Industry-Wide Regulation, Dust During Electrical Installation Works
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Practice Industry-wide regulation Dust During Electrical Installation Works A Industry-wide regulation Dust During Electrical Installation Works December 2014 Industry-wide regulation Dust During Electrical Installation Works 2 Industry-wide regulation Dust During Electrical Installation Works With the support of: Bayerisches Landesamt für Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit Pfarrstraße 3 80538 München Berufsgenossenschaft der Bauwirtschaft Hildegardstraße 29/30 10715 Berlin Berufsgenossenschaft Energie Textil Elektro Medienerzeugnisse Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 130 50968 Köln Landesamt für Arbeitsschutz, Gesundheitsschutz und technische Sicherheit Berlin – LaGetSi Turmstraße 21 10559 Berlin Landeslabor Berlin Brandenburg Landesmessstelle für Gefahrstoffrecht und Innenraumhygiene Invalidenstraße 60 10557 Berlin Regierungspräsidium Kassel Fachzentrum für Produktsicherheit und Gefahrstoffe Ludwig Mond Straße 33 34121 Kassel Zentralverband der Deutschen Elektro- und Informationstechnischen Handwerke (ZVEH) Lilienthalallee 4 60487 Frankfurt am Main ZVEI – Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie e.V. Fachverband Elektrowerkzeuge im ZVEI Lyonerstraße 9 60528 Frankfurt am Main 3 Industry-wide regulation: Dust During Electrical Installation Works Contents 1. Industry-wide regulation Dust During Electrical Installation Works 6 Introduction 7 1.1 Initial Situation 7 1.2 Health Hazards 8 1.3 Representation and Evaluation of the Exposure 9 1.4 Industry Standard Procedures and Modes of Operation 10 1.5 Selection and Operation of the Equipment Systems 11 1.6 Work Organisation and Personal Protective Equipment 12 1.7 Operating Instructions and Training 12 1.8 List of Employees 13 1.9 List of Type I Low-Dust Harmonised Systems 13 1.10 Sample of the Documentation of the Risk Assessment 16 1.11 Sample Operating Instructions 18 Pictures: BG ETEM, Bosch, DeWalt, Hilti, metabo 5 Branchenlösung: Staub bei Elektroinstallationsarbeiten Industry-wide regulation: Dust 1 During Electrical Installation Works 1.1 Initial Situation 1.2 Health Hazards 1.3 Representation and Evaluation of the Exposure 1.4 Industry Standard Procedures and Modes of Operation 1.5 Selection and Operation of the Equipment Systems 1.6 Work Organisation and Personal Protective Equipment 1.7 Operating Instructions and Training 1.8 List of Employees 1.9 List of Type I Low-Dust Harmonised Systems 1.10 Sample of the Documentation of the Risk Assessment 1.11 Sample Operating Instructions 6 Initial Situation This industry-wide regulation is a supplemented version of the The amount of dust is further minimised thanks to the use of previous regulations on low-dust working methods. In particular, harmonised equipment systems for all of the jobs listed and by further tips on how to do jobs while minimising dust with dust- using the protective measures shown. The aim is to comply with separating machine systems have been included. These concern: the new workplace thresholds for respirable dust fraction of the use of vacuumed combi hammers for chiselling work, vacu- 1.25 mg/m³ by the end of 2018 at the latest. umed drills (hammer drills) and vacuumed flush socket drill bits. Introduction While carrying out electrical works on construction sites, such The federal states of Bavaria, Berlin and Hesse have completed as cutting slots and grooves (chasing out) for electrical cables, a field campaign together with the German Social Accident Insur- or drilling holes for switch and distribution boxes, employees ance Institution for the energy, textile, electrical and media prod- are exposed to mineral dust that is hazardous to health. The ucts sectors and the support of the German Electrical and Elec- dust produced during such work, can be inhaled and may reach tronic Manufacturer’s Association (ZVEI), as well as the German the upper respiratory tract, the bronchia or even the alveoli, Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Construction Industry depending on the particles’ size. Dust particles that reach the measuring the levels of such hazardous materials. This joint alveoli may remain there for months or even years. campaign identified the state of the art for protective measures while carrying out dust-emitting work on construction sites by the Thus, dust exposure on construction sites represents a serious electrical industry. The results published in the final report health hazard to employees, and emphasises the need for “Exposure at Work: Dust produced during electrical installation a specialist risk assessment according to the Ordinance on works” serve as the basis for this industry-wide regulation. The Hazardous Substances, as well as the implementation of the final report (German only) can be downloaded from: corresponding measures (see sample for the documentation www.bgetem.de, Webcode 12466546 for the risk assessment, page 14). 