The OSHA standards that recommend against contact lenses (Acrylonitrile, Ethylene oxide, Dibromochloropropane (DBCP), 4,4'-Methylenedianiline, 1,3-Butadiene, and Methylene chloride) date from well before it was shown that the presence or absence of contacts made no significant different in most chemical exposure situations. So does the 1981 Prudent Practices. Peter Zavon, CIH Penfield, NY PZAVON**At_Symbol_Here**Rochester.rr.com > -----Original Message----- > From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] > On Behalf Of List Moderator > Sent: Monday, November 10, 2008 1:04 PM > To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU > Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Shorts and Skirts in Labs > > From: Diane.Amell**At_Symbol_Here**state.mn.us > Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Shorts and Skirts in Labs > Date: November 10, 2008 11:01:03 AM EST > > You are correct. Federal OSHA, NIOSH, and several other > groups have all removed restrictions on contact lenses in > most settings. Proper eye and face protection is still > required. (Apparently, some people believed incorrectly that > contact lenses by themselves were adequate eye protection.) > > The best summary on the subject is the NIOSH Current > Intelligence Bulletin 59: Contact Lens Use in a Chemical > Environment, which can be found at > http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-139/. Articles on the > subject were published in the Volume 2 Number 1 (January/February > 1995) and Volume 9 Number 2 (March/April 2002) issues of > Chemical Health & Safety. > > Federal OSHA standards that recommend against the use of > contacts in certain chemical environments include: > Acrylonitrile > Ethylene oxide > Dibromochloropropane (DBCP) > 4,4'-Methylenedianiline > 1,3-Butadiene > Methylene chloride > Recent federal OSHA documents have recommended that contacts > not be worn in dusty environments or around anhydrous > ammonia. The recommendations against contacts in the federal > lab standard > (1910.1450) came from the 1981 version of Prudent Practices in the > Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals. It would be > interesting to ask our colleague working on the latest > edition where they are headed. > > - Diane Amell, MNOSHA >
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post