Brucellosis, which is also called Bang’s disease, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever,

Maltese fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, or undulant fever, is a highly

contagious zoonosis caused by the ingestion of unsterilized milk or meat from
infected animals or close contact with their secretions. Most cases are caused
by occupational exposure to infected animals or the ingestion of unpasteur#ized
dairy products. The latency period for brucellosis is 3–60 days.4
Benzene-Related Illnesses
Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon that is produced by the burning
of natural products. It is a component of products derived from coal and
petroleum and is found in gasoline and other fuels. Benzene is used in the
manufacture of plastics, detergents, pesticides, and other chemicals. Research
has shown benzene to be a carcinogen (cancer causing). With exposures
from less than 5 years to more than 30 years, individuals have developed,
and died from, leukemia. Long-term exposure may affect bone marrow and
blood production. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene in the air
can cause leukemia, particularly acute myelogenous leukemia. Benzene has
been determined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to
be a known carcinogen. Short-term exposure to high levels of benzene can
cause drowsiness, dizziness, unconsciousness, and death.5
The OSHA 8-h PEL is 1.0 ppm, with an action level (AL) of 0.5 ppm.
The OSHA standard for benzene is 29 CFR 1910.1028.
Byssinosis
Byssinosis is a disease of the lungs as a result of breathing in cotton dust or
dusts from other vegetable fibers such as flax, hemp, or sisal while at work.
Byssinosis is most common in people who work in the textile industry. Those
who are sensitive to the dust can have an asthma-like condition after being
exposed. In those with asthma, being exposed to the dust makes breathing
more difficult, but in byssinosis, the symptoms usually go away by the end
of the workweek. After long periods of exposure, symptoms can continue
throughout the week without improving.
Methods of prevention in the United States have reduced the number
of cases, but byssinosis is still common in developing countries. Smoking
increases the risk for this disease. Being exposed to the dust many times can
lead to chronic lung disease and shortness of breath or wheezing.6
The OSHA PEL and AL for cotton dust exposure vary with the process.
Table 5.1 provides the various processes and PELs/ALs.
The OSHA standard is 29 CFR 1910.1043. For purposes of the regulation,
cotton dust means dust present in the air during the handling or process#ing of
cotton, which may contain a mixture of many substances, including
224 Safety Professional’s Reference and Study Guide
ground-up plant matter, fiber, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, non-cotton
plant matter, and other contaminants which may have accumulated with
the cotton during the growing, harvesting, and subsequent processing or
storage periods.
Arsenic-Related Illnesses
Chronic exposure to arsenic in the occupational setting, skin lesions, and
peripheral neuropathy are the most common adverse effects. Patchy
hyper#pigmentation is the classic skin lesion of chronic arsenic exposure. Other
adverse effects include anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, eosinophilia,
and liver injury. Arsenic exposure occurs when workers sand or burn this
wood. Arsenic is used as an alloy in lead-acid batteries. Inorganic arsenic is
no longer used in agriculture in the United States. Organic arsenic pesticides
(cacodylic acid, disodium methyl arsenate, and monosodium methyl arse#nate) are
used on cotton.7 The high-risk occupations at greatest risk of arsenic
poisoning include the following:
• Applying arsenic preservatives to wood,
• Manufacturing of pesticides containing arsenic,
• Sawing or sanding arsenic-treated wood,
• Smelting or casting lead,
• Smelting or refining of zinc or copper.
The current OSHA PEL for arsenic is 10 μg/m3 (8-h time-weighted average
[TWA]). The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
15-min limit for arsenic (airborne concentration) is 2 μg/m3.
TABLE 5.1
Cotton Dust Permissible Exposure and Action Limits
Permissible Exposure Limits
Process PEL (µg/m3)
Yarn manufacturing and cotton washing operations 200
Textile mill waste house operations 500
Textile processes (slashing and weaving) 750
Action Levels
Process AL (µg/m3)
Yarn manufacturing and cotton washing operations 100
Textile mill waste house operations 250
Textile processes (slashing and weaving) 375
Toxicology 225
Berylliosis and Beryllium-Related Illnesses
Berylliosis is a lung disease resulting from the inhalation of beryllium.
