1.gif)
Local Exhaust Ventilation unit removing fumes.
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![Local Exhaust Ventilation Unit Local Exhaust Ventilation Unit](images/fig3.gif)
Local Exhaust Ventilation Unit. |
Additional Information:
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