Hazards of Hexavalent Chromium in the Workplace

DisclaimerThis material was produced under grant number SH-22248-11-60-F-54 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Identify hexavalent chromium exposures in industry

Describe health effects of hexavalent chromium

Identify engineering controls to limit exposure

Describe work practice controls to limit exposure

Determine type of respirator usage

A toxic form of chromium metal used in many industrial applications, primarily for its anti-corrosive properties.May be generated during welding on stainless steel or metal coated with chromate paint.Used in electroplating (chrome plating).

*Products that contain hexavalent chromium

ProductTypes of Hexavalent Chromium Chemicals pigments in paints, inks, and plasticslead chromate (chrome yellow, chrome green, molybdenum orange) zinc chromate barium chromate calcium chromate potassium dichromate sodium chromate anti-corrosion coatings (chrome plating, spray coatings) chromic trioxide (chromic acid) zinc chromate barium chromate calcium chromate sodium chromate strontium chromatestainless steel and other high chromium alloyshexavalent chromium (when cast, welded, or torch cut) textile dyesammonium dichromate potassium chromate potassium dichromate sodium chromate wood preservationchromium trioxideleather tanningammonium dichromate

Chrome plating or electroplatingWelding or cutting on stainless steel.Grinding on object with chromate paint.Painting operations and paint removal.Glass manufacturing

Inhalation of dust, mist or fumes containing hex chrome or formation of hex chrome from hot processes.

Eye or skin contact with liquids or dust containing hex chrome.

Lung cancer

Nasal septum ulcers or perforations

Bronchitis or asthma

Skin effects chrome hole

Cancer risk from Cr (VI) at new PEL is higher than asbestos and benzene risk at their PELsAsbestos: 6.7 deaths per 1000 workersBenzene: 10 deaths per 1000 workersChrome VI: 10-45 excess lung cancer deaths per 1000 workers for 45 years of exposure at new PEL of 5 ug/m3This is the most important slide of the presentationThe health risks of Hex Chrome at the PEL are greater than Asbestos or Benzene at their PEL

Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) 8 hour average exposure limit 5 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m) in air

Action level (AL) 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter (g/m) in air

If initial air monitoring concentration is:

Below the AL

At or above AL

Above the PEL

Then:

No further monitoring

Monitor every 6 months

Monitor every 3 months

An area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of chromium 6 is, or can be expected to be, in excess of the PEL.

The employer shall ensure that regulated areas are demarcated from the rest of the workplace.

The employer shall limit access to regulated areas to:Persons authorized by the employer and required by work duties to be present in the regulated areaDesignated representative of employees for the purpose of observing monitoring procedures.

Exhaust ventilation is the most common way to reduce airborne exposure of chrome 6.Place the exhaust duct close the welding point to effectively capture the most fume.Other types of engineering controls can be used.

Always wear your respirator in the areas where it is required.Dont eat, drink or smoke in the area where there is chrome 6.When you take a break, wash your hands before eating, drinking or smoking.

Keep your head out of the plume.Use available local exhaust ventilation at all times.Welding on stainless steel in a confined space will likely require both exhaust ventilation and the use of a respirator.

List worksite specific work practices that reduce or control exposures.

The employer shall provide respiratory protection for employees during: (1) Time needed to install or implement feasible engineering and work practice controls; (2) Work operations for which engineering and work practice controls are not feasible; (3) Work operations where all feasible engineering and work practice controls and such controls are not sufficient to reduce exposures to or below the PEL; (4) Work operations where employees are exposed above the PEL for fewer than 30 days per year, and the employer has elected not to implement engineering and work practice controls to achieve the PEL; or (5) Emergencies.

When respirators are required, a respirator program will be followed that meets the requirements of OSHAs Respiratory Protection standard 1910.134

Respirators must be worn at all times when chrome 6 is above PEL.Must fit properly to prevent leaks.Must have a fit testNo beardsMust have a respirator medical evaluation.

List or describe what respirators must be used under what conditions, job tasks, or locations.

Employer will provide PPE where skin or eye contact with chrome 6 is present or likely to be present. PPE may include goggles, gloves, helmet, coveralls.Remove all PPE after work is completed and dont wear or take it home.

Dont remove chrome 6 from clothing by blowing (compressed air) or shaking or any means that disperses it into the air.Employer must launder, repair and replace protective clothing for you.

Where protective clothing is required and skin contact with chrome 6 may occur, employers must provide:Change rooms with separate storage facilities for work clothes and street clothes.Washing facilities to be used to wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking and at the end of the work shift.

