Management of Hazardous Materials and Waste - Review

Chemical Hazards Communication (HAZCOM) or Right To Know This is a law about chemical information being available to employees from the manufacturers.

Hazard Communication Right to Know Law Chemical Safety Material Safety Data Sheets All containers must be labeled Proper storage and handling Know specific health hazards

This Law gives YOU RIGHTS TO KNOW what? What hazardous chemicals are in your workplace What the associated hazards are What Personal Protective Equipment is required What to do in an emergency

EXAMPLES OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN HEALTHCARE Solvents Paint Thinners Pesticides Boiler Chemicals Glutaraldehyde Lead Formalin Chemotherapy Drugs

Hazardous Materials That Are Present Within Maine Medical Center Asbestos ( Most in Richards Building) Lead (Maine General Building, 1929&1956) Ethylene Oxide (ETO) (Central Sterile Dept.) Liquid Nitrogen (Clinics, Blood Bank) Oxygen (Hospital) Silica (Hospital)

Silica Dust Is a known Carcinogen Causes Silicosis (scaring of lung tissue) Reduces the ability to get oxygen from the air Silica exposures may come from brick, block, concrete or sand dust

Dust Generation in a Construction Area Area must be under negative pressure Before cutting, grinding, jack hammering of concrete, bricks or blocks contact project manager. Utilize proper engineering and work practice controls (example wet methods for cutting)

Exposure to chemicals can occur by the following routes: -Ingestion (eating) -Inhalation ( breathing) -Absorption (soaking) -or Injection (such as a needle stick)

If You Feel That You Have Had a Chemical Exposure 1. Follow Maine Medical Center’s Indoor Air Quality Policy 2. Communicate Concerns to Supervisor/Manager 3. Supervisor/Manager Determines Urgency: - Emergent - Urgent - Non Urgent - Preventive Supervisor/Manager may need to: 1.Call a Code Orange 2. Evacuate Area 3. Ask you to make an Appointment with Employee Health Services 4. Contact Safety Dept.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) To use on the job, PPE: Must be correct for the job and protection needed Must fit you comfortably Must be available for your use Must be supplied by MMC with training on how to use

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Examples Eye - glasses or goggles Face - face shield Skin - protective clothing Hands - special gloves Feet - special footwear Breathing - respirators Hearing - earplugs or earmuffs

Respirator Program You may need a respirator if you work with patients who might have an airborne illness, an example would be TB, SARS or if you work with hazardous chemicals. The Safety Office trains instructors who then offer respirator instruction and fit testing on several types of respirators to their department.

Respirator Program Requirements All staff must be medically cleared by EHS prior to respirator usage Attend respirator training If using N95, must pass “fit” testing Periodic health screening for respirator Attend mandatory annual fit testing class in their department, or through Safety

THE BEST SOURCES OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION FOR MMC WORKERS Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the Intranet Container Labels MMC Pharmacist Northern New England Poison Control Center ( )

On MMC home page Click here to go to MSDS Source

You can search by typing in chemical name

Search by “My Binder” then Highlight Dept. and CLICK

NFPA WARNING LABELS are used at MMC; colors and numbers define hazard FLAMMABLITYREACTIVITY HEALTH SECIFIC HAZARD (example = do not mix with water) 0=no hazard 1=low hazard 2=moderate hazard 3=high hazard 4=extreme hazard

ALL CONTAINERS REQUIRE A LABEL! (primary AND secondary)

HAND WRITTEN LABELS On secondary containers, hand written labels need to be permanent, accurate and complete

DO NOT STORE CHEMICALS ALPHABETICALLY or acids and bases will be next to each other

What Is Hazardous Waste? It Is: –A useless, unwanted, or discarded hazardous substance or material –whether or not such substance has any other or future use –includes spilled, leaked, pumped, poured, emitted, disposed, emptied, or dumped onto the land or into the water or ambient air –Questions about proper disposal? Contact the Safety Office

We Recycle! i.e. Paper and Universal Waste Paper: blue, green, purple, newspaper if it’s paper we recycle it Computers / Electronics Fluorescent Light Bulbs Batteries ( NiCad, Lithium, Rechargeable) Alkaline Batteries go in regular trash

CYLINDER SAFETY Cylinders must be: Restrained…Chained, Strapped or Racked Do Not Leave a Oxygen Bottle on a Stretcher No more than (12) O2 cylinders in approved storage area Potential Hazards: Explosion Projectile Chemical Content Weight of Cylinder

EYE WASH & EMERGENCY SHOWERS Tested weekly by the Dept. Each Dept. keeps record of testing You should learn how to operate the eyewash Never block access to the eyewash Keep it clean