This information is not intended to be used as a substitute for regulations and codes.  Each individual situation may require a unique assessment, which can only be determined with consultation from an IEA professional.  Please refer to the OSHA Standard and other applicable laws for a more comprehensive analysis or call IEA. 

For additional questions, please contact IEA.

Health & Safety
     What laws protect my right to a safe workplace?
     What rights does the OSH Act, implemented by OSHA, give me?
     What steps should I take if I'm injured at work?
     What is Lockout / Tagout (LOTO)?
     Are employers responsible for providing sharp containers for employees . . .
     Which employees in my organization must be trained?
     Should part-time and temporary employees be trained?

Indoor Air Quality
     What causes mold to develop?
     How does mold get into a building?
     Are there harmful and non-harmful molds?
     Does mold affect everyone the same way?
     Should I use bleach to get rid of mold?
     Where can I get more information about mold/IAQ?

Asbestos
     What is asbestos?
     How would I come into contact with (be exposed to) asbestos?
     Does asbestos exposure cause health problems?
     Where can I get more information about asbestos?

HEALTH & SAFETY

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What laws protect my right to a safe workplace?
Federal and state laws protect you from an unsafe workplace.  The main federal law covering threats to workplace safety is the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the " §651 and following).  The OSH Act gives you a number of rights if you think that something unsafe is happening in your workplace.

Most state laws track the federal law fairly closely.  To find out about workplace safety laws in your state, contact your state labor department.

What rights does the OSH Act, implemented by OSHA, give me?
If your workplace poses an imminent threat to your life, the OSH Act gives you the right to refuse to work.

Even if your workplace does not pose imminent danger, however, the OSH Act gives you many important rights.  You can benefit from these rights only if you understand and assert them.

The following is just a sample of some of your rights under the Act:

You can get training from your employer on health and safety standards that your employer must follow. You can get training from your employer on any dangerous chemicals you are exposed to and on ways you can protect yourself from harm. You can get training from your employer on any other health and safety hazards (such as construction hazards or bloodborne pathogens) that might exist in your workplace. You can request information form your employer about OSH Act standards, worker injuries and illnesses, job hazards and workers' rights. You can directly request your employer to cure any hazards or OSH Act violations. You can file a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). You can request that OSHA visit your workplace. You can find out the results of an OSHA inspection. You can file a complaint with OSHA if your employer retaliates against you for asserting your rights under the act. You can request the federal government to research possible workplace hazards.

For more information on OSHA or to get contact information for your nearest OSHA office, visit the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration website at www.osha.gov.

What steps should I take if I am injured at work?
If you have been injured by a hazard that should be eliminated before it injures someone else, take the following steps as quickly as possible after obtaining the proper medical treatment:

Immediately file a claim for workers' compensation benefits so that your medical bills will be paid and you will be compensated for your lost wages and injury.  In some states, the amount you receive from a workers' comp claim will be larger if a violation of a state workplace safety law contributed to your injury. Point out to your employer that a continuing hazard or dangerous condition exists.  As with most workplace safety complaints, the odds of getting your employer to resolve the problem will be greater if other employees join in your complaint. If your employer does not eliminate the hazard promptly, file a complaint with OSHA and any state or local agency that you think may be able to help.  For example, if your complaint is about hazardous waste disposal, you may be able to track down a specific local group that has been successful in investigating similar complaints in the past. If the hazard poses an imminent life threat to you or other workers, you can call OSHA's emergency telephone line at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

What is Lockout / Tagout (LOTO?
LOTO is the physical restraint of all hazardous energy sources that supply power to a piece of equipment, machinery or system.  LOTO also includes applying a warning tag on the physical restraint device.  This documents the authorized LOTO personnel and the date.  LOTO operations must be done on all equipment, machinery or system shut downs before authorized personnel can perform repairs or service.

Most equipment and machinery have an "energy isolation device."  These devices are usually put into the "off" position to shut down the hazardous energy source.  Physical restraints (lock out devices) can be put onto the energy isolation device and secured with padlocks.  Examples of lock out devices include:  ball valve and gate valve lock outs, circuit breaker lock outs, plug and wall switch lock outs and pneumatic lock outs.  The total shut down and restraint of all hazardous energy sources, including the safe release of stored hazardous energy (e.g. capacitors and pressure in a line), must be accounted for.

Are employers responsible for providing sharp containers for employees who are diabetic and need insulin shots in a non-health care related facility?
The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard only applies to occupational exposure to blood.  The employer would not be required to provide a sharps container to an employee using insulin syringes for personal therapeutic reasons.  In order to eliminate potential exposures to other workers, the employer should strongly insist that the employee have his or her own sharps container, and bring that with them to the workplace.

