Workers may be exposed to waste anesthetic gases n hospital and stand-alone operating rooms, recovery rooms, dental operatories, and veterinary clinics . However, exposure typically happens in:
- Operating rooms with no automatic venting or scavenging systems or where these systems are in poor condition, or
- Recovery rooms where gases exhaled by patients are not properly vented or scavenged.
When proper systems are in place, workers may still be exposed when leaks happen in the breathing circuit or during hookup or disconnection of the system. Anesthetic gases may also seep over the patient’s mask. Finally, exposures may occur during dental operations and the induction of anesthesia.