Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: HEAT

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees: Employees were exposed to the following two anesthetic gases in excess of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ceiling limit of two ppm: Desflurane and Isoflurane. Air sampling was performed on November 27, 2001 at Datex-Ohmeda where employees in Tec 4 (strip 1 and autotest), Tec 5 (purge & fill and autotest) and Tec 6 (new built, fill station, purge, strip and drain) were overexposed to the anesthetic gases, desflurane and isoflurane, in excess of 2 ppm. A feasible and useful method to correct this hazard includes utilizing the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to contribute to the dilution and removal of anesthetic gases. Airflow should be increased to allow for more air mixing and further dilution. A dedicated exhaust system may also be used to collect the gases and discharge to the outdoors. Additionally, implementing a monitoring program every six months to measure airborne levels of anesthetic gases in the breathing zone or immediate work area would ensure that engineering controls were aiding in the reduction of exposure.