Abstract
The hygiene industrial program seeks to understand the hazards and risks around the workplace, processes that are needed to control the risks, as well as resources commitments to create an environment that is safe. In that respect, the program commissioned a study on the asbestos exposure that workers were subject to given the September 11th, 2001 fall of the Twin Towers that produced huge cloud of dust, smoke and the debris releasing asbestos hazardous fibers as well as some other substances into the surrounding air. The study applied stratified sampling that was done in view of the need to identify the most relevant data that could capture the exposure of workers to the asbestos Hazard. That involved the analysis of the air effect of the asbestos for the selected areas of the financial district considering data for various days beginning the 13th September to 26th September 2001. The data was sourced from the World Trade center database. In the analysis, it is identified that the average exposure is 0.0111fiber/cubic centimeter as an 8-hr time weighted average and the 95percentile exposure to be 0.3 fiber/cubic centimeter. With that the workers were placed in category 0 of the exposure.
Introduction
The hygiene industrial program is a culmination understanding of hazards and risks around the workplace, processes that are needed to control the risks, as well as resources commitments to create an environment that is safe. The program does follow the trend of industrial hygiene of anticipation, evaluating, recognizing as well as controlling the health hazards. Furthermore, these program besides preventing occupational diseases and injury, it also benefits the organization through the reduction of costs, increasing the productivity, as well as enhancing the employees’ morale as well as the brand image (Barbara and Patricia, 2012). In that respect, this study sought to analyze the workers exposure to asbestos.
Discussion
On September 11th, 2001, when Twin Towers fell to the ground, a huge cloud of dust, smoke and the debris released asbestos hazardous fibers as well as some other substances that were toxic into the surrounding air. All the fireproofing asbestos materials from the 20 stories tower come down showering on the entire N.Y City. According to EPA reports, the towers` implosion crushed the asbestos into very fine particles. There was an estimate by World Trade Center Health Registry of about 0.41m people who were exposed into the host toxins that included asbestos at the time of rescuing, recovery as well as clean-up activities which followed 9/11.Majority of people who were affected by the asbestos at the Ground Zero mostly were individuals assigned in rescuing the survivors. These employees were amongst the first at that scene, and were the last in leaving the wreckage. The search and the rescue team as well as other individual responsible for the debris cleaning-up during the following months after that collapse were exposed also to the asbestos.
The Health Concerns regarding Asbestos Use when Twin Towers was been built.
This toxic material raised some health concerns as early as when the building of the tower was beginning back in 1966. In 1971, when the North Tower construction was underway, the World Trade Center did halt the use of asbestos since a ban for that material was been expected in a near future. But at this time, several products that contained asbestos had been already incorporated to both towers. The asbestos materials did not cause any health distress until 9/11, at a time when the asbestos fireproofing products from the 20 stories tower come down showering the entire N.Y City. . According to U.S EPA reports, the towers` implosion crushed the asbestos into very fine particles as well as scattered debris all over the Lower Manhattan.
The exposure to the asbestos may cause some life-threatening diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma. These illnesses normally take about 20-50 years for them to show symptoms. But only five years (in 2006) after the inhaling of this toxic debris at Ground Zero-one emergency responder of 9/11 died from mesothelioma. Another employee, Deborah Reeve (41 years) developed a cough that was serious only after two years of the attack and then died mesothelioma in the year 2004. The experts expect large 9/11 responders number to having these illnesses for the next few years. Reason being, many of the first workers and respondent who helped in recovery and cleaning up were not well prepared for facing contaminations that are airborne, and only a few were received enough respiratory protection after the 9/11.
The sampling process involved
The sampling was done in view of the need to identify the most relevant data that could capture the exposure of workers to the asbestos Hazard. In that respect, it involved the analysis of the air effect of the asbestos for the selected areas of the Financial district for various days considering beginning the 13th September to 26th September 2001 data. The data is sourced from the World Trade center database that presents information on various regions and areas as well as days after the incident. With that, the areas are dividend into regions whose effect is analyzed separately given their classification depending on homogeneity. With the sampling, the results can be generalized to represent the regions given that the selection of the areas was done on basis of their characterization. Also, the sampling would be key in identifying those areas that are more exposed and have varying plans as well as strategies regarding the workers protection and safety standard.
Sampling method
The sampling method applied in the analysis is the stratified sampling. That involves sampling by use of stratification of the population where it is divided into number of groups which are referred to as strata, and the sampling is carried out separately for each stratum. With that, Different groups in a population may have diverse values for response of the interest in this case the cold and hot. For purpose of one improving estimation in each of the group, the sampling ensured that variables of stratum are equally exclusive thus non-over lapping, as they are grouped in geographic regions and categories. Further, for the method to be used, the elements of the population had to be homogeneous in every stratum, and elements/population between strata were identified to be heterogeneous. The rationale for the method’s choice was informed by its advantages in that it offers the opportunity for studying stratum variation where estimation can be finalized for each of the stratum. Also, it could help selection of a disproportion sample out of some stratums. Finally, the perceived likely of increase in variance is lesser while the field work could be easily planned using strata by regions or geographical areas, hence reducing costs of the survey. In that respect, the main objective of the stratification is reducing the sample errors.
Results
The descriptive statistics for the dataset
The analysis was done from 36 samples and the results indicates that the least exposure to the asbestos as 0.003 and the highest as 0.049 while the average to be 0.0111.
The number of samples above the OEL (if any)
In view of the provided sample and results, there are no items above the OEL.
What the 95th percentile exposure level would be
In the sample results, the 95th percentile exposure would be 0.3 fiber/cubic centimeter as an 8-hr time weighted average.
What exposure category you would put the workers' exposure into (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4)?
Given the results shown below, the workers can be categorized as being in category 0. That is given that the mean expose of 0.0111 as shown on the descriptive statistics table.
Source: (Osha, 2016)
References
Asbestos. 2016. World Trade Center. Retrieved 13 April 2016 from, http://www.asbestos.com/world-trade-center/
Barbara, A. P. and Patricia, J. Q. 2012. Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene. 6th Ed. Washington, DC: National Safety Council.
Osha. 2016. OSHA Asbestos Monitoring Data at the WTC Site. Retrieved 13 April 2016 from,https://www.osha.gov/nyc-disaster/AsbestosSampling.html#913.
