 |
 |
 |
 |
      |
|
What
Health and Safety Plan (HASP) requirements exist
for anthrax-contaminated sites?
For cleanup operations,
OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations
and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard
(29 CFR 1910.120) requires
a written health and safety plan (HASP), which
identifies site hazards and appropriate controls
to protect employee health and safety. The recommended
elements addressed below meet or exceed the intent
of a site-specific HASP as described in the standard,
1910.120(b)(4):
|
|
 |
| Due to overlap of some
of the elements, it may be useful to expand the
HASP to include those elements necessary to protect
the local community and environment (for example,
disposal of waste from decontamination, monitoring
community exposures to fumigants). |
| Organizational Structure |
The organizational structure
part of the program shall establish the specific
chain of command and specify the overall responsibilities
of supervisors and employees. It shall include,
at a minimum, the following elements:
- A general supervisor who has the responsibility
and authority to direct all hazardous waste
operations.
- A site safety and health supervisor who has
the responsibility and authority to develop
and implement the HASP and verify compliance.
- All other personnel needed for hazardous
waste site operations and emergency response
and their general functions and responsibilities.
- The lines of authority, responsibility, and
communication.
The organizational structure
shall be reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect
the current status of waste site operations. It
is necessary to organize and assign personnel roles,
responsibilities, lines of authority, and communication
before an anthrax-related event to ensure an efficient
and safe response.
For more detailed information regarding specific
roles associated with an emergency response, go
to the Anthrax
eTool Training page.
|
| Site Characterization and
Job Hazard Analysis |
The
HASP requires a characterization of the
site-specific job hazards, including:
- Location and approximate size of the
site,
- Description of the response activity
and the job task to be performed,
- Duration of the planned employee activity,
|
 |
- Site topography and accessibility by air
and roads,
- Safety and health hazards expected at the
site (for example, chemical, physical, biological
hazards),
- Pathways for hazardous substance spread,
and
- Present status and capabilities of emergency
response teams that would provide assistance
to hazardous waste cleanup site employees at
the time of an emergency.
The following links provide
additional information regarding site characterization
and job hazard analysis:
|
| Site
Control |
In the
event of an anthrax release, it is necessary
to control site access in order to prevent
exposure and spread of the anthrax spores.
Suggested site controls include:
- Evacuate and secure the area,
- Turn off fans and air handling systems,
if possible, and
- Notify personnel about the potential
hazard and to not access the area. The
impacted area should only be accessed
by those trained and informed about the
release.
|
 |
As outlined in the HAZWOPER
(29 CFR 1910.120),
a site control program for protecting employees
should be part of the employer's HASP and should
include, at a minimum, the following:
- Site map,
- Site work zones,
- Use of a "buddy system,"
- Site communications including alerting means
for emergencies,
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or safe
work practices, and
- Identification of the nearest medical assistance.
|
| Training |
A site-specific training
program ensures that workers receive the hazard
awareness training they need to work safely.
Training should be based on the job hazard analysis
in the HASP and other applicable standards.
Anthrax-specific
hazard awareness training should help workers
understand the health hazards of anthrax
and how to protect themselves from exposure
to spores. Specific topics might include:
- How workers might be exposed to spores,
the signs and symptoms
of infection, and medical conditions
that could place them at increased risk
(such as a compromised immune system),
- Where contamination has been identified
in the facility, and the status of decontamination of
those areas, and
- How to minimize the risk of disease
through specific standard operating procedures
and controls (such as engineering controls,
work practices, housekeeping, or PPE),
and whether specific measures are expected
to be temporary or permanent.
|
 |
49 CFR Part 172, Subpart
H provides additional training requirements for
workers preparing contaminated materials or other
hazardous materials for transport. For the most
current version of 49 CFR, visit the: Code
of Federal Regulations website.
Additional training information is provided on
the Anthrax
eTool Training page.
|
| Medical Surveillance |
The
purpose of medical surveillance in the
workplace is to improve the effectiveness
of the occupational health and safety program
by systematically collecting and analyzing
information that pertains to at-risk workers.
Medical screening is the use of examinations
or tests to detect adverse effects on a worker's
health at an early stage when prevention
is possible or treatment is most effective.
- Baseline medical
screening should identify pre-existing
conditions that may affect an individual
worker's fitness for duty.
- When it is no longer necessary for
a worker to re-enter a contaminated site,
a final evaluation should
be done to identify changes from the
baseline and any new risk factors.
|
 |
Further information about
Medical Surveillance may be found at the following
websites:
|
| Personal Protective Equipment |
Personal
protective equipment (PPE) shields
or isolates workers from health and safety
hazards in the workplace. In a
site where anthrax spores may be present,
PPE protects workers from exposure to
respiratory and skin hazards and prevents
the spread of contaminants to uncontaminated
areas. The level and type of PPE should
be based on the job hazard analysis in
the HASP. Workers should be trained
on the location, type, and proper use
of the PPE.
