Document 99zmjZvDEG9agDnyn4DRbx9N3

FILE NAME: Square D (SQ D ) DATE: 2014 DOC#: SQD022 DO CUM ENT DESCRIPTION: Legal - Deposition of Redfield for Square D App#17 i`Ji 3 i(: : AMERICAN MUTUAL LIABILITY INSURANCE COMPANY Square,. D Distribution; . Charles W. Denny, . G. K. Cubbison McDonald C. Hutchinson D. P. Ferguson Plant Manager REPORT OF INVESTIGATION SQUARE "D" COMPANY . CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA I 4881 6-72 % In d u strial H ygien ist R. C, Unterbrink, J r , ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT ri j SQDKVR_013070 o u A GKMOWLE DGMSNT The author o f this report wishes to acknowledge the courtesy extended to him by Mr. Max Garrick, Safety Director, as well as the help of Aralico Engineer, Mr. Ray Hamilton. m m s. The purpose o f this v is it was to evaluate the possible causes of reported caaes o f dermatitis in plant workers, however, during the v i s i t another occupational disease exposure (asbestos) was discovered which w ill also be evaluated. Lpqsm oMS Neither the v i s i t of our representative under the terms o f our policy nor the making o f th is report constitutes an undertaking to determine or warrant that your premises or operations are safe. comwim 1. The fiberglass f i l t e r known as Glastex is probably the cause of reported dermatitis cases. 2. The use o f asbestos fiber in the plant produces an inadequately con trolled airborne contamination situation as evidenced by two excessive air samples obtained during the v is it to the plaiit. 1. A ll persons xho physically handle the fiberglass containing m aterial, should wear protective equipment including gloves. They should also insure that a ll skin areas are covered. 2. This operation should be isolated as much as possible. 3. Every e ffo r t in the way of personal hygiene should be made and most p articu larly, those persons who are exposed should wash the fiberglass material o ff their skin anytime they suspect that they have touched the material. RECOMMENDATIONS (ASBESTOS) 1. I f at a ll possible, a less toxic substitute should be found for asbestos. 2. I f no substitute is possible, a ll the requirements delineated In the OSHA standard on asbestos must be complied with. METHOD OF ASAtYSIS Membrane filt e r s (mlllipore) were used in f i l t e r holders and these holders were attached to a MSA Monitsire portable e le c tric pump which provided a source of suction. SQDKVR 013071 o -2- u The airborne contamination including ambient asbestos fibers were collected on these f i l t e r s . They were sent to the American Mutual Home O ffice Laboratory for analysis by Phase Microscope counting techniques. The results o f these analyses are shown on the attached air analysis table. The current Threshold Lim it Value for asbestos Incorporated in the recently promulgated OSHA standard on asbestos 1b a lim it o f not more than 5 fibers longer than 5 microns in length per cubic cent!-* meter of a ir . A c e ilin g lim it also is enforced which states that at no time may the fib e r count ever exceed 10 fibers per cubic centimeter of air. The v is it was directed toward evaluation o f a past dermatitis problem. While considering th is , the author observed what he considered represented a far more serious potential problem and that was the use o f asbestos fib e r. The dermatitis problem w ill be considered f i r s t , however. Complaints have arisen concerning dermatitis allegedly developed during exposure to in jectio n molding reBin containing a fiberglass f i l l e r . The author saw the industrial hygiene report prepared by a Team o f State Health Sp ecialists and i t appeared to have been done by very knowledgeable individuals. They did not reach a firm conclusion as to what caused the dermatitis and indeed th is often cannot be done. Dermatitis cases usually resu lt from poor personal hygiene practices often aggravated by high temperatures. They usually are cured by simple appli cation of good personal hygiene* Often no exact cause Is ever found. Fiberglass is generally inert physiologically from an Inhalation stand poin t, but some kinds of fiberglass can cause skin ir r ita tio n , ffcether this is the case here or n o t, the author cannot say, however, since this problem only occurs a t the operation that u tiliz e s th is m aterial, i t seems lo g ica l that this is the offending m aterial. Whatever the cause, the only solution w ill be to u t iliz e proper protective equipment. This would in volve gloves and the covering o f a i l exposed skin as w ell. Barrier creams may help. When one i s using a material suspected to causing dermatitis one cannot be too scrupulous In following a l l precautionary measures which would preclude skin contact, Zf skin contact does occur, the material should be washed o f f at once, mm&um asbestos) Asbestos is used as a f i l l e r in some resin mixtures used for injection molding. I t appears to be used at two locations, namely the pre-former aachine and one particular injection molding press. Apparently, the exposure is not constant a t either of these locations. SQDKVR 013072 o -3- o Kvon chough the asbestos i3 mixed with other compounds apparently significant amounts do become airborne at both these locations ae revealed by personal air samples taken at both these Locations on a day when asbestos was being used. The recently promulgated OSHA. standard on asbestos is very stringent and a lt users o f asbestos whose airborne concentration of asbestos fib e rs, revealed by a ir sampling to exceed the Threshold Limit Value, are obligated to follow the standard to the le tte r . While only two air samples were taken and certainly they do not provide as d efin itive a sampling as would more numerous samples, they show such a high fiber count that i t appears very lik e ly that the standard o f fiv e fibers longer than 5 microns in length per cubic centimeter o f air is in fact exceeded. The standard also c a lls for a lowering of the Threshold Lim it Value from- 5 fiber* to 2 fibers in 1976 which w ill lik ely preclude the use o f asbestos without sophisticated exhaust ventilation. B rie fly , the standard c a lls for preemployoent physicals, x-rays and a ir monitoring every s ix months. I t also requires the operation u tilis in g asbestos to be isolated from other operations, for exhaust ventilation to be provided, and for ^hart" methods be used, i f possible. Careful reading o f the standard is necessary to reveal a l l that is required, but the requirements in general are quite extensive and i f at a l l possible, a substitute for asbestos should be obtained. SQDKVR 013073 DATE l-lfi-7 3 PLANT Square D Company.________________ ____________ LOCATION Cedar RapIda, Iowa AIR A N A LY SIS TABLE Sample No. CH 36 Time Mins. 46 Location and Events BZ sample at Pre-forming machine Asbestos Concentration <E> 8.9 * CH 37