Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine is the premier workplace health and safety publication in Canada. We cover a wide range of topics ranging from office to heavy industry, and from general safety management to specific workplace hazards.
Issue link: https://digital.thesafetymag.com/i/358706
November 2013 27 A fi ve-o'clock shadow may be in fashion for men of modern taste. But this style makes Jim Duthie itch if he sees workers at Valeant Pharmaceuticals sporting it. Duthie, the health, safety and environment manager at Valeant's Steinbach, Man., facility, explains that a man's facial hair compromises the seal between a respirator and the wear- er's skin. This gap could let dangerous gases, vapours or particulates bypass the respirator's protection mecha- nisms. If the worker inhaled a toxic substance, he could fall ill or even die. This facial hair matter threatens to skirt corporate health and safety processes. As Duthie explains, a worker may arrive for a respirator fi t test with no hint of stubble. In that case, the respirator seals the wearer away from contaminants just fi ne. "But if, on the following Monday, he's still a bit unshaven from the week- end, the seal is gone," Duthie says. To deal with this, Valeant supervisors vigilantly monitor workers to make sure employees are close-shaven as per company rules. WORKING DANGEROUSLY Respirator fi t testing is just one of the challenges for health and safety professionals who support the pharmaceutical industry. This is a dan- gerous sector. Employees involved in research, development and manufac- turing face exposure to particles, gases or vapours emitted by products or produced during the manufacturing process, explains Lynn Feiner, a prod- uct-line leader at Honeywell Safety Products in Cranston, R.I. "The newest trend is micron particles," she says, referencing min- iscule items that measure in the millionths of a metre. "Scientists are still debating the risks these may have." The culture of innovation that drives the sector also drives up the risk count. Drug manufacturers work with peculiar substances, attempting to beat competitors by creating unique products. In this inventive environ- ment, workers may be exposed to material that is so new, no govern- ment or regulator has established exposure limits for it yet. "Sometimes we have no good way to determine how much of a bio- logical agent is too much," says Dan Curts, senior technical specialist at 3M BREATHING A fi ve-o'clock shadow may particles," she says, referencing min- iscule items that measure in the millionths of a metre. "Scientists are still debating the risks these may have." The culture of innovation that drives the sector also drives up the risk BREATHING BREATHING BREATHING A respiratory protection program includes several components: • hazard identifi cation and control • exposure assessment • respirator selection • respirator fi t testing • training program • inspection and record-keeping • cleaning and sanitizing respirators • repairing and maintaining respirators • proper storage of respirators • health surveillance • standard operating procedures • program evaluation • respirator selection • respirator fi t testing • inspection and record-keeping • cleaning and sanitizing • repairing and maintaining • standard operating procedures • program evaluation • program evaluation Source: CCOHS 1-800-BRADLEY | BRADLEYCORP.COM/HALO In an emergency, the Bradley di erence is clear The Halo design provides a superior coverage area and wash pattern to deliver the most e ective contaminant relief. It's the rst design with separate supply and waste pipes eliminating the chance of cross contamination. Now the Halo line has expanded to include swing-activated units with ceramic disc technology and stainless steel models for corrosive environments. In an emergency, the Bradley di erence is clear The Halo design provides a superior coverage area In an emergency, the Bradley di erence is clear The Halo design provides Clear Relief.