Risky Business: The Silent Killer
Risky Business: The Silent Killer
What is odorless, colorless, toxic, impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes and can kill you before you are aware of it? Carbon monoxide, or CO, is the answer. At lower levels of exposure, it causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.
So what does this have to do with you in your dental laboratory? A few years ago an OSHA inspector who visited a dental laboratory client of ours conducted testing for CO fumes. He did this test in the denture department where there were open flames and in the casting room in the area of the furnaces. His recommendation was that CO detectors be installed in these areas for safety measures.
Recently, we were informed by a dental technician that he suffered some of the above symptoms while in his laboratory and required medical treatment. CO exposure was determined to be the culprit. So, be aware of this possibility of exposure in the areas that I’ve mentioned above and place CO detectors in those areas.
April McDowell, SafeLink’s training development director, reported the following to me as far as OSHA’s involvement in this issue for workplace safety.
“The new NFPA standard that comes out in October addressing CO detectors, NFPA 720-2009, is a complete rewrite of the current CO detection standard. This new standard now covers commercial occupancies and impacts CO detector development, installation, testing and off-site signal transmission,” McDowell said.
“It will require CO detectors to be installed and tested, basically, like smoke and fire detectors,” she said. “The commercial buildings that are covered under the standard includes hotels, rooming houses, dormitories, daycare centers, schools, hospitals, assisted-living facilities and nursing homes. Additionally, the new standard requires detectors to be installed on the ceiling in the same room as permanently installed fuel-burning appliances. While this new standard is addressing commercial buildings where there could be individuals sleeping or places of habitation, there is room for interpretation and application in dental laboratories, too. This could mean stronger OSHA and fire marshall enforcement in this area in the future. This is even more reason to take a proactive safety approach and install CO detectors that have a testing laboratory approval (i.e. UL rating) in areas where there are fuel burning appliances present on a permanent basis.”
Health Effects of Exposure to CO
- At low concentrations, fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease. At higher concentrations, impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; and nausea.
- Can cause flu-like symptoms that clear up after leaving home or work.
- Fatal at very high concentrations. Acute effects are due to the formation of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, which inhibits oxygen intake.
- At moderate concentrations, angina, impaired vision and reduced brain function may result. At higher concentrations, CO exposure can be fatal.
Emergency Medical Procedures
- Remove an incapacitated worker from further exposure and implement appropriate emergency procedures (e.g., those listed on the material safety data sheet required by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard [29 CFR 1910.1200]).
- All workers should be familiar with emergency procedures, the location and proper use of emergency equipment, and methods of protecting themselves during rescue operations.
Exposure Sources and Control Methods
The following operations may generate or involve carbon monoxide and lead to worker exposures to this substance:
- The manufacture and transportation of carbon monoxide.
- Operations near furnaces, ovens, stoves, forges and kilns when they are being fired up to operating temperatures; firefighting, particularly in mines; testing of internal combustion engines; and operations near portable stoves
- Unvented kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke. Auto, truck, or bus exhaust from attached garages, nearby roads, or parking areas can also be a source.
- Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, shed, or similar areas. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.
Resources for further information:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/carbonmonoxide/recognition.html
http://www.cdc.gov/co/guidelines.htm
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/co.html
