Document 8OByKxrE9ELvg7kBZaErXVDJo

I(* 1 I fc" Cr IMPPflTRIAL TtfQIHKS 317BYIT PORT ARTHUR FORKS /? / 5/ ^ Av*/ / 7 made by Allan E. Dooley, Industrial Hygiene Engineer This rerort presents the results of a surrey of oertaln operations and processes at Port Arthur Vorke froa the industrial hygiene aspeot. It is not a complete surrey of all operations at that refinery. Other operations will be oorered in future surreys. The report consists of three seotions: (s) Summary of Findings, (b) Reoommendationa, and (e) Detailed Findings. Suaaary of Findings 1. Lead burners were exposed to lead in exoesa of the maxlmon allowable oonoentration. 2. Unloading day (Lena bentonite) produced expoauree to dust in exoesa of the aaxiaua allowable oonoentration. 3. Dumping of the eontact filter presses resulted in ex posures (skin oontaet and. inhalation) to a blaok oily sticky dust. The effeots of snob exposures are not presently known but they aust be considered as potentlslly hazardous. b. Reclaming insulation and ganister resulted in expesuree to dust m excess of aaxiaua allowable concentrations. 5. Lead exposures during the nanufaoture of lead naphtbenate were found to be in exoees of the aaxiaua allowable oonoentration. While the exposures were internment so that the overall exposure was sonewhat less than indicated by air stapling results, the operation cannot be considered non-haxsrdous. 6. Handling of litharge and litharge drone in the spiking of doctor sweetening solution was done without proper regard for health and eoonoay. 7; Ths handling and use of solvents other than additives was found to bo satisfactory frost ths health standpoint. 8. Additires were, in general, handled in a satisfactory aannor with due regard for their toxioitiss. In ths ease of nitrobenzene spills, ths procedure for insuring that ths affseted enploye received laaediate nedioal attention was not thoroughly worked out. | WA-TEX 003732 TEX !0 t18 ;i m Industrial Hygiene Surrey ?AW 19*9 I V* Reoommendations Reoommendatlone baaed on the surrey are summarised belov. The full reoommendatione are stated in the detailed findings. Where, periodic physical examinations are recommended, it is to be under stood that they are to be compulsory. Lead burning 1. Lead burners should be giren periodio physical examinations. 2. Lead burners should wash their hands before eating lunch. . 3. washing facilities should be provided in the lead burning' shop. b. Housekeeping in the lead burning shop should be improred. 5 Consideration should be giren to the Installation of a local exhaust rentilatlon system in the lead burning shop, the system to hare small hoods on flexible duots so that the lead fumes oan be remored at the souroe. 6. Consideration should be giren to the use of a similar portable exhaust system to be used inside vessels. 7. Periodio surreys should be made to determine lead exposures during lead burning. Filter plant operations 1. Employes should wear approred respirators vhile unloading clay from freight oars. 2. Clay unloaders should be giren periodio physical examinations erery 18 to 2b months. 3. Consideration should be giren to haring clay delivered to the refinery in covered hopper oars. b. Employes should vear approred respirators when dumping contact filtsr presses. 5. Employes who dump the oontaot filter presses should be giren periodic physioal examinations vith speolal refertnoe to the lungs and skin. W&-TEX 003733 TEX 10119 ti * Indtrll Hygi.n. Btimj PM - 19*9 a 5 Handling of solvents No recommendation* At this ting. Handling of additirea 1. Employe* who *-111 nitrobenzene on clothing should re move soiled* clothing And wash immediately, 2. The foreman should be notified at one# in the event of a nitrobenzene epill, 3. The foreman should notify the first aid room immediately in the event of a nitrobenzene spill. 4. If an employe who haa spilled nitrobenzene is sent to the flret aid room, he ahould always be accompanied. 5. The foreman ahould make a record of each' nitrobenzene apill. 6. Before resuming the uee of halowax 1014, the Health Division should be consulted ae to recommended safe handling. Storehouse handlin'? of nS*--*'' ^als 1. A wash baain with hot and cold water, soap and tovela should be installed in a readily accessible location in the wax basement. 2. Signs instructing what should be done in case of acei- dental exposures to ohemlcals should be posted in all storage locations. 3. Drums and other containers of hazardous ohemlcals should be so designated. 4. Periodlo inspections should be made to deteot leaky drums and other containers. Car shor 1, Employes who clean or work on tank cars which have been used for ethylene oxide should avoid skin contact with even dilute solutions of this materiel. WA-TEX 003734 TEX 10120 Industrial Hygiene 3urvey 'Atf - 19^9 I 2. Employe* should avoid inhalation of vapors of uoh sub stances ao methanol, ethylene dlchlorlde, aromatic distillate, tol-iidine and other volatile solvents. 