HEX CHROME& OSHA

1 0 T H I N G S T O K N O W A B O U T

HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM(hex chrome) a carcinogenic substance

produced in a variety of industrial processes like welding and “hot work”

on stainless steels or other metals which contain chromium

Is your facility impacted? Are you taking the proper steps to protect your employees?

Here are some of the most important facts you need to know about hex chrome and

OSHA compliance.

1. Hex chrome exposure can occur in many waysA number of industrial processes used in the manufacture of stainless steel parts carry a risk of hex chrome exposure.

Hex chrome can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Improper hand-washing hygiene can lead to swallowing through food, tobacco or cosmetics.

2. Hex chrome is a known carcinogen that carries multiple health risksLung cancer is the greatest health danger associated with exposure to hex chrome.

Workers may experience sinus irritation, nosebleeds, stomach and nose ulcers, skin rashes, chest tightness and shortness of breath f exposed.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), “an estimated 558,000 U.S. workers are exposed to airborne hex chrome compounds in the workplace.”

3. OSHA sets the standard & enforces compliance, but does not prescribe solutionsIt is not OSHA’s role to prescribe solutions or recommend specific technologies to control hex chrome exposure. Their job is to enforce the hex chrome standard and monitor compliance in industrial workplaces.

It is the employer’s responsibility to understand the hazards of Hex Chrome and engineer the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) into their operations.

4. Air monitoring must be performed to determine if you are in complianceOSHA stipulates that every company with a process that generates hex chrome must use monitoring to determine the 8-hour TWA exposure for each worker who is affected.

5. Cartridge-style dust collection/filtration equipment offers the best available control technologyThe best type of filtration system for hex chrome capture will be a high efficiency cartridge-style dust collection system.

The cartridge dust collection system you use must also be equipped with a HEPA safety monitoring filter.

6. Look for filters with the best cleaning and removal characteristicsVertical mounting reduces the load on the filters and helps eliminate the problems associated with horizontal mounting. This allows more efficient pulse cleaning that extends filter service life between change-outs.

7. Don’t mix apples and oranges when comparing filter efficienciesDon’t rely on MERV alone in selecting a dust collector filter.

Mass Density Efficiency, defined as the weight per unit volume of air, is a more relevant predictor of OSHA compliance.

Particle Count Efficiency is based on particle count, and is very useful in evaluating filters at the higher filtration efficiency ranges.

8. Why HEPA filtration is necessary: the math tells the storyThe PEL for hex chrome under the OSHA standard is 5 micrograms per cubic meter – 1,000 times stricter than what a MERV 16 air filter can reliably produce.

The HEPA filter is needed to protect employees at a level required to meet the hex chrome standard. It will also prevent collected dust from re-entering the workspace if there should be a leak in the dust collector’s primary filtering system.

9. Ask the filter manufacturer for performance guaranteesAsk your vendor to provide a written guarantee that the system will keep emissions at or below 5 micrograms per cubic meter at the fan discharge – i.e., downstream of the secondary HEPA filter. They should also be willing to guarantee the emissions performance of the primary dust collector filters.

10. An even more stringent exposure limit may be implemented somedayIn 2013 NIOSH published a report recommending the Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) to all airborne Hex Chrome compounds be reduced to 0.2 μg/m3 for an 8-hr TWA exposure, far below the current 5 μg/m3 threshold.

The NIOSH report serves as an important reminder that hex chrome is an extremely serious health hazard.

READ THE ENTIRE WHITE PAPER!https://www.camfilapc.com/white_papers/hex-chrome/white_paper_requests/new