Changes in Work Practices for Safe Use of Formaldehyde in a University-Based Anatomy Teaching and Research Facility
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Building and Facilities
2.2. Ventilation System and Air Exchange Rate
2.3. Stationary Air Sampling
2.4. Full Shift Personal Air Sampling
2.5. Task-Based Personal Air Sampling
2.6. FA Air Sampling and Analysis
2.7. Improved Work Practices
2.8. Calculations and Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Infrastructure and Technology
3.2. Improved Work Practices
3.3. Measurements at Fixed Locations
3.4. Full Shift Personal Air Sampling
3.5. Task-Based Personal Air Sampling
4. Discussion
4.1. Air Sampling at Fixed Locations
4.2. Personal Air Sampling
4.3. Strengths and Limitations of the Study
4.4. Interpretation of Results in the Context of Published Literature
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Room | Size (m2) | Function | Facilities | Air Exchange Rate (h−1) | Air Exchange Per Section Table (h−1) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Design | Effective a | Design | Effective a | ||||
Storage | 164 | Storage of cadavers and specimens | Storage of human remains in 75 tanks with lifting equipment and 37% FA stock | 6.1 | 6.3 | - c | - c |
Embalming | 89 | Tap water flushing | Work bench with water taps | 8.8 | 9.0 | - c | - |
TR-1 | 199 | Instruction | 16 dissection tables | 15.3 | 14.2 | 0.96 | 0.89 |
TR-2 | 64 | Instruction | 6 dissection tables | 31.3 | 23.7 | 5.2 | 4.0 |
TR-3 | 17 | Research projects | 2 dissection tables | 19.5 | 4.6 b | 9.8 | 2.3 b |
Category | No. | Description | Old Work Practice | New Work Practice | Rationale | Location/Room | Figure No. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Technical | T-1 | Leak prevention | Leaking of formalin by dripping of residual fluid from the tap of a storage tank | Placing a cap on the open connector to prevent leakage from taps of storage tanks | Leak reduction | Storage | 2 |
T-2 | Elimination of disposable absorbent sheets | Specimens were placed on a disposable sheet to collect residual formalin draining from the specimens | Elimination of the disposable sheet and collection of residual formalin leakage in a closed container | Reduction of evaporation surface | Teaching | 3 | |
T-3 | Introduction of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) | Specimens are rinsed with water to remove residual formalin. For this a workbench was used with no LEV. | Placement of a Perspex containment with LEV. The containment can be opened for introduction or removal of specimens | Removal of vapors at the source | Embalming | 4 | |
T-4 | Improvement of down flow ventilation (DFV) | Create a down flow at the location where specimens are lifted from the storage tank | Improvement of ventilation equipment capacity and performance | Reduction of vapors in breathing zone | Storage | 5 | |
Organisation | O-1 | Optimizing storage system a | Specimens storage methods did not match with teaching programme requiring opening of many storage tanks to find the required preparation for a specific class/course | Storage of specimens needed for a specific class/course in one or a few labeled tanks to reduce on the number of tanks to be opened to retrieve the required specimens. | Reduction of the work amount | Storage | 6 |
O-2 | Tap water flushes and reduction of exposure time | Overnight flushing of specimens by tap water | Extension of the flush time duration for specimens with a high formalin residue; reduction of the time that specimens are put on display on the dissection tables. | Removal of formalin | Embalming | 7 |
