EPAs 



Worker Protection Standard: 

 Respirators and "-Cides" 



PART TWO 



Leo Traverse 



(EPA is requiring 8 specified areas of responsibility for 

 pesticide users. This is Part 2 of an article that deals with only 

 one part (air-purifying respirators) of one section of the 

 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirement for 

 workers.) 



CHOOSING A RESPIRATOR (continued) 

 C) . Toxic CatEgories 



The toxicity category of the pesticide plays a very important 

 role in the choice, duration of use, and decontamination 

 (maintenance) of your Personal Protective Equipment 

 (PPE) and — most importantly — in your own health. EPA' 

 has established four Toxicity Categories: I, II, III, and IV. 

 Category I is most acutely toxic; category II is moderately 

 toxic. Different PPE is required for different categories. 

 Furthermore, the chemical/physical state of the material 

 determines the type of PPE you'd choose. For example, a 

 Category I material that has eye irritation potential as well as 

 inhalation toxicity would require both a respirator and some 

 sort of eye protection. 



The toxicity category of a pesticide also determines your 

 re-entry interval (REI) after use of the "-cide." For example, 

 if you use an organophosphate pesticide (EPA Toxicity 

 Category level I), a 48-72 hour re-entry interval is imposed. 

 Category II pesticides require a 12-24 hour REI. This 

 restriction allows re-entry only with PPE before the REI 

 expires (exemptions for no-contact and short-term entry are 

 allowed under the worker protection standard) .^ REI's for 

 greenhouses can be greatly reduced under EPA guidelines 

 if ventilation is used.^ 

 D). Levels of Contaminants 



The levels of contamination MUST BE KNOWN in order to 

 wear an Air Purifying Respirator. You must invest in small 

 air monitoring devises or have a professional do the 

 monitoring for you. (Most reputable insurance companies 

 do this at no charge.) 



WHY must the levels be known? 



Because air purifying respirators have Maximum Use 

 Limits (MUL). Suppose you're using a pesticide that has a 

 safe exposure level of 10 ppm and you are also wearing a 

 fuU-face respirator with a protection factor of 100. At 2000 

 ppm in the air, you could have 20 ppm in the face piece — 



which is twice the safe exposure level. Many cartridges limit 

 the organic vapor level exposure to 1,000 ppm. Further- 

 more, if the levels monitored are above the OSHA IDLH 

 (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) levels, an APR 

 cannot be worn. Once you establish benchmarks, monitor- 

 ing should be done yearly and/or when changes are made. 

 E). Oxygen Level 



Oxygen must be present between 19.5-22% to use APR Less 

 than 19.5% leaves the human body without enough fuel to 

 function; over 22% and we have an explosion hazard. Yes, 

 the human environment is very delicate indeed! 

 F). Fit-testing Respirators 



Once a certified respirator is chosen (e.g., a NIOSH/MSHA 

 certified respirator for gases, particulates, vapors, mists, 

 fumes, or aerosols) , you're then required to properly fit the 

 respirator to the person's face. Respirators are built in sizes: 

 small, medium, and large. Some manufacturers mark the 

 size on the facepiece; others use a color code. The size of 

 the respirator you'll wear should be determined by fit-testing 

 under the guidance of a Certified Environmental Trainer 

 (CET) or Industrial Hygienist (CIH) or Safety Professional 

 (CSP). 



G). Training. 



Training should be supplied by a person knowledgeable in 

 safety, pesticides, and respirator use. EPA has stipulated 

 that trainers be certified. Recently a fine of $5,000 was part 

 of an OSHA citation against a fertilizer manufacturer for 

 using trainers without proper credentials or experience. 

 (For a copy of this citation, call Leo Traverse at 603434- 

 2051.) 



CARTTWDGE/RESPIRATOR APPROVAL CODES 

 EPA is requiring the manufacturer of the pesticide to specify 

 the type of respirator and the cartridge. This should include 

 its Tested/Certification (TC) number. For example, a 

 pesticide label might require that a NIOSH/MSHA-ap- 

 proved respirator with TC-23C-763 cartridges be used for 

 normal application procedures. The TC 23C-763 cartridge is 

 a combination cartridge that removes organic vapors and 

 has HEPA (High-efficiency Particulate Air) pre-filter. This 

 cartridge (Wilson respirator series) would also have a two 

 color (yellow, purple) code. 



April & May 1993 



