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Austin Road Landfill Health&Safety Plan Austin Road Landfill,Stockton,California Page 5 2.3.3 Ingestion Ingestion of chemicals generally occurs only when workers do not follow proper decontamination procedures prior to eating. 2.3.4 Biologic Hazards Sanitary landfills receiving waste prior to 1980 (pre-Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or pre- RCRA), should particularly be considered suspect for the presence of biologic hazards. Biological hazards including hospital and laboratory materials may be encountered at sanitary landfills. These materials may contain microorganisms which cause hepatitis and influenza as well as other viral and bacterial diseases. Plants such as poison ivy, oak, and sumac that elicit allergic skin reactions in sensitive individuals are also biologic hazards. Even when not transmitting disease or producing allergic reactions, insects and other invertebrates such as bees and wasps, fire ants, and biting flies which produce painful irritations should be considered hazardous. Awareness of the potential biological hazards that may be encountered at the Austin Rd or NCYCC sites is important to avoid potentially harmful situations. 2.3.5 Injury from Falling Objects Injury from falling objects, such as hammers, can occur whenever work activities are performed above the worker (eg, on a drill rig). To prevent such injuries, all workers are required to wear protective headgear (ie, hard hat) in the vicinity of overhead equipment or whenever overhead work is being performed. 2.3.6 Hearing Loss Hearing loss can occur whenever the worker is exposed to excessive noise levels. To prevent this type of injury, all workers will be supplied with earplugs to be worn when necessary. A good rule-of-thumb is that if workers must shout to be heard when standing only a few feet from each other, earplugs should be used. Furthermore, all noise producing equipment(ie, drill rigs)will be maintained in peak operating condition to reduce their noise levels. 2.3.7 Weather Related Stress Weather related stress can occur from both heat and cold, and can cause decreased motor skills and impaired judgement,which in turn can lead to injuries through impaired judgement or physical trauma. 2.3.7.1 Cold Stress The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has developed threshold limit values (TLVs) in the form of work/warm up schedules for working in ambient air temperatures below-15°F. The ACGIH has also developed criteria to describe exposures to cold working conditions under which nearly all workers can be repeatedly exposed without adverse health effects. If work is performed continuously in an equivalent chill temperature of 20°F or less workers will be encouraged to use heated warming shelters at regular intervals, the frequency depending on the severity of the environmental exposure. When entering the heated shelter, the outer layer of clothing will be removed and the remainder of the clothing loosened to permit sweat evaporation. Workers will be encouraged to drink warm liquids to prevent dehydration, although the intake of coffee or other caffeinated beverages should be limited. For work activities at or below an equivalent chill temperature of 10°F, workers will be under constant supervision and heavy sweating must be avoided. All workers will be trained in: