need this study guide complete answers come from powerpoint

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EHST 3060/61:

Environmental Issues in

Construction

 To identify specific physical health hazards in

construction

 To discuss the adverse health effects of these

physical hazards

 To enumerate the tasks involved with

exposure to physical hazards

 To discuss how to evaluate physical health

hazards

 To discuss the OSHA standards associated

with physical hazards in construction

 Physical hazards in construction

 Adverse effects of physical hazards

 Construction tasks associated with physical

hazards

 Evaluation of physical hazards

 OSHA construction standards associated with

physical hazards

 Health hazards

 Physical

 Chemical

 Biological

 Ergonomic

 Safety hazards

 Unsafe act

 Unsafe condition

Occupational

Disease

Occupational

Injury

 Different types of energy which may be hazardous to workers

 Noise

 Vibration

 Extreme temperature

 Extreme pressure

 Radiation

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Occupations Potential Physical Hazards

Brickmasons Heat or cold, noise

Insulation workers Heat or cold

Roofers Heat or cold

Carpenters Noise, heat or cold

Drillers, earth or rock Whole-body vibration, noise

Excavating and loading machine operators

Whole-body vibration, heat or cold, noise

Hazardous waste workers Heat or cold

“Noise is the most pervasive of all

industrial pollutants: it involves every

industry and causes severe hearing loss in

every country in the world.”

 World Health Forum 1993

Sound loudness is

measured in

decibels (dB).

 Continuous

 Impact/ Impulse

 Intermittent

 Psychological

 Communication interference

 Physiological

 Hearing Loss

 Acoustic trauma

 Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)

 Stress and related health effects

Organ of Corti

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 Destruction of hair cells

 16,000 hairs in an average individual

 30 - 50 % destroyed: undetected hearing

loss

 > 50% destroyed: hearing impairment

 Sensorineural

Normal hair cells Severely damaged hair cells

Ear hair cells

Hearing speech (1:35 – 2:07)

Hearing music (3:34 – 4:49)

 Intensity (Loudness)

 The higher the intensity, the greater potential

for damage.

 Frequency (Pitch)

 The higher the pitch, the greater the potential

for damage.

 Duration

 The longer the exposure, the greater the

potential for damage.

Agriculture Mining Construction

Manufacturing Transportation Military

 1981: 7.9 M workers in the manufacturing

sector exposed daily to ≥80 dBA (OSHA)

 1981: >9 M workers exposed daily >85 dBA

(EPA)

Occupation No. of Workers

Exposed

Mining 255,000

Agriculture 323,000

Construction 513,000

Military 976,000

Transportation 1,934,000

Manufacturing and utilities 5,124,000

Total 9,125,000

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 Construction equipment

 Pneumatic drill

 Pavement breakers

 Powered rock drills

 Pile extractors

 Hammer

 Cement mixers

Probable Noise Levels of Some Common Construction

Equipment at Operator’s Ear

Equipment or Tool Noise level will probably exceed

Grader/scraper 107 decibels

Jackhammer 102 decibels

Nail-gun 97 decibels

Welding equipment 92 decibels

Chopsaw 92 decibels

Front end loader 90 decibels

Router 90 decibels

Back hoe 85 decibels

Bulldozer 87 decibels

Source: U.W. Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Services – Rick Neitzel July, 2005

Kerr MJ, Brosseau L, Johnson CS (2002). Noise levels of selected construction tasks. AIHA Journal 63 (3): 334-339.

 When there’s a need to speak very loudly or

shout directly into the ear of another person

 When workers complain of ringing sensation

or hearing noises in their ears after the work

day

 When the sound of speech and music seemed

muffled after leaving work, but their hearing

became clear when returning to work the

following day

 Sound level meter

 Noise dosimeter

 Octave band analyzer

Pneumatic Drill

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 29 CFR 1926.52: Occupational noise exposure

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10625

 Truck and bus drivers

 Heavy equipment operators

 Aircraft pilots

8 M U.S. Workers

6.8 M: Whole-body vibration

1.2 M: Hand-arm vibration

 Gasoline-powered

chain saws

 String trimmers

 Pneumatic tools

 Hand-arm vibration

 Vibration-induced white finger (VWF)

 Raynaud’s phenomenon of occupational

origin

 Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS)

 Whole-body vibration

 Physiological effects

 Psychological effects

 Intermittent tingling and/or numbness of

the fingers

 Finger blanching: finger tip  finger base

 Cold often triggers the attacks

 Workers at risk are operators of hand-held

power tools:

 Pneumatic drills

 Pneumatic hammers

 Disc grinders

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 Physiological and psychological effects

 Fatigue and irritation

 Motion sickness

 Tissue damage

 Most frequently reported adverse effects

 Lower-back pain

 Early degeneration of the lumbar spinal

system

 Herniated lumbar discs

 Long-term exposure: harmful to the

spinal system Herniated disc

 Construction workers at risk

are the operators of large

mobile equipment:

 Earth or rock drillers

 Air hammers

 Pile drivers

 Tractors

 Graders

 Excavators

 Earth-moving equipment

Anti-vibration gloves Low-vibration tools

Use work breaks.

