Environmental Health and Safety Plan draft for Staten Island Landfill,

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Staten Island Landfill Debris Disposal Operation Health and Safety Program

Furthermore, they can become attached to airborne particles (dust), which can then result in an inhalation exposure.

The risk presented by other chemical agents, at this time, is believed to be minimal. However, since the debris is non-homogeneous, monitoring for worker exposure should be conducted throughout the project duration to obtain statistically significant documentation that these potential risks are insignificant.

4.4 BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

The presence of biological remains does not present a significant potential hazard with respect to pathogenic agents. The potential hazard from pathogenic organisms will decrease over time, as agents are exposed to ambient conditions and commingled with the debris piles. This section describes potential biological hazards associated with the planned sorting activities, where operators and ground workers may come in contact with biological remains. The following biological hazards may exist on the project site:

Opportunistic biological agents associated with bacteria and fungi that will amplify in the wet conditions on the job site. High cellulose and nitrogen containing debris will serve as a nutrient source for various environmental bacteria and fungi. Exposure to these may cause mild to severe allergic reaction in susceptible workers. In rare and unique situations, exposure to these agents could result in disease.

Blood-borne pathogens and vermin.

4.4.1 Route of Exposure

The primary route of exposure to biohazards is dermal injection through infections from cuts with an object contaminated with blood, body fluids, tissue, or from contact with vermin. Other routes of infection from contaminated objects are through the eyes, nose, or mouth or areas of broken skin or by ingestion, which may be facilitated by hand-to-mouth contact. Based on the potential routes of exposure, the focus of worker protection will be to promote the use of Universal Precautions, which

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