Protecting Puerto Rico’s Workers from Exposure to Ototoxicants and Other Hazardous Substances

In March of this year, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published Preventing Hearing Loss Caused by Chemical (Ototoxicity) and Noise Exposure. 
 
The advisory bulletin shared information about protecting workers from exposure to certain chemicals, called ototoxicants, which may cause hearing loss or balance problems, regardless of noise exposure. It looks specifically at five ototoxic substance classes, including pharmaceuticals, solvents, asphyxiants, nitriles, and metals and compounds. These include chemicals that many people are not familiar with, such as n-hexane and carbon disulfide. However, many familiar ototoxic substances are also listed, including tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide, lead and mercury compounds.
 
“Identifying ototoxicants in the workplace is important because exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “The advisory bulletin also warns that while OSHA standards do require employers to maintain exposure to specific substances at or below permissible exposure limits (PELs), the synergistic effects from the combined ototoxicant and noise exposure could result in hearing loss when exposures are below the PEL.”
 
Dedicated to protecting workers in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean with industrial hygiene testing and consulting services to identify risks associated with ototoxicants and other hazardous substances are the experts from Zimmetry Environmental. Their professionals have access to the most advanced testing methods and monitoring instruments to help safeguard the health and hearing of workers while keeping companies and institutions in regulatory compliance.
 
Zimmetry has even sponsored an educational video about ototoxicity and hearing protection that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/Tru2ibUWb04
 
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, and compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies.  The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America.  The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality (IAQ), asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail