Document 7M1rMBGgr6mago4GJGnEVG1q6

1 C( .tjttvUv*.*i.'-i' J. ,j -i'jv. ; l< J. co::?/.':y at A: CAP.C'a-I::.'. ( SEPTEMBER 21-0JTG3ER 1J 19/3- An environmer.tai survey was conducted at the plant of the Southern Asbestos . Comar.v, Charlotte, North Carolina by this Division on five different days durian . the period of September 21-Octobor 13, 1943* At the time of this survey, there . existed at this plant potential health hazards of asbestos dust, halowax, and toluene. An evaluation of the workers1 - exposure to those hazards was cade, the results of which are herein reported. A RESULTS OF SURVEY. ' * *' - '' . ' "` '' . . 1. Asbestos dust. The results of the' atmospheric samples collected for particle count of ' asbestos dust are shown in the following table: ' ' ' . . Snnnic Location Prenaration Dat e Collected Dust Concentration ' (iV.il. Part. pcr..Cu. . ' Foot of Air) P.cc.arks . * Exposure of car. tending 9/21/43 ./ feeder pipe in storage bin. " " > ' General atmosphere in 9/21/43 ' aisle in storage bin room. * General atmosphere at . . picker nixing charging. .* * * , . .\ . *- ' '. ' 100.0 ' .* ' < Bin exhaus ted; r.o respirator on . , operator. ' - 7.S < ' . * . Approx. 10' from feeder pipe during discharge ` " *- V 2. S - Exposure of willcwcr 9/21/43 ... . charging operator. . P.eciain.od fiber being used. Exposure of wiilower charging operator..1 ' 10/7/43 ' ` . General atmosphere be- tween crushing rolls. .. . ' .. ' 9/21/43 h '' ..1.3 2.2 . Crube fiber being .`used, . Both crushers oper. ating; long fibers in one, short fibers in other. ( f-v.-.ic Lor..~ t.ion ?r---.v.rtier. Date Collect"'! . Dr.rt Concern Lr-a tier. (Mil- Part. Per Cu. Foot of .air) Rrvrn-ks General f.twos.eherc bet'.rccr. crusliir.g roils. . - .10/7/43 . ' 2.3 ' Both crushers operatir lor." fibers, in one, sifibers in other. . . Exposure of scroon operamor. ` General aimosphere in storage room during un loading of crude fiber, from freight car. -. '. 10/7/43 9/23/43 Slubber Room. .' General atmosphere between slubb n ri\dr creel racks . -' / 9/21/43 . ; ' . 2-4 " Caro Rooms. ; . . ' ;. General atmosphere east end of little (kitchen) card room. , . - , . .9/23/43: l*2\.. Near card 429 Host windows open. . General atmosphere east- end of little (kitchen) card room. ' t; 10/7/43 4.9 near card 429- most windows open. \ General atmosphere. South ./ 10/13/4: ccrnracer of .little (hirehen)' card room. General atmosphere, northcast corner of little (kitchen) card room ._ -10/13/43' 6.6 Rear Cards 022 and - i a Rear Cards 430 and 0 bir.dows near cards c General atmosphere, Vest- end little (kitchen) card room. ; ; 9/23/43 1.0' General atmosphere, '.Test'- end little (kitchon) card-' . room. - " - 10/7/43- .3 1'ort,:'. center of fain card . ' room. . ' 10/7/43'-' .i-"' ' i.\ \.2.G ' 'Taken in aisle,nearRear cards 44 and 4 GPIPr.in- and TV.-jr tine. General atmosphere in aisle, between two mule spinning " machines. . 9/23/43.;.9 ' .Between machines /'3 . i;4. host windowe on worn v 1.0:1 -3Date Col-.'-c~ f-1 i-'ust women .1. ^ on r:r-i: j :v r.n'j 'I 1 s z 1 - General atmosphere in aisle between tv.'o ir.nl'- soinr.ing cachines. . . 10/7/43 exposure of ring spinner operator. : ..'.10/7/43" l.o Between Machines ,yl and j;2 Most windows oocr.. .7 - ' Between Machines ii2 and 43 G-r.oral atmosphere near cent :r /;. 9/23/43 of build ir.g between spoolers and ring spinners. General atmosphere in aisle between two twisting nichincs. "" ` _ 10/1/L3 2.0- Between machines //6 and i'l General atmosphere in aisle along spooling frar.es. /. 10/7/43 o/ .x1 At If1 cidr.e, General atmosphere in aisle along spooling freezes. .. " : .10/13/43 At ,-"2 Machine. General atmosphere in o.isle along spooling frames. / 10/13/43'. At if1 w.aciiine. Cop winders' exposure 10/7/43 .8 windows bach. of machine onen. Oosrator's exnosure at tape weaving loon in ,fl web ' weaving room.. '. ' '9/21/' -o Operator's exposure at tape', weaving loom, in '1 web ' . " weaving room.. .9/23/43 Cloth Veering. ' Loon operator's exposure, . 