Keep hands and body warm.

 Extreme heat  Extreme cold

 Heat stroke

 Heat syncope

 Heat exhaustion

 Heat cramps

 Heat rash

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 Heat stroke

 A life-threatening medical

emergency due to thermal

regulatory failure

 Symptoms

 Manic, disoriented,

confused, delirious, or

unconscious

 Hot and dry skin, ceased

sweating, body core

temperature > 40 °C

(104 °F)

 Heat syncope

 Sudden unconsciousness resulting from

vasodilatation with consequent systemic and

cerebral hypotension

 Heat exhaustion

 Characterized by excessive thirst, weakness,

nausea, fatigue, headache, increase in pulse rate

and moist skin

 Due to prolonged exposure to heat, and

inadequate salt and water intake

 Heat cramps

 Manifested by slow and painful muscle

contraction, severe muscle spasms

 Heat rash (Miliaria)

 “Sweat rash” or

“prickly heat”

 Small red rashes

(papules) which may

itch or cause an intense

'pins-and-needles'

prickling sensation

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html

 Hypothermia

 Abnormally low deep-body temperature

 Most dangerous cold threat but rare in industry

 Training for workers exposed to near-freezing temperatures for

prolonged periods

 Highway maintenance personnel

 Search and rescue personnel

 Construction workers

 Symptoms:

 Uncontrollable shivering

 Intense feelings of cold

 Falling blood pressure

 Irregular heartbeat

 Incoherence and disorientation

 Extreme drowsiness

 Frostbite

 Result of freezing the extracellular fluid

in the skin, which can permanently

damage the tissue

 Usually occurs on the extremities (e.g.

fingertips, ears, nose)

 Not life threatening but damage can be

severe and permanent

 Blood vessel abnormalities

 Raynaud’s phenomenon

 Reduction of dexterity and strength

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 Outdoor: Agriculture, construction,

railroad repairs, commercial fishing,

recreational boating

 Indoor: Foundries, glass manufacturing,

engine rooms, kitchen, bakeries, mines

 Outdoor (in northern areas):

 Farming

 Cattle ranching

 Lumbering

 Construction

 Indoor:

 Freezer plants

 Meat packing houses

 Cold storage facilities

Roofer

Asphalt worker

Road repairmen

Carpenter

Welder

Integrated Electronic WBGT Monitors

Screening Criteria for TLV and Action Limit for Heat Stress Exposure

Allocation of Work

in a Cycle of Work

and Recovery

Work Load

Light Moderate Heavy Very Heavy

TLV (WBGT values in °C)

75 to 100% 31.0 28.0 --- ---

50 to 75% 31.0 29.0 27.5 ---

25 to 50% 32.0 30.0 29.0 28.0

0 to 25% 32.5 31.5 30.5 30.0

Action Limit (WBGT values in °C)

75 to 100% 28.0 25.0 --- ---

50 to 75% 28.5 26.0 24.0 ---

25 to 50% 29.5 27.0 25.5 24.5

0 to 25% 30.0 29.0 28.0 27.0

ACGIH TLV and BEI booklet 2010

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 Heat illnesses

• Heat stroke

• Heat exhaustion

• Heat syncope

• Heat cramps

• Heat rash

 Cold illnesses and

injuries

• Hypothermia

• Frost bite

• Raynaud’s phenomenon

 Pressure

 Altitude above sea level

 Pressure

 Depth below

water surface

 Pressure

 Height

 Adverse health effect due to a difference

between ambient pressure and the total gas

pressure in tissues, fluids, or cavities of the

body

 Hypobaric hazards

 Hyperbaric hazards

 Hazards from changes in pressure

 Low pressure

 Low partial pressure of oxygen

 2000 m (6000 ft) above sea level (ASL)

 Hypoxia

 High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)

 High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE)

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High-altitude mining High-altitude construction

Aviation

1. Gas narcosis

 Caused by nitrogen in normal air during

dives of more than 120 feet (35 m)

