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Cotton dust is generated into the air as a result of the handling or processing of cotton fibers. This dust may contain a mixture of many substances, including ground-up plant matter, fiber, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, non-cotton matter, and other contaminants. It appears as a whitish solid in fibers and/or particulates, and is also a combustible solid.
Cotton dust is present in the manufacturing of yarn, in slashing and weaving operations, or in waste houses for textile operations. Included in these processes are carding, mixing, blowing, bale breaking, cottonseed oil extraction, batting, ginning, weaving, and harvesting.
Through inhalation, airborne particles of cotton dust may be taken into the body, and can present serious acute and long-term health hazards, such as lung injury.
Scope
This regulation applies to the control of employee exposure to cotton dust in all workplaces where employees engage in yarn manufacturing, in slashing and weaving operations, or work in waste houses for textile operations.
Regulatory citations
- 29 CFR 1910.1043 — Cotton dust
Key definitions
- Blow down: The general cleaning of a room or a part of a room by the use of compressed air.
- Blow off: The use of compressed air for cleaning of short duration and usually for a specific machine or any portion of a machine.
- Cotton dust: Dust present in the air during the handling or processing of cotton, which may contain a mixture of many substances including ground up plant matter, fiber, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, non-cotton plant matter and other contaminants which may have accumulated with the cotton during the growing, harvesting and subsequent processing or storage periods. Any dust present during the handling and processing of cotton through the weaving or knitting of fabrics, and dust present in other operations or manufacturing processes using raw or waste cotton fibers or cotton fiber byproducts from textile mills are considered cotton dust within this definition. Lubricating oil mist associated with weaving operations is not considered cotton dust.
Summary of requirements
Some methods for complying with this regulation include:
- Ensure that no employee who is exposed to cotton dust in yarn manufacturing and cotton washing operations is exposed to airborne concentrations of lint-free respirable cotton dust over 200 micrograms per cubic meter.
- Develop an exposure monitoring and measurement program to determine if any employees are exposed to cotton dust above the action level.
- Develop methods of compliance to ensure that employee exposures to cotton dust are controlled to at or below the permissible exposure limit (PEL).
- Provide proper respiratory protection for employees where its use is required.
- Establish and implement a written program of work practices, which will minimize employee exposure to cotton dust.
- Develop a medical surveillance program for each employee exposed to cotton dust.
- Train employees who are exposed to cotton dust about the acute and long-term health hazards associated with exposure to cotton dust.
- Post signs that warn employees of work areas where the permissible exposure limit for cotton dust is exceeded.
- Establish and maintain accurate records of measurements regarding cotton dust and cotton dust exposures.
- Provide employees, or their designated representatives, an opportunity to observe any measuring or monitoring of employee exposures to cotton dust.
Training. You must provide a training program for all employees in all workplaces where cotton dust is present, and must ensure that each employee in these workplaces is informed of the following:
- Acute and long term health hazards associated with exposure to cotton dust;
- The names and descriptions of jobs and processes that could result in exposure to cotton dust at or above the PEL;
- The measures, including work practices required by paragraph (g) of the regulation, necessary to protect the employee from exposures in excess of the permissible exposure limit;
- The purpose, proper use and limitations of respirators required by paragraph (f) of the regulation;
- The purpose for, and a description of, the medical surveillance program required by paragraph (h) of the regulation, and other information that will aid exposed employees in understanding the hazards of cotton dust exposure; and
- The contents of this standard and its appendices.
The training program must be provided before initial assignment, and must be repeated annually for each employee exposed to cotton dust, when job assignments or work processes change, and when employee performance indicates a need for retraining.
You must provide all materials relating to the employee training and information program to the Assistant Secretary and the Director of NIOSH upon request.
Reporting. Within twenty working days after receipt of monitoring results, you must notify each employee in writing of the exposure measurements that represent that employee’s exposure. Whenever the results indicate that the employee’s exposure exceeds the applicable permissible exposure limit (PEL) as specified in the regulation, you must include in the written notice statement that the limit was exceeded. Be sure to include a description of the corrective action taken to reduce the exposure below the PEL.
Recordkeeping. You must establish and maintain an accurate record of all measurements required by the regulation. The record must include:
- The dates, number, duration, and results of any employee exposure samples taken, including a description of the procedure used to determine representative employee exposure;
- The type of protective devices worn, if any, and length of time worn;
- The names, social security numbers (optional), job classifications, and exposure levels of employees whose exposure the measurement is intended to represent;
- A copy of the medical examination results, including the medical history, questionnaire response, results of all tests, and the physician’s recommendation;
- A copy of the physician’s written opinion;
- Any employee medical complaints related to exposure to cotton dust;
- A copy of the standard and its appendices, except that you may keep one copy of the standard and the appendices for all employees, provided that he references the standard and appendices in the medical surveillance record of each employee; and
- A copy of the information provided to the physician as required by the regulation. You must maintain this record for at least 20 years.
Availability.
- You must make all records available to the Assistant Secretary and the Director of NIOSH for examination and copying.
- Employee exposure measurement records and employee medical records must be provided upon request to employees, designated representatives, and the Assistant Secretary in accordance with the regulation.
- If you cease to do business, the successor employer must receive and retain all records required to be maintained by the regulation.
- If you cease to do business, and there is no successor employer to receive and retain the records for the prescribed period, these records must be transmitted to the Director of NIOSH.
- At the expiration of the retention period for the records required to be maintained by the regulation, you must notify the Director of NIOSH at least three months prior to the disposal of such records, and must transmit those records to the Director if the Director requests them within that period.
- You must also comply with any additional requirements involving transfer of records set forth in 29 CFR 1910.20(h).
DANGER
COTTON DUST
CAUSES DAMAGE TO LUNGS
(BYSSINOSIS)
WEAR RESPIRATORY PROTECTION IN THIS AREA
Cotton dust checklist.
- A written compliance program is in place.
- Employees are aware of the hazards involved with cotton dust.
- A training program has been instituted for all employees who are subject to exposure to cotton dust.
- Employee exposure to cotton dust is monitored and kept within acceptable levels.
- Employees are provided with proper protective equipment.
- Engineering and work practice controls are used to reduce exposures to a permissible level.
- Proper precautions are taken when handling cotton dust.
- Caution labels and signs are used to warn of cotton dust.
- A regulated area has been established, and marked, where cotton dust is manufactured, processed, used, repackaged, released, handled, or stored.
- Employees who work with cotton dust wash their hands after assigned tasks are completed and before engaging in other activities.
- Cotton dust is stored and used appropriately.
- Containers used to store cotton dust are appropriately marked.
- All employees who work with cotton dust have had an initial medical examination.
- A medical surveillance program is in place for employees who become exposed to cotton dust.
- Appropriate records are maintained (exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, etc.).
- Employees are instructed in proper first aid and other emergency procedures.
- Emergency procedures are in place for dealing with emergency situations involving cotton dust.