Sharpening the focus on occupational safety and health in nanotechnology

This article seeks to address a number of important questions concerning the potential health and workplace safety risks raised by the manufacturing, handling, and distributing of engineered nanoparticles. The article addresses the following questions; (1) the hazards classification of engineered nanoparticles, (2) exposure metrics, (3) the actual exposures workers may have to different engineered nanoparticles in the workplace, (4) the limits of engineering controls and personal protective equiptment in protecting workers in regard to engineered nanoparticles, (5) the kind of surveillance programs that should be put in place to protect workers, (6) whether exposure registers should be established, and (7) if engineered nanoparticles should be treated as new substances and evaluated for safety and hazards. See original abstract in PubMed by clicking on link.