2. Gas toxicity

 Caused by common air constituents at high

pressures

 Oxygen toxicity

 Carbon dioxide toxicity

 Cause lung and brain damage

Underwater diving

Underwater construction

Underwater fish farming

 Airtight caisson

 Common technique to

reduce the infusion of water

or mud while digging bridge

pilings

 Caisson settled on a stable

structural foundation

 Air pressure applied in

tunnels and mines to control

water intrusion during

construction

The Tacoma caisson touched down in January 2004, reaching bottom at 154

feet high.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/caisson .aspx

 From higher to lower pressure

 Two mechanisms:

 Pain or traumatic injury from the

expansion or contraction of trapped gas

as the pressure changes

 Formation of inert gas bubbles within

supersaturated tissues

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 Adverse health effects

 Barotrauma

 Decompression sickness

 Dysbaric osteonecrosis

Acute

Chronic

Painful injury caused by expanding or

contracting trapped gases

During either ascent or descent

Potentially most severe when gases are

expanding

Most common sites: teeth, GI tract,

sinuses, middle ear, lungs

 Compression of trapped gases between the

individual and an equipment

 Example:

 Airspace between diver and mask  small blood

vessel hemorrhage of the eyes

 Tight-fitting wetsuit hood against the ear 

external ear barotrauma

 Expanded gas in dental decay  cracked tooth

 Dislodged dental filling

 A.k.a. “caisson worker’s syndrome”

 Caused indirectly by the formation of inert

gas bubbles (i.e. N2, H2) within

supersaturated tissues

 Due to a rapid decrease from a

“hyperbaric” pressure to normal pressure

 Diving

 Underwater construction

 Work in pressurized caissons or tunnels

 Necrosis of bone and marrow, especially of

the “long bones”

 Also called aseptic bone necrosis

 Likely related to the evolution of gas bubbles

that may be too small to cause symptoms

diagnosed as DCS

 Construction Standards Subpart Y

 Governing caissons (29 CFR 1926.801)

 Governing compressed air work (29 CFR

1926.803)

 Definitions applicable to all of Subpart S

(29 CFR 1926.804)

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 Ionizing Radiation

 Capable of producing ions, directly or

indirectly, when it interacts with matter

 Non-Ionizing Radiation

 Incapable of producing ions when it interacts

with matter

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Non-Ionizing

 Infrared

 Visible radiation

 Ultraviolet light

 Microwave

radiation

 Low frequency

magnetic fields

 Lasers

Ionizing

 X-rays

 Gamma rays

 Alpha particles

 Beta particles

 Neutron

Ionizing Radiation

 Acute (high level, short duration)

 Skin reddening / necrosis

 Diarrhea

 Vomiting

 Fever

 Electrolyte imbalance

 Death

 Chronic (low level, long duration)

 Cancer

Non-Ionizing Radiation

 Skin cancer

 Eye damage

 Premature skin aging

 Burns

 X-rays and gamma rays from equipment

used:

 To gauge the density and thickness of pipes

 To inspect welds

 For detecting weakness of metal structures

 Radioactive isotopes from flow meters

 Ultraviolet light from sunlight & welding

 Infrared radiation from torch welding and cutting

 Radio waves from radio transmission devices (roof-top dishes & antennas)

 Lasers used for aligning, ranging, and surveying are usually low- powered but can cause eye injuries if directly viewed for extended time

Rooftop radio antenna

Welding ultraviolet light

 Solar radiation

 55% infrared

 40% visible light

 5% ultraviolet light

Construction workers may have

significant exposure to sunlight

due to the outdoor nature of

the occupation.

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29 CFR 1926.53: Ionizing radiation

 1926.53(a): Source of ionizing radiation

 Provisions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Standards for Protection Against Radiation

 1926.53(b)

 Use of radioactive materials or X-rays shall be

performed by competent persons specially

trained in the proper and safe operation of such

equipment.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10626

29 CFR 1926.54: Non-ionizing radiation

 1926.54(a) to (i), (k): laser

 Operation of equipment by qualified and trained employees

 Provision of antilaser eye protection device

 Use of standard laser warning placards

 Turning off the laser

 Internal alignment of the laser

 1926.54(j): light (exposure intensities)

 1926.54(l): microwave exposure

 microwave power densities ≤ 10 mW/ sq cm

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10627

 Noise

 Vibration

 Extreme temperature

 Extreme pressure

 Radiation

Health effects

Occupations exposed

Tasks involved

How to evaluate

OSHA standards