Document 3xLjNVDqQGj7d1nD2GyV4er6

Some Industrial Hygiene Problems in the Petroleum Industry N. V. HENDRICKS Industrial Hygiene Engineer, Standard :Oi) Company {N. J.) Obviously all of the various industrial may be required for the handling of such hygiene problems associated with the problems. activities of the petroleum industry can In the drilling of wells, servicing and not be included in the scope of this discus maintenance of equipment, and in connec sion; however, an attempt will be made to tion with pumping and pipeline operations, describe certain typical problems that are employees may be exposed to certain toxic associated with selected refinery and other materials. These might include such things procedures. as radioactive compounds, hydrogen sul Before any crude oil reaches a refinery fide. mercaptans, anti-oxidants, special in for processing, it must be removed from hibitors, solvents, tars, carbonyl suifide, the ground and transported to refinery loca and others. Such exposures may be either tions by various methods. There are a num acute or chronic, depending on the nature ber of health problems which arise in the of the job at hand. course of producing crude oil. In many areas where oil fields or refineries are located, housing and similar facilities for workers are either inadequate or totally Processing Procedure Problems nr I IE greatest number of industrial hy giene problems are associated with pro cessing procedures. Only a few of those Table 1 Some Industrial Hyciene Problems as Related to Producing Crude Oil that are found in certain refinery activities will be confined i" certain of the more specific about how exposures occur and 1. Camps a. Water Supply b. Sewage Diapinal c. Irtneei Control d. Garbage Ihspu**' 2. Exposure or HaiAr.i a. Radioactive MatrnuU b. Hydrogen SulTnlu I. Mercapu/v< 4. Anti-oxiriiint* r. Special inhibitors l. Solvent* C. Tar* h. Dermatit:- t. Carbonyl Sulfidr j. Other* lacking. This applies in both domestic and foreign areas; therefore, in some cases, n becomes necessary to develop such items ahousing, nates supplies, sewage disposal, insect control, garbage disposal, and other features of general community sanitation This problem may van' widely in its extent from a situation involving a half dozen houses up to construction, operation, anti maintenance of facilities, necessary for a population of several thousand. In develop ing such facilities, naturally, certain public health aspects are involved; and these must be given due emphasis in order to insure the proper protection of the employee health. In some cases, particularly in foreign areas, a staff of sanitary engineer- F.q i Acid tr*'.nq dot In tK.* crude ail o tred'ed *cd '0 *duce `he impuriiie* in the crude Th* worker* in the 'oretj'Ouna are emof y`ftQ d df Page 1H INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE QUARTERLY June, 19SC agriculture chemicals, clays, acids, plastics, waxes, and others. It is not necessary to go into details as to the type problems asso ciated with the manufacture of the above products, as they are fairly well known. However, a brief list does serve to point out the variety of materials piuiluced L>. the petroleum industry and the general nature of the industrial hygiene problems incident thereto. AH of the environmental exposures are not associated directly with refining. Many of these come from maintenance and repair operations on various types of refining and manufacturing equipment. Some of the maintenance operations involving exposures include welding, pipe fitting, insulating, brick laying, painting, instrument repair, lead burning, foundry work, ship repairs, machine shops, tin shops, boiler making, and the like. From the standpoint of the total number of employees exposed to either toxic materials or deleterious physical con ditions, probably the greatest single group in a refinery is found in the maintenance and repair work. In many cases such indivi duals are not only exposed to' process materials, but also to toxic substances which : arise: as a part of maintenance or repair work, such as is the case with instrument repair men. Table IV Some Maintenance; and Repair, Operations WiftcH Present Exposures Operation General Exposure Welding Metal Fume Fever. Fluorides. Pipe Fitting Heat, tic. Insulating Dermatitis. Solvents. Heal. Brick laying Painting . ***: ;' Asbestos.Hcst Instrument Repair Silica Dust. Heat Lead Burning Solvents. Thinner*. leatl. Foundry Ship Repair* (Drydwk > Machine Shop* etc. Mercury. Solvent* Lead Other* Silica Dust*. lira.** Kurruv. etr. Wrldtng. Burning. Painting, etc. Degreasing. Dermatitis. Metalising. etc. Research and Laboratory Activities 'J'HERE are many industrial hygiene probx lems associated with research, develop ment, and laboratory activities. A great number of experimental materials are used, both on a laboratory and pilot plant scale. COURTtlT ar STA*0**0 oil COMPMT (new JCMI Fig. 3. A general vtaw in a rafinsry showing fka ligM adf unti in background Of the overall materials used many wou include such things as toxic hydrocarbon dusts, metais, catalysts, gases, mists, ai the like. In many cases, very little is knov concemin gthe toxicity of such material and it becomes highly desirable and ev< necessary to develop a certain amount toxicological data for research operatioi Frequently the use of toxic materials considered where such compound may ha certain properties which could well be i corporated into products of manufactu Table V Some Industrial Hygiene Problems Associated With: Reseaac.!. Development it. Laboratory 1. Exposures (Laboratory and Plot Plant*) a. Hydrocarbon Vapor* (Arotratic and other*) b. Duau c. Toxic Melaka (Pb, Hg. etc. | d. Catalyst* e. G*a (. Other* 2. Aaaiat with problems involving use ot toxic matei in product* considered for manufacture. 3. De^eiopm**** of Toxieologieat Dal* s. Literature Searches b. Animal Studies c. Other