Ultra Violet

UV, or ultraviolet, light is something we can’t see because it is a form of electromagnetic radiation that has shorter waves than the light humans can see. UV light carries more energy than visible light and can sometimes break up the bonds between atoms and molecules, altering the chemistry of materials exposed to it. UV light can also cause some things to profuce visible light, this is known as “fluorescence”. The form of ultra vioelrt light which is present in sunlight can be good for your health, as it stimulates the production of vitamins like vitamin D which can help in the aid of killing microorganisms, but too much exposure can cause sunburn and increase your chances of contracting skin cancer. Ultra Violet light has many uses, including disinfection, fluorescent light bulbs, and ultra violet lights are used in astronomy. If you want to learn more about ultra violet light, click on one of the links below!

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This is a picture of a tanning bed that uses ultra violet light. It is very common for people to use tanning beds because the ultraviolet light absorbs into your skin.  It is more intense than laying out in the sun. You can get the same amount of sun exposure from 15 minutes in a tanning bed than you could if you sat and tanned outside for an hour.

This is a picture of a light bulb that uses ultra violet rays. There are many benefits to using these ultra violet lightbulbs in your home. The ultraviolet lightbulbs are more energy efficient. The lightbulbs are better for the environment. The only downside to the ultra violet lightbulbs is that the cost is more expensive than the regular lightbulbs. That’s how it is now a days. Sometimes things that get the job done better cost a little more money.

Asbestos

Asbestos is the name given to a group of six different fibrous minerals (amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and the fibrous varieties of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) that occur naturally in the environment. Asbestos minerals have separable long fibers that are strong and flexible enough to be spun and woven and are heat resistant. Because of these characteristics, asbestos has been used for a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings. Some vermiculite or talc products may contain asbestos. To learn more about Asbestos click here…     Asbestos

 If tiny asbestos fibers are released into the air, as they are in the manufacturing process, they can be inhaled or swallowed, leading to serious health problems. As many as 75% of mesothelioma cases can be linked to exposure to asbestos at work. There is also some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. Cases of mesothelioma have also been seen in people living close to asbestos mines Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, a protective membrane that lines most of the body's internal organs. To learn more about Mesothelioma click here….Mesothelioma

This is what asbestos looks like if it was enlarged for the human eye. It is crazy to think that these things are found in our everyday lives. Yet the asbestos can present very dangerous health effects. Even death.

This is a picture of what Mesothelioma would look like. This is one of the main dangers when coming into contact with asbestos. 

Time Weighted Average

“A time-weighted average is used to calculate a workers daily exposure to a hazardous substance (such as chemicals, dusts, fumes, mists, gases, or vapors) or agent (such as noise), averaged to an 8-hour workday, taking into account the average levels of the substance or agent and the time spent in the area”. Time Weighted Average us also known as a WEL (Workplace Exposure Limit). Time Weighted average is broken up into two categories, The LTEL (Long Term Exposure Limits), and STEL (Short Term Exposure Limits). The LTEL is the highest amount of a dose an organism can stand in an 8 hour work day. The main goal of an STEL is to prevent adverse health effects and other unwanted affects. There is a predicament. Most workers work longer than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. They counteract that by putting restraints on how long you can work at a given time, by providing longer breaks and less time with the substance you are exposed too. To learn more about Time weighted averages click here…. Time Weighted Average extra info

The equations for how to calculate a time weighted average is pretty easy to understand and solve for yourself.

This picture is an equation of how to calculate time weighted average. As you can tell from the picture it is a very simple equation. It is very easy to calculate your time weighted average which is good because it makes it very easy for a person to stay safe in the workplace!

Time weighted Average is a key component to occupational health and safety. It sets a guideline for workers to follow so they can remain safe on the work site while getting the job done.

            To sum it all up, calculating your Time Weighted Average correctly can ultimately be the difference between life and death.  If you have further questions click here…Time Weighted Exposure extra help

Occupational Exposure Limits

Today we are going to talk about Occupational exposure limits and all things that Many procedures generate hazardous air contaminants that can get into the air that people breath. Normally, the body can take in limited amounts of hazardous air contaminants, metabolize them and eliminate them from the body without producing harmful effects. Safe levels of exposure to many hazardous materials have been established by governmental agencies after much research in their short term (acute) and cumulative (chronic) health effects using available human exposure data (usually from industrial sources) and animal testing. When the average air concentrations repeatedly exceed certain thresholds, called exposure limits, adverse health effects are more likely to occur. Exposure limits do change with time as more research is conducted and more occupational data is collected
                 An occupational exposure limit is the maximum average air concentration that most workers can be exposed to for an 8 hour work day, 40 hour work week for a working lifetime (40 years) without experiencing significant adverse health effects. A very small percentage of individuals experience some discomfort or adverse health effects at or below the exposure limit because of a wide variation in individual sensitivities or pre-existing conditions. When employee's work a shift longer than 8 hours per day, the exposure limit must be adjusted (lowered) to prevent the employee from over exposure. To learn more about Occupational exposure limits click here…Occupational Exposure Limits

PEL’s (permissible exposure limit0 is a regulatory limit on the amount or concentration of a substance in the air. This is usually based on an eight-hour time weighted average (TWA), although some are based on short-term exposure limits (STEL). If you want to learn more about Permissible exposure limits click here…permissible exposure limits

 I find this picture very interesting. it is an easy way too calculate your permissible exposure limits. This shows that it is easy and accesible for anyone to fins out their Pel's

This picture shows that Occupational Exposure Limits is a very broad topic. There are so many topics under OEL's It's crazy to think about.

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Dose Response

Dose Response relationship, or  or exposure response relationship, describes the change in effect on organisms caused by differing levels of exposure. This may apply to individuals (a small amount has no significant effect, a large amount is fatal), or to populations (how many people or organisms are affected at different levels of exposure).

Studying dose response, and developing dose–response models, is central to determining "safe" and "hazardous" levels and dosages for drugs, potential pollutants, and other substances to which humans or other organisms are exposed. These conclusions are often the basis for public policy. The EPA has developed extra guidance and reports on dose response modeling and assessment, as well as software. To learn more about dose response click here,,, Dose response extra information 

Dose Response can be interpreted more than one way. First, the relationship between the quantity or intensity of your treatment regime and its affects on living cells, tissues, or organisms. Another way to interpret dose response is this:  The relationship between the intensity of an exposure to an infectious pathogen, physical stressor, or a toxin, and its affects on living organisms. To learn about the Dose ResponseDose Response Society Society, click here... 

The reason I chose this picture is because most people only think that like harmful chemicals are toxic. That is not the case. anything can be toxic if you have a enough of an exposure to it. A person can even be toxic because they annoy you and do not promote a healthy lifestyle for you!

The thing that i found the most interesting is that even oxygen is toxic if we have too much of it. I thought that was weird because we need oxygen to survive yet if we have too much it can be deadly.