EU: Project SCAFFOLD proposals for OEL’s and worker protection

Kai Savolainen8th EU-US Joint Conference on Health and Safety at Work, Fort Worth, Texas 17-19 September 2015

Exposure to engineered nanomaterials in the working environment

Nanotechnology in Finland and workers dealing with nanotechnology

• At the end of 2013, 796 companies (voluntary registry of Ministry of Employment and Commerce) associated with ENM/ nanotechnologies - 36 companies in 2006

• These companies had 22,000 workers dealing with nanotechnologies

• The number of workers exposed, ENM used, or levels of exposure to ENM are not known - data only on small groups studied by FIOH

No health surveys of workers exposed to ENM in Finland

• In Finland, there are no ENM OEL, or guidance for health surveys for workers

• FIOH has though proposed ENM target values based on Provisional-Nano-Reference Values (Dutch values)

• There are more requests by (large) companies how to carry out ENM exposure assessment, and what to survey when ENM exposure takes place

Ongoing development in Finland and other EU Member States

• FIOH has been a partner in a EU 7FP funded SCAFFOLD Project (ended April 30, 2015) exploring workers in the construction sector

• The following statements are generalizations based on those produced by the SCAFFOLD Project

Exposure to ENM takes place

• FIOH has carried out measurements in a company producing computer and mobile device displays using CNT (nanobuds); low levels of exposure measured – only a small group of exposed workers

• Assessment of exposure to nano-pigments conducted during laser ablation of nano-enabled paints from covers of mobile phones – a very small group of workers identified

Requirements for the future

• There is a need to develop risk control and management measures for surveys, epidemiological studies:– tools for exposure and hazard and risk

assessment and risk management (Control banding, OEL)

– Guidance for periodic health & exposure surveys for workplaces are necessary

SCAFFOLD CONCLUSIONS ON OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LEVELS (OEL)

Material OEL

Amorphous silicon dioxide 8 h OEL for the respirable fraction 0.3 mg/m3

Titanium dioxide 8 h OEL 0.1 mg/m3

Carbon nanofibres and nanocellulose

OEL 0.01 fibres/cm3 based on the precautionary principle

Nanoclays No OEL

General, low-toxicity dust 0.3 mg/m3 for the respirable fraction

4 mg/m3 for the inhalable fraction

The following recommendations are given for workplaces (in the construction industry) in which workers are exposed to ENM

• Identify products & sources of exposure• Conduct risk assessment, e.g. Control Banding • Engineering controls + other risk reduction

means• Registry For ENM exposed workers• Medical surveillance to workers (periodic

health checks at 1 - 5 y interval)• For workers to be exposed to hazardous

ENM (CNT), regular follow-up

SURVEYS: WORKERS’ HEALTH DURING EXPOSURE TO NANOMATERIALS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The interval between examinations 1 - 5 years depending on exposures and the age of the worker with the following contents: 1.work history, medical history2.clinical examination; hearing; lung function3.chest X-ray (fibrogenic dusts)4.worker feedback5.feedback on work ability to employer

Epidemiological studies in the future

• So far, the exposed groups identified do not enable execution of epidemiological studies in most countries because of the small numbers of workers exposed to a given ENM

• This situation may change in the future in the construction and other industry sectors; there is a need for these studies

Nanosafety Research Centre

www.ttl.fi/nanosafetycentre

nanoinfo@ttl.fi

Thank you for your attention!