Experience Everything Compliance Network Has to Offer
Copyright 2023 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.
Copyright 2023 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.
...
Imagine a medical device that travels through the human body to seek out and destroy small clusters of cancerous cells before they can spread. Or imagine a box no larger than a sugar cube that contains the entire contents of the Library of Congress. Or think if there were materials much lighter than steel that possess ten times as much strength.
These represent nanotechnology; manipulation of materials on a molecular level. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter; a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. Nanotechnology involves working with matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers.
At the nanoscale, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials differ in fundamental and valuable ways from the properties of individual atoms and molecules or bulk matter. Nanotechnology attempts to understand and create improved materials, devices, and systems that exploit these new properties.
Scope
Nanotechnology shows great promise in the manufacture of new polymers, electronics, and in medical resource. Currently nanotechnology is currently being used in items such as metal coatings, clothing, paints, sporting goods, cosmetics, and suntan lotions.
Employees who use nanomaterials in research or production processes may be exposed to nanoparticles through inhalation, dermal contact, or ingestion, depending upon how employees use and handle them. Although the potential health effects of such exposure are not fully understood at this time, scientific studies indicate that at least some of these materials are biologically active, may readily penetrate intact human skin, and have produced toxicologic reactions in the lungs of exposed experimental animals.
Regulatory citations
OSHA does not directly regulate nanotechnology, but the following are examples of standards that may be applicable in situations where employees are exposed to nanomaterials.
- 29 CFR 1904 — Recording and reporting occupational injuries and illness
- 29 CFR 1910.132 — Personal protective equipment, general requirements
- 29 CFR 1910.133 — Eye and face protection
- 29 CFR 1910.134 — Respiratory protection
- 29 CFR 1910.138 — Hand protection
- 29 CFR 1910.141 — Sanitation
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 — Hazard communication
- 29 CFR 1910.1450 — Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories
Key definitions
- Nanotechnology: The understanding, manipulation, and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, which is near-atomic scale, to produce new materials, devices, and structures. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. Putting this size into perspective, a single human hair is about 80,000 nanometers in width and a red blood cell is about 7,000 nanometers in diameter.
- Engineered nanoscale materials or nanomaterials: Materials that have been purposefully manufactured, synthesized, or manipulated to have a size with at least one dimension in the range of approximately 1 to 100 nanometers and that exhibit unique properties determined by their size.
Summary of requirements
There is currently no government oversight or labeling requirements associated with nano-products or their manufacture. As with any new material or technology, there is little understanding of the potential health risks to workers, and a lack of any scientific data on long term hazards.
The uncertainty with nano-particles lies in that fact that the characteristics of nano-sized particles may be different from those of the same material in a larger state. These uncertainties arise because of gaps in knowledge about the factors that are essential for predicting health risks — factors such as routes of exposure, translocation of materials once they enter the body, and interaction of the materials with the body’s biological systems.
The potential health risk following exposure to a substance is generally associated with the magnitude and duration of the exposure, the persistence of the material in the body, the inherent toxicity of the material, and the susceptibility or health status of the person. More data are needed on the health risks associated with exposure to engineered nanomaterials. Results of existing studies in animals or humans on exposure and response to ultrafine or other respirable particles provide a basis for preliminary estimates of the possible adverse health effects from exposures to similar engineered materials on a nano-scale.
READ MORESHOW LESS
['Toxic and Hazardous Substances - OSHA']
['Toxic and Hazardous Substances - OSHA']
Load More
J. J. Keller is the trusted source for DOT / Transportation, OSHA / Workplace Safety, Human Resources, Construction Safety and Hazmat / Hazardous Materials regulation compliance products and services. J. J. Keller helps you increase safety awareness, reduce risk, follow best practices, improve safety training, and stay current with changing regulations.