Document 2Jg5OKQ4o4eeyZ91rJMK3dVYr

QsOember 21, 1965 TOi Kr. L. 0. Griffith, Plant Manager Pittsburgh Corning Corporation THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT A RECORD OF Port Alliiuix, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Plata Glass aenfaay Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania SUBJECTt Initial Medical Plant Visit, Ootobsr 25-20, 1965 1. Purpose ibis visit was aada at tba roqusst of Hr. Dyrl Stout, Vies President of Manufacturing, Pittsburgh Coming Corporation. Tha principal purpose of this initial visit was to beooas acquainted with parsoonsl, operations and faollitias of tha Port Allegany Plant and to consult witii and advise plant management on oocupational and nodical problem areas. 2. 3oops %a entry interview was held with Mr. Larry Griffith, Plant Matsgor, following which aach of tha plant araas was visited with tha superintendent of that arsa. Plant Mo. 1, Glass Block, was visitsd with Itp. Glsn Turner) Plant No. 2, Phan (Hass, with Mr. H. L. leaver; Plant Mo. 5, fabricating of Poan Olaaa and Plant Mo. 6, Fbanthane, with Hr. Prod DoVTirO) Plant No. 8, Unlbestoe, with Mr. G, w. lolaway. Followlog tha plant visits, discussions wars held with Mr. H. J. Baker, Personnel Manager, -on the Medical and Safety Progress. Kr. Baker accompanied Dr. Grant on a visit to the Port illegally kwumuilty Hospital. The exit interview was held with Mr. Larry Griffith, and the following contents and/or recommendations 3. Jowwnts and/or ecosgaenoations A. Alleged Laaj Intoxication - Glass block i'lant. Hr. /oy Thomson had bean ei^loyod In tha tlaa decoration operation Within tuis plant for about thraa years. During the past year, he has bean under traatnent by his personal physician, ,r. Herman Moach, from Coudersport, a town of about 16 nllas tram Port Allegany. His principal cwplaints ware related to a dsmatltla of his hands and fingernails, a cranping and soreness of his abdomen, intermittent ohest pain, weakness, diillness and loos of balance. Jhen his physician found be worked In an area in which ha was potentially exposed to lead paint, he su&pected a relationship between tha s/^tone and a potential lead exposure. He called r. baker, I BB 0008645 J M" A oe Hr. L. O. cnffitb IT'S FILES AND cannot Sr T C0ME F* BY pp '^usmTmc uthent|cated Initial Medical Plant Usit -2- tbe PanooMl Director, who la a friend of his and advised him of hla sue* ploloaa. This oall vaa about throo nooks boforo tbo undersigned's visit. Kr. Thoepeoa was removed from his npoouro at that tins and placed at the ferns glaoo finishinf aroa. Hlo doctor had plaood him on &HTA, a chelating agent. Tbo ample/ee has noted an l^rovmment In oono of his sy^toam since the beginning of thli tree'meat. Tbs class d-curating operation consists of spraying a base enamel on the (lass block, allowing this to air dry and then firing the enamel Into the glass block. The spraying Is done in a makeshift, but enclosed, ventilated box whloh Is co*f>lately enclosed st the time the epraying le done. Tbo spraying is activated by a foot lever outside this box. Tbo wet sprayed block is then removed and placed on a pallet where it le allowed to air dry. The spraying operator wears rubber gloves during this phase of the operation. \ fairly large number of blocks are allowed to accumulate in this manner before they are taken Into the next room and placed on a ccnreyer lino which oarrlea then through a firing furnace. The firing furnaca la exhaust ventilated. r*rlor to