Long-term ethylene oxide exposure trends in US hospitals: relationship with OSHA regulatory and enforcement actions

American Journal of Public Health
A D LaMontagneRuth N Lopez Turley

Abstract

We assessed long-term trends in ethylene oxide (EtO) worker exposures for the purposes of exposure surveillance and evaluation of the impacts of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 1984 and 1988 EtO standards. We obtained exposure data from a large commercial vendor and processor of EtO passive dosimeters. Personal samples (87,582 workshift [8-hr] and 46,097 short-term [15-min] samples) from 2265 US hospitals were analyzed for time trends from 1984 through 2001 and compared with OSHA enforcement data. Exposures declined steadily for the first several years after the OSHA standards were set. Workshift exposures continued to taper off and have remained low and constant through 2001. However, since 1996, the probability of exceeding the short-term excursion limit has increased. This trend coincides with a decline in enforcement of the EtO standard. Results indicate the need for renewed intervention efforts to preserve gains made following the passage and implementation of the 1984 and 1988 EtO standards.

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Citations

Mar 15, 2006·Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene·Margaret M QuinnCatherine J Galligan
Sep 15, 2007·Accident; Analysis and Prevention·Rwth StuckeyMalcolm Sim
Mar 14, 2007·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Lee C YongJohn K Wiencke
Oct 19, 2016·American Journal of Industrial Medicine·Emile TompaEmma Irvin
Feb 6, 2018·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·Henk F van der MolenJos H Verbeek
Dec 14, 2012·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·Henk F van der MolenJos H Verbeek

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