Nitrous Oxide Providing a Safe Workplace for Your Staff By John Townsend

Contents  What is nitrous oxide (N20).  Common Uses for N20.  Health Effects.  Staff Exposure.  Exposure Standards.  Minimising Exposure.  Is Your Workplace Compliant.

What is Nitrous Oxide  Synonyms: laughing gas, factitious air, nitrogen oxide, dinitrogen monoxide.  Chemical formula: N2O  Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CAS):  Clear, colorless gas at room temperature  Slightly sweet odor and taste.

Where is N20 Used  Anaesthetic agent in medical, dental, and veterinary facilities  Food processing propellant  Component of certain rocket fuels  Oxidant for organic compounds  Nitrating agent for alkali metals

What are the Health Effects  Acute dizziness  Slurred speech  Headache  Nausea  Fatigue  Irritability  Shortness of breath  Increased risk of spontaneous abortion in pregnant females  Renal & kidney disease  Neurological disorders  Hypoxia

Routes of Exposure  Exposure to nitrous oxide occurs primarily through inhalation.  Skin exposure to liquefied gas may occur when handling compressed gas cylinders. This is a result of the rapid evaporation of the liquefied gas.

Minimising Exposure  EDUCATION  EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE  SAFETY EQUIPMENT  EFFECTIVE MONITORING

EDUCATION  Staff should be made aware of the risks associated with N20.  A proper risk assessment should be conducted of the work area. Staff should be informed of the results.  Procedures should be put in place and staff should be trained to minimize exposure.

EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE  Analgesic delivery equipment should be tested on a regular basis in accordance with relevant Australian Standards and manufacturers recommendations.

Midogas Analgesic System  The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) recommends 6 monthly testing.  Midogas units need to be overhauled every 3 years.

Equinox II  System should be function and pressure tested 6-monthly.  The Regulator should be overhauled every 3 years.

SAFTEY EQUIPMENT  All N20 delivery equipment should be connected to an effective scavenge system.  With properly maintained equipment and effective scavenging devices the concentrations of nitrous oxide in hospital wards and operating theatres should be kept below 25ppm.  Effective air conditioning systems will also help remove some N20 from the work area.  Safety gloves should be provided to staff handling and connecting N20 bottles

MONITORING  A regular monitoring program for at risk work environments should be implemented.  Nitrous oxide monitors are available that test time weighted averages.  There are companies available that offer a testing service.

How Often?  Initial monitoring.  Annual monitoring.  Periodic monitoring when initial results are above the TWA or there is a change in the procedure.

What Are The Exposure Standards  Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001  Adopted National Exposure Standards For Atmospheric Contaminants In The Occupational Environment [NOHSC:1003(1995)]

Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001  Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 states “An employer must ensure that no person at a place of work is exposed to an airborne concentration of an atmospheric contaminant that exceeds or breaches [NOHSC:1003 (1995)].

[NOHSC:1003(1995)]  Adopted National Exposure Standards For Atmospheric Contaminants In The Occupational Environment [NOHSC:1003(1995)], states that the maximum exposure standards allowable for N20 is a time weighted average of 25ppm (45 mg/m3)

NOHSC:1003(1995) DOES YOUR WORKPLACE COMPLY?

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