OSHA Fact Sheet: Working Safely With Nanomaterials

Subject Area:
Nanomaterials
Non-NNI Reports
Environmental Health and Safety
Author: OSHA
Publication Date: Feb. 6 2013

Description:

OSHA Fact sheet logo

A fact sheet published by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides basic information to workers and employers on the most current understanding of potential hazards associated with this rapidly-developing technology and highlights measures to control exposure to nanomaterials in the workplace.
As nanotechnology applications move from research laboratories to industrial and commercial settings, workers and employers should be aware of potential hazards posed by nanomaterials in their workplaces and employers should take appropriate measures to control worker exposure.
This fact sheet reflects the current understanding of the health and safety issues relating to nanomaterials.

 

Related Links

OSHA Fact Sheet on Nanomaterials


Nanotechnology Fact

Nanotechnology is used in many commercial products and processes, for example, nanomaterials are used to manufacture lightweight, strong materials for applications such as boat hulls, sporting equipment, and automotive parts. Nanomaterials are also used in sunscreens and cosmetics.

Nanostructured products are used to produce space-saving insulators which are useful when size and weight is at a premium—for example, when insulating long pipelines in remote places, or trying to reduce heat loss from an old house. Nanostructured catalysts make chemical manufacturing processes more efficient, by saving energy and reducing waste.

In healthcare, nanoceramics are used in some dental implants or to fill holes in diseased bones, because their mechanical and chemical properties can be “tuned” to attract bone cells from the surrounding tissue to make new bone. Some pharmaceutical products have been reformulated with nanosized particles to improve their absorption and make them easier to administer. Opticians apply nanocoatings to eyeglasses to make them easier to keep clean and harder to scratch and nanoenabled coatings are used on fabrics to make clothing stain-resistant and easy to care for.

Almost all high-performance electronic devices manufactured in the past decade use some nanomaterials. Nanotechnology helps build new transistor structures and interconnects for the fastest, most advanced computing chips.

All told, nanotechnologies are estimated to have impacted $251 billion across the global economy in 2009. This is estimated to grow to $2.4 trillion by 2015 (Lux Research, 2010).

For more information, see Benefits and Applications.

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