SUMMARY
- Objective
- Scope
- Responsibilities
- Internal Committee for Prevention of Accidents and Harassment (CIPA)
- Worker Training and Qualification
- Occupational Health Medical Control Program (PCMSO)
- Environmental Evaluation
- Operational Procedures
- Operational Activities
- Adjacent Work Environments
- Work Clothing
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Benzene-Related Signs
- Collective Exposure Control Measures During Refueling
1. Objective
1.1 This annex establishes the health and safety requirements for activities with occupational exposure to benzene in Automotive Fuel Retail Service Stations (PRC) containing this substance.
1.1.1 These requirements must complement the existing health and safety legislation in force in Brazil.
2. Scope
2.1 The provisions established in this Annex apply to activities with occupational exposure to benzene in Automotive Fuel Retail Service Stations (PRC).
2.1.1 For the purposes of this annex, Automotive Fuel Retail Service Stations containing benzene are establishments located on firm land that retail automotive fuels and refuel the fuel tanks of land motor vehicles or in containers certified by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality, and Technology (INMETRO).
3. Responsibilities
3.1 The organization is responsible for:
a) Only allowing the hiring of services from other companies if the contract includes the obligation to comply with the health and safety measures provided in this annex;
b) Interrupting any type of activity that exposes workers to conditions of serious and imminent risk to their safety or health;
c) Providing contractors, in addition to what is stated in subitem 1.5.8 of NR-01, with information on potential risks and preventive measures for benzene exposure in the area where they perform their activities;
d) Informing workers, in addition to what is stated in subitem 1.4.1 of NR-01, about potential risks of benzene exposure that may affect their health and safety, as well as the necessary preventive measures;
e) Keeping the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) of chemical products readily accessible to workers for consultation; and
f) Informing workers about operational procedures to inform them of the risks of benzene exposure and the necessary preventive measures.
3.2 Workers are responsible for:
a) Taking care of their own health and safety or that of third parties who may be affected by benzene exposure;
b) Immediately reporting to their supervisor any situations that they consider to pose serious and imminent risk to their health and safety or that of third parties; and
c) Not using flannel, rags, or similar fabrics to contain splashes and spills, as provided in subitem 9.6 of this annex.
3.3 Workers have the right, in addition to what is provided in item 1.4.4 of NR-01, to be informed about the potential risks of benzene exposure that may affect their health and safety, as well as the necessary preventive measures.
4. Internal Commission for Accident Prevention and Harassment (CIPA)
4.1 The training content provided in NR-05 given to CIPA members or appointed in PRCs operating with liquid fuels containing benzene must emphasize information about the risks of occupational exposure to this substance, as well as preventive measures, following the content of subitem 5.1.1 of this annex.
5. Worker Training and Qualification
5.1 Workers who will perform activities with a risk of occupational exposure to benzene must receive initial training with a minimum duration of 4 (four) hours.
5.1.1 The training content must include the following topics:
a) Risks of benzene exposure and absorption routes;
b) Basic concepts of environmental, biological, and health monitoring;
c) Signs and symptoms of occupational benzene intoxication;
d) Preventive measures;
e) Emergency procedures;
f) Basic characterization of installations, risk activities, and points of possible benzene emissions; and
g) Legal provisions concerning benzene.
5.1.1.1 The training must emphasize identifying benzene exposure risk situations and preventive measures in the highest-risk activities listed below:
a) Checking the product in the tank truck at the time of unloading;
b) Collecting samples from the tank truck with a specific sampler;
c) Volumetric measurement of the underground tank with a gauge;
d) Parking the truck, grounding, and connecting via hoses to underground tanks;
e) Unloading fuel into underground tanks;
f) Disconnecting hoses and removing residual content;
g) Refueling vehicles;
h) Refueling in certified containers;
i) Physical-chemical analyses for product quality control;
j) Cleaning valves, pumps, and their leakage containment compartments;
k) Draining and cleaning separator boxes;
l) Cleaning passage boxes and ducts;
m) Checking fuel pumps;
n) Operational maintenance of pumps;
o) Maintenance and overhaul of the underground fuel supply system; and
p) Other operations and activities subject to benzene exposure.
5.2 Periodic training must be conducted every 2 (two) years with the content and duration provided in item 5.1 and subitems.
6. Occupational Health Medical Control Program (PCMSO)
6.1 Workers performing activities with a risk of occupational benzene exposure must undergo, at least semi-annually, a complete blood count with platelet and reticulocyte counts, regardless of other tests provided in the PCMSO.
