WAC 296-843-13010   Evaluate employee exposure to hazardous substances during clean-up operations.  

     IMPORTANT:

     The clean-up operation begins when soil, surface water, or containers are moved or disturbed.

     You must:

     • Identify the type of personnel monitoring and environmental sampling you plan to use, including instrumentation.

     • Include requirements for maintaining and calibrating the monitoring and sampling instruments used.

     • Monitor whenever employees may be exposed to concentrations exceeding PELs or other published exposure levels.

     • Evaluate employees who are likely to have the highest exposure:

     – Monitor all employees who are likely to have the highest exposure to hazardous substances or health hazards above the PEL or published exposure limit.

     – Use personal sampling frequently enough to characterize the exposures of these employees.

     ▪ When results indicate exposure is over the PEL or other published exposure level, identify all employees likely to be above the PEL or published exposure limit.

Note: You may use a representative sampling approach by documenting that the employees and chemicals chosen for monitoring are representative of both:
• Employee exposure to hazardous substances;
AND
• Employees not sampled.
     You must:

     • Conduct monitoring when the possibility of one of the following exists:

     – An atmosphere that is immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH);

     OR

     – A flammable atmosphere;

     OR

     – Employee exposures exceeding PELs or other published exposure levels.

     Examples of situations where these possibilities may exist:

     ▪ Work begins on a different portion of the site.

     ▪ Contaminants other than those previously monitored are being handled.

     ▪ A different type of site operation starts, such as moving from drum opening to exploratory well drilling.

     ▪ Handling leaking drums or containers.

     ▪ Working in areas with obvious liquid contamination such as a spill or lagoon.

     ▪ Time has passed and employee exposure levels may have significantly increased.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. 04-02-053, § 296-843-13010, filed 1/5/04, effective 5/1/04.]