Subpart Z
The coke oven emissions subject is the benzene-soluble fraction of total particulate matter produced when coal is carbonized to make coke. See the substance definition in 1910.1029 App A for the exact wording.
The permissible exposure limit for coke oven emissions is 150 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour period. This PEL and the 8-hour averaging period are specified in 1910.1029 App A.
Employers must designate the coke oven battery (topside and its machinery, pushside and its machinery, cokeside and its machinery, and the battery ends), the screening station, the wharf, and beehive ovens and their machinery as regulated areas. This list of required regulated areas appears in 1910.1029 App A.
Only employees authorized by the employer should enter a regulated area. The requirement that regulated areas be restricted to authorized employees is stated in 1910.1029 App A.
Exposure to coke oven emissions is a cause of lung cancer and kidney cancer in humans; repeated skin contact should be avoided even though excess skin cancer has not been clearly shown in humans. The health hazard summary is found in 1910.1029 App A.
Employers must provide respirators for routine use while they are implementing engineering and work-practice controls or where such controls are not feasible or do not reduce exposures below the PEL; respirators also must be worn for non-routine activities or emergencies likely to exceed the PEL. These respirator provisions are described in 1910.1029 App A.
The information sheet states that until January 20, 1978, routine wearing of respirators was voluntary; employers had to provide respirators and employees who chose not to wear them still had to carry them and put them on if near visible emissions. This historical note appears in 1910.1029 App A.
Employers are required to conduct respirator fit tests to ensure the respirator seals properly on the wearer's face; fit testing procedures and explanation must be provided during training. The fit-test requirement is discussed in 1910.1029 App A.
Employers must provide and employees must wear appropriate, clean, protective clothing and equipment to prevent repeated skin contact with coke oven emissions and protect from heat; items include jacket and pants and flame-resistant gloves. This protective clothing requirement is set out in 1910.1029 App A.
Protective equipment should include a face shield or vented goggles, protective helmets, safety shoes, and insulation from hot surfaces where appropriate. The recommended equipment is listed in 1910.1029 App A.
Employees must not eat, drink, smoke, chew gum or tobacco, or apply cosmetics in regulated areas (drinking water is allowed); they must wash face and hands before eating and shower at the end of the shift. These hygiene restrictions and requirements are described in 1910.1029 App A.
Employers must provide lunchrooms or other safe areas for eating and drinking, showers, washing facilities, and change rooms, and must provide laundering or cleaning of protective clothing. These facility and service requirements appear in 1910.1029 App A.
No; employees must not take used protective clothing out of the change rooms without the employer's permission. This restriction is stated in 1910.1029 App A.
Employers must post warning signs in regulated areas that indicate a cancer hazard is present, that only authorized employees may enter, and that no smoking or eating is allowed; where exposures exceed the PEL, signs should also warn that respirators must be worn. These signage requirements are in 1910.1029 App A.
Employees who work in a regulated area at least 30 days per year are entitled to a medical examination every year. The annual medical exam requirement is specified in 1910.1029 App A.
The initial exam must include a medical history, chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, weight comparison, skin exam, urinalysis, and a urine cytology exam for early detection of urinary cancer. These required initial exam components appear in 1910.1029 App A.
Periodic exams include the same tests as the initial exam except (1) chest X-rays are required only initially and (2) urine cytology is required only for employees age 45 or older or those who have worked 5 or more years in a regulated area. This periodic exam guidance is in 1910.1029 App A.
The examining physician must provide a written opinion to the employer containing the results of the medical exams, and the employee should receive a copy of that opinion. This medical-records requirement is described in 1910.1029 App A.
Yes; employees are entitled to observe the monitoring procedure, receive an explanation of the measurement, observe the steps taken, and record the results obtained. If the monitoring occurs where respirators or protective clothing are required, observers must be provided with and must wear that protective gear. These observation rights are set out in 1910.1029 App A.
Yes; employees or their representatives are entitled to exposure records upon request to the employer. The access-to-records statement is given in 1910.1029 App A.
The information sheet suggests flame-resistant gloves, jackets, and pants as part of protective clothing to protect the body from repeated skin contact and the heat generated during coking. These clothing recommendations are in 1910.1029 App A.
Drinking water is permitted inside regulated areas, but eating, drinking (except water), smoking, chewing gum or tobacco, and applying cosmetics are prohibited. Employers must provide separate lunchrooms or areas for those activities. This hygiene rule is described in 1910.1029 App A.
Employers are required to provide for laundering or cleaning of protective clothing; employees must not remove used protective clothing from the change rooms without permission. These laundering and control requirements are in 1910.1029 App A.
In regulated areas where coke oven emissions are above the permissible exposure limit, signs must warn that respirators must be worn in addition to indicating a cancer hazard and restricting entry to authorized employees. This signage instruction is part of 1910.1029 App A.