Which employees in my organization must be trained?
All employees with occupational exposure must receive initial and annual training.

Should part-time and temporary employees be trained?
Part-time and temporary employees are covered and are also to be trained on company time.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

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What causes mold to develop?
Mold requires nutrients, water, oxygen and favorable temperatures to grow. 

Nutrients for mold are present in dead, organic material such as wood, paper or fabrics.  Mold can also derive nutrients from some synthetic products such as paints and adhesives.

Mold requires moisture--although some mold species can obtain that moisture from moist air when the relative humidity is above 70%.

Many molds thrive at normal indoor temperatures; few, if any, molds are able to grow below 40° F or above 100° F.  Outside this range, molds may remain dormant or inactive; they may begin to grow again when the temperature is more favorable.  Temperatures well above 100° F kill mold and mold spores, but the exact temperature required to kill specific species is not well established.

How does mold get into a building?
Molds are decomposers of organic material such as wood, plants and animals.  Mold and mold spores are found in high concentrations wherever there is dead matter such as a pile of leaves, manure or compost.  Mold spores enter buildings through the air or on people, animals and objects that are brought into the building.  Spores are small bundles of genetic material and chemicals (similar to seeds) that molds make under certain conditions.

Are there harmful and non-harmful molds?
There are only a few molds that can cause infection in healthy humans.  Some molds cause infections only in people with compromised immune systems.  The biggest health problem from exposure to mold is allergy and asthma in susceptible people.  There are more than 100,000 types of mold.  Good information has been developed for only a small number of these molds - at least in terms of their effects on human health.  Most people tolerate exposure to moderate levels of many different molds without any apparent adverse health effects.

Some molds produce powerful chemicals called "mycotoxins" that can produce illness in animals and people.  Scientific knowledge about the health effects of these toxins on humans is quite limited.

Does mold affect everyone the same way?
No.  Some individuals have a genetic makeup that puts them at risk for developing allergies to mold.  People who have an allergy to mold, especially if they also have asthma, can become ill from exposure to a small amount of mold.  Individuals also seem to be quite different in their response to exposure to the toxic chemicals that some molds release.  These differences between the individuals contribute to the difficult question of determining safe exposures limits for mold.

Should I use bleach to get rid of mold?
No.  Although bleach will kill and decolorize mold, it does not remove mold.  Dead mold can still cause allergic reactions.  It is not necessary to kill mold to remove mold.  Soap and water and scrubbing can remove mold from hard surfaces.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the New York City Health Department agree that bleach or other biocides should not routinely be used to clean up mold.

Where can I get more information about mold/IAQ?
Call your local health department first.  Other resources include:

   Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse - 1-800-438-4318.
   Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Moisture, Mold and Mildew.
   Center for Disease Control - Various topics on mold, including information about strains.

ASBESTOS

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What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral found in soil and rock in some areas of the United States.  The six types of asbestos are actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite and tremolite.  These minerals are made up of fibers that vary in size and shape.  Asbestos was widely used for insulation in the United States until the late 1970s.

How would I come into contact with (be exposed to) asbestos?
Inhalation of asbestos fibers is the method of exposure that is most likely to cause adverse health effects for people.  Workers in industries that use asbestos or products containing asbestos (such as building materials) may inhale fibers that are suspended in the air.  This particular problem is especially serious for rescue and demolition workers at situations like the World Trade Center disaster.  Workers may also carry asbestos fibers home on their clothes, where family members might come into contact with asbestos by inhaling the fibers.  Also, people who live or work near asbestos-related operations may inhale asbestos fibers that enter the air because of releases of materials into the environment.  Generally, asbestos fibers are thin fibers too small to be seen - as they float in the air, they can easily be inhaled.

The amount of asbestos a person is exposed to will vary according to how many fibers are in the air and how long a person breathes the air containing the fibers.

Between 1940 and 1980, an estimated 27 million American workers had an occupational exposure to asbestos that could result in health effects.

Does asbestos exposure cause health problems?
Health problems are usually related to the amount and length of time of exposure to asbestos.  The more prolonged and intense the exposure, the greater the risk.  After asbestos fibers are breathed in, they can easily enter and become trapped in the airways and lung tissue - the body has difficulty removing the fibers.  Continued exposure to asbestos increases the amount of asbestos that remains in the lungs.  Diseases related to asbestos may not show up until years or decades later.

Where can I get more information about asbestos?

   Environmental Protection Agency - General asbestos information.

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