Scope and application.

Solid materials made from and/or containing AN which will not be heated above 170 °F during handling, use, or processing.

Definitions. Acrylonitrile or AN means acrylonitrile monomer, chemical formula CH₂ = CHCN.

Action level means a concentration of AN of 1 ppm as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average.

Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, or designee.

Authorized person means any person specifically authorized by the employer whose duties require the person to enter a regulated area, or any person entering such an area as a designated representative of employees for the purpose of exercising the opportunity to observe monitoring procedures under paragraph (r) of this section.

Decontamination means treatment of materials and surfaces by water washdown, ventilation, or other means, to assure that the materials will not expose employees to airborne concentrations of AN above 1 means the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or designee.

Emergency means any occurrence such as, but not limited to, equipment failure, rupture of containers, or failure of control equipment, which results in an unexpected massive release of AN.

Liquid AN means AN monomer in liquid form, and liquid or semiliquid polymer intermediates, including slurries, suspensions, emulsions, and solutions, produced during the polymerization of AN.

OSHA Area Office means the Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration having jurisdiction over the geographic area where the affected workplace is located.

Permissible exposure limits -

Inhalation.

Time weighted average limit (TWA). The employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of acrylonitrile in excess of two (2) parts acrylonitrile per million parts of air (2 ppm) as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average.

Ceiling limit. The employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of acrylonitrile in excess of ten (10) ppm as averaged over any fifteen (15)-minute period during the work day.

Dermal and eye exposure. The employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to skin contact or eye contact with liquid AN.

Exposure monitoring -

General.

Initial monitoring. Each employer who has a place of employment in which AN is present shall monitor each such workplace and work operation to accurately determine the airborne concentrations of AN to which employees may be exposed.

Frequency.

Additional monitoring. Whenever there has been a production, process, control, or personnel change which may result in new or additional exposures to AN, or whenever the employer has any other reason to suspect a change which may result in new or additional exposures to AN, additional monitoring which complies with this paragraph shall be conducted.

Employee notification.

Accuracy of measurement. The method of measurement of employee exposures shall be accurate to a confidence level of 95 percent, to within plus or minus 35 percent for concentrations of AN at or above the permissible exposure limits, and plus or minus 50 percent for concentrations of AN below the permissible exposure limits.

Regulated areas.

Methods of compliance -

Engineering and work practice controls.

Compliance program.

Respiratory protection -

General. For employees who use respirators required by this section, the employer must provide each employee an appropriate respirator that complies with the requirements of this paragraph. Respirators must be used during:

Respirator program.

The employer must implement a respiratory protection program in accordance with § 1910.134(b) through (d) (except (d)(1)(iii), (d)(3)(iii)(b)(1), and (2)), and (f) through (m), which covers each employee required by this section to use a respirator.

Respirator selection. Employers must:

Emergency situations -

Written plans.

Alerting employees. Where there is the possibility of employee exposure to AN in excess of the ceiling limit, a general alarm shall be installed and used to promptly alert employees of such occurrences.

Protective clothing and equipment -

Provision and use. Where eye or skin contact with liquid AN may occur, the employer shall provide at no cost to the employee, and assure that employees wear, impermeable protective clothing or other equipment to protect any area of the body which may come in contact with liquid AN. The provision of §§ 1910.132 and 1910.133 shall be complied with.

Cleaning and replacement.

Housekeeping.

Waste disposal. AN waste, scrap, debris, bags, containers, or equipment shall be decontaminated before being incorporated in the general waste disposal system.

Hygiene facilities and practices.

Medical surveillance -

General.

Initial examinations. At the time of initial assignment, or upon institution of the medical surveillance program, the employer shall provide each affected employee an opportunity for a medical examination, including at least the following elements:

A 14- by 17-inch or other reasonably-sized standard film or digital posterior-anterior chest X-ray; and

Periodic examinations.

The employer shall provide the examinations specified in paragraphs (n)(2)(i), (ii), and (iv) of this section at least annually for all employees specified in paragraph (n)(1) of this section.

If an employee has not had the examination specified in paragraphs (n)(2)(i), (ii), and (iv) of this section within 6 months preceding termination of employment, the employer shall make such examination available to the employee prior to such termination.

Additional examinations. If the employee for any reason develops signs or symptoms which may be associated with exposure to AN, the employer shall provide an appropriate examination and emergency medical treatment.

Information provided to the physician. The employer shall provide the following information to the examining physician:

Physician's written opinion.

Employee information and training -

Training program.

Access to training materials.

Communication of hazards -

Hazard communication - general.

Chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers shall comply with all requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (§ 1910.1200) for AN and AN-based materials not exempted under paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

Employers shall include AN and AN-based materials in the hazard communication program established to comply with the HCS (§ 1910.1200). Employers shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on containers of AN and AN-based materials and to safety data sheets, and is trained in accordance with the requirements of HCS and paragraph (o) of this section.

Signs.

Labels.

Recordkeeping -

Objective data for exempted operations.

Exposure monitoring.

Name and job classification of the employee monitored and of all other employees whose exposure the measurement is intended to represent.

Medical surveillance.

Availability.

Transfer of records.

Whenever the employer ceases to do business, the successor employer shall receive and retain all records required to be maintained by this section for the prescribed period.

Observation of monitoring -

Employee observation. The employer shall provide affected employees, or their designated representatives, an opportunity to observe any monitoring of employee exposure to AN conducted pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section.

Observation procedures.

Appendixes. The information contained in the appendixes is not intended, by itself, to create any additional obligation not otherwise imposed, or to detract from any obligation.