New Disclosure Document on Nanomaterials
The National Institute of Safety and Hygiene at Work (INSHT) has recently published the informative document "Nanomaterials in the workplace. Collection of information and measurement of exposure."
As nanotechnology advances, applications are being found for nanomaterials in healthcare, electronics, cosmetics, textiles, computing and environmental protection, but their properties are not always well identified and require an assessment of the risks of possible exposures that arise during their manufacture and use.
The risks derived from inhalation exposure to nanomaterials, as for any chemical agent, are evaluated using quantitative methodologies that can be complemented by qualitative methodologies, especially when the toxicological information of the chemical agent is limited and, therefore, no environmental limit values are available.
In order to apply both types of methodologies, it is necessary to collect in an exhaustive and orderly manner all the information related to the analyzed work situation. The information to be collected can be very extensive, so it is convenient to have a tool that facilitates this collection.
The questionnaire presented in this document has been developed as a work tool for the prevention technician, with the aim of facilitating the collection of information to subsequently apply quantitative and qualitative methodologies that allow evaluating exposure by inhalation to nanomaterials in the workplace.
The aim is to collect in a homogeneous and exhaustive way all the information related to the measurements, regardless of their objective, in order to be able to compare the results over time. Templates for measurements of equipment with direct and indirect reading for sampling and analysis have also been included in the annexes with an interactive format that aims to facilitate the collection of information.
Related to this topic in Fraternidad-Muprespa last October we published the news in which we reported the publication of the INSST Disclosure Document on Potential Exposure to Nanomaterials in the Construction Sector that given a general overview of the definition of nanomaterials and provided a list of the most used in this sector. (see the full news).