6.1.1 Cases where the examinations provided in subitem 6.1 are waived must be technically justified in the PRC’s PCMSO.
6.2 Blood count results must be organized in easily understandable historical series to facilitate early detection of hematological changes.
6.3 The historical series of blood counts must be held by the physician responsible for the PCMSO.
6.4 Upon termination of services, the Physician Responsible for the PCMSO must pass on the historical series to the succeeding physician.
6.5 The results of the semi-annual blood counts and the updated historical series must be provided to workers, with a receipt, within a maximum of 30 (thirty) days after the results are issued.
6.6 At the end of the employment contract, the historical series of blood counts must be delivered to the worker.
6.7 The provisions of Consolidation Ordinance No. 5, Annexes LXVIII, LXIX, LXX, and LXXI, September 28, 2017, of the Ministry of Health, and their updates, especially concerning the criteria for interpreting the historical series of blood counts, apply to PRC workers.
7. Risk Management Program
7.1 For PRCs, the process of identifying hazards and assessing occupational risks provided in subitem 1.5.4 of NR-01 must consider all activities, sectors, areas, operations, procedures, and equipment where workers may be exposed to liquid fuels containing benzene, either by inhalation or dermal route, including the activities listed in subitem 5.1.1.1 of this annex, where applicable.
7.1.1 The information gathered during hazard identification, provided in subitem 1.5.4.1 of NR-01, must include normal operation, maintenance, and emergency procedures.
8. Operational Procedures
8.1 PRCs must have operational procedures to inform workers about the risks of benzene exposure and the necessary preventive measures for the following activities:
a) Refueling vehicles with liquid fuels containing benzene;
b) Cleaning and operational maintenance of:
I) Containment reservoir for tanks (tank sump);
II) Containment reservoir for pumps (pump sump);
III) Drainage ducts;
IV) Tanks and pipelines;
V) Water-oil separator box;
VI) Passage boxes for electro-electronic systems;
VII) Checking pumps.
c) Emergency procedures for spills of liquid fuels containing benzene onto floors, work clothes, and workers’ bodies, especially the eyes;
d) Measuring tanks with a gauge and checking liquid fuel pumps containing benzene;
e) Receiving liquid fuels containing benzene, including:
I) Identification and qualification of the professional responsible for the operation;
II) Isolating the area and grounding;
III) Precautions during tank opening;
IV) Collective and personal protective equipment;
V) Collecting, analyzing, and storing samples;
VI) Unloading.
f) Handling, storing, and disposing of liquids and solid waste contaminated with petroleum derivatives containing benzene.
8.2 PRCs must require contracted companies for technical maintenance services to present operational procedures informing about the risks of benzene exposure and the necessary preventive measures for the following activities:
a) Replacing tanks and lines;
b) Preventive and corrective maintenance of equipment;
c) Vapor capture and recovery system;
d) Leak testing;
e) Investigating soil contamination risk analysis; and
f) Soil remediation.
8.3 The procedures mentioned in subitems 8.1 and 8.2 must be available for labor inspection and worker consultation.
8.4 The contents of the procedures mentioned in subitems 8.1 and 8.2 can be included in the operational procedures document required by NR-20.
9. Operational Activities
9.1 PRCs that started operations after March 22, 2017, must have an electronic stock measurement system.
9.2 PRCs in operation that already have storage tanks with technical feasibility for installing electronic measurement systems must install the electronic stock measurement system.
9.2.1 Storage tanks with technical feasibility for installing electronic measurement systems are those with a manhole, electronic monitoring containment chamber, and already installed connection lines, so that no infrastructure works are required.
9.2.1.1 The electronic stock monitoring sensor must only be installed in underground tanks that meet the requirements of subitem 9.2.1 and have double walls, interstice, monitoring tube, and passage box for interstice monitoring.
9.2.1.2 PRCs that require infrastructure works to install electronic measurement systems must install this equipment when renewing their environmental license.
9.2.1.3 Replacing underground tanks must be preceded by an environmental license or authorization and carried out by an engineer and a company accredited by INMETRO.
9.2.1.4 The validity period of the tanks will be set by the competent environmental authority, respecting their useful life.
9.3 Tank measurement with a gauge is permitted in the following situations:
a) To check the electronic system;
b) When electronic measurement cannot be performed due to temporary system failure;
c) To check the need for tank drainage; and
d) For leak testing.
9.3.1 When tank measurement must be performed using a gauge, it is mandatory to use the PPE mentioned in item 12 of this annex.