3. Employes should avoid skin contact With such substances as caustic soda, sulfuric acid. b. The medical and safety departments should bb consulted as to proper safeguards if cars containing substances Of unkno;m toxicity are reoelved. Hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxideexposurej 1. Gas mask canister record cards should be revised so that each card will have small squares each representing 15 minutes of use, the total number of such squares to be deteniihbd by the normal life of the canister* 2. Each employe using e canister should cheek and initial a square for eaoh use of 15 minutes or less. If the banister is used for a period longer than 15 minutes, the proper number of squares should be checked. 3. Consideration should be given to furnishing a canister to each employe who is assigned a facepiece and making each employe responsible for replacing hit canister when necessary. The revised record card as described above should be used. Ho recommendations ooncemlng sulfur dioxide are made at this time. Pergonal hygiene facilities 1. Deficiencies and inadequacies in the personal hygiene facilities dssorlbed in the March 16, 19^9 report by the PAW Safety Department should be oorreoted. 2. A continuing educational program should be developed to improve personal cleanliness and to aid in keeping facilities neat 'and clean. 3. Frequsnt inspections should be made to Insure that all personal hygiene facilities are being maintained properly. WA-TEX 003735 UX 10121 lilt*trial Hygienefjurrey i- AV.' - 19*9 i Ir i aa! aerrlces and facilities 1. Greater effort* should be made to derelop a desire among a greeter number of eaployes to hare periodic -hyklbal examination*. 2. Continued effort* should be made toward reducing absent^ iim due to illneee and non- indue trial injury. | WA-TEX 003736 .k r In'iuBtrial Hygiene Survey PAW - 19^9 A fc I( Detailed Findlnge Detailed finding* of the variou* operation* and condition* studied during the surrey are given on the following peg**, are arranged so that if desired, the varlou* section* can he dis tributed to those conoemed vlth the particular operation** i! WA-TEX 003737 TEX 10123 H 'f Industrial Hygiene Surrey PAW - lW 3 i,osd burning - Lead burning at Port Arthur Works was don# both In th# lead burning ehop and inside certain vessels and units. xpoeures were determined at both locations. The lead burning ehop itself was a building about 19 x 21 feet In else with a large door-about 8 feet vide on the vest vail and a alallar one directly opposite it on the east vail. The two other vails had tvo windows each, and a fifth vlndov was in the vest wall. A large work table was placed along the south vail between the doors on the east and vest walls. The shop had a rough wood floor. The doors were kept open except during lnoleaent weather. Housekeeping vas fair, the floor being svept occasionally by means of a straw broom. At the time of the survey, six lead burners were employed, all on the day shift. They ate their lunches either in the shop or direotly outside it. It vas observed that several did not wash their hands before eating. No washing facilities were provided in the lead burning shop. Samples vers collected by means of an electrostatic preolpitator and were analysed for lead content by the Port Arthur Works laboratory by means of the polarograph. All samples were collected in the breathing senes of the lead burners. In the lead burning shop, con centrations ranged from 0.35 milligram per oublo meter of air to 1,56 mg. per cubic meter. Two samples collscted in No. ho separator during a patching Job ehovtd concentrations of 0.33 and 0.53 mg. per cu. a, (Details of the individual samples are given In the accom panying table.) All of these concentration# vers in excess of the maximum allowable concentration of 0.15 milligram of lead per cubic meter of air. It should be pointed out that the lead burners were not exposed to these concentrations over the entire shift each day. The time required for sueh operations as laying but and setting up work, cleaning bar lead, ontting lead sheet, preparing the surfaces and similar aotlvltlss would result in somewhat lover daily exposures than indioated by the sampling results. However, even making allow ances for these periods, whan lead burning was not being done, the exposures of the lead burners must be considered as being hazardous to health. Accurate and up-to-date information as to the amount of lead absorption ooourring among these employes vas not available, considerable tins having elapsed slnos they lest had physical ex aminations. (Some of them reported that they had not been examined since the beginning of the war,} Accordingly, the following recommendations are mads for the purpose of reducing exposures to lead fume and dust, end to detect WA-TEX 003738 TEX f 0 J 2 *f IsL& trial Hygiene Murray ^ * PAW - 15*9 tf sign* of increased lead absorption: .1. All lead burners should be given periodic physical, examina tions, the frequency to be determined by.the plant physicians. 