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Biological hazards in sewage and wastewater treatment plants: hazard alert.

Authors
The Center to Protect Workers' Rights
Source
Silver Spring, MD: The Center to Protect Workers' Rights, 2004 Sep; :1-2
Link
http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/hazsludge.pdf
NIOSHTIC No.
20039436
Abstract
During construction and maintenance of sewage and wastewater plants, workers may be killed by drowning, trench collapses, falls, confined spaces, and exposure to chlorine or hydrogen sulfide gas. The work can also make you sick. Sewage and wastewater contain bacteria, funguses, parasites, and viruses that can cause intestinal, lung, and other infections. If equipment, work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) don't protect you from swallowing these agents, you can get sick. During any part of treatment, transport, or application of sewage sludge, you can be exposed to materials that can cause disease. This is true even if you work around treated (class B) biosolids. Careful work habits can help protect you.
Keywords
Construction; Construction-equipment; Construction-industry; Construction-materials; Construction-workers; Safety-education; Safety-measures; Safety-practices; Work-environment; Work-practices; Worker-health; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Accident-prevention; Hazards; Maintenance-workers; Hazardous-materials; Hazardous-waste-cleanup; Waste-disposal; Waste-disposal-systems; Waste-treatment; Bacteria; Bacterial-disease; Bacterial-infections; Biohazards; Biological-effects; Sewage-industry; Sewage-treatment; Sewer-cleaning; Confined-spaces; Chlorine-compounds; Gases; Sulfides; Bacteria; Fungi; Viral-infections; Parasitic-diseases; Biological-agents; Microorganisms
Contact
Building and Construction Trades Dept., AFL-CIO: CPWR, Suite 1000, 8484 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910
CAS No.
7782-50-5; 7783-06-4
Publication Date
20040922
Document Type
Other
Funding Type
Cooperative Agreement; Construction
Fiscal Year
2004
Identifying No.
Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-CCU-317202
Priority Area
Construction
Source Name
Biological Hazards in Sewage and Wastewater Treatment Plants: Hazard Alert
State
MD
Performing Organization
The Center to Protect Workers' Rights
Page last reviewed: May 11, 2023
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Information Division