ARCHIVED REPORTS_2015 TPR - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

resulted in bath defects. Inhalation Of lower levels (_10,000 ppm) had no effect. Exposure of male rats at X00 ppm had no effect. Commonly -used fluoro- I ohs probably do not affect human reproduction. However, a pregnant woman should minimi gnze her ex- posure to any organic solvent, including fluorocarbons, until they effects have been studied more thoroughly. TESTS FOR EXPOSURE OR MEDICAL EFFECTS Fluorocarbons are mostly eliminated from your body within a day or so. There is no medical or laboratory test that can accurately measure the amount of fluoro- carbons in your body, or that can identify any damage that fluorocarbons might cause. Therefore; testing is not recommended or legally required. However, iris generally recommended that workers who are frequently exposed to fluorocarbons or other hazardous substances receive a complete physical ex- amination, including an occupational and medical his- tory, at the beginning of employment. Periodic follow- up examinations are also recommended. LEGAL EXPOSURE LIMITS liforoia's bei Division of Occupational Safety and ccalth (DOSH, or CaUOSHA) sets and enforocs workplace chemical exposure limits. CallOSHA has established workplace Permissible Exposure ts (PELs) for some fluorocarbons. Cal/OSHA's PELs for fluorocarbons are listed in the table below. By law, your average exposure during any single 8 -hour workday must not exceed the PEL. Your exposure may legally be above the PEL at times but only if it is below the PEL at other time so that your average expo- sure for any 8 -hour workshift is not higher than the PEL.. For FC -12 and FC -1L9, CaUOSHA has also set "excursion " limits which must not be exceeded for more than 30 minute during any &hour work - shift, and "ceiling" 1'units which must never be ex - seeded at anytime. The PF1s for fluorocarbons are usually expressed as ppm" (parts of the chemical per million parts of air), or sometimes as "mg/m3" (milligrams of the chemical per cubic meter of car). PEls have not been estab- lisped for infrequcntly-used fluorocarbons whose potential health effects have not been studied, if you have any of the symptoms described above while you are working with fluorocarbons, you maybe ex- posed at more than the legal exposure limits. Talk to your supervssor and/or your union. If any worker might be exposed to a substance at more than the legal axposure limit, the employer must measure the amount of the chemical its the air in the work area (Cal/OSHA regulation GISO 5155). You have the right to see the results of such monitoring relevant to your work (California GISO 3204 and US. 29 CFR 191020). e You also have the right to see and copy your own med- Soal records and records of your exposure to toxic sub- stances. These records are important in determining whether your health has been affected by your work. If your employers have such records, they must keep them and make them available to you for at least 30 years after the end of your employment. REDUCING YOUR EXPOSURE Your employer is required to protect you Erom ng exposed to chemicals at levels above the legal limits. Sec the "Resources" section on page 4 for information about how CaUOSHA and Cal/OSHA Consultation Service can help you and your employer. Substitution: The most effective way to reduce hazard- ous chemical exposures is to use safer chemicals in place of more dangerous ons. However, the health and safety hazards of other organic solvents must be PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMEYS FOR'FLUOROCARBONS Chemical EEL 3 Number Chemical Name Formula ppm mg/m FC -11 trichlorofluoromethane CC13F 1000 5600 FC -12 dichlorodifluoromethane CCI2172 1000° 4950• FC -12132 dibromodifluoromethane CBr2F2 100 860 FC -13B1 bromotrifluoromethane CBrF3 1000 6100 FC -21 diehlorofluoromethane CHC12F 10 42 FC -22 chlorodifluoromethanc CHCIF2 1000 3500 FC -112 1,1,2,2-temachloro-1,2-dinuoroethane CC12FCC12F 500 4170 FC -112a 1,1,1,2-tetrachloro-2,2.difluoroethane CCI3CCIF2 500 4170 FCA13 1,1,2-trichloro-1,7,24rifluororthane CCl2FCC1F2 1000°° 7600" FC414 1,24chlorotmrafluoroethane CCIF2CCIF2 1000 7000 FC -115 chloropentafluoroethane CCiFs 1000 6320 The FC -12 "excursion" limit is 2.500 ppm; the "ceiling" limit is 6200 ppm. ® The FC -113 "excursion" limit is 1500 ppm; the "ceiling" limit is 2001 ppm.