All surfaces are maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of chromium 6.All spills and releases of chromium 6 containing material are cleaned up promptly.Cleaned by HEPA-filter vacuuming or other methods that minimize the likelihood of exposure to chromium 6.Waste, scrap, debris, and any other materials contaminated with chromium 6 are disposed of in sealed, impermeable bags or containers.

Employer must provide medical exams for all employees:Who are or may be occupationally exposed to chromium 6 at or above the action level for 30 or more days a year;Experiencing signs or symptoms of the adverse health effects associated with chromium 6 exposure; orExposed in an emergency.

Within 30 days after initial assignmentAnnuallyWithin 30 days after a doctor recommends additional examsWhen employees shows signs or symptoms of chrome 6 exposureWithin 30 days after exposure during an emergency.At the termination of employment

Medical and work historyCr(VI) exposure (past, present, future)History of respiratory system dysfunctionHistory of asthma, dermatitis, skin ulceration or nasal system perforationSmoking status and historyPhysical examination, with emphasis on the respiratory tract and skinAny additional tests deemed appropriate by the healthcare professional

You have the right to see any of your medical records related to chrome 6.

You also have the right to see results of any air sampling done, or other chrome exposure date.

Hexavalent chromium compounds are almost always man-made and are used in a variety of industries.Some of the prominent uses of hexavalent chromium in industry include chromate pigments in dyes, inks, andplastics, chrome-plating in which chromium metal is deposited on a surface using chromic acid and chromatesused to prevent corrosion in paints, primers and other coatings.Hexavalent chromium is essential to a number of industrial applications: chromate pigments are used in dyes, inkand plastics, chromic acid is used in chrome plating and chromates are used to prevent corrosion in paints andother coatings. While these compounds can be very beneficial, they can also be harmful or lethal to thoseemployees exposed to them.**If a metal structure, airplane or vehicle has a green primer, it probably is zinc chromate. But you cant tell by color alone and often a paint chip would need to be sent to a lab to analyze for hexavalent chromium.The use of hexavalent chromium in wood preservation and leather tanning had declined greatly in recent years. The operation of treating wood with hexavalent chromium is not covered by this standard, but construction activities using treated lumber is covered. There are several ways chromium 6 can enter our bodies; these are called routes of entry. Inhalation is the primary route of entry. Employees can inhale dusts, mists and fumes containing chromium6 while performing tasks such as welding on stainless steel or applying paints and coatings containingchromates.*The primary health effect of concern is lung cancer caused by airborne exposures to hexavalent chromium. Chronic inhalation increases the risk of lung cancer. All Cr(VI) compounds are considered to be carcinogenic.

Symptoms from breathing Cr(VI) may include runny nose, sneezing, coughing, itching, and a burning sensation from irritation or damage to the nose, throat, and lung. In severe cases sores can develop in the nose and result in nosebleeds. Ulcers can develop and with continuous exposure, permanent perforations (holes) in the nasal septum (the wall separating the nasal passages) can occur, as seen in the photo of a worker employed in a chrome plating shop.In some cases employees become allergic and sensitized to hexavalent chromium so that inhaling chromate compounds can cause work-related asthma, such as wheezing and shortness of breath.

*To prevent workers from suffering one or more of these ailments, OSHA has established regulations toprotect workers from the hazards of hexavalent chromium.*When levels of hexavalent chromium cannot be reduced below 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter of airaveraged over an 8-hour work shift, your employer will establish a program of exposure assessments. This 2.5microgram per cubic meter measurement is known as the action level. Exposure assessments use air sampling and measurements to determine an employees exposure tochromium 6. The purpose of the exposure assessment is to ensure that employee exposure levels do not exceedthe permissible exposure limit. When changes occur in the workplace that may affect exposure levels, such as the introduction of newmaterials, additional exposure assessments will be performed.

Notification of air monitoring resultsIf air monitoring shows chrome 6 levels in the air exceed the PEL we must:Notify you within 5 days in construction or within 15 days in general industry.Describe to you in writing what corrective actions we will take to reduce your exposure below the PEL.*OSHAs industrial regulation for chromium 6, 1910.1026, requires that regulated areas be establishedwhen an employees exposure to chromium 6 is expected to be above the permissible exposure limit. Your employer will mark these areas with signs, barricades or other methods. Make sure you know howyour company designates these areas. Do not drink, eat, smoke or apply cosmetics in regulated areas. If fact, do not even bring food, drinks,cigarettes or similar items into these areas at all; they can easily become contaminated. Only authorized persons wearing required protective equipment are permitted to enter regulated areas.*Local exhaust ventilation can be used in stainless steel welding or welding, cutting or grinding on metal structures coated with chromate paint, or when spray painting with chromate-containing paints. General room or building ventilation will usually not provide enough air movement to lower chrome 6 levels below the permissible exposure limit. Other engineering controls will depend on the type of operation and exposure to chrome 6.

