EtO engineers

The majority of EtO engineers are employed in chemical manufacturing plants, sterilization units for medical devices, pharmaceutical operations, and fumigation sites. They design and maintain EtO production and sterilization processes, establish process control procedures, conduct risk assessments, ensure regulatory compliance with OSHA and EPA standards, and investigate incidents.

Engineers are also responsible for providing technical support and training to operators, monitoring process parameters, troubleshooting deviations, and collaborating with safety teams to minimize worker exposure and environmental pollution.

While EtO engineers may spend significant time in offices or control rooms, their duties frequently require direct interaction with EtO systems. Most exposure risks occur during non-routine operations, such as equipment maintenance, system startup and shutdown, leak investigations, sampling procedures, and loading or unloading of transport tanks. In many cases, these activities bypass normal containment controls, resulting in higher exposure concentrations.

Both the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classify ethylene oxide as a human carcinogen. Exposure to EtO gas occurs most frequently in process areas, near sterilization chambers, and anywhere where ventilation is inadequate. Dermal contact with liquid or condensed EtO can also occur when engineers enter maintenance zones or confined spaces. NIOSH states that engineers are most exposed during the very tasks they are responsible for overseeing and troubleshooting.

Over the course of a career, engineers can face substantial exposure to hazardous materials, especially in facilities that use old process systems or lack adequate controls. Despite current OSHA standards, the NIOSH recommends ten times stricter exposure limits than the ASHA's permissible limits due to cancer and mutagenic concerns.

As an EtO engineer, you may have been exposed to ethylene oxide through:

• Designing, maintaining, or troubleshooting EtO reactors and sterilization systems
• Overseeing equipment startups, shutdowns, or emergency response procedures
• Conducting process safety audits, leak investigations, or emissions monitoring
• Entering process areas, maintenance zones, or confined spaces for inspections
• Supervising loading and unloading operations for transport tanks or cylinders
• Working near inadequate ventilation systems or during equipment repairs

Relevant job titles

• Process Engineer (Ethylene Oxide)
• Chemical Engineer (Oxide Derivatives)
• EO Sterilization Engineer
• Validation Engineer (EtO Sterilization)
• Project Engineer (EtO Facility Design)