Industrial-hygiene characterization of ethylene oxide exposures of hospital and nursing-home workers

Technical Report · Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5609304

Ringenburg, V L; Elliott, L J; Morelli-Schroth, P; Molina, D

Industrial-hygiene surveys were conducted at 12 hospitals and one nursing home to determine possible employee exposure to ethylene oxide (EtO). Different types of exposure situations existed at each of the facilities as a result of various engineering controls, administrative controls and work practices. Sampling indicated that the time-weighted averages (TWAs) of exposure over periods of 36 to 724 minutes ranged from below the limit of detection to 6.7 parts per million (ppm). Personal short-term exposure levels covering 2 to 30 minutes ranged from less than the limit of detection to 103.2ppm. Factors found to be responsible for these higher-than-permissible levels of EtO exposure included improper installation or lack of engineering controls (such as improper placement of the sterilizing operations), unbalanced ventilation systems, and lack of administrative controls resulting in inappropriate work practices.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA). Div. of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluation and Field Studies
• OSTI ID: 5609304
• Report Number(s): PB-88-128939/XAB; IWS-152.22
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
DISINFECTANTS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HOSPITALS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
AIR QUALITY
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
MEDICAL PERSONNEL
TOXICITY
VAPORS
AIR POLLUTION
BUILDINGS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FLUIDS
GASES
GERMICIDES
MATERIALS
MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENTS
MEDICINE
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
552000 - Public Health