A NIOSH health-hazard evaluation found the highest particulate levels during tablet pressing and powder scooping or dumping into hoppers, and recommended reducing hand scooping, powder-transfer distance, and compressed-air cleaning.
Source: CDC/NIOSH: HETA 2021-0111-3391 — Evaluation of Exposures to Dust and Noise at a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility ↗Dust entry
Pharmaceutical tablet-press powder dust
Respirable and total powder released during hand scooping, capsule filling, tablet pressing, hopper loading, and equipment cleaning in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Airborne form
dust
The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.
Health effects
respiratory irritationrespiratory disease concerncardiovascular health concerndevelopmental and reproductive health concernlung-cancer concern for some particulate exposures
Evidence
A NIOSH pharmaceutical-manufacturing HHE found that hand-scooping powder during tablet pressing generated the highest measured dust levels; it notes that dust containing active pharmaceutical ingredients can cause allergic reactions and upper-respiratory irritation.
Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 2 · Our Key Findings; Our Recommendations · 1–2
page 2 · Our Key Findings; Our Recommendations · 1–2
During some work activities, respirable dust levels, which are the levels of dust the lungs breathe in, could be very high for short periods of time. During tablet pressing, hand-scooping powder generated the highest dust levels compared with other tasks we measured. ... Sometimes employees used powder that contained active pharmaceutical ingredients. Exposure to this dust can cause health problems like allergic reactions and upper respiratory irritation.
Controls
- closed powder transfer
- reduce hand scooping
- local exhaust ventilation
- avoid compressed-air cleaning
- exposure monitoring
- appropriate respiratory protection