The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that worker exposure to chloroform in the workplace be controlled by adherence to the follow ing sections. The standard is designed to protect the health and provide fo r the safety of work ers fo r up to a 10-hour workday, 40-hour work week over a working lifetim e. Compliance w ith all sections of the standard should pre vent the adverse effects reported from ex posure to chloroform in the workplace and m aterially reduce the risk of cancer from oc cupational exposure to chloroform . The stand ard is measurable by techiques th a t are valid, reproducible, and available. S ufficient tech nology exists to perm it com pliance with the recommended standard. The standard w ill be subject to fu rth e r review and revision as nec essary. " Occupational exposure to chloroform 1 '' is defined as exposure to chloroform in any establishm ent where chloroform is used, manufactured, or stored. Exposure to chloro form under any of the above conditions will require adherence to all of the follow ing sec tions.

# Section 1 -Environmental (Workplace Air)
Chloroform shall be controlled in the work place so th a t the concentration of chloroform is not greater than 2 ppm (9.7 8m g/m 3) of breathing zone air in a 45 lite r air sample taken over a period not to exceed 1 hour in duration.
Procedures for sam pling and analysis of chloroform in air shall be as provided in Ap pendices I and II, or by any method shown to be equivalent in precision, accuracy, and sen sitivity to the methods specified.
Section 2 -Medical (a) Comprehensive preplacem ent and an nual medical exam inations shall be made available to all workers exposed to chloroform unless a different frequency is indicated by professional medical judgm ent based on such factors as emergencies, variations in work peri ods, and preexisting health status of individual workers.
(b) These exam inations shall include, but shall not be lim ited to:
(1) A comprehensive and interim m edi cal and work history giving special attention to gastrointestinal symptoms, mental status, and use of alcohol and barbiturates.
(2) A comprehensive medical exami nation, giving particular attention to cardiac rhythm, liver and kidney function. Liver fu n c tion tests and urinalysis shall be performed.
(3) An evaluation of the worker's phys ical ability to safely wear a respirator.
(c) Employees shall be counseled regard ing the increased hazards of working with chloroform resulting from use of alcohol.
(d) Medical records shall be maintained fo r all persons employed in work involving oc cupational exposure to chloroform for at least 30 years after the individual's employment is term inated. The medical representatives of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, of the Secretary of Labor, of the employer, and of the employee or form er employee shall have access to these records.

# (e)
Initial exam inations fo r presently em ployed workers shall be offered w ithin 6 months of the prom ulgation of a standard in corporating these recommendations. (b) In areas where there is occupational exposure to chloroform , the follow ing warning sign shall be posted in readily visible locations, particularly at the entrances to the area.

# DANGER! EXTREME HEALTH HAZARD CANCER-SUSPECT AGENT USED IN THIS AREA UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS KEEP OUT
The sign shall be printed both in English and in the predom inant language of non-Englishspeaking workers, if any, unless employers use other equally effective means to ensure that these workers know the hazards associated w ith chloroform and the locations of areas in which there is occupational exposure to chloro form. Employers shall ensure that illiterate workers also know these hazards and the loca tions of these areas.

# Section 4 -Personal Protective Equipment
and Protective C lothing (a) Protective Clothing (1) Coveralls or other full-body protec tive clothing shall be worn in areas where there is occupational exposure to chloroform . Pro tective clothing shall be changed at least daily at the end of the s h ift and more frequently if it should become grossly contaminated.
(2) Impervious gloves, aprons, and footwear shall be worn at operations where chloroform may contact the skin.
(3) Eye protective devices shall be pro vided by the employer and used by the em ployees where contact of chloroform w ith eyes is likely. Selection, use, and m aintenance of eye protective equipm ent shall be in accord ance w ith the provisions of the American Na tional Standard Practice fo r Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, ANSI Z87.1-1968. Unless eye protection is afforded by a respirator hood or facepiece, protective goggles or a face shield shall be worn at oper ations where there is danger of contact of the eyes w ith wet m aterials containing chloroform because of spills, splashes, or excessive vapors in the air.
(4) The employer shall ensure that all personal protective devices are inspected reg ularly and m aintained in clean and satisfactory working condition.
(5) Work clothing may not be taken home by employees. The em ployer shall pro vide fo r m aintenance and laundering of pro tective clothing.
(6) The em ployer shall ensure th a t pre cautions necessary to protect laundry person nel are taken while soiled protective clothing is being laundered.
(7) The employer shall ensure that chloroform is not discharged into m unicipal waste treatm ent systems or the com m unity air.

