Page 20 - Occupational Health & Safety, November 2017

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
New Alliance Focused on Diisocyanates
OSHA and the American Chemistry Council have joined in a two-year alliance to raise awareness of workers’ exposure hazardsand promote their safe use in the polyurethane industry.
BY JERRY LAWS
The American Chemistry Council and OSHA announced a new alliance in September that will raise awareness of how workers are ex- posed to diisocyanates and promote safe practices for their use in the polyurethane industry. These are raw materials used to make polyurethane products, such as insulation, car seats, and foam mat- tresses, and respiratory and dermal exposures can re- sult in irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. More serious health effects include asthma and other lung prob- lems, according to OSHA.
According to EPA, diisocyanates are well-known dermal and inhalation sensitizers in the workplace and have been documented to cause asthma and lung damage, but the ACC Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) says manufacturers, in partnership with downstream users, have implemented product stewardship activities that have contributed to a re- duction in diisocyanate-related asthma cases, even as production rates of diisocyanates have increased.
The alliance calls for the creation of a web-based training program on the safe use and handling of chemicals and the potential routes of exposure for users. The partners will develop guidance on medi- cal surveillance and clinical evaluation techniques for employers and workers using the chemicals, and their agreement calls for best practices seminars on health and safety procedures for OSHA, On-Site Consulta- tion, and State Plan staffers.
“OSHA’s new alliance with ACC will help ensure that employers and employees who work with the identified chemicals better understand the health hazards associated with these potentially hazardous chemicals and the methods to control employee ex- posures,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt.
Three groups from ACC will lead the work with OSHA: CPI and the Diisocyanates and Aliphatic Di- isocyanates panels. According to ACC, members of these groups include manufacturers and distributors of chemicals and equipment used to make polyurethane, and CPI serves as the voice of the polyurethanes indus- try, covering more than 220,000 workers nationwide.
“We’re thrilled to be working with OSHA on mak- ing American workplaces even safer, which has always been a top priority for CPI and ACC as a whole,” said Lee Salamone, senior director of CPI. “Our partner- ship with OSHA will build on our strong foundation
“The chemical industry is committed
to safety, and this partnership supports our continuing efforts to enhance worker protection,” said Sahar Osman-Sypher, director of DII and ADI. “The partner- ship will work toward further educating workers and employers on how to use diisocyanates safely in their everyday working environment.”
of product stewardship and outreach and will help us identify additional areas of emphasis so we can better target our activities.”
The two organizations’ agreement, signed Sept. 13, says the alliance partnership aims to provide infor- mation, guidance, and access to training resources to members, occupational physicians, stakeholders, and others in the polyurethanes value chain.
“The chemical industry is committed to safety, and this partnership supports our continuing efforts to enhance worker protection,” said Sahar Osman- Sypher, director of DII and ADI. “The partnership will work toward further educating workers and employ- ers on how to use diisocyanates safely in their every- day working environment.”
ACC’s announcement indicated the two-year al- liance has three primary goals: raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives; con- ducting training to educate employers, workers, and OSHA officials on safety issues; and developing effec- tive outreach and communication efforts to increase the visibility of the partnership and its goals.
Goals Include Promoting Industry-wide
Use of Medical Surveillance
The OSHA page explaining the alliance1 says it will provide information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help stakeholders protect the health and safety of workers, “particularly by: 1) illustrating methods for reducing and preventing exposure to ali- phatic and aromatic diisocyanates (MDI, TDI, HDI, HMDI, and IPDI); 2) providing a better understand- ing of the health issues, routes of exposure, and medi- cal surveillance/clinical evaluation techniques related to diisocyanates; and 3) understanding the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under
20 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER 2017
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