October 26, 2007—The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released two publications intended to help improve personnel safety and health in the plastics and microwave popcorn manufacturing facilities.
Employers and employees in the plastics manufacturing industry stand to benefit from the launch of a new Thermoforming Module for the Plastics Machinery portion of OSHA’s interactive, Web-based Machine Guarding eTool. The module and eTool are products of the agency’s alliance with the Society of the Plastics Industry. The module identifies potential hazards and possible solutions to reduce injuries from thermoforming, a manufacturing process using a thermoplastic sheet or film that is fed into an oven and then heated, formed and trimmed.
OSHA also announced three actions to protect workers exposed to diacetyl in butter flavorings used in microwave popcorn processing plants:
- A rulemaking under section 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act;
- A Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) that provides information on health effects for workers exposed to butter flavorings; information on exposure controls that may be used to reduce exposures; and information on applicable OSHA standards; and
- A Hazard Communication Guidance, which alerts employers, workers, manufacturers and importers about new information related to the health hazards associated with diacetyl and food flavorings containing diacetyl; and provides guidance on how to develop material safety data sheets and hazard warning labels to be in compliance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard.