7.V.-V 9/23/43 Couth center of weaving ' -. room. -. Creoler's exposure, at . creeling racks, south.centor 9/23/4.3 Loon operator's exposure, ' west side of weaving area.'- 9/23/43 ' u.D At loorgi'3- Wet veavj At loon- 410. V.ot weaving. -.8 1i Overhead sprays on Loon i'l. Dry weaving, windows behind cacliir.es oner.. Lon l1 d-- Dr. Ln Collect Dust Concentration -C< I,oop. onerawer1 exposure, side ol eaving area. 10/7/43 14-9 Overhead sprays on. Loom /'5- Dry v. caving, v; .dov/ behind machine clos Loop, oncrator1 r. exposure, ;ide of -.-caving area. . 10/13/43 1.5 : Overhead sprays on. Dx weaving. Loom ,"8. Win open. ' ' Loot, operator1 s. exposure, we: ide of weaving area..' 10/13/43 7.6 Dry weaving. Overhead sprays cn.Windows oper Taken at Loom .72. Loon operator's exposure, saae-of weaving area .10/13/43 Dry caviar, now type ..5 .xhr.ust recently instil on loon. Taken at loon if 5 Overhead sprays on windows open. . . ' The rr.xir.un permissible- limit for asbestos dust has boon set at five million ^articles Dor cubic foot of'air. It will be noted from the above results that a in the storage bin area, it. is recommended that the workers ir. this area be required to.wear U. S. Bureau of Mines approved mechanical filter type respirators while Inside the area. Consideration should, in the meantime, be given.to.more adequate exhaust ventilation an tnas area, ana'wo tne poaii'icatiGn of present production methods whereby it v.ould be unnecessary for a worker to remain in a storage bin during the discharge of the nixed stock. - ' ; One count in the little card room was somewhat in excess of the threshold value, while another was very close to it... -hase samples were collected while the -windows and doors were mostly open. It appears, therefore, tint more adequate ventilation should b-e supplied to the various cards in this area. It is believed that a more complete examination of this area during those periods of the year when the doors P.nd windows are closed should be nado' before making specific . . recommendations. This-last statement also applies to the spooling operation. ( Ail of ttv' samples collected at the dry -weaving cloth looms were obtained with the windows near the naciiir.es opr a, excepting the one ir. which a. count of 14.9 mi. or.rt. par ou. ft. resulted. This indienmes that under these operating conditions a hacardous exposure docs exist. A second sample taken at the same loo:n alter a r.c-.'lv designed exhaust hood had been 'supplied to it showed a count of 0.5 i::il. part, ucr cu. ft. FroM this one sample, it appears that the type of exhaust being usod was perfroming very satisfactorily. Sonsideration should be given 'to a similiar*- . tyue of installation on'the remainder of the dry weaving looms. 2. Halowas: and Toluene. . - '' -- . Two atmospheric samples collected in the yarn impregnating and treating room showed a chlorinated hydrocarbon (halewax) content of 0.0 ng/m^ (milligrams per cubic meter bf air). There was, therefore, at the time of this survey, no . industrial health hasard resulting from these vapors. , Th-ree samples were collected in the same area and analys1 the results of these analyses were as follows: ' .OCATIOf Sr.'.-*, i X pA" t Center oz east aisle ol room near north spooling bonk. ' .. . 10/5/43 ZObUlhi,'. . p.p.n / 36 i.inuov. s o: last side of South spooling bank. . ." 10/5/43 winnows ooen. Center of west aisle near north spooling bark. ' 10/5/43 wmaows open. wed a toluene content balow the currently accepted p. p. m .. (parts of toluene per million part s of air). that during :whose periods of the year vhn the ' windows of the area are closed, the concentration of toluene nay increase to aboo the threshold limit (200 p.p.m.). -'It-is there fore recommended that periodic check be made of the atmosphere in this area to determine to what extent tills does occur'. _ -o- .