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TOXICS
- QUICK Links
- CLICK HERE to jump to legislation about this topic that Worksafe is sponsoring (AB 515)
- CLICK HERE to jump to more information about this issue on the Worksafe regulations webpage.
- CLICK HERE to jump to the Cal/OSHA webpage with details about this regulatory advisory committee.
- CLICK HERE to jump to the Worksafe webpage that focuses on the development of the Policy & Procedure (P&P) that sets out how the 5155 advisory committee will operate.
- CLICK HERE for the OEHHA report that has been officially posted on the CDPH (CA Dept of Public Health) website. This report was produced under a contract from HESIS to provide them information to fulfill their obligations under Labor Code 147.2. This report will provide the basis for HESIS to recommend that occupational safety and health standards be developed for these toxic substances. The report is entitled Occupational Health Hazard Risk Assessment Project for California: Identification of Chemicals of Concern, Possible Risk Assessment Methods, and Examples of Health Protective Occupational Air Concentrations. The report was prepared by the Reproductive and Cancer Health Hazard Assessment Branch Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment of the California Environmental Protection Agency (December, 2007).
- CLICK HERE for the Worksafe list of 40 chemicals NOT REGULATED by Cal/OSHA to a degree that would protect against cancer and/or reproductive and developmental toxicity. OEHHA has prepared quantitative risk assessments for these (36 are for carcinogens (some of these also cause other harm) and 4 are for chemicals that cause only reproductive or developmental harm). Of the 40, 9 of these are completely UNREGULATED - workers receive NO PROTECTION AT ALL. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in FINDING OEHHA sources for QRAs, see:
- click here for Hot Spots Unit Risk and Cancer Potency Values
- click here for Proposition 65 Safe Harbor Levels
- click here for Chronic Reference Exposure Levels (ChRELs) Air Toxicology Branch
- click here for Water Public Health Goals (PHGs
Resources and links
- ADVOCACY GROUPS
- GOVERNMENT RESOURCES and LINKS
- EPA - Spanish website - El medio ambiente y su salud - U.S. EPA has launched a new Webpage in Spanish dedicated to providing information on different environmental issues and their effects among Hispanics residing in the United States. The new page, "El medio ambiente y su salud", will focus on a different issue every month.
- HESIS - offers California workers, employers, and health professionals up-to-date practical answers to questions about the health effects of workplace hazards. HESIS publications are available free of charge in limited quantities, and may be reproduced for free distribution. You can read or download most of them here, or order printed copies by calling (866) 627-1586 or click here for a form.
- NIOSH - publishes numerous health and safety topics and reports. At the bottom of this section are alphabetical references to selected topics and a link to whatever NIOSH material we might have. THIS IS NOT COMPLETE. NIOSH also used information from incoming calls to its "800" information number to develop a list of the workplace toxic materials called about most frequently. Based on this data, 21 topic pages were developed which are listed at the end of this section.
- HazMap - this website lets you specify an industrial process and then chose the health outcomes (e.g. cancer, lung toxicity) for which you want detailed information. It will list chemicals used in that industrial sector that have that characteristic. Very useful site.
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- Click here for the National Library of Medicine Haz-Map. Haz-Map is an occupational health database designed for health and safety professionals and for consumers seeking information about the health effects of exposure to chemicals and biologicals at work. Haz-Map links jobs and hazardous tasks with occupational diseases and their symptoms.
- Click here for the Haz-Map Fact Sheet
- CHE Toxicants and Disease Database - This is a scientifically based, web-interactive database summarizing evidence of exposure to chemical contaminants and over 180 associated human diseases or conditions. Useful for reviewing evidence related to causation. Searchable by Chemical Abstact Service (CAS) number as well as by disease, disease category and toxicant. Links to other databases and resources. Created by the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (Drs Sarah Janssen, Gina Solomon and Ted Schettler), it allows feedback on content. For more information, contact Eleni@HealthandEnvironment.org
- National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety & Health Training - WETP is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences? (NIEHS) Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) and is the primary national source for hazardous waste worker curricula, technical reports, and weekly news - or click here to see this link via this website under OSH News .
