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Although a number of U.S. organizations develop
occupational exposure limits (OELs), much of the effort has focused on a
relatively small subset of high volume chemicals, or those with
particularly severe toxic end points. As a result, many workers are
exposed to substances for which no guidance on acceptable exposure levels
has been developed. The shortfall in protection of worker health due to
the limited number of OELs suggests that active participation by TERA
in this area is consistent with our mission to use the best available
science for development of risk values to protect public health. TERA’s
goal is to work cooperatively with other organizations’ efforts to see
that more OELs are developed and take full advantage of advances in risk
assessment methods.
Expanding the current coverage of OELs is valuable to
companies and in the public interest because it:
- Enhances
Product Stewardship efforts by providing more complete health and
safety guidance to product users.
- Promotes risk
communication by informing workers of potential adverse effects of
chemical exposure.
- Provides a
scientific basis for evaluating whether existing environmental control
technologies are adequate.
TERA works to support OEL development through two
distinct programs: development of sound OELs by TERA staff, and
organizing independent peer reviews of values developed by others.
Development
of OELs and Documentation
Through TERA’s Verifiable
Estimates for Risk Assessment (VERA) program we can develop new
OELs for chemicals of interest to you and your company or agency. To
develop an OEL for you, we perform a comprehensive review and evaluation
of the scientific literature and derive occupational values based on sound
science and state-of-the-art risk assessment methods.
Independent
Peer Review of OELs
An essential element in the acceptance of newly derived
risk values is a scientific peer review. TERA’s Peer
Review program provides a forum for independent scientific peer review
of OELs developed by industry or government. TERA peer reviews
bring together scientists from academic, government, and industry
backgrounds providing a balanced review by experts in the fields of
toxicology, occupational health, and risk assessment.
Selected
TERA Projects in Occupational Toxicology
TERA has
diverse corporate experience in supporting the occupational toxicology
needs of our project sponsors. Below
are descriptions of recent projects.
- Sustainable
Futures. Under
subcontract with the U.S. EPA, provide screening level hazard
assessments for non-cancer toxicity for new chemicals under pollution
prevention initiatives.
- Critical
Review of Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Concentrations.
Provided a critical analysis of the toxicological basis for 50 IDLH
concentrations in a project for NIOSH.
- Scientific
Criteria for Deriving Occupational Exposure Limits.
In a project sponsored by the International Council on Mining
and Metals, authored a manuscript providing a critical analysis of
the scientific criteria for deriving occupational exposure
levels.
- Comparative
Health Hazard Ranking. For
a private sponsor, surveyed available health hazard ranking tools and
methods, and provided a comparative analysis of selected systems for
12 substances for occupational and consumer exposure scenarios.
- Risk
Thresholds of Concern. For
a private sponsor coauthored a report on the basis for setting risk
assessment dose thresholds for occupational exposure to products for
which full toxicity data are not available.
- Health
and Safety Clearance of Chemicals.
For a private sponsor developed a framework for conducting
screening level risk assessments for chemicals newly introduced to
facility operations. Won
the “Best Risk Assessment Poster” at AIHC&E. Poster presented at
AICH, 2002
- Job
Safety Analysis.
For the Cincinnati Parks Department, developed a health hazards
summary and reviewed a job safety analysis for pruning of cacti that
emit phorbol ester compounds. For
a research university developed a database tool and protocol for
evaluating laboratory safety procedures.
- Metal
Refining Process Hazards.
For a private sponsor, conducted a comprehensive toxicology and
industrial hygiene review for a refining operation.
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