Further information about PPE may be found
at the following websites: |
 |
|
| Exposure Monitoring |
For exposure monitoring,
the HASP should include the following three major
components:
- Medical measures to prevent anthrax,
- Medical screening and follow-up care for
anthrax and medical complications related to
preventive measures, and
- Knowledge and information that workers need
to prevent anthrax and medical complications
related to preventive measures.
|
| Temperature Extremes |
Heat
Stress: Temperature extremes can adversely
affect worker health and safety. Heat stress
can be experienced by workers due to hot ambient
temperatures. In addition, the use of PPE,
especially in excess, can increase the chance
a worker will experience heat stress. The four
main types of heat stress are listed below:
- Heat Rash: Caused
by continuous exposure to heat and humid
air and aggravated by chafing clothing.
Decreases ability to tolerate heat, as
well as being a nuisance.
- Heat Cramps: Caused
by profuse perspiration with inadequate
fluid intake and chemical replacement.
Signs are muscle spasms and pain in the
extremities and abdomen.
- Heat Exhaustion: Caused
by increased stress on various organs
to meet increased demands to cool the
body. Signs are shallow breathing; pale,
cool, moist skin; profuse sweating; and
dizziness and physical or mental exhaustion.
- Heat Stroke: The
most severe form of heat stress. Body
must be cooled immediately to prevent
severe injury and/or death. Signs are
red, hot, dry skin; no perspiration;
nausea; dizziness and confusion; strong,
rapid pulse; coma. Medical help must
be obtained immediately.
|
 |
Cold
Stress: Cold stress can be experienced
by workers when they are exposed to a cold environment. The
two main types of cold stress are listed below:
- Frostbite: Local
injury resulting from cold is included in the
generic term frostbite. There are several degrees
of damage. Frostbite of the extremities can
be categorized into:
1. Frost nip or
incident frostbite - the condition is
characterized by sudden blanching or whitening
of skin.
2. Superficial frostbite -
skin has a waxy or white appearance and is
firm to the touch, but tissue beneath is resilient.
3. Deep frostbite -
tissues are cold, pale and solid; extremely
serious injury.
- Hypothermia: There
are degrees of hypothermia which are characterized
as "moderate" and "severe." A
victim of moderate hypothermia exhibiting the
first seven signs listed below is still conscious
but often confused. Severe hypothermia is determined
by extreme skin coldness, loss of consciousness,
faint pulse, and shallow, infrequent, or apparently
absent respiration. Death is the ultimate result.
1. Severe shivering
2. Abnormal behavior
3. Slowing
4. Stumbling
5. Weakness
6. Inability to walk
7. Collapse
8. Stupor
9. Unconsciousness
|
| Spill Containment |
To prevent further spread
of the anthrax spores:
- Evacuate and secure the area.
- Turn off the air handling systems, if possible.
- Notify personnel to stay away from the site.
Only those trained and informed about the release
should access the impacted area.
|
| Decontamination |
Cleaning
an area or item contaminated by anthrax
involves numerous and variable issues that
are specific to individual locations. No
single technology, process, or strategy
will be effective in every case. Responders
must develop a decontamination plan
that takes into account the:
- Nature of the contamination.
- Extent of the contamination.
- Objectives of decontamination.
|
 |
The extent of contamination and how the contamination
was spread are critical considerations in isolating
affected areas and selecting appropriate decontamination
technologies.
|
| Emergency Response |
Notify
the agencies below. Keep the contact numbers
easily accessible.
- Call 9-1-1 for
local police assistance and the local
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
- Call the National
Response Center (NRC) at (800)424-8802. The
NRC will notify the appropriate agencies.
|
 |
An emergency response protocol should be contained
in the HASP for site personnel to follow while
waiting and preparing for the notified agencies
to arrive, initial actions should focus on the
following:
- Isolate contaminated areas,
- Minimize exposure to others, and
- Keep track of those who may have been exposed.
|
| Standard
Operating Procedures |
Developing
standard operating procedures (SOPs) provides
a guideline for personnel to perform work activities
as well as proper response as outlined in the
HASP. Easily accessible SOPs can prevent mistakes
and incorrect protocol, and therefore result
in a safer workplace. Procedures directly related
to an anthrax-related threat that may be included
in the SOPs are:
Additional information about
evacuation procedures can be found in OSHA's Evacuation
Plans and Procedures eTool.
|
|
|
| |
|
| | | | |
| | |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Back
to Top 
www.osha.gov
