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i <br /> Fire, Electrical and Noise Hazards: <br /> * Underground gas and product lines, and <br /> * excessive machinery noise. <br /> Due to the nature of drilling or excavating, there is a risk for <br /> electrical shock from overhead and underground electrical lines. <br /> There is also a risk of physical injury from moving machinery and <br /> heavy drilling or excavating equipment. <br /> 4. DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL CHEMICAL HAZARDS <br /> The Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for compounds that are <br /> potentially present on site are included in Appendix A. <br /> 4. 1 Hydrocarbon Vapors <br /> Hydrocarbon vapors expected to be encountered consist of gasoline <br /> or gasoline constituents, however the levels of these vapors are <br /> expected to be at levels which should cause no deleterious effects. <br /> Exposure to elevated levels of hydrocarbon vapors presents <br /> potential health risks that need to be properly controlled. <br /> Hydrocarbon vapors will be measured using a calibrated "MiniRAE <br /> Portable Pid. Work practices and methods will be instituted to <br /> limit exposures. Where elevated exposures persists, respiratory <br /> protection will be the primary control method to protect personnel <br /> from inhalation of hydrocarbon vapors. The hydrocarbon vapors <br /> expected to be encountered during project activities are composed <br /> of a variety of volatile refined petroleum compounds. The majority <br /> of these have limited toxicity requiring minimal controls at the <br /> concentrations expected. <br /> Petroleum fuel and solvents consist of hundreds of chemical <br /> compounds. There are certain compounds such as Benzene that <br /> present significant hazards and must be properly controlled. To do <br /> so, a working limit of 100 ppm total hydrocarbon is proposed as the <br /> maximum acceptable level of exposure without respiratory <br /> protection. In a typical situation with 1% of the hydrocarbon <br /> vapors being benzene, a 100 ppmv concentration of total hydrocarbon <br /> will result in a breathing zone of less than 1 ppmv benzene. This <br /> level is one tenth of the current occupational Permissible Exposure <br /> Limit (PEL) for an 8 hour exposure to benzene. <br /> 4.2 Action Levels of Hydrocarbon Components in Petroleum Fuel <br /> Hydrocarbons >100ppm PEL LEL >10% <br /> If hydrocarbon vapors are indicated an evaluation of the levels <br /> will be made and work will continue or not based on this <br /> evaluation. If hydrocarbon vapors exceed 1000 ppmv or 10 ppm <br /> benzene, work will be stopped. The field crew will be instructed <br /> 4 <br />