2. As a part of the program of increased personal cleanliness among all employes* the lead burners should be required to vaeh their hands before eating lunch. It is realised that lead intake by ingestion is only a minor faotor In industrial lead poisoning* however* the practice of washing hands before eating is an essential part of good personal hygiene. 3* Washing facilities to include hot and oold running water and soap should be provided in the lead burning shop. 4. The housekeeping of the lead shop should be improved. Dry sweeping normally produoes more dust than vkouum or wet methods of cleaning* and if dry sweeping of the shop is to be done* it should be done when a minimum number of employes are in the shop, ' 5. Consideration should be given to the installation of a local exhaust ventilation and fume oolleotor system in the lead shop* the system to hare small hoods attached to flexible metal ducts so that the hood can be plaoed close to the point of generation of the lead fumes. 6. Consideration should also be given to the use of a portable exhaust system with a hood and flexible metal - duct for use when lead burning is done inside vessels. 7. Periodlo industrial hygiene surveys should be made to determine lead exposures during lead burning. !I WA-TEX 003739 TEX 10125 ( Results o f determination* o f load dust and fume concentratIons during load burning. Port A rth u r Works - June, 19^9 Note: Maximum allow able concentration fo r lead - 0.15 m illigram s per cubic meter of a ir WA-TEX 003740 TEX 10126 Iift*itrini Hygien* Jurvey A * %1 ?Ayt - 19*9 ................................................................ Filter plant operation - Dust exposures vers determined for everai operations In connection with the handling of clays. -Samples were oolleoted In the breathing tones of the mployesbymean* hf f midget lmplnger using Oletilled water m a collecting medium. Duet oounte were made at a magnification of 100 diameters, using the standard light-field technique. - During the unloadlrjg tens olay from a freight oar, the two ' employee were eatpoaed to a concentration of 282.5 million particles per oublo foot of air. Unloading of a car required about 3f hours. Respirators were provided for these employes but it was noted that they were not being worn. Lena clay, aocordlng to ah earlier analysis by Washington University, St. Louis, contained about 12 to 13 per cent of free silica., Similar analysis showed that the Hiveraids fuller's earth contained about 7 per cent of free silica. The maximum allowable concentration, of duets; 'containing- $ to 50, -per/ oeftt'>ofC-fre*allies;-.'. had been set at 20 million particles per oufelc foot of air. It is reoomaendsd that: 1, Employes should wear respirators while unloading clay from freight ears; 2. Clay unloaders should be given periodic physical examinations at 18 to 2b month Intervale. 3. Consideration should be given to the plan of having the clay shipped to the refinery In covered hopper oars. This would rtduCt time required for unloading and reduoe dust exposures, On the thjtft tjpr> EttMll&ft 2l U& SlaBb *** - air in the area of the elevators and the conveyors contained lb6.8 million particles par cubic foot of air, normally no onevorked for long periods in this area. An inspection of the Sgr jl2aC Si JttL tlllfC -telitUM but no samples were oolleoted bsosuss construction and repair, worit vas in progress. However, the amounts of dust which had eettled on equipment, beams, etc. showed that high dust oonosntrations coeurrsd during normal operations. The daiPlOS satilt veaultsd in exposures to a blsofc oily, sticky.dust. Each press was dumped at intervals ot about bo minutes, eaoh dumping requiring about 5 minutes. A sample oollsctsd while flo. 2 press (PQ8-55] end Ho. 6 press (Wax diet. 10} vers dumped shoved a concentration of 65.3 million particles per cubic foot of air. Ths presses wars dumped by swinging ths bottom part of ths shell downward and to one elds so that ths blaok oily spent olay would fall through an opening into oars beneath ths press floor. Clay which adhered to the filter plates was dislodged by means of scrapers. During ths operation, in addition to Inhaling | WA-TEX 003741 TEX 10127 Inaa*trial Hygiene Burvey PAW - 1949 the duet, the eaDloyes ' work clothing and exposed body eurfaose became rather heavily eolled with the spent day. It was reported that under certain wind conditions, dust oonoentrat ions vara higher than at the tins of the ssapling beoause up-drafts through tfci floor openings caused greater dispersal of the dust. While there is no Information available on the effects of in halation of. or of prolonged skin contact with this aoent day dust, the presence of the heavy blaok oily aaterials does not permit this dust to be classed as a mere nuisance dust. Therefore, it is recommended that: 1. Exposed employee ehould be required to wear approved type respirators.. 