General Industry – Gases Exposure & Detection Guidelines

General Industry Gases Exposure & Detection Guidelines The presence of airborne toxic substances can have a wide breadth of physiological effects on human health. OSHA, the main federal agency that enforces safety and health regulation for on the job exposure to toxic substances, has established levels of exposure for toxic substances. Common Toxic Contaminants The below table provides the Time Weight Average (TWA)' and Ceiling Level (c)² for common toxic substances encountered. Time Weighted Average (TWA) measures the average sum of exposure in an 8-hour workday. Ceiling level, indicated by (C) in the below table, indicates the maximum exposure limit for that substance. Parts of gas per million parts of contaminated air at 25 °C ad 760 torr Milligrams of substance per cubic meter of air. Sustance Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 5 ppm 13 mg/m Chlorine (CL2) (C)1 ppm (C)3 mg/m Ammonia (NH3) 50 ррт 35 mg/m Carbon Monoxide (CO) 50 pрт 55 mg/m Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) (C)20 ppm, Maximum 50 ррт at 10 тin. Chlorine Dioxide .1ppm .3 mg/m (CLO2) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) (C)5ppm (C)9 mg/m Methan (CН4) 1,000ррт Common Symptoms of Exposure Exposure to unsafe levels of contaminants in air can cause a wide breadth of physiological symptoms. Depending on the severity of exposure and contaminant, workers can suffer mild to severe symptoms, such as: Headache Dizziness Confusion • Nausea Vomiting Asphyxiation Loss of Consciousness Death How To Detect Toxic Vapors OSHA recommends direct-reading instruments which allow for real-time or near real-time measurements of contaminants. 00.0 00.0 Premier Safety& Service, Inc. 00.0 00.0 Rents and sells equipment designed for the detection of certain toxic gases. Sources: https://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_257400.html http://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1202.pdf PREMIER NationalPositions Profitable Internet Marketing SAFETY & SERVICE, Inc.