Scope.
This chapter applies to all occupational exposure to benzene.
Definition:
Exposure. The contact an employee has with benzene, whether or not protection is provided by respirators or other personal protective equipment (PPE). Exposure can occur through various routes of entry such as inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, or skin absorption.
Exemptions: | This chapter does not apply to any of the following: |
| • Liquids, vapors, mixtures in containers or pipelines, and gas in natural gas processing plants when benzene content is 0.1% or less. |
| • Gasoline and other fuels containing benzene once they leave the final bulk wholesale facility and are being: |
| – Transported; |
| – Sold; |
| – Distributed; |
| – Stored; |
| – Dispensed either: |
| ■ Outdoors; or |
| ■ Indoors four hours or less a day. |
| – Used as a fuel. |
| • Oil and gas drilling, production, and servicing operations. |
| • Solid materials that contain only trace amounts of benzene. |
| • Coke ovens. |
All requirements in this chapter will not apply to every workplace with an occupational exposure. The following will show you which requirements apply to your workplace.
Step 1: If any of your work tasks are listed in Table 1, follow Table 1.
• Go to Step 2a if you have additional work tasks or other exposures that are not covered in Table 1.
Table 1
Requirements That Apply to Specific Tasks
If employees do any of the following: | Then the only requirements in this chapter that apply to those tasks are: |
Load and unload benzene at bulk storage facilities that use vapor control systems for all loading and unloading operations. | • | The labeling requirement found in Preventive practices, WAC 296-849-11010. |
Perform tasks around sealed transport pipelines carrying gasoline, crude oil, or other liquids containing more than 0.1% benzene. | • | |
– | Make sure training and information includes specific information on benzene for each hazard communication training topic. For the list of hazard communication training topics, go to WAC 296-901-14016, Employee information and training. |
Work with, or around, sealed containers of liquids containing more than 0.1% benzene. | • | Emergency requirements found in Medical evaluations, WAC 296-849-12030. |
| • | |
| • | |
Step 2a: Follow requirements in the basic rules sections, WAC
296-849-11010 through
296-849-11090, for tasks
not listed in Table 1.
• This includes completing an exposure evaluation, as specified in Exposure evaluations, WAC
296-849-11030, to:
– Obtain employee fifteen-minute and eight-hour exposure monitoring results of airborne benzene;
AND
– Determine if employee exposure monitoring results are above, at, or below these values:
■ Eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA8) . . . . . . . . 1 parts per million (ppm).
■ Fifteen-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL) . . . . 5 ppm.
■ Eight-hour action level (AL) . . . . . . . . 0.5 ppm.
Step 2b: Use employee exposure monitoring results from Step 2a and follow Table 2 to find out which additional sections of this chapter apply to your workplace.
Table 2
Section Application
If employee exposure monitoring results are: | Then continue to follow the basic rules, and these additional requirements: |
• | Above the TWA8 or STEL | • | |
| | • | |
• | At or below the TWA8 or STEL; | • | |
| AND |
• | At or above AL |
• | Below the AL and STEL | • | No additional requirements apply. |
[Statutory Authority: RCW
49.17.010,
49.17.040,
49.17.050, and
49.17.060. WSR 18-22-116, § 296-849-100, filed 11/6/18, effective 12/7/18. Statutory Authority: RCW
49.17.010,
49.17.040,
49.17.050,
49.17.060 and 29 C.F.R. 1910 Subpart Z. WSR 14-07-086, § 296-849-100, filed 3/18/14, effective 5/1/14. Statutory Authority: RCW
49.17.010,
49.17.040,
49.17.050,
49.17.060. WSR 07-03-163, § 296-849-100, filed 1/24/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 05-13-152, § 296-849-100, filed 6/21/05, effective 8/1/05; WSR 05-01-172, § 296-849-100, filed 12/21/04, effective 3/1/05.]