Alerta sobre exposición de trabajadores por inhalación a Diesel

OSHA, MSHA Warn Workers of Diesel Exhaust Exposures 

Short-term exposure to diesel exhaust can cause headache, dizziness, and eye, nose, and throat irritation, while long-term exposure can increase the risk of cardiovascular, cardiopulmonary, and respiratory disease and lung cancer, OSHA and MSHA warn in a hazard alert released this month. Industries in which workers are at risk for diesel exhaust exposures include mining, construction, transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, and maritime operations. The hazard alert includes information on diesel exhaust and diesel particulate matter (DPM), on the health effects following exposure, and on the standards in place for diesel exhaust and DPM. Examples of engineering and administrative controls to help mitigate exposures are also included.

MSHA enforces DPM standards at underground metal/nonmetal mines and at underground coal mines, and OSHA covers workers in general industry, agriculture, construction, and maritime industries. According to MSHA, a miner’s exposure to DPM must not exceed 160 µg/m³ of total carbon when measured as an eight-hour time-weighted average. OSHA currently does not have a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for DPM, but the publication lists PELs for components of diesel exhaust, such as carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Monitoring for these gases can indicate that diesel exhaust is present and help evaluate the effectiveness of controls put in place to minimize exposures to diesel exhaust.
Back in June, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified diesel engine exhaust as carcinogenic to humans.

For more information, view the hazard alert on OSHA’s website.

IARC - Fumes from diesel engines have been classified as carcinogenic

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found sufficient evidence that exposure to diesel exhausts is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. They also noted limited evidence that exposure could lead to an increased risk of bladder cancer.

The IARC had previously categorised diesel exhausts as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’. The updated classification follows the findings earlier this year of a US study of occupational exposure to such emissions in underground miners, which showed an increased risk of death from lung cancer in exposed workers.

The IARC also warns that people are not only exposed to motor-vehicle exhausts but also to exhausts from other diesel engines, including other modes of transport, such as diesel trains and ships, and from power generators.

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Vinculación entre exposición a vapores de Diesel y cancer de pulmón

In a study of non-metal miners in the United States, federal government scientists reported that heavy exposure to diesel exhaust increased risk of death from lung cancer.

The study was carried out by researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both parts of HHS. The results were distributed in two papers on March 2, 2012, from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and they will be posted to the JNCI website on March 5, 2012

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