firing, the dried enamel Is powdery and can easily ba wiped off the glass bricks. The Technical Director of Pittsburgh Jornlng, Mr. George Gregory, advised that the base enamel contained between 45 and 51 percent of lead oxide. Nr. Thonpeon has a history of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. He also has a fungus infection of the fingernails. Ho special study has been made cf his gastrointestinal ooeplalnts. lecomwendatlon While there le a potential laad hasard, a/ initial observations of the opera tion ss It was being done at the time of my visit, lead me to believe that it is probable no lead hasard actually exists. However, In view of the question that has been raised in regard to potential lead Intoxication, l would etroogly suggest obtaining lead urine studies not only on Mr. Thompson but on all of the m^loyees who have recently worked at this operation for significant periods of time. 3ince these lead urine st idles cannot be done in the usual hospital laboratory, upon request, I will nake the necessary arrangements to have these studies be accomplished. 7*.e studies consist of each employee collecting a 24-hour urine sample in a specially provided lead tr-- flask end analysing the urine for its lead content. If these lead urine todies show evidence of Increased absorption of lead In the employees, an Industrial hygiene engineering evaluation of the operation should be accom plished in order to detact and control significant lead sources, /ere again, uuon request, I will also make arrangements for this survey. B. Foam Glass **lant Stripping operation, .he problem aiscussed In :Je<laiia report, oi4 which you have a -spy, v* similir to the problems noted at f*ort Allegany, namely, eye hatarda from foreign bodies, heat, particularly during the sunnsr months, and noise. My recomtendaUoiU are basically the earns. i phase of the operation which in part seemed significantly different was the eye hasarde from forelgn"5odiee. tr. ..riifith, who had been the plant manager at Hedalia, felt that there were significantly fewer eye injuries at Port lllegany than at .eiialla. Vnere were some differ ences in the stripping operation at the two plants, it :'ort dlecanj, | BB 0008646 1 \ this, document was not a record of L. 0. Qrimtb Initial Hsdlool riant na1* PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. DID NOT COME FROM IT'S FILES AND CANNOT BE AUTHENTICATED BY PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. hnani k, 5 < i had lahn uhlah tllmd only horlaonUl loading if Mm glam fMM loaf Into tha lahr. rttMM 1, 2 and 3 warn high MKMsh ta alls* wttiil laadlag UM lahr. All lahr Uidli a* tatalls was of Mm hiilm>al tppa. tethar dlfftwnii hrtna tha tw tpartUaM was ttal fort lllirw A14 nst an* ths adgs Uifll aparatloo that waa aaad at Sadalla. ijiyarirtlj, Mds na aat Madrid at tart Ilians to allow tta Am |laaa laiwi %m Mia UMl sllfcU tha lahr. Thla aorabbor appaarad ta ba a algAflil aaitrltaMr W tfea fa* ilaaa dart t dadalla. Tha Hr tarbulooaa pcttan at hmoia 5 an* 4 aan siHlar ta that mm at Sadalla* la that tha faaa flaaa 4m% Uav ap past tha ihas af tha oparatari hawawar* Turaaoaa 1 through h had a&r frtwlaaaa pattarwe hih aaamd to Uaa tha daat aar trm tha faaa af tha aparatar. Tha only dUTaraaaaa aatad Midi amid aeaaaait tar this dLOmm la Hr pattora hataaao thaaa fwmaoaa waa tha ralatlra laantlaa af tha aaa waalar. At Tamanaa $ aad 6. It aaanad to blow trm ahova and sll^ftly trm tha haak af tha aparatar ahloh ag bare oaaaad a