Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-849 - Benzene › Section 296-849-030 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Action level.
An airborne concentration
				of benzene of 0.5 parts per million (ppm) calculated as an eight-hour
				time-weighted average.
Authorized personnel.
Individuals
				specifically permitted by the employer to enter the exposure control
				area to perform necessary duties, or to observe employee exposure
				evaluations as a designated representative.
Benzene.
Liquid benzene, benzene vapor,
				and benzene in liquid mixtures and the vapors released by these
				liquids.
The chemical abstract service (CAS) registry number
				for benzene is 71-43-2. CAS numbers are internationally recognized
				and used on safety data sheets (SDSs) and other documents to identify
				substances. For more information, see
http://www.cas.org/about
.
Breathing zone.
The space around and in
				front of an employee's nose and mouth, forming a hemisphere with a
				6-to 9-inch radius.
Bulk wholesale storage facility.
Any
				bulk terminal or bulk plant where fuel is stored before its delivery
				to wholesale customers.
Container.
Any container, except for
				pipes or piping systems, that contains benzene. It can be any of the
				following:
* Barrel;
* Bottle;
* Can;
* Cylinder;
* Drum;
* Reaction vessel;
* Storage tank.
Day.
Any part of a calendar day.
Designated representative.
Any of the
				following:
* Any individual or organization to which an employee
				gives written authorization;
* A recognized or certified collective bargaining
				agent without regard to written employee authorization;
OR
* The legal representative of a deceased or legally
				incapacitated employee.
Emergency.
Any event that could or does
				result in the unexpected significant release of benzene. Examples of
				emergencies include equipment failure, container rupture, or control
				equipment failure.
Exposure.
The contact an employee has
				with benzene, whether or not protection is provided by respirators or
				other personal protective equipment (PPE). Contact can occur through
				various routes of entry such as inhalation, ingestion, skin contact,
				or skin absorption.
Licensed health care professional
				(LHCP).
An individual whose legally permitted scope of
				practice allows him or her to provide some or all of the health care
				services required for medical evaluations.
Permissible exposure limits (PELs).
PELs
				are employee exposures to toxic substances or harmful physical agents
				that must not be exceeded. PELs are also specified in various WISHA
				rules found in other chapters. The PELs for benzene are the:
* Eight-hour time-weighted average
				(TWA8) of 1 part per million (ppm);
AND
* Fifteen-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL) of
				5 ppm.
Short-term exposure limit (STEL).
An
				exposure limit averaged over a fifteen-minute period that must not be
				exceeded during any part of an employee's workday.
Time-weighted average
				(TWA8).
An exposure limit averaged over
				an eight-hour period that must not be exceeded during an employee's
				workday.
Vapor control systems.
Equipment that
				controls the vapor displaced when chemicals are loaded and unloaded
				from truck or storage tanks. It also processes or balances the vapor
				back into the truck or storage tanks.