9.4 All liquid fuel pumps containing benzene must be equipped with automatic nozzles.
9.5 The following activities involving liquid fuels containing benzene are prohibited at PRCs:
a) Transferring liquid fuel containing benzene from vehicle to vehicle or from any containers to vehicle using oral suction hoses;
b) Transferring liquid fuel containing benzene between storage tanks by any means, except in emergencies after taking necessary preventive measures and with intrinsically safe equipment appropriate for classified areas;
c) Storing samples collected from liquid fuels containing benzene in areas or enclosed spaces where workers are regularly present in any activities;
d) Filling vehicle tanks after the automatic shut-off system referred to in subitem 9.4, except when the nozzle prematurely shuts off due to vehicle tank characteristics;
e) Selling liquid fuels containing benzene in containers not certified for storage;
f) Any type of personal access inside truck tanks or pipelines where liquid fuels containing benzene have circulated; and
g) Refueling using nozzles that do not have an automatic shut-off system.
9.6 Devices designed for containing splashes and spills of liquid fuels containing benzene during refueling and other activities with this possibility must be used.
9.7 Employers must prohibit the use of flannel, rags, and similar fabrics to contain splashes and spills in activities referred to in item 9.6.
9.8 For cleaning surfaces contaminated with liquid fuels containing benzene, only absorbent paper towels may be used, provided the worker is wearing appropriate impermeable gloves.
9.8.1 The material referred to in item 9.8 may only be used once and must then be stored for later disposal in an appropriate container, which must be available near the operation area.
9.9 Physical-chemical analyses of liquid fuels containing benzene must be performed in a ventilated area away from other work areas, dining areas, and locker rooms.
9.9.1 Analyses in enclosed environments must be conducted under a localized exhaust system or in a fume hood with exhaust.
10. Adjacent Work Environments
10.1 PRCs must have an exclusive area for storing samples collected from liquid fuels containing benzene, with adequate ventilation and temperature, away from other work areas, dining areas, and locker rooms.
10.2 PRCs must take measures to ensure air quality in their internal environments adjacent to refueling, unloading, and venting areas of liquid fuel tanks containing benzene, such as offices, convenience stores, and others.
10.2.1 Air conditioning systems that draw air from the external environment or equivalent efficiency must be installed to prevent contamination of internal environments by vapors of liquid fuels containing benzene from those areas.
11. Work Clothing
11.1 PRC workers performing activities involving occupational exposure to benzene must be provided, free of charge, with suitable work clothing and footwear.
11.2 Work clothing must be cleaned by the employer at least weekly.
11.3 The employer must have an extra set of work clothing available at the PRC for at least one-third of the workforce exposed to liquid fuels containing benzene, to be provided in situations where the uniform becomes contaminated by such products.
12. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
12.1 The provisions of SSST/MTb Normative Instruction No. 1, April 11, 1994, apply to PRCs, in addition to the following:
12.1.1 Workers who perform, directly or indirectly, the critical activities listed in subitem 5.1.1.1, except items (d), (g), and (h), including sealed discharge activity in item (e), must use full-face respiratory protection equipment with an organic vapor filter and skin protection equipment.
12.1.1.1 When the exhaust system provided in subitem 9.9.1 is under maintenance, respiratory protection equipment must be used temporarily, complying with the specification of subitem 12.1.1.
12.1.1.2 The employer may choose another respiratory protection equipment more appropriate to the PRC’s work process characteristics than the one suggested in subitem 12.1.1, provided the change represents greater protection for the worker.
12.1.1.3 The periodic replacement of mask filters is mandatory and must follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and the Respiratory Protection Program.
12.2 Workers who perform vehicle refueling activities listed in items 5.1.1.1 (g) and (h) are exempt from using respiratory protection equipment due to the inherent characteristics of the activity.
13. Benzene-Related Signs
13.1 PRCs must maintain signage in a visible location at the height of liquid fuel pumps containing benzene, indicating the risks of this substance, with dimensions of 20 x 14 cm and the following text: “GASOLINE CONTAINS BENZENE, A CARCINOGENIC SUBSTANCE. HEALTH RISK.”
14. Collective Exposure Control Measures during Refueling
14.1 PRCs must install vapor recovery systems.
14.2 For the purposes of this annex, a vapor recovery system is considered a system for capturing vapors, installed on the fuel pump nozzles of liquid fuels containing benzene, which directs these vapors to the PRC’s own fuel tank or to a vapor treatment device.
14.3 New PRCs approved and constructed after September 22, 2019, must have the system provided in item 14.1 installed.
14.3.1 The approval date is considered the date of issuance of the PRC’s Construction Permit or equivalent document.