- NLM (National Library of Medicine) Specialized Information Services
- Toxicology Tutorials - A set of three tutorials on the basics of toxiciology (basic principles, toxicokinetics, cellular effects and biochemistry)
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Iowa State's Trade Names on MSDSs
- State of New Jersey Fact Sheets
- Vermont Siri MSDS Collection
- UNION & WORKER GROUPS
- UNIVERSITY GROUPS
- OTHER GROUPS
- Network - The Right-to-Know Network provides free access to numerous databases and resources on the environment. With the information available on RTK NET, users can identify specific factories and their environmental effects; find permits issued under environmental statutes; and identify civil cases filed.
Laws, Regulations & Enforcement
Training Material
Media
- Who Paid For That Study? Source Affects Outcome - Study shows that industry-funded research may be biased. - By Maggie Fox - Scientific American - January 8, 2007
- Toxic Recycling - U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch says that federal prisons have failed to protect prisoners from health risks in the recycling of computer monitors. - The Nation - November 2, 2005
- Former semiconductor workers want DA investigation of employer - Employees of Fremont-based AXT Inc. ask authorities to hold employer responsible for unhealthy workplace exposures to arsenic - (update on AXT Asian immigrant workers who were exposed to arsenic)
By Douglas Fischer - Inside Bay Area - September 1, 2005
- Immigrant Workers Demand Health Screening from Company that Poisoned Them - Jordan's blog - August 31, 2005
- Are Our Products Our Enemy? - USA Today - August 5, 2005
- Welding-Disease Link Testimony Allowed - The Washington Post - July 26, 2005
- Dozens of Chemicals Found in Most Americans' Bodies - LA Times - July 22, 2005
- GAO Urges Stronger Law on Toxic Substances - The Washington Post - July 14, 2005
- Living Well: Exposure to toxins driving up healthcare costs - Seattle Post-Intelligencer - July 11, 2005
- Vacuum Set-Up Helps Reduce Silica Dust - On Center - April 2005
- Lack of Funding Slows Cleanup of Hundreds of Superfund Sites - article by Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post, November 25, 2004)
- The AXT Way
By Chris Thompson - East Bay Express - March 24, 2004
See also Jordan's Blog - March 31, 2004 - MUST READ: Put 'em to work, poison 'em, then move to China and fire their asses - This is an amazing and extremely disturbing article from the East Bay Express about AXT Inc., a Fremont, CA, semiconductor company which exposed its employees to airborne arsenic at levels four times the legal limit in 2000 and was issued "Willful" citations and penalties of $313,000 by Cal/OSHA, the California workplace health and safety agency.
- Injured by Bad Equipment? Poisoned by Toxics? (discusses legal rights of workers who are poisoned by toxins or injured by bad equipment)
WORKSAFE! Newsletter - January 1998
- Death in the Workplace ( discusses criminal prosecutions for occupational safety and health related matters)
WORKSAFE! Newsletter - May 1998
Specific Toxics & Related Issues
- Ammonia
- Arsenic
- Asbestos
- click here for the Worksafe section on this topic
- click on English or Spanish for the CPWR material on asbestos in construction English or Spanish
- Asthma and Allergens
- click here for general information about this topic
- click here for information about occupational asthma prevention. Topic is designed as a resource for individuals interested in the prevention of occupational asthma (OA). This site consists of two sections: a text primer on the prevention of OA and a set of query tables with details about the studies described in the primer. The primer contains information distilled from 94 articles by 70 authors, detailing 96 primary or secondary OA prevention activities, published from 1977-2003. It describes the current state of OA prevention work, and highlights gaps in research that need to be filled. The query tables allow a user to view the studies through several different filters.