1.1 Initial Situation Mineral dust is produced during the following electrical installa- Mineral Dust tion works in particular: Mineral dust is produced when carrying out electrical • Wall chasing installation works on masonry, concrete, etc. Depending • Drilling flush sockets on the kind of masonry or stone, the dust can contain different • Drilling proportions of quartz. • Chiselling • Working in suspended ceilings • Cleaning Measurements carried out from 1998 to 2005 showed that the general threshold limit values for dust were exceeded considera- bly during certain activities. 7 Industry-wide regulation: Dust During Electrical Installation Works General Threshold Limit Values for Dust The general threshold limit values for dust are maximum For a transitional period, an assessment yardstick of 3 mg/m³ workplace limits and they are determined at 10 mg/m3 for the can be used until the end of 2018 instead of the new work- inhalable fraction and at 3 mg/m3 for the respirable fraction. place limits for assessing the effectiveness of the protective The inhalable fraction is that part of the dust that can be inhaled measures for the respirable dust fraction if the procedure through the mouth and nose. described in number 2.4.2 of TRGS 900 is implemented. This The respirable fraction is that part of the inhalable fraction industry-wide regulation defines the necessary measures for that can reach as far as the pulmonary alveoli. dust-emitting work in electrical installation works. The German Social Accident Insurance Institutions and the providing guidance for a more consistent application of organi- manufacturers of electric power tools within the German Electri- sational and personal protection measures and, on the other cal and Electronic Manufacturer’s Association have engaged hand by improving and harmonising the tool technology, espe- with this topic. On one hand, this has been done by means of cially with respect to dust absorption and separation systems. 1.2 Health Hazards Dust is inhaled into the body via the respiratory system. Health can catch, for example, chronic bronchitis pulmonary hazards especially arise due to the production of mineral dust emphysema (hyperinflation of the lung) or silicosis (black lung). which may contain different portions of quartz depending on the In some cases, silicosis can develop into lung cancer. The kind of masonry, concrete, etc. Employees exposed to this kind results of more recent studies indicate possible carcinogenic of dust over several years without protection during their work effects in the lung also caused by respirable dust. 100 Inhalable dust [mg/m³] Max. value: 90 88.0 Max. value: 80 77.8 70 Diagram 1: Representation of the 60 Average Inhalable Dust Concentrations. 50 Furthermore, the highest values (av- 40 erage value over the duration or meas- 30 Max. value: Max. value: Max. value: urement) shown as 20.7 20.5 Max. value: 25.1 20 19.0 a dot. Max. value: 10.1 Workplace 10 threshold 0 Cutting work Chiselling Drilling Flush Sockets Drilling Cleaning Harmonised system with flat with combi with suction without suction without suction chisel hammer without suction 8 Representation and Evaluation of the Exposure 10 Respirable dust [mg/m³] 9 Ma value: 8.0 8 Max value: 6.9 7 Diagram 2: Representation of the 6 Average Repirable 5 Dust Concentra- tions. Furthermore, 4 Max. value: the highest values 3.1 Assess- Max. value: Max. value: (average value over ment 3 2.7 2.7 Max. value: the duration or meas- 2.4 yard- Max. value: urement) shown as stick 1.9 2 a dot. Workplace threshold 1 0 Cutting work Chiselling Drilling Flush Sockets Drilling Cleaning Harmonised system with flat with combi with suction without suction without suction chisel hammer without suction 1.3 Representation and Evaluation of the Exposure In order to determine the state of the art, harmonised systems The limit values are expected to be exceeded mainly in the were used to carry out additional dust measurements between following activities: 2007 and 2009. The basic requirements for low-dust working according to TRGS 500 “Protective measures” were adhered • Chiselling with a combi hammer without suction to in this process. • Drilling flush sockets without suction • Cutting without a harmonised system During these measurements the inhalable fraction and the • Drilling without suction respirable fraction were determined. Additionally, the concentra- • Cleaning tion of the quartz dust was identified. Diagrams 1 and 2 show the average dust concentration detected in the various activities over the course of the measurement. Moreover, the highest values are marked with a dot (average value during the measurement). In general it can be seen