Identification and Risk Assessment for Occupational Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Insecticides in a Chemical Process Plants with Introducing Corrective and Prevention Actions
Subject Areas : Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of all specializations
Farima Sobhi
1
,
Fatemeh Ardestani
2
*
1 - Department of Chemical Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr Branch
2 -
Keywords: Chemical risk assessment, Insecticide production industrie, Occupational exposure, Chemicals ,
Abstract :
The insecticides production process is one of the industries in which people are exposed to various chemicals. This study evaluated the risk of occupational exposure to chemicals in an insecticide factory in order to determine jobs and provide solutions to reduce the risk of under-considered jobs. This study is cross-sectional and it was carried out in one of the insecticide production industries. The method presented by the Institute of Occupational Safty and Health of Singapore was used to assess the risk of chemicals. For this purpose, at first, job duties and job processes were determined and the degree of exposure of employees to each of the identified chemicals was determined. Filling by interaction of these two parameters in the final formula risk levels were obtained for each material. The results showed that the under-study employees are in contact with 16 chemicals including xylene, vinyl acetate, toluene, ethyl benzene, normal butyl acetate, normal hexane, benzene propyl, diethyl benzene, trimethyl benzene, promethrin, detrains althrin, tetramethri, sodium nitrite and cypermethrin. Among the mentioned cases, the highest risk was vinyl acetate for all jobs and toluene, ethyl benzene, methyl cyclohexane, permethri, detrans althrin, tetramethrin, sodium nitrite and cypermethrin had the average risk. Employees working in the production hall have been exposed to high levels of toxic vinyl acetate vapors. Using a proper ventilation system, and closing the balance of tanks to reduce vapor emissions could reduce people’s exposure time was recommended as a control method.
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