( At'the time of this survey, several of the employees in this area were removing _ halowax compound from their hands by washing in the calvert (which `.vac essentially toluene). This not only exposes tho worker to additionally high concentrations of toluene during the cleaning operation, but rcnovco tho protective oils which are normally prosent on tho skin, and thus cay result in less resistance to infection and in skin dermatitis. This practice should be discontinued and tho .! operators instead supplied with suitable protective clothing. ; Washing the hands ' ' frequently with a suitablo soap of the powdered commeal- composition .type is also . ' reco emended. .. , ' SUMMARY OF RECOMMZ-hDATIOh'S AID SUGGESTIONS: l" " ` ", Y . ` .; : "' ' ' 1. Require the wearing of U. S.. Bureau of mines approved mechanical filter' * type respirators by tho workers, in the storage bin area/- " : . /. . 2. Provide suitable protective clothing and a non-irritating hand cleanser. for workers in the area in which yam is treated with halowax. ' .' . 3* . The current practice of the workers in the halowax area-of washing " . .. their hands in the solvent should be eliminated. n '* " . " In addition to tho above recommendations,' it is suggested .tin t consideration. ... be given to the following: '" .- " ; .1.- Supply core adequate local wxhaust ventilation in tbo storage bin area. ' J Y 2.- Modify production operations so that, it will be unnecessary for a worker"-. to remain within a storage bin during the tine of discharge .of the mixed stock.-. - 3* - Provide local exhaust ventilation at- the-.cloth weaving looms.at which . .dry .weaving is -done... A -'u ... ! ,V / # -. , i-- . *.- - r * -* * \* * -.......* " 1.-.' H *' jj. . ic Cornick,' P. A. Chemist (R) ; . Y\.- . ' ip-:"'- v VJ 3. R. Thom gat a, .engineer.. . . - CC: Mr. Pablo " 'g' '' A ' . . Mr. Price ' ` /.q ''A'7.-YY" - -> ' '.;* Mr. Sorrell Mr. Fleettccher"' ' , Stove P.-Marsh, Engincicr v- Y'Y ; division 0?' INDUSTRIAL KYGILNB ." ` .Y ; I p* STATS BOARD OF HEALTH - sour;::e;?i: a3.-;:5t-j5 com?a::y ClAdlOTi'E 9/28/42 . ; l ^ # .yul.r.u1 * "o /, 72y* P- 7-?jp**. * CU.. FT. AIR , r- 7-n < *. 7;V 2.' . j. 1 ' 3.7 . . 2 ` ' 2.5 / ' General atmosphere in center of large ' card room.. _ '. General atensphere in center of South end of building between four' rule spinners. 3' . 3.3 General atmosphere in center of building ; . . `' ` ` 1 , between spoolers said ring spinners. 4" ' 4.1 . General atniosplisrc around twisting frames in West Central area of building. 5 ' .. ' 7-5' . ' General atmosphere around ry looms in . Southwest area of building; strong breeze . ` and humidifiers in use. 6 _ - V. ' :: 2.7 -'V . Creelers exposure in rear of clot-ilooms. 7 `` ' ' ' ' .'`1.03'.' General atmosphere in Southwest end of basement in area between former's " (ropenulcers), erg.' tape looms (only 1 in operation), creel racks and reels. t 1 ' 8 : * 1.6 . _i ' t * ' * ' " t . f ,1 General atmosphere in Northeast corner of ' basement with 3 tape looms in operation; ' .two girls calendering; and 1 man packaging roods cf tape. All loons have dampened warps. 9 . V General atmosphere between two loons, wet . y- ; . weaving asbestos cloth. . '- . 10 : /tV 2.2 ' y' Exposure of picker feeder. ; . n . . ' .>> 3.7 General atmosphere between crushers, two in operation, and villower. ' '' . 1 ., 12' . 'V ' r . i.a' V / General atmosphere in aisle in bin rocn. . ' .' , *. f . * , 13 6.1 v ' General atmo'jphoro in kitc.Vjn (zvjxllor of . ` ivro C3.i'ci rooms) 14 . 0.2 V" - ' ' General atmosphere between slubber and creel racks in basement under card room. . Note : Winding at Worth end would be a. cor.pror.i3B between vet weaving and . creelers, samples Nos. 6 end 9- ' ' ' ' Braiders in basement not running at tine samples were collected. *" .. . * ' / ' . *.