ralatlra raaum la firaat af tha aparatar ahleh would auok tba duat w paat bla faaa. At TUraano 1 thraafh k, tha aaa air aaalar air ourraat waa aonlag diraetly dawn at tap af and alightly Aaa la trout af tha aparatar* aod tha daat waa blawa away trma tha faaa af tha aparatar. lha air amaat affbat ahaald ba atadlad tarthar ta aaa it, la foot* thara ara fawar ayw aaaaa anaag tha atrlppara working on Tbmaoaa 1 throush 1* aa ao^arad with tarwaaaa $ and 6. Also* aa Industrial h/glsas surra/ ahaald ha aada af tha patantlslly haaardeaa aalaa ta which tha stripping oparatara and tha said filling sparstars ara sobjaot. Tha purpoaa of thla surray would ba ta dataraiaa whathtr a aalaa baaardoaa ayoaara aHstad and* If It did* tha prlnrtpal aaaraaa of aalaa oootrlbating to thla hasard along with raaomanda* tlson* If ftaaibla* for tha oootrol af thla aalaa. If tha aHaa baaard sHata and oouid aat ba oootrallad* a haarlng ouooai ration for tha aaplojaaa autjaet to this salsa should ba lattlatsd. Opon rspaat, tha andarsignad Hll sales arraag--sIs far this snrssy. 0. fn--Ihina riant. Potential talasns dllsonraasta (TP1) acjsssra. Shortly altar tka initiation of this plant in 1061, tha Industrial ft/gisas tandstlon porfoxmd an lsdastrlal hygiene surrey aod found that tha oontral af TOI sapors wan adsqaata at that tint. Wousrwr* alaoa than* sararal amlayaas haws apparently banana ssnalttaad to TDI and tears had to ba takas wt of tha araa to oontral thalr apptaa. TOZ la a streog aaaaltlaar and oooosntratlooa dbora tha tbraahald Unit sslwa af ona-tsath part par Hillon (.1 ppn) will oanaw allargla aaaaltlaatloo la a algnl/leant porosataga ol tha axpooad papulation. Basically* tha aparatlea has aot chaagad significantly alaoa tha Zadastrlal Hjrglso* foundation Surra/ la 1961 with tha axosptloc that within tha past tar wssks* addltlonH local exhaust rwatllatlon has baan lnstallsd within tha hot wlvw cutting operation ao thH tha /Unas ara bain* dram off oloaar ta thalr aawrwa la addition ta balag oopturad b/ tba plastic rsatllatod bsod oararlag tha operation. This sboold aignifienntly raduos tba potontlal /Sr TO amours. f BB 0QQ8647**J HP. L. 0. Wmifc Initial Hadloal Plant flait THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT A RECORD OF PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. DID NOT COME FROM IT'S FILES AND CANNOT BE AUTHENTICATED BY PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. -b- Pr> ^laj--w1 mlaiilw af nilniii who will wit with TDI ahould 1--luda * earoful UM7 of ollargls iiiiw. Tha-- p*nmm ahauld ba a--ludad Area work with TDI. Mlwnww, palladia phywloal wmImUm hwoll W and* tf *11 w^Ib/wm potaatlally aqp--od to TDI to dstsot aarllaat rvldsa-- af allsrglo wlfirtrtiw. 4 rwwlMttwi of the potential wwlw--rtil a*po--r-- should bo aodo* Tbla oowld bo dens daring tho lad--trial hyglsns sagimsrlag aar--y of athar a--rattans m dlac--sod U thlo r--art. Float. Aabaatoa Hoot expoowr >. Ia jm of 1964. ohortly oftor of apars&lon o/ tbo --lb--i-- plant. tho Popart--at ut --n n --* aww -- that a aodstod at oral Looa- Of oa to how thlo dwot aayoaura o--Id bo oontrollnd. Jbllowlag thlo --r--y, a n--bar of atop* wn tahon to igpro-- hoot ocotrol. During tho prooooit visit. tho oat- alda t--p--otar-- warn low -- that all of tho wtadoww and --ora woro eloaod. ho prwrlalon. appar--tly, had bo-- aodo to prwvlds tho rathac largo mount of --hr up air wprtrH by tho --at oollaoti-- ayat--a throughout tho plant. as a r--alt. tho off--tiranoao of thaoa ayat--a w-- aatorlally rodaood. Tbla rowultod la a--a d--tin--a of tho air la tho ganaral ar-- of tho Loading and building aparatiaoa. La-- ganaral air aeot--laatloo vaa aotod at tho a--lag oporah1an. Thoro aro 48 a--lay-- who --as dlrootly --dor tho anlbaat-- aparatl-- ggps--isar* In addition, thoro oro aix nalntonanoo anploye-- who HP--d --at of tholr tl-- In tho wnlboot-- or--. 