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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Ventilation calculator for chemical spills?
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2015 8:15:11 AM
Author: Dr Bob <drbob**At_Symbol_Here**FLOWSCIENCES.COM> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Ventilation calculator for chemical spills?
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 15:23:29 +0000
Author: Luis A Samaniego

From: "Stewart, James H." <jstewart**At_Symbol_Here**HSPH.HARVARD.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Ventilation calculator for chemical spills?
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2015 14:10:31 +0000
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: DM2PR07MB304F65DAE8233B30C296FF3EF270**At_Symbol_Here**DM2PR07MB304.namprd07.prod.outlook.com
In-Reply-To


The AIHA developed an Excel application for mathematical exposure modeling called IHMOD that is very easy to use. One of the models in IHMOD is the purging equation. There are also options available to calculate the generation rate, i.e., the mass per unit time of the chemical evaporating from the spill. There are sliders in IHMOD that allow you to vary the ventilation rate and/or the generation rate (size of the spill) and see the impact of the change. The application is free. IHMOD can be downloaded at the following link:


https://www.aiha.org/get-involved/VolunteerGroups/Pages/Exposure-Assessment-Strategies-Committee.aspx

Jim Stewart

Past Chair of the Exposure Assessment Strategies Committee, AIHA


James H. Stewart, Ph.D., C.I.H., CSP

Instructor on Occupational Hygiene

Harvard School of Public Health

Exposure, Epidemiology and Risk Program

Landmark Center 4th Floor

Boston, MA  02115

617-594-4527



From: DCHAS-L Discussion List <dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu> on behalf of Boitumelo Kgarebe <bkgarebe**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2015 3:48 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Ventilation calculator for chemical spills?
 
Colleagues,
Can anyone pls assist me urgently. I head an Occupational Health Analytical Laboratory facility in Johannesburg. We are about to take over a newly renovated organic chemistry lab. An emergency shower has been installed, but with no drainage. We are being told that that is the norm in South Africa.

Apparently, the General Safety Regulations framed under the OHS Act, Regulation 3 (9) states that “Where an employee at a workplace is exposed or can be exposed to a potential hazard of injury to or absorption through the skin as a result of sudden contact with a large amount of toxic, corrosive, high risk or similar hazardous substance, the employer concerned shall make sure that there is a fast-reacting deluge-shower with clean water or a similar facility in the immediate vicinity of the workplace of such employee and that the employee is trained in the use thereof.” There is no definition of large amount and again no reference to drainage to sewer (or otherwise).
I disagree since this would mean that in the event (hopefully rare) of an accident, an employee will wash off the contaminant and still "stand" in the contaminated water. How are your emergency showers configured?

Regards
Boitumelo Kgarebe
National Institute for Occupational Health
Johannesburg, South Africa 

On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 8:50 PM, Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org> wrote:
From: Mary.Biersack**At_Symbol_Here**westpharma.com

Hello,
I am looking for a good industrial hygiene resource for calculating the evaporation rates of a spilled chemical and the amount of ventilation required to keep the chemical spill below the specific chemicals OSHA PEL (ppm).  Does anyone know of any good computer software programs or calculators?

Thanks,
Mary


Mary Biersack
Lab Safety and Chemical Hygiene Specialist
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
P: +1 610-594-3278
530 Herman O. West Drive | Exton, PA 19341 | United States
mary.biersack**At_Symbol_Here**westpharma.com


Find West on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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