- Benzene
- Beryllium
- click on English or Spanish for the CPWR material in English or Spanish
- Cadmium
- Cancer (occupational)
- Chromium
- Diacetyl
Dichloroacetic acid (CAS #79436)
- on Cal/OSHA's priority list as a #1 with focus on causing testicular damage
- there is no current Cal/OSHA PEL and the recommendation may be 0.5 ppm with a skin notation
- not on Worksafe's priority list because we don't have information as to whether this is a chemical to which many workers are exposed
carcinogen
- do not know if this is on the OEHHA list that would be covered under AB 515
- click here for the revised health assessment document for dichloroacetic acid
- Diesel
- click here for more information on diesel
- click here for the HESIS Health Hazard Advisory on diesel exhaust
- click here for the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation of worker exposure to diesel exhaust during marine container handling operations. Field surveys were conducted at the Long Beach, CA; Oakland, CA; and Tacoma, WA marine terminals to measure diesel exhaust, carbon monoxide, and airborne particulate concentrations, and to conduct medical interviews with concerned workers.
- click here for the Pacific Institute report entitled "Clearing the Air: Reducing Diesel in West Oakland"
- click here for "Digging Up Trouble: Construction Pollution in the Bay Area," a fact sheet by the Union of Concerned Scientists
- click here for "Construction Equipment Pollution in California," a fact sheet by the Union of Concerned Scientists
- Ethylene Oxide
- Fibrous Glass or Fiberglass
- click here for the NIOSH page on fibrous glass
- click here for tailgate training materials developed by UCB LOHP (Labor Occupational Health Program)
- Formaldehyde
- Hazardous Waste
- Hexavalent Chromium
- Hydrogen Chloride (CAS #7647010)
- on Cal/OSHA's priority list as a #1 with focus on causing upper respiratory tract irritation
- current Cal/OSHA PEL is ? PPM with a Ceiling of 5 ppm and the recommendation may be to change the Ceiling to 3 ppm
- on Worksafe's priority list as a #3 because we don't have use information
- not a known carcinogen or reproductive or developmental hazard
- do not believe this is on the OEHHA list that would be covered under AB 515
- click here for the revised health assessment document for hydrogen chloride
- Hydrogen Flouride (CAS #7664393)
- on Cal/OSHA's priority list as a #1 with focus on causing upper and lower respiratory tract irritation
- current Cal/OSHA PEL is 3 PPM with a STEL of 6 ppm and a Ceiling of 3 ppm and the recommendation may be 0.5 ppm and a Ceiling of 2 ppm
- on Worksafe's priority list as a #3 because we don't have use information
- not a known carcinogen or reproductive or developmental hazard
- do not believe this is on the OEHHA list that would be covered under AB 515
- Hydrogen Sulfide
- Isocyanates
- Latex
- Lead -
- Manganese
- Mercury
- Methylene Chloride
- click here for the NIOSH page on methylene chloride
- Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK)
- click here for the NIOSH page on Methyl Ethyl Ketone
- Nitrous Oxide
- N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone or N-Methylpyrrolidone (CAS #872504)
- on Cal/OSHA's priority list as a #4
- there is NO current Cal/OSHA PEL and the recommendation may be 10 PPM
- on Worksafe's priority list as a #1 because it is a solvent and may be widely used as a replacement for methylene chloride. Uses likely include paint stripping, degreaser, graffiti removal, brake cleaning. FOr more information see the HESIS Health Advisory 2006.
developmental hazard, male and female reproductive hazard
- believe this is on the OEHHA list (there is a QRA or quantitative risk assessment) and woudl be covered under AB 515
- click here for the revised health assessment document for n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone prepared by Julia Quint on HEAC
- click here for the comments by the producers of n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone in response to the development of the PEL
- Ozone
- Perchloroethylene
- click here for a group letter submitted to the Air Resources Board to be considered at a public hearing on this substance on Jan 24, 2007
- Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance - click here for more information about this topic
- click here for the Worksafe section on this topic.
- Perfluorooctanoic Acid
- click here for a brief by the Berzon firm that seeks an order directing California authorities to consider listing PFOA as a carcinogen. The brief also deals with broader issues under Proposition 65.