# (b)
Respiratory Protection from Chloroform Engineering controls shall be used wher ever feasible to m aintain chloroform concen trations at or below th a t recommended in Sec tion 1 above. Compliance w ith the environ mental exposure lim it by the use of respirators is allowed only when chloroform concentra tions are in excess of the workplace environ mental lim it because required engineering controls are being installed or tested, when nonroutine maintenance or repair is being accomplished, or during emergencies. When a respirator is thus perm itted, it shall be se

# N ID 5H
lected and used in accordance w ith the fo l lowing requirem ents:
(1) For the purpose of determ ining if it is necessary fo r workers to wear respirators, the em ployer shall measure the concentration of chloroform in the workplace in itia lly and thereafter whenever process, worksite, clim ate, or control changes occur w hich are likely to increase the concentration of chloroform .
(2) The em ployer shall ensure th a t no w orker is exposed to chloroform above the w orkplace environm ental lim it because of im proper respirator selection, fit, use, or m ain tenance.
(3) A respiratory protection program m eeting the requirem ents of 29 CFR 1910.134 and 30 CFR 11 which incorporates the Am eri can National Standard Practices fo r Respira tory Protection Z88.2-1969 shall be estab lished and enforced by the employer.
(4) The em ployer shall provide respi rators in accordance w ith Table 1-1 and shall ensure th a t the employee uses the respirator provided anytim e the concentration of chloro form exceeds the level described in section 1.
(5) Respirators described in Table 1-1 shall be those approved under the provisions of 29 CFR 1910.134 and 30 CFR 11. (6) The em ployer shall ensure th a t res pirators are adequately cleaned, and th a t em ployees are instructed on the use of respirators assigned to them , th e ir location in the work place, and on how to test for leakage.
(7) Where an emergency may develop w hich could result in employee injury from chloroform , the employer shall provide an escape device as listed in  At the beginning of em ploym ent or assign ment fo r work in a chloroform area, employees w ith occupational exposure to chloroform shall be inform ed of the hazards, relevant signs and symptoms of overexposure, appropriate emer gency procedures, and proper conditions and precautions fo r the safe use o f chloroform.
Instruction shall include, as a m inim um , all inform ation in Appendix 111 which is appli cable to the specific chloroform product or ma terial to which there is exposure, as well as inform ation which indicates th a t chloroform causes cancer in experim ental animals. This inform ation shall be posted in the work area and kept on file, readily accessible to the worker at all places of em ploym ent where chloroform is involved in u n it processes and operations.
A continuing educational program shall be instituted to ensure that all workers have cur rent knowledge o f job hazards, proper m ain tenance procedures, and cleanup methods, and th a t they know how to use respiratory protec tive equipm ent and protective clothing cor rectly.
Inform ation as specified in Appendix III shall be recorded on the Material Safety Data Sheet or a sim ilar form approved by the Occu pational Safety and Health A dm inistration, US Departm ent of Labor.

# Section 6 -Work Practices (a) Control of Airborne Contam ination
Emission of vapors of chloroform shall be controlled at the sources of dispersion by means of effective and properly maintained methods such as fu lly enclosed operations and local exhaust ventilation, under negative pres sure if possible. No recirculation of ventilation control ventilation or process air shall be per m itted. Other methods may be used if they are shown to effectively control airborne con centrations of chloroform w ithin the lim it of the recommended standard.

# (b) Control of Contact w ith Skin and Eyes
(1) Employees working in areas where contact of skin or eyes w ith chloroform is pos sible shall wear full-body protective clothing, including neck and head coverings, and gloves, in accord w ith Section 4(a).
(2) Clean protective clothing shall be put on before each work shift.
(3) If, during the shift, the clothing be comes wetted w ith chloroform , it shall be re moved prom ptly and placed in a special con tainer for garments fo r decontam ination or dis posal. The employee shall wash the contam i nated skin area thoroughly w ith soap and a copious am ount of water. A com plete shower is preferred after anything but lim ited, m inor contact. Then, clean protective clothing shall be put on before resuming work.
(4) Small areas of skin (principally the hands) contam inated by contact w ith chloro form shall be washed im m ediately and th o r oughly w ith an abundance of water. Water shall be easily accessible in the work areas as low-pressure, free-running hose lines or showers.
(5) If chloroform comes into contact with the eyes, the eyes should be flushed with a large volume of low-pressure flowing water for at least 15 minutes. Medical attention shall be obtained w ithout delay, but not at the expense of im m ediate and thorough flushing of the eyes.
(c) Procedures for emergencies, including firefightin g, shall be established to meet foreseeable events.
Necessary emergency equipm ent, including appropriate respiratory protective devices, shall be kept in readily accessible locations.
Only self-contained breathing apparatus with positive pressure in the facepiece shall be used in firefighting. Appropriate respirators shall be available for use during evacuation.
(d) Special supervision and care shall be exercised to ensure tha t the exposures of re pair and maintenance personnel to chloroform are w ithin the lim it prescribed by this standard.
(e) Prompt cleaning of spills of chloroform : Spills shall be channeled for appropri ate treatm ent or collection fo r disposal. They may not be channeled directly into the m unici pal sanitary sewer system.
(f) General requirements:
(1) Good housekeeping practices shall be observed to prevent or m inim ize contam ina tion of areas and equipm ent and to prevent build-up of such contam ination.
Good personal hygiene practices shall be encouraged.
(3 Equipment shall be kept in good repair and free of leaks.
Containers of chloroform shall be kept covered insofar as is practical.
(g) A regulated area shall be established and maintained where:
(1) Carbon tetrachloride is m anufac tured, reacted, mixed w ith other substances, repackaged, stored, handled, or used.
(2) Concentrations of chloroform are in excess of the workplace environm ental lim it in Section 1.
(h) Access to the regulated areas desig nated by Section 6(h) shall be lim ited to authorized persons. A daily roster shall be made of persons authorized to enter; these rosters shall be m aintained fo r 30 years.
(j) Employers shall ensure that before employees leave a regulated area they remove and leave protective clothing at the point of exit.

