This article was downloaded by: [Institutional Subscription Access] On: 19 July 2011, At: 12:59 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uoeh20 History and Evolution of Control Banding: A Review David M. Zalk a & Deborah Imel Nelson b a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California b Industrial Hygienist, Boulder, Colorado Available online: 25 Mar 2008 To cite this article: David M. Zalk & Deborah Imel Nelson (2008): History and Evolution of Control Banding: A Review, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 5:5, 330-346 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15459620801997916 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene,5:330–346 ISSN: 1545-9624 print / 1545-9632 online DOI: 10.1080/15459620801997916 History and Evolution of Control Banding: A Review David. M. Zalk1 and Deborah Imel Nelson2 1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 2Industrial Hygienist, Boulder, Colorado Control banding (CB) strategies offer simplified solutions INTRODUCTION for controlling worker exposures to constituents often en- countered in the workplace. The original CB model was foundation of the modern movement for control banding developed within the pharmaceutical industry; however, the (CB) strategies is derived from programs initiated in the modern movement involves models developed for non-experts A to input hazard and exposure potential information for bulk United Kingdom (UK) by the Health and Safety Executive chemical processes, receiving control advice as a result. The (HSE). The need to provide guidance and assistance to small- CB approach utilizes these models for the dissemination of and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs, which employ about qualitative and semiquantitative risk assessment tools being 90% of the UK work force)(1) in meeting requirements to developed to complement the traditional industrial hygiene conduct risk assessments of chemical exposures led to the HSE model of air sampling and analysis. It is being applied and tested in small- and medium-sized enterprises within developed development of a program known as the Control of Substances countries and industrially developing countries; however, Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Essentials. large enterprises have also incorporated these strategies within In 1998, the HSE published a series of papers outlining a CB chemical safety programs. Existing research of the components strategy of creating a model in which the hazard was combined of the most available CB model, the Control of Substances with the potential exposure to determine a recommended level Hazardous to Health Essentials, has shown that exposure bands do not always provide adequate margins of safety, that of control approach. European Union (EU) risk phrases were there is a high rate of under-control errors, that it works better used to rank the hazard of a chemical, and potential for with dusts than with vapors, that there is an inherent inaccuracy exposure was estimated by the quantity in use and the volatility in estimating variability, and that when taken together the of liquids or dustiness of solids. The scheme uses information outcomes of this model may lead to potentially inappropriate associated with hazardous chemicals to develop hazard groups. workplace confidence in chemical exposure reduction in some operations. Alternatively, large-scale comparisons of industry These hazard groups are derived for a variety of chemicals and exposure data to this CB model’s outcomes have indicated more are designated by experienced toxicologists. When a hazard promising results with a high correlation seen internationally. group associated with a chemical is selected by the manager With the accuracy of the toxicological ratings and hazard band of an SME, toxicological expertise is utilized without the classification currently in question, their proper re-evaluation need for an on-site expert. This is an important foundation will be of great benefit to the reliability of existing and future CB models. The need for a more complete analysis of CB model for the eventual consideration of the exposure potential to the components and, most importantly, a more comprehensive chemical. prospective research process remains. This analysis will be Downloaded by [Institutional Subscription Access] at 12:59 19 July 2011 The remainder of the decision-making process includes important in understanding implications of the model’s overall the volume of chemical used and likelihood of the chemical effectiveness. Since the CB approach is now being used world- becoming airborne, estimated by the dustiness or volatility of wide with an even broader implementation in progress, further research toward understanding its strengths and weaknesses the source compound. When these parameters are entered into will assist in its further refinement and confidence in its ongoing awork sheet, the suggested control approach is identified. utility. The end product is the selection of a control guidance sheet with both general and specific advice for common Keywords chemical hazards, control banding, risk assessment, risk tasks.(2) management, toolbox In the development of the CB model, Maidment(3) stressed the importance of limiting the number of factors in the model to reduce its complexity and increase its applicability for Address correspondence to: David. M. Zalk, Lawrence Livermore non-experts. Although in theory there can be a stratification National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808 L-871, Livermore, CA 94551; of risk across many levels, each additional level leads to a e-mail: [email protected]. more intricate tool for the SME manager, which as an end 330 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene May 2008 ACRONYMS IH Industrial Hygiene ABPI Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ILO International Labor Organization BAuA Federal Institute of Occupational Safety and IOHA International Occupational Hygiene Association Health (Germany) LE Large Enterprises BOHS British Occupational Hygiene Society LEV Local Exhaust Ventilation CB Control Banding LOAEL Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level CEFIC European Chemical Industry Council MAK Maximum Allowable Concentrations (Germany) CEMAS CEFIC Exposure Management System MoE Margins of Exposure CGS Control Guidance Sheets NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and CIA Chemical Industries Association Health (U.S.) CHIP Chemical Hazardous Information and Packaging NOAEL No Observed Adverse Effect Level COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health OEB Occupational Exposure Band EASE Estimation and Assessment of Substances OEL Occupational Exposure Limit Exposure ORM Occupational Risk Management ECETOC European Centre for Ecotoxicology and PACE Prevention and Control Exchange Toxicology of Chemicals PB-ECL Performance-Based Exposure Control Limits ECHA European Chemical Agency PPE Personal Protective Equipment ECP Exposure Control Practices PPM Parts per million EINECS European Inventory of Existing Substances REACH Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and EU European Union restriction of Chemicals GHS Globally Harmonized System of Classification RTECS Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances and Labeling of Chemicals SME Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises GTZ Society for Technical Cooperation (Germany) SQRA Semiquantitative Risk Assessment HHE Health Hazard Evaluation TLV Threshold Limit Value HSE Health and Safety Executive (UK) TWA Time-Weighted Average HSDB Hazardous Substances Data Base UK United Kingdom ICCT International Chemical Control Toolkit (new US United States name of the ILO Toolkit) WHO World Health Organization product may hamper its overall intended utility. To achieve this address the growing potency of newly developed compounds balance of simplicity and effectiveness, Maidment suggested followed the path of the microbiological and biomedical four categories, or “bands,” to assist in preventing exposure to industries controlling exposures to increasingly toxic mi- chemicals. These four control strategies are a grouping of three croorganisms within the four categories of the Biosafety levels of engineering containment based on sound industrial Level approach.(8) Formally, the establishment of in-house hygiene (IH) principles, with professional IH expertise as occupational exposure bands (OEBs) by the Association of a fourth category. Within this model, these generic control