All compounds of beryllium should be considered potentially harmful, if
inhaled, even in minute quantities. The current OSHA PEL for beryllium
exposure is 0.2 µg/m3 (8-h TWA). It has a short-term exposure limit (STEL)
of 2.0 µg/m3 not to be exceeded for more than 15 min. Beryllium is used in
lightweight metals, especially in valves in the aeronautical and space indus#tries.
Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) may occur among people who are
exposed to the dust or fumes from beryllium metal, metal oxides, alloys,
ceramics, or salts. It occurs when people inhale beryllium in these forms.
CBD usually has a very slow onset, and even very small amounts of expo#sure to
beryllium can cause the disease in some people. Acute beryllium
disease usually has a quick onset and has symptoms that resemble those of
pneumonia or bronchitis. The acute form of the disease is believed to occur
as a result of exposures well above the current PEL. This form of beryllium
disease is now rare.
The newest rule requires employers to use engineering controls and other
work practices to reduce employee exposures to beryllium. In addition,
employers may provide respiratory protection whenever engineering and
other controls to not adequately control the employee exposure. Recent
data suggest that exposures to beryllium even at levels below the 2-μg/m3
PEL may have caused CBD in some workers. Therefore, employers should
consider providing their beryllium-exposed workers with air-purifying
respirators equipped with 100-series filters (either N-, P-, or R-type) or,
where appropriate, powered air-purifying respirators equipped with high#efficiency
particulate air (HEPA) filters, particularly in areas where material
containing beryllium can become airborne.8
Copper-Related Illnesses
The primary methods of entry into the body for occupational copper
exposure are through inhalation or absorption through the eyes or skin.
Short-term exposure to copper fumes causes irritation of the eyes, nose,
and throat, and a flu-like illness called metal fume fever can result. Metal
fume fever symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea, chills, dry
throat, cough, and weakness. It may also include a metallic or sweet taste
in the mouth of the affected employee. Long-term exposure to copper
fumes owing to repeated exposure may cause the skin and hair to change
color.9
The OSHA PEL for copper fume is 0.1 mg/m3 (8-h TWA). The OSHA PEL for
copper dust and mist is 1.0 mg/m3. Initial medical screening for employees
potentially exposed to copper should include a thorough history of chronic
respiratory diseases and Wilson’s disease (hepatolenticular degeneration).
226 Safety Professional’s Reference and Study Guide
Cadmium-Related Illnesses
Acute exposure to cadmium can cause delayed pulmonary edema and acute
renal failure after inhalation of high concentrations of the fume. Chronic
exposure to cadmium dust and fume is toxic primarily to the kidneys with
secondary effects on the bones (osteomalacia). Biological monitoring of
cadmium-exposed workers is mandated by OSHA to prevent chronic renal
disease. Studies have shown the latency period to be approximately 10 years.
High-risk occupational exposures are due to the following10:
• Brazing using cadmium-based solder;
• Machining or welding on cadmium-alloyed or cadmium-plated steel;
• Making cadmium-containing products;
• Plating metal with cadmium;
• Reclaiming scrap metals containing lead, cadmium, beryllium, and
mercury;
• Removing cadmium coatings;
• Smelting or casting lead;
• Smelting or refining zinc and copper.
The OSHA PEL for an 8-h shift is 5 μg/m3. The AL established by OSHA is
2.5 μg/m3. The OSHA standard for cadmium is 29 CFR 1910.1027.
Chromium-Related Illnesses
Chronic exposure to chromium in the occupational environment most often
results in contact dermatitis and ulcerations of the skin and nasal mucosa.
Hexavalent chromium is the most toxic form of chromium. Inhalation of
chromium dust, mist, or fumes can produce acute bronchoconstriction,
probably through a direct irritant mechanism. Industrial uses of hexavalent
chromium compounds include chromate pigments in dyes, paints, inks, and
plastics; chromates added as anticorrosive agents to paints, primers, and
other surface coatings; and chromic acid electroplated onto metal parts to
provide a decorative or protective coating. Hexavalent chromium can also
be formed when performing “hot work” such as welding on stainless steel
or melting chromium metal. In these situations, the chromium is not origi#nally
hexavalent, but the high temperatures involved in the process result in
oxidation that converts the chromium to a hexavalent state.11
High-risk occupational exposures to chromium are due to the following:
• Welding stainless steel,
• Heating or machining chromium alloys,
• Mining or crushing chromium ores,