Document 3Q903nMOL5KR6J26q0E39LyRJ

FILE NAME: &'ZZ&' DATE: : DOC#: &' DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION:h/ZZ June 15, 1956 R. Rylalids D45550 Bldg. 308-B On June 11, 1956 an industrial hygiene survey was made of the Pigment 26 dust at packing operations in Bldg. 318-B, D/5579. I. Recommendations 1. Dust at the cutting and bluing operations should be reduced to or below 20 million paticles per cubic foot of air. II. Analytical Pesults Sample 'o. Million particles of dust per cu. foot of air Remarks 1 & lt 51 Worker's exposure cutting and weighing Hycar 1001 2 & 3 55 Worker's excosure bagging, dusting and closing bags III. Comment 1. The recommended maximum allowable concentration of Pigment 26 (Soapstone) is 20 million particles of dust per cubic foot of air. The concentration found was more than twice this limit. 2. Workmen on this job indicated concern about "silica" in this dust, and the danger of silicosis. Pigment 26 contains no "free (Si02) which is the only chemical which can cause the specific lung disease silicosis. Evi- dence does indicate that to dusts of silicate minerals such as talc and soapstone, inhaled into the lungs overirOWperiod of time, cause lung changes which are detectable upon' -ray. For this reason the maximum allow- able concentration is 20 million. 3. The manner in which the workman dusts the inside of bags leaves much to be desired; pigment 26 is spilled on the floor, and becomes airborne when bags for rubber are "slapped" against the floor in the process opening them. Foot traffic in the area also causes spilled pigment to become airborne. glw/lm cc; H. Reel G. L. Wilson Dept. of Industrial Hygiene & Toxicology A