Compliance officers will be instructed to pay closer attention to common surface hazards, like isocyanates, by taking surface samples during site inspections, Curtis says. Updated procedures and more efficient sampling tools will facilitate the process. Where contaminants are detected and workers not properly protected, OSHA could cite employers under the personal protective equipment standard. Fairfax is careful to point out that no new enforcement policies or compliance decisions are being made on surface contaminants. He says inspectors have always considered surface contamination and taken wipe samples when necessary.
Surface sampling is nothing new to the agency.
But it could become a bigger priority. For years it's been our policy that if there's a skin notation for a substance we can cite employers for exposing people without appropriate protective equipment. He'd like to see employers and industrial hygienists pay closer attention to surface contaminants. Putting OSHA inspectors on their trail is one way to motivate them. This news is likely to have employers and safety professionals scrambling for information.