2. Periodic physical examinations should be made on this 'group of employee with special reference to the lunge and akin. Time did not permit an appraiaal of other operations involving exposures to day and fuller's earth dust. Beoause 01 the fact that these dusts are capable of producing pneumoconiosis, it is recommended that: 1. Periodic physical examinations every 18 to 24 months ehould be made of all employes exposed to dusts in the filter building. i WA-TEX 003742 TEX 10128 Inc'-.ltrial Hygins V-trvj PAW - 1949 Reclaiming insulation- and ganister - One employe on the flay shift vas exposed to high 00noentrations of dust during the reclama tion of insulation and ganister. These two material* were fed into a hammer mill and the crushed materials were`discharged into a olosed bin. At intenrals, when the bin Was filled, the material was removed and bagged. The bin was fitted with a natural-draft staolt which ex tended to above the roof of tha Quonaet building which housed the operation. The operator fed pieces of insulation into tha hammer mill by hand. The action of the mill caused dust and fragments of Insulation to be dlsoharged through the feed hole. The operator held a piece of burlap oror this opening to reduce the amount of dust emitted into his breathing eons. This was not an effective means because a sample collected while the employe was feeding insulation into the mill shoved a concentration of 175.7 million partlolee per cubic foot of air. The crushed insulation vas shoveled into an upright drum mounted on trunnions, an empty bag plaoed over the top of the drum end the whole thing upended so that ths material dropped into the bag. ' A dust sample taken during this work shoved a dust concentration of I65.I million particles per cubic foot of sir. Ths insulation handled vas known as 85 per oont magnesia insulation. This material oontalned 85 per oent of magnesia and 15 per oent aebestoe. Asbeatoe dust, if inhaled in sufficient amounts and for a prolonged period, will cause a lung fibrosis termed "asbestosis". Ths maximum allowable oonoentratlon of asbestos dust in the breathing cone of workers has been set at 5 million par* tides per oubio foot of air. Naturally, the percentage of asbos toe In the dust to vhloh ths employs was exposed during crushing end bagging of insulation would be low beoauee of tho high magnesia oontent of the material. Been so, assuming that the duet oontalned 15 per oent of asbestos, the exposures during the oruehing and bagging of insulation vsre in exeess of the maximumallowable eonoentratlon. Dust exposures during ths reclamation of ganister were not determined beoauee this material vas not being prooessed during the survey. However, beoauee the seme equipment vas used and the fact that ths ganister is much harder, It is rtssonabls to assUms that its procsssing would also produce high dust concentrations. The percentage of free eilioa in ganister was not determined but it is essentially a refractory olay. Most days have been considered as relatively harmless vhen Inhaled but reoent reports have indicated that some of them are oapable of producing disabling lung pathology. WA--TEX 003743 TEX 10129 I.i Ustrial RyglsnS feurvsy PAV . 19^9 '] The respirator whloh the ennloye had beep using for many years was one whioh has newer received ap-rroval under the standards established by the U. 3. Bureau of Mines. It consisted of a white rubber faoepieoe eontaining a snail sponge which was subposed to be kept moistened with water to remove dusts. It did not fit the employe*s faoe properly because he had stuffed a handkerchief around the edges,. The ineffectiveness of this rosDifatbr was explained to the operator by the area safety engineer and, while the employe insisted that the white rubber type was the only satisfactory res pirator, he agreed to try an approved respirator for one week. After a week's trial he reported the new respirator was so superior to the old one that he wondered how he had gotten along for so many years and requested that his thanks be conveyed to the area safety engineer. The reclamation of insulation and ganister was a steady opera tion and the employe was exposed to high dust concentrations over the entire shift. Respirators are normally reoommended only for exposures whloh are intermittent and of relatively Short duration. For exposures ocourlng over the whole shift day after day, oontrol of the dust at its point of generation - is the preferred method. Therefore, it is reoommended that: 1. Looal exhauet ventilation and duet oolleetlng eystem should be installed for the insulation and ganister reclamation operation, 2. Until such time as this dust oontrol system ie Installed, employes should be required to wear respirators approved for protection against pneumooonioeie-producing dusts. 3. Periodic physical examinations should be made of employes engaged in crushing and bagging-ganister and insulation at intervals of 18 to 2k months. WA-TEX 003744