# Section 7 -Sanitation (a) Washing Facilities
Emergency showers and eye-flushing foun tains w ith cool water under adequate pressure shall be provided and be readily accessible in areas where contact of skin or eyes w ith chloro form may occur. This equipm ent shall be fre quently inspected and m aintained in good working condition.
Showers and washbasins shall be provided in the employees' locker areas. Employers shall ensure that employees exposed or poten tia lly exposed to chloroform during th e ir work s h ift shall wash before eating or smoking periods taken during the work shift.
(b) Food Facilities Food storage, preparation, and eating shall be prohibited in areas where chloroform is handled, processed, or stored. Eating facilities provided fo r employees shall be located in areas ventilated in such a manner to ensure that contam ination from chloroform is pre vented. Surfaces in these areas shall be kept free of chloroform . Employers shall ensure that before employees enter premises reserved fo r eating, food storage, or food preparation, they remove protective clothing. Washing fa c ilitie s should be accessible nearby.
(c) Employees may not smoke in areas where chloroform is handled, processed, or stored.
(d) C lothing and Locker Room Facilities Locker room fa c ilitie s fo r employees re quired to change clothing before and after work shall be provided in an area separate and ventilated in such a manner to ensure that contam ination from chloroform is non-existent. The fa cilitie s shall provide fo r the storing of street clothing and clean work clothing sep arately from soiled work clothing. Showers and washbasins should be located in the locker area to encourage good personal hygiene.
Covered containers should be provided for work clothing discarded at the end of the s h ift or after a contam ination incident. The clothing shall be held in these containers u n til removed fo r decontam ination or disposal.

# Section 8 -M onitoring and Recordkeeping Requirements
In any workplace where chloroform is handled or processed, surveys shall be re peated semi-annually. Requirements set forth below apply to areas in which there is occupa tional exposure to chloroform .
Employers shall m aintain records of work place environm ental exposures to chloroform based on the follow ing samples, analytical, and recording schedules.

# (a)
In all m onitoring, samples representa tive of the exposure in the breathing zone of employees shall be collected by personal sam plers.
(b) An adequate number of samples shall be taken in order to determ ine the occupa tional exposure of each employee.
(c) The firs t determ ination of the exposure of employees to chloroform shall be com pleted w ithin 6 months after the promulgation of a standard incorporating these recommen dations.
(d) A reevaluation of the exposure of em ployees to chloroform shall be made w ithin 30 days a fte r installation of a new process or process change.
(e) A reevaluation of employee exposure to chloroform shall be repeated at 1-week in tervals when the airborne concentration has been found to exceed the recommended work place environm ental lim it. In such cases, s u it able controls shall be instituted and m onitor ing shall continue at 1-week intervals until 3 consecutive surveys indicate the adequacy of controls.
(f) Records of all sam pling and analysis of chloroform and of medical examinations shall be m aintained fo r at least 30 years a fte r the individual's em ploym ent is term inated. Rec ords shall indicate the details of (1) type of personal protective devices, if any, in use at the tim e of sampling, and (2) methods of sam pling and analysis used. Each employee shall be able to obtain inform ation on his own exposure. If the employer who has or has had employees w ith occupational exposure to chloroform ceases business w ithout a suc cessor, he shall forward th e ir records by regis tered mail to the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

# D E P A R T M E N T O F H E A L T H , E D U C A T I O N , A N D W E L F A R E PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE C E N T E R F O R D I S E A S E C O N T R O L N A T I O N A L I N S T I T U T E F O R O C C U P A T I O N A L S A F E T Y A N O H E A L T H R O B E R T A . T A F T L A B O R