Spray painting can be controlled with the use of well ventilated spray booths or rooms. Some hand-held grinders with built-in exhaust ventilation can be used when grinding on metal coated with chromate primer paint.

Also, isolating the source of exposure with barriers and reducing the hazard with ventilation and exhaustsystems are examples of engineering controls.

Changing a process to reduce exposure is another example. For example, TIG welding on stainless steelreduces exposure compared to traditional stick welding.

If engineering and work practice controls do not sufficiently reduce exposure, then appropriate respiratorsmust be used to further reduce employee exposure to the permissible exposure limit or below.

Work rotation use as an exposure control is prohibited.**When airborne concentrations of chromium cannot consistently be reduced below the permissible exposurelimit, respiratory protection will be necessary. When this is the case, your employer will implement a respiratory protection program which establishesprocedures for the proper selection and use of respirators in the workplace. Part of the respiratory protection program requires employees receive a medical evaluation to ensure they arephysically able to use a respirator and undergo a series of fit testing procedures to ensure a proper fit. The company will provide you with a respirator that will protect you against airborne chromium exposures.You will receive training in the proper use, storage and maintenance of the respirator.**You will also be supplied with protective clothing and equipment if skin or eye contact with hexavalentchromium is likely. Be sure you know precisely what protection is needed for each job task you perform and be sure you wear it.Simple tasks may only require gloves for adequate protection while others may require a higher level ofprotection.*After coming in contact with chromium while performing a job task, dont attempt to blow or shake it off ofyour equipment or clothing. This can disperse it into the air or onto your body. Your employer has set aside a specific area for you to remove contaminated clothing. Make sure to placecontaminated items in the lockers or containers designated by your company. After removing your clothing, you should go to an approved washing facility to cleanse any areas where skincontact has occurred. Make sure to thoroughly wash your hands and face. If you have a break room or other area at the facility where food and beverages are consumed, remove anycontaminated clothing and decontaminate yourself before entering these areas.*If you must change out of your street clothes to use protective clothing and equipment, you are required to doso in a change room. Change rooms must have separate storage facilities for street and work clothing to preventcontamination of employees street clothes. You are only required to use the change room if you have to remove your street clothes. If you can weargloves, aprons or other equipment effectively over your street clothes, putting them on in a change room is notnecessary.*When dealing with chromium 6, proper housekeeping is critical to minimize exposure. Chromium 6 that settles on ledges, equipment, floors and other surfaces should be removed as soon aspossible to prevent it from becoming airborne and to minimize the risk of skin contact. Clean surfaces contaminated with Chromium 6 with a HEPA-filtered vacuum or by wet sweeping or wetscrubbing. Dry brushing, sweeping and using compressed air are usually prohibited because they disperse chromiuminto the air.*When the action level is reached, a program of medical surveillance is implemented. Medical surveillance isthe process by which an employee is examined to a) determine if he or she can be exposed to chromium 6without experiencing adverse health effects; b) identify chromium 6 related adverse health effects, soappropriate intervention measures can be taken; and c) determine the employees fitness to use personalProtective equipment such as respirators.These tests, which must be conducted by a physician or other licensed health care professional, will beprovided to employees who are exposed at or above the action level for 30 days or more per year, experiencingsigns or symptoms of adverse health effects associated with hexavalent chromium or involved in significant andunexpected exposures.*When the action level is reached, a program of medical surveillance is implemented. Medical surveillance isthe process by which an employee is examined to a) determine if he or she can be exposed to chromium 6without experiencing adverse health effects; b) identify chromium 6 related adverse health effects, soappropriate intervention measures can be taken; and c) determine the employees fitness to use personalprotective equipment such as respirators.*The medical exam will consist of a medical work history that focuses on your past, present and anticipatedfuture exposure to chromium 6 and any health problems that could be compounded by exposure. You will undergo an examination of your skin and respiratory tract as well as any additional tests the healthcare professional deems appropriate.After the exam, a written medical opinion will be issued within 30 days to your employer. This writtenopinion will include whether you have a medical condition which places you at increased risk of impaired healthfrom further exposure to chromium 6; any medical conditions related to chromium 6 exposure that requirefurther evaluation or treatment; and, any recommended limitations that should be placed on your exposure tochromium 6 or any limitations in the use of a respirator or other PPE.*