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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

NIOSH comments to DOL on health standards: Methods of compliance by R. A. Lemen, June 1983

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6014674

The testimony outlines NIOSH strategy for effective worker protection and discusses the three elements of the effectiveness hierarchy of control solutions: prevent or contain hazardous workplace emissions at their source; remove the emissions from the pathway between the source and the worker; and control the exposure of the worker with barriers between the worker and the hazardous work environment. Responses are made to specific OSHA questions in the advanced notice including requiring the use of feasible engineering controls in preference to the use of respirators; describing which factors indicate that engineering controls in the workplace better protect employee health; identifying which factors indicate that respirators in the workplace provide better protection of employee health; establishing ways to determine that respirators are worn for all required periods; predicting the performance of engineering controls while still in the design stage; identifying hidden costs in instituting an employee protection system based on respirators or on engineering controls; and determining the usefulness of additional biological monitoring and medical testing.

Research Organization:
National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
OSTI ID:
6014674
Report Number(s):
PB-91-152843/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English