Keeping Workers Safe During Oil Spill Response and Cleanup Operations
Oil Spill
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OSHA is participating in the Gulf Coast cleanup to assure that workers have safety and health training and protection necessary to avoid injuries and illnesses. Between 15 and 20 OSHA Compliance officers are in the field everyday monitoring worker safety and health. OSHA has been at all 17 staging areas and many more actual worksites.

OSHA staff is conducting interventions and are collecting information on employers, workers, and the work performed. They are evaluating operations for potential hazards, the personal protective equipment being used and training being provided workers. If concerns are identified they are documented and addressed.

OSHA industrial hygienists are monitoring worker exposure and looking for health effects from chemical exposure to oil, weathered oil, oil dispersants, cleaning agents and other materials as identified. When evaluating worker exposure, direct reading instruments and shift-long sampling is performed in the actual breathing zone of workers.

OSHA has also sampled areas that are periodically frequented by workers but the samples are not taken from the breathing zone of workers.

Finally, OSHA has sampled directly over tar balls, inside bags containing contaminated materials, and other locations that do not represent worker exposure but provide information on the types of chemicals that may be coming off contaminated materials.

OSHA has also used instrumentation capable of evaluating physical hazards such as noise and heat stress.

Locations and Data will continue to be added to this web page as they become available.

Site Name: Chico Bayou, Pensacola, FL Survey Dates: 06/29/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
6/29/2010 40810 Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Employee hand wipped speed boom 0800-0900 then took break from 0900-0930. Employees pressured clean contaminated equipment from 1000-1030. Operations stoppped due to lightning/rain Personal 3:01 77.3 69.6   65.4
6/29/2010 40823 Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Employee hand wipped speed boom 0800-0900 then took break from 0900-0930. Employees pressured clean contaminated equipment from 1000-1030. Operations stoppped due to lightning/rain Personal 2:49 79.2 71.6   65.8

Site Name: Dauphin Island Beach, AL Survey Dates: 06/18/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
06/18/10 38901 Boat Opns, Emplyee on 20 ft Hanko Responder boat w/opn concol w/2 model F115TSR 115HP Yamaha engines cruising coast checking booms at 6,00 RPM and Approx. 42 MPH 110-127.9dBA Personal 4:41 86.2 85 86.2 83.9
06/18/10 38929 Boat Operators USES Mobile, AL Personal 6:57 85.4 84.4 83.6 82.5
06/18/10 38940 Boat Opns, Employees operating in 20 ft Hanko responder boat (open) w/2 model F115TXR 115 HP yamaha engines. Checking on booms along Dauphin Island, AL coast at 6,000 RPM ~42 MPH ~110-127.9 dBA. Less than 80 dBA at idle Personal 6:43 102.9 101.6 101.6

Site Name: Fort Jackson Bird Rehab Center, LA Survey Dates: 06/15/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
06/15/10 12610 Carpenter Employees were using various portable power tools to build cages for birds Personal 3:01 82.9 79.6 79.4 76.1
06/15/10 12634 Carpenter Employees were using various portable power tools to build cages for birds. Personal 3:03 73.4 70 70.7 67.4

Site Name: Grand Isle Near Shore Decon Survey Dates: 06/18/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
6/25/2010 14099 Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Conducted air monitoring and noise dosimetry on employees performing gross decon of vessels. A crew of 10 cleaned 14 boats. They used high pressure water guns. Water was pumped from the ocean, heat to aproximately 260 degrees F, and sprayed on the oiled vessels. Personal 5:17   89.2 86.2 88.1 85.1
6/25/2010 14113 Hazardous Materials Removal Workers Conducted air monitoring and noise dosimetry on employees performing gross decon of vessels. A crew of 10 cleaned 14 boats. They used high pressure water guns. Water was pumped from the ocean, heat to aproximately 260 degrees F, and sprayed on the oiled vessels. Personal 5:17   81.6 78.6 79.4 76.4

Site Name: Horn Island Pass Survey Dates: 06/18/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
06/18/10 55124 Skimmers: Coast Guard Noise monitoring taken as Coast Guard prepared skimming equipment Personal   90 db        

Site Name: Port Fourchon, LA Survey Dates: 06/08/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
06/08/10 12675 Boom Decon with High Pressure Spray Boom Decon with High Pressure Spray Personal 7:29 82db 90db 86.1 85.6 82.9 82.4
06/08/10 12699 Oiler, Boom Decon Boom Decon with High Pressure Spray Personal 7:25 84db 90db 87.3 86.8 85 84.4

Site Name: Venice, LA Survey Dates: 06/17/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
06/17/10 12424 Vac Truck Operator Vac truck operator spends entire work shift near truck. Wears ear plugs. Personal 8:00 78.1 78.7 65.7 65.7

Site Name: Venice Staging Area, LA Survey Dates: 06/10/2010
Survey
Date:		 Sampling
No.		 Job Title Job Description Sample Type Time Results PEL OSHA
hc lavg		 OSHA
hc twa		 OSHA
PEL lavg		 OSHA
PEL twa
06/10/10 12392 Monitor Generator   Personal 84.9/
85.0		 84.0/
79.3		 81.8/
82.2		 80.9/
76.5
06/10/10 12411 Water Truck Operator   Personal 70.7/
72.4		 70.2/
66.4		 62.5/
65.5		 62.1/
59.5
06/10/10 12430 Truck Driver/Operator Water Truck   Personal 79.3/
81.8		 78.3/
75.8		 63.3/
65.0		 62.3/
59.0

Please Note:
Exposures less than Reporting Limit are designated ND
PEL = OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit
a = Results reported are time weighted averages for the actual sampling stated.
b = Over PEL box is checked y if actual TWA number is greater than the 8 hour PEL number for comparative purposes only. Does not necessarily represent a legal PEL violation.