Protecting Against Diesel Hazards

You see it every day, that black diesel exhaust piping out of the trucks going down the road. And there’s plenty that you never do see. Diesel powers a good percentage of heavy equipment, buses, trucks, earth-movers, etc…

Interestingly enough, considering all the vehicle emissions testing and EPA standards, there presently is no federal occupational health standard for diesel, only a voluntary one of .2mg/.3mg.

Carbon monoxide, phenol, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and small particles of soot and ash are the principle components of Diesel.

Any and all of the above can cause health problems such as headaches, nausea, lung irritation, asthma and possibly heart disease. The long-term effects of exposure to high levels of diesel exhaust has yet to be studied in depth so it’s difficult to determine what other health problems might be a result of diesel exhaust exposure.

Protection against diesel exhaust

• If you work in enclosed spaces where diesel equipment is giving off exhaust, you need to be aware that you are at an increased risk (tunnel workers, miners, truck drivers, longshoreman, etc…)
• Proper engine maintenance is crucial in reducing diesel exhaust (in the same way as proper maintenance of gasoline engines reduces CO exhaust).
• Make sure that areas that have diesel equipment in them are properly vented; run exhaust of diesel machinery to the outside of the buildings
• If your vehicle has a “recycled air” option for ventilation use when following a diesel truck or bus or when going through a tunnel or other enclosed space that might have high levels of diesel exhaust.

Unfortunately, the average person is, to a high degree, at the mercy of others when it comes to the amount of diesel exhaust he or she inhales on a daily basis but you can complain to companies whose trucks give off huge clouds of diesel exhaust. If enough people complain, they might tune up the truck to reduce the exhaust.

For more information on diesel exhaust, check out the diesel exhaust page on the OSHA website.