Room | 2012 | 2014 | 2017 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | GM | Range | n | GM | Range | n | GM | Range | |
TR-1 | 10 | 80.4 | 49–618.3 | 4 | 21.2 | 7.7–38.6 | 1 | 9.0 d | - d |
TR-2 | 6 | 10.9 | 2.2–672.2 a | 4 | 69.8 | 50.3–124.6 | 1 | 13.0 d | - d |
TR-3 | - b | - b | - b | 4 | 16.2 | 10.1–40.0 | 1 | 1.6 d | - d |
Embalming | 10 | 74.7 | 37.3–169.9 | 4 | 27.4 | 16.7–41.7 | 0 | - d | - d |
Storage | 10 | 290.9 | 89.7–1506.2 | 4 | 301.7 | 206.5–554.0 | 2 | 62.5, 34.9 b,d | - d |
Year | Group | n | GM | P95 | Range | Non-Compliance (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Workers | 21 | 123.0 | 407.9 | 17.2–519.7 | 42.8 |
Students | 5 | 174.7 | 930.0 | 117.0–1120 | 60.0 | |
Total | 26 | 131.6 | 491.7 | 17.2–1120 | 46.2 | |
2014 | Workers | 8 | 121.3 | 252.8 | 55.6–287.3 | 37.5 |
Students | 5 | 102.8 | 405.6 | 49.6–468.9 | 40.0 | |
Total | 13 | 113.6 | 359.9 | 49.6–468.9 | 38.5 | |
2017 | Workers | 6 | 26.5 | 61.9 | 10.6–71.8 | 0 |
Students | 7 | 30.9 | 68.0 | 19.6–80.1 | 0 | |
Total | 13 | 28.8 | 75.1 | 10.6–80.1 | 0 |
Year | Description of Task | n | GM | P95 | Range | Non-Compliance (%) b |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Refill | 4 | 104.1 | 460.8 | 35.4–510.1 | 25.0 |
Take out | 9 | 166.4 | 1423.9 | 58.6–1552.1 | 22.2 | |
Place back | 3 | 345.6 | 1659.9 | 72.9–1809.6 | 33.3 | |
Flushes | 3 | 588.3 | 1352.0 | 151.6–1395.3 | 66.7 | |
Total | 19 | 276.5 | 1577.8 | 58.6–1552.1 | 31.6 | |
2014 | Refill | 9 | 224.5 | 641.4 | 88.2–646.3 | 22.2 |
Take out | 6 | 418.0 | 2216.4 | 104.9–266.2 | 50.0 | |
Place back | 3 | 947.6 | 2575.0 | 371.6–2769.2 a | 66.7 | |
Flushes | 3 | 58.8 | 131.3 | 37.7–141.7 | 0.0 | |
Total | 21 | 272.0 | 2666.2 | 37.7–2769.2 | 33.3 | |
2017 | Refill | 2 | - | - | 61.5–128.0 | 0.0 |
Take out | 2 | - | - | 20.4–123.0 | 0.0 | |
Place back | 3 | 134.6 | 212.6 | 68.2–218.0 | 0.0 | |
Flushes | 3 | 54.4 | 100.5 | 35.8–107.0 | 0.0 | |
Total | 12 | 77.5 | 193.7 | 20.4–218.0 | 0.0 |
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Share and Cite
Scheepers, P.T.J.; Graumans, M.H.F.; Beckmann, G.; Van Dael, M.; Anzion, R.B.M.; Melissen, M.; Pinckaers, N.; Van Wel, L.; De Werdt, L.M.A.; Gelsing, V.; et al. Changes in Work Practices for Safe Use of Formaldehyde in a University-Based Anatomy Teaching and Research Facility. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2049. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15092049
Scheepers PTJ, Graumans MHF, Beckmann G, Van Dael M, Anzion RBM, Melissen M, Pinckaers N, Van Wel L, De Werdt LMA, Gelsing V, et al. Changes in Work Practices for Safe Use of Formaldehyde in a University-Based Anatomy Teaching and Research Facility. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2018; 15(9):2049. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15092049
Chicago/Turabian StyleScheepers, Paul T. J., Martien H. F. Graumans, Gwendolyn Beckmann, Maurice Van Dael, Rob B. M. Anzion, Maarten Melissen, Nicole Pinckaers, Luuk Van Wel, Laurie M. A. De Werdt, Vera Gelsing, and et al. 2018. "Changes in Work Practices for Safe Use of Formaldehyde in a University-Based Anatomy Teaching and Research Facility" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 9: 2049. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15092049
APA StyleScheepers, P. T. J., Graumans, M. H. F., Beckmann, G., Van Dael, M., Anzion, R. B. M., Melissen, M., Pinckaers, N., Van Wel, L., De Werdt, L. M. A., Gelsing, V., & Van Linge, A. (2018). Changes in Work Practices for Safe Use of Formaldehyde in a University-Based Anatomy Teaching and Research Facility. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(9), 2049. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15092049