Recent achievements in the control of PAH exposure on coke oven ...

Implementation <strong>of</strong> Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) / Personal ProtectiveEquipment (PPE) regimesA new replacement powered respirator, encompass<strong>in</strong>g new generation technologies wasidentified through performance, usability and suitability test<strong>in</strong>g for use across all TSE cokeoven plants. The Sundstrom powered respirator has been successfully implemented at allTSE coke oven plants follow<strong>in</strong>g consultations with both coke oven management andoperators. Provision <strong>of</strong> both high efficiency particulate and charcoal filtration demonstratedcommitment to pro-activity with respect to protect<strong>in</strong>g coke oven workers from <strong>PAH</strong>s present<strong>in</strong> both vapour and particulate form. This also affected personal behaviour, as <strong>the</strong> operatorscould no longer detect coke oven emission odours when <strong>the</strong> powered respirators were usedcorrectly. Acceptance has been generally excellent with any operator issues be<strong>in</strong>gresponded to efficiently and opportunities for development fed back to <strong>the</strong> manufacturers.The powered respirator manufacturer has agreed to work closely with TSE to ensurecont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g product development and improve suitability and usability for coke ovenrequirements and to develop and improve a ma<strong>in</strong>tenance regime for <strong>the</strong> units. Sundstromare heavily <strong>in</strong>volved with on-go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>formation, <strong>in</strong>struction and tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g regard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> use andcare <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir products.It is now TSE policy for <strong>the</strong> Sundstrom powered respirator to be used <strong>in</strong> all circumstances onTSE coke oven batteries unless identified by a suitable risk assessment that this is notpracticable or <strong>in</strong>duces a fur<strong>the</strong>r safety risk. All situations must be agreed with plantmanagement. Advice has been provided on suitable face seal dependent masks for use <strong>in</strong><strong>the</strong>se situations, along with <strong>in</strong>structions and requirements for <strong>the</strong>ir use.Fur<strong>the</strong>r work is also progress<strong>in</strong>g to ascerta<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>-use protection provided by <strong>the</strong> chosenpowered respirator more accurately and how this protection factor is affected by behaviour.Protective over garments are now distributed from a central communal resource with eachgarment be<strong>in</strong>g returned at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> every shift for launder<strong>in</strong>g. Monitor<strong>in</strong>g identified apotential for breakthrough relat<strong>in</strong>g to B[a]P, a category 1 carc<strong>in</strong>ogen, to occur follow<strong>in</strong>gapproximately 20 hours <strong>of</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>uous usage on a battery top. Therefore, to ensure adequate<strong>control</strong>, it was determ<strong>in</strong>ed that a daily change was advantageous. The reduction <strong>in</strong> build up<strong>of</strong> contam<strong>in</strong>ants on <strong>the</strong> garments us<strong>in</strong>g this <strong>control</strong> may affect <strong>the</strong> flame retardant properties,ei<strong>the</strong>r negatively due to <strong>in</strong>creased launder<strong>in</strong>g frequencies, or positively, due to decreasedbuild up <strong>of</strong> contam<strong>in</strong>ation by flammable substances. This is currently under <strong>in</strong>vestigation. Areview <strong>of</strong> current garment material and design is still <strong>in</strong> progress.Figure 2. Implementation and use <strong>of</strong> new RPE/PPE schemes at TSE coke ovens