The Metal Finishing Facility Risk Screening Tool (MFFRST), is a user-friendly tool that enables anyone to perform a screening characterization of health risks to workers and neighbors of metal finishing processes, was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Common Sense Initiative (CSI) Metal Finishing Sector. This tool focuses on the human health impacts from inhaling chemicals emitted from these types of operations. Included in this introductory chapter are descriptions of the tools, background information on CSI and related projects, an overview of the metal finishing industry, and a summary of the risk assessment paradigm that provides the framework for this tool. Also included are summaries of the scope of the tool's operation and the methodology used to develop the tool's three major modules that: (1) characterize emissions, (2) model the movement of chemicals from the source to human receptors, and (3) estimate exposures and assess potential human health impacts from exposures to chemicals of concern. It also enables the user to assess risks to both residents living near metal finishing facilities as well as workers in these plants. Results from MFFRST can be of considerable use to industry, government, environmental groups, workers, and residents living near metal finishing facilities. Specific analyses can be conducted for adults or children living at the fence line or a mile away from any facility in the Nation. Similarly, the tool can provide information on potential worker health risks that are tailored for the processes and work environments actually encountered. Such information can be used by plant managers to target pollution prevention efforts. Environmental groups and the public can use results from the model to better understand the potential health risks from facilities in their area. It is important to note that the results derived from MFFRST are generally conservative. If an exposure is found to result in an unacceptably high health risk with a screening model, then the appropriate first response is to refine the parameter input and/or evaluate the problem with a different and perhaps more complex models (e.g., EPA's Industrial Source Complex (ISC) air dispersion model) and/or to collect representative air monitoring data.

Title from disc label. "July 2001."--disc. Shipping list no.: 2002-0015-E. "ISO 9660 format." "EPA/600/C-01/057."

"The Metal Finishing Facility Risk Screening Tool (MFFRST), a user-friendly tool that enables anyone to perform a screening characterization of health risks to workers and neighbors of metal finishing processes, was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Common Sense Initiative (CSI) Metal Finishing Sector"--Page x.