411 of thaoa awployooa woro prowldad a pro --lopoat x-ray ----1 nation. Nona of th--. bo--r, -- yat ha-- had a porlodlo ohaat X-ray. 'WhUa all of tho aaploya-- in tho aroa wars prooldad with doat r--plrmtora, tha only parwon obaarrad to bo wearing tha duat ra--lrotor w-- tha aplojfta working in tha loading ar--. vroloogad axpoaura o--r a a--bar of yoaro to haaardo-- a--ta of --boat-- duat will prod--a tha pwlmnary <11--a --boatoaia. 31noa tha P--yl--nla 5tata studl-- In 1964 inrtloatad oartaln a-- of tha plant who-- a taNid-- d--t --mtltl-- aodatad. It la lgparail-- to dataraLao tha offaotl--aa of corrwotira aetl-- tab-- alaoo that tl-- and to show. If poaslbl*. that a hasardoua dwat oondltl-- do-- not axlat. Tbla lad--trial byglooa anginaarlng a - ay should ba da-- othar th-- by tha Ptata of Poonayl--ala. PUrthar. it ahoul -- do-- by a gr--p --1--ally raoogniaad -- oo--ataot to porfom auoh a aur--y. Upon raquaat. z will arrango to ha-- auoh a aur--y aooo--llahad. >to --ploy--nt --dioal a--inatio-- of aabaatoa worfcsrt aboold lnoluda * thorough history of pravlo-- aha-- dlaaa-- -- --11 -- a aha-- x-ray x--lnation. *ny history of eha-- dlaaa--. ho--r banl --. or x-roy avldan-- of o--h dlaaa-- ahould sxolu-- that Individual wonting in an --boat-- axpoaura. t'ariodio on--t X-rays should ba takao at La--t a--ry two /oars -- all aabaatoa workora. Tha-- x-ru,s ahould ba r--d by a Board partinad roaotganologiat. Tha-- race--nrtatlo-- aro lnportant to pro--nt t-- da--Lap--at of --boat--ia among your --loy--a at so-- fwtura tl--. i Hr* U 0* Orimih Initial Hodloal float Uait fVl'lS. DOCUMENT 'WAs^NOt A RECORD 5? PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. DID NOT COME FROM IT'S FILES AND CANNOT 8E AUTHENTICATED BY PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. felr^ Why frnarm. Imral oming and grinding prUa> tw iNi {UM mrUatiai plant In vfelok tbo aporatora warn aat HIUMi ofrty |Tw. QmmmAt k mrtliwln la nvdnd to Mtaotto oaployooa of tb l^or* taMo of protootloi ttotr qoo and tbo woontty of oaarlng appro priate oya ywlirtioa i*a porfondai f> toirdow Woks. 3a of flnMd kite mttorod Uno^ort tbo plant. All la not odoquto far * plMt of this olno partlaolarljr nltb tbo w*or of potootlol baaardo ttut dat oltkln tbo flat. flSMSSSfidSlB m to plant nadloal prograo aboald bo oatabllahod. in adaquataly aqulppod bopMony, ataffod vltb wm oo^or troiatd firot-aid attandanto oadar tbo prafaaal nnal dlntUoi of Hannaad pfapaiolan la aoadod. Tbo pbyalolaa A Mat* tbo plant an a ragalar baola and aalataln a thoroogb kncwlodgo of plMt Ml H^linwy QpwatlOQB oo that ba aaa prowlda profaaaloMl galdanaa to tbo d^anaary ataff and mr of--Inal oaaaaltatlooa to plant aanaganant on ladantrlal MiHoal problaM. Tbo paipoaao of tbla ln-ploot nadloal progron Mali bo to protido prtpar traatnant of ant minted lllnoao and lnjary, and to prnvlia a pnadln noHeal progma wblafc, In alow of tbo oangr potential haiMda la tbo plant, oan algnlfloantly oontrlbnto to tbo aalntenanao of o baaltby nd affooilvo work Kama. tool atanna will ba prowldad aa raqalrod to MtabllOb m lo-plaat aodleal pragrou Loo B. Qrant, M.O, |_BB 0008649 |