- Protective Clothing
- Respirators
- Respiratory (Occupational) Disease Surveillance
- Silica
- click here for more information about this topic
- click here for the Worksafe section on this topic
- click on English or Spanish for the CPWR material in English or Spanish
- Skin Exposures and Effects
- click here for more information about this topic
- click on English or Spanish for the CPWR material on skin problems in construction in English or Spanish
- Solvents in Construction
- click on English or Spanish for the CPWR material in English or Spanish
- Styrene
- Sulfur Dioxide
- Sulfuric Acid (CAS # )
- on Cal/OSHA's priority list as a #? with focus on causing ?
- current Cal/OSHA PEL is ? PPM with a STEL of ? ppm and a Ceiling of ? ppm and the recommendation may be ? ppm and a Ceiling of ? ppm
- on Worksafe's priority list as a #?
- click here for the draft health assessment document for sulfuric acid
- Tetrachloroethylene
- click here for the NIOSH page on tetrachloroethylene
- Toluene
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- click here for the NIOSH page on trichloroethylene
- Xylene
- Welding -
Research
- Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-First Century: A Vision and a Strategy - National Academies' National Research Council - June 12, 2007 - This report urges a fundamental change in the way chemicals are assessed for potential toxicity. Instead of relying on animal experimentation, the same basic information can be gathered with assays of human cells. This information could lead to faster and more relevant models for predicting chemical effects on human body pathways.
- Click here for an online full text of the study.
- Click here for a summary of the study.
- Click here for an article dated June 27, 2007 on this study from Environmental Science & Technology Online.
Back to top
VIOLENCE in the WORKPLACE
- Resources and links
- GOVERNMENT RESOURCES and LINKS
- NIOSH publications on workplace violence and homicides - click here
- The link above will bring you to a document entitled Workplace Violence Prevention Strategies and Research Needs - or click here
- NIOSH conference - click here for November 15-17, 2004 conference: Partnering in Workplace Violence Prevention: Translating Research to Practice. NIOSH was to have issued the results from the working groups in a document describing workplace violence prevention strategies and research needs.
- NIOSH short fact sheet - provides basic information on workplace violence including risk factors and prevention strategies. Workplace violence is the leading cause of workplace fatalities among women. Almost two million people are assaulted annually at work, commonly by customers, co-workers, or supervisors. There are skills that worker leaders can learn to help prevent such violence from occurring and resolve conflict. .
- UNION & WORKER GROUPS
- UNIVERSITY GROUPS
- Laws, Regulations & Enforcement
- Training Material
- Cal/OSHA Publications
- Guidelines for Security & Safety of Health Care and Community Service Workers - html
- Guidelines for Workplace Security - html
- Model Injury & Illness Prevention Program for Workplace Security - html
- Media
- Research
- Significant Costs from Workplace Homicides Estimated in Study
Workplace homicides resulted in a total cost of nearly $6.5 billion and a mean cost of $800,000 between 1992 and 2001, NIOSH researchers estimate in a study published in the June 2005 issue of American Journal of Industrial Medicine. The retail trade industry had the highest number of homicides and total cost for that period, $2.1 billion for male employees and $556,000 for female employees. The estimates incorporated medical expenses, loss of wages from the year of death until the year the decedent would have been 67, and household production losses such as child care. The findings provide data to help shape strategies and policies for preventing workplace homicides.
Click here for the abstract for the article, Societal Cost of Workplace Homicides in the United States, 1992-2001 by Daniel Hartley, Elyce A. Biddle, and E. Lynn Jenkins.
Click here for further information on NIOSH research and recommendations for preventing workplace violence.
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WELDING
- Resources and Links
- GOVERNMENT RESOURCES and LINKS
- UNION & WORKER GROUPS
- UNIVERSITY GROUPS
- Laws, Regulations & Enforcement
- Training Material
- Media
- Research
- Evaluation of exposure to welding fumes. NIOSH investigators responded to an employee request to assess whether smoke from plasma cutting and welding was associated with employee complaints of sore throat, runny nose, eye irritation, coughing, migraines, and vomiting. The findings suggested that exposures to metal fumes, carbon monoxide, and ozone did not exceed applicable occupational exposure limits. To address irritant symptoms, however, the NIOSH investigators made recommendations to improve general ventilation and hazard communication training. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2003-0237-2986.pdf. (posted Aug, 2006)
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