Risk perception bulletin. Beryllium

What is beryllium?

Beryllium is a grayish-white light metal with highly valued thermal and mechanical properties, which is used in elemental form in specialized applications and also in alloys.

Beryllium metal is used for lightweight structural components in the defense and aerospace sectors for its stiffness, weight, and thermal stability properties. Alloys with aluminum, iron, nickel, and especially copper (beryllium copper alloys do not produce flashes when impacting steel) are common uses for beryllium.

Beryllium oxide (beryllia) is a hard, white ceramic material. It is an electrical insulator with exceptionally high thermal conductivity and a high melting point. This makes it perfect as a specialized refractory material.

How might beryllium affect me?

Workplace exposures to beryllium can cause a wide variety of harmful health effects: some may arise from acute, short-term exposures, others from chronic, repetitive, and long-term exposures. Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.

Acute health effects due to production or manufacturing

• Skin and eye irritation
• Callus-like skin lesions due to contact with beryllium chips
• “Acute beryllium disease”: due to long-term or brief exposures
• Wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, fatigue
• Pneumonia

Chronic health effects due to metallurgical production or manufacturing

• Allergic dermatitis
• “Chronic beryllium disease, CBD” (berylliosis)
• Pneumoconiosis and pneumonitis
• Wheezing, shortness of breath, cough, fatigue
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Breast and lung cancers

Health effects of other applications or compounds

• Eye or skin irritation from contact with soluble beryllium salt

When do workplace exposures occur?

Inhalation

Often the main mode of exposure to beryllium is by inhalation of dust and fumes from the production and handling of alloys and elemental beryllium. In metallurgical manufacturing, the welding, sanding, cutting, drilling and polishing of beryllium-containing alloys can lead to important exposures.

What are welding fumes?

Most welding smoke is composed of filler wire material evaporated by the welding arc. The gaseous metal reacts with oxygen in the air to form a metal oxide and will solidify to form small smoke metal oxide particles. Some welding fumes originate from metals that have been welded.

Most filler wire contains metals that are known to be toxic and can seriously affect health if inhaled. The content of the filler wire and the amount of welding fumes generated will vary according to the welding process.

High temperature work

Other high-temperature or high-energy processes, including metal cutting, sanding and even polishing, can create metal particles and metal oxides that can be inhaled quickly.

Other industrial applications may create beryllium dust, mist or fumes; for example, handling or applying beryllium-containing feed or liquid chemicals.

Fur

The secondary mode of exposure is through contact with the skin and eyes, particularly if the beryllium is in a liquid state, which can easily pass through the skin or cause skin lesions.

Ingestion

Workers may suffer exposure from accidental ingestion of beryllium, for example workers who eat, drink, smoke or bite their nails with contaminated hands.

Activities/applications in which occupational exposures may occur.

Examples of applications in manufacturing and metallurgical production as well as other industries and processes where people may be exposed to beryllium compounds:

Production of metals, metal fabrication and related aspects

• Specialized production of alloys, welding, sanding and machining; for example, copper and beryllium alloys are used in the aerospace and nuclear sectors.

Other applications

• Neutron moderator for the nuclear sector
• X-ray detectors and generators
• Molding coatings for injection transformers and electrical control equipment that offer durability
• Electronic equipment, including lasers and microwave devices

Another fact:

Workers are also at risk of exposure to beryllium salt haze. Beryllium exposure is a particular problem given the skin exposure to soluble salts and also to metal powders and chips when working with beryllium alloys and metals.

What can I do to protect myself?

Use appropriate controls Companies should carry out a risk assessment in addition to determining exposure levels against exposure limits to know what control measures they may need.

If necessary, controls in the control hierarchy should be implemented and their effectiveness measured. For example, localized extraction systems (LEVs) can be a highly effective engineering control, used in welding, sanding and many other applications.

Get the necessary equipment.

In addition to implementing other control measures, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respiratory protective equipment (PPE), is usually required to minimise exposure and risk to workers.

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE): half masks with filtering

3M has a wide range of EPRs that can help minimise exposure to dust, haze, metal fumes, ozone and also to other gases and vapours commonly encountered in metal manufacturing and production, from disposable particle masks to reusable full masks and masks, to battery-powered air purification masks combined with a variety of resistant masks, head units and helmets.

Respiratory protective equipment (RPE): supplied air half masks

3M it also has a wide variety of semi-masks with continuous and on-demand valve air supply, suitable for use in some of the most demanding working environments.

Welding helmets with respiratory protection

3M it also has a wide range of 3MTM SpeedglasTM welding screens to protect the face and eyes from harmful light, sparks and splashes. All of these welding screens can be used with reusable or disposable half-masks 3M.

3M it also offers welding helmets and screens designed to work with monitored or air supply systems 3M, to provide you with several types of protection in a single product.

Protective equipment for eyes and face

Whether it is a 3MTM SpeedglasTM welding viewfinder with a self-obscuring filter or a full and light face screen, 3M has a full range of PPE to protect you from the many dangers involved in working with metals and welding.

Other PPE

3M it also offers a wide variety of different safety solutions you need to work safely, comfortably and effectively, such as:

• Protection of face, eyes and head
• Reusable and disposable earmuffs and earplugs
• Communications solutions
• Disposable and reusable protective clothing
• Gloves suitable for hand and skin protection
• Protection against falls
• Solutions for confined spaces
• Individual gas and fixed detection systems
• Fixed flame detection solutions

References

Webelements Webelements. Beryllium: the essentials. [En línea] [consultado el 1 de octubre de 2018]. . https://www.webelements.com/beryllium/.

Smedley, et al: Smedley, J, Dick, F and Sadhra, S. Oxford Handbook of Occupational Health (second edition). It's 2013.

IT 'S - [metal] and you: Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Beryllium and you. Working with beryllium - are you at risk? [En línea] [consultado el: 1 de octubre de 2018]. . http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg311.pdf.

In order to ensure the proper functioning of the system, the manufacturer shall ensure that the manufacturer complies with the following requirements:. Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices

(TLVs)) and BEIs)). 2018

OSHA SLTC: Occupational safety and health administration (OSHA). Safety and health topics - Beryllium. [En línea] [consultado el 8 de octubre de 2018]. . https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/beryllium/index.html.

NIOSH Pocket Guide: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and health (NIOSH). NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. [En línea] [consultado el 22 de no viembre 2018].

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/default.html.

IARC: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). IARC Monograph - Beryllium and Beryllium Compounds. [En línea] [consultado el 8 de octubre de 2018]. . https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mono100C-7.pdf.

Nemery: Metal toxicity and respiratory tract. Nemery, B. 1990, Eu Respir J, Vol. 202-219.

Palmer: Palmer et al (2009). Mortality from infectious pneumonia in metal workers: a comparison with deaths from asthma in occupations exposed to respiratory sensitizers. THORAX Online

first, published on 23 august 2009

HSE Burden of cancer: Health and Safety Executive (HSE). RR858 - The burden of occupational cancer in Great Britain - Lung Cancer. 2012. [En línea] [consultado el: 22 de noviembre de 2018]. . http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr858.pdf

Hazard Awareness Bulletin - Beryllium