Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-849 - Benzene › Section 296-849-100 - Scope

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
This chapter applies to
all
occupational exposure to benzene.
Definition:
Exposure.
The contact an employee has
				with benzene, whether or not protection is provided by respirators or
				other personal protective equipment (PPE). Exposure can occur through
				various routes of entry such as inhalation, ingestion, skin contact,
				or skin absorption.
Exemptions:
This chapter does not apply to any
						of the following:
* Liquids, vapors, mixtures in
						containers or pipelines, and gas in natural gas processing plants
						when benzene content is 0.1% or less.
* Gasoline and other fuels
						containing benzene once they leave the final bulk wholesale facility
						and are being:
- Transported;
- Sold;
- Distributed;
- Stored;
- Dispensed either:
* Outdoors; or
* Indoors four hours or less a day.
- Used as a fuel.
* Oil and gas drilling, production,
						and servicing operations.
* Solid materials that contain only
						trace amounts of benzene.
* Coke ovens.
All requirements in this chapter will not apply to
				every workplace with an occupational exposure. The following will
				show you which requirements apply to your workplace.
Step 1:
If any of your work tasks are
				listed in Table 1, follow Table 1.
* Go to Step 2a if you have additional work tasks or
				other exposures that are not covered in Table 1.
Table 1 Requirements That Apply to Specific
				Tasks
If employees do any of the
						following:
Then the only requirements in
						this chapter that apply to those tasks are:
Load and unload benzene at bulk
						storage facilities that use vapor control systems for all loading and
						unloading operations.
* The labeling requirement found in
						Preventive practices, WAC
						296-849-11010.
Perform tasks around sealed
						transport pipelines carrying gasoline, crude oil, or other liquids
						containing more than 0.1% benzene.
* This requirement found in Training, WAC
						  296-849-11050:
- Make sure training and information
						  includes specific information on benzene for each hazard
						  communication training topic. For the list of hazard communication
						  training topics, go to WAC
						  296-901-14016,
						  Employee information and training.
Work with, or around, sealed
						containers of liquids containing more than 0.1% benzene.
* Emergency requirements found in Medical
						  evaluations, WAC
						  296-849-12030.
* Requirements found in Medical records, WAC
						  296-849-12080.
* Respirator requirements found in
						  Respirators, WAC
						  296-849-13045.
Step 2a:
Follow requirements in the
				basic rules sections, WAC
				296-849-11010
				through
				296-849-11090,
				for tasks
not
listed in Table 1.
* This includes completing an exposure evaluation, as
				specified in Exposure evaluations, WAC
				296-849-11030,
				to:
-Obtain employee fifteen-minute and eight-hour
				exposure monitoring results of airborne benzene;
AND
- Determine if employee exposure monitoring results
				are above, at, or below these values:
* Eight-hour time-weighted average
(TWA8)
........ 1 parts per
				million (ppm).
* Fifteen-minute short-term exposure limit
(STEL)
.... 5 ppm.
* Eight-hour action level
(AL)
........
				0.5 ppm.
Step 2b:
Use employee exposure
				monitoring results from Step 2a and follow Table 2 to find out which
				additional sections of this chapter apply to your workplace.
Table 2 Section Application
If employee exposure
						monitoring results are:
Then continue to follow the
						basic rules, and these additional requirements:
*
Above
the
						TWA8 or STEL
* Exposure and medical monitoring, WAC
						  296-849-12010
						  through
						  296-849-12080;
						  (()) and * Exposure control areas, WAC
						  296-849-13005
						  through
						  296-849-13045.
*
At or below
the
						TWA8 or STEL;
AND
*
At or above AL
* Exposure and medical monitoring,
						WAC 296-849-12005 through
						296-849-12080.
*
Below
the AL and
						STEL
* No additional requirements apply.
Statutory Authority:
				  RCW  49.17.010,
				  49.17.040,
				  49.17.050,
				  49.17.060. 07-03-163,
				  § 296-849-100, filed 1/24/07, effective 4/1/07; 05-13-152,
				  § 296-849-100, filed 6/21/05, effective 8/1/05; 05-01-172,
				  § 296-849-100, filed 12/21/04, effective
				  3/1/05.