SAMPLE #1: Clean Up Procedure for Accidental CRT Breakage
Cathode Ray tubes (CRT’S) found in Televisions and Monitors consist of a large glass tube that maintains a high internal vacuum by which an image picture is produced. If this tube breaks during handling it may release harmful elements, including rare earth metals, cadmium, and lead and silica dust.
To avoid any unnecessary exposure to these elements, the following Accidental Breakage Reporting Procedure has been developed:
Contain the area of breakage by placing safety cones around area.
Make sure there is no activity in and or around the area until the breakage is contained.
Inform the Dock foreman and or warehouse lead.
Follow clean up procedure on following page.
NEVER TOUCH OR PICK UP GLASS AND OR BROKEN CRT UNIT WITHOUT WEARING THE PROPER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
CRT glass will occasionally come into the facility either as broken bare tubes or broken tubes within the case of the television or monitor from the shipment process or mishandling of a loader from another facility.
We have determined that inadvertent exposures to cadmium and lead exist during a cleanup of this broken glass. To avoid exposure, we have dictated this procedure for cleanup of broken CRT glass, and all persons assigned to the cleanup of any broken glass shall be trained on these procedures:
The area shall be cordoned or demarcated off to prevent other persons from entering the area.
The clean up person(s) will utilize all PPE as outlined in the hazard assessment, but never less than, HEPA quality filter respirator; eye protection, full coveralls (or Tyvek clothing); steel-toe shoes; cut-resistant gloves. In addition, a wet mister must be used to dampen down the broken material prior to any clean up.
After the material has been dampened down thoroughly, the broken glass may be carefully scooped up and carefully placed into another secure container to be ready for processing. The clean up person must continually ensure that the residual glass is damp as the clean up finalizes. The final pieces of glass, debris must be carefully cleaned up, with a final wet mopping of the area done to prevent residual lead/cadmium to become airborne.
The clean up person(s) shall clean off their clothing/PPE with a HEPA vacuum system prior to removal.
NOTE: One company has determined that without the utilization of these specific procedures, individual exposures to lead and/or cadmium can easily exceed OSHA PELs for each of the elements described during the cleanup process.
Based upon the sampling some companies have done during some of the clean up situations, it is their professional opinion that in order to comply with the US OSHA standards on exposure to lead and cadmium, a firm would have to at least do several sampling scenarios in order to obtain an exposure database to properly know what levels of contaminant the workers are being exposed to, also in order to properly outfit with PPE, and to determine the extent of potential contamination within the facility. Therefore, it is best to build the requirements around multiple samplings so that a recycler can effectively know what levels of exposure they are exposing their workers to, and know the general contamination within their facility, by way of adequate sampling data.
SAMPLE #1: Clean Up Procedure for Accidental CRT Breakage
Cathode Ray tubes (CRT’S) found in Televisions and Monitors consist of a large glass tube that maintains a high internal vacuum by which an image picture is produced. If this tube breaks during handling it may release harmful elements, including rare earth metals, cadmium, and lead and silica dust.
To avoid any unnecessary exposure to these elements, the following Accidental Breakage Reporting Procedure has been developed:
NEVER TOUCH OR PICK UP GLASS AND OR BROKEN CRT UNIT WITHOUT WEARING THE PROPER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
CRT glass will occasionally come into the facility either as broken bare tubes or broken tubes within the case of the television or monitor from the shipment process or mishandling of a loader from another facility.
We have determined that inadvertent exposures to cadmium and lead exist during a cleanup of this broken glass. To avoid exposure, we have dictated this procedure for cleanup of broken CRT glass, and all persons assigned to the cleanup of any broken glass shall be trained on these procedures:
The area shall be cordoned or demarcated off to prevent other persons from entering the area.
The clean up person(s) will utilize all PPE as outlined in the hazard assessment, but never less than, HEPA quality filter respirator; eye protection, full coveralls (or Tyvek clothing); steel-toe shoes; cut-resistant gloves. In addition, a wet mister must be used to dampen down the broken material prior to any clean up.
After the material has been dampened down thoroughly, the broken glass may be carefully scooped up and carefully placed into another secure container to be ready for processing. The clean up person must continually ensure that the residual glass is damp as the clean up finalizes. The final pieces of glass, debris must be carefully cleaned up, with a final wet mopping of the area done to prevent residual lead/cadmium to become airborne.
The clean up person(s) shall clean off their clothing/PPE with a HEPA vacuum system prior to removal.
NOTE: One company has determined that without the utilization of these specific procedures, individual exposures to lead and/or cadmium can easily exceed OSHA PELs for each of the elements described during the cleanup process.
Based upon the sampling some companies have done during some of the clean up situations, it is their professional opinion that in order to comply with the US OSHA standards on exposure to lead and cadmium, a firm would have to at least do several sampling scenarios in order to obtain an exposure database to properly know what levels of contaminant the workers are being exposed to, also in order to properly outfit with PPE, and to determine the extent of potential contamination within the facility. Therefore, it is best to build the requirements around multiple samplings so that a recycler can effectively know what levels of exposure they are exposing their workers to, and know the general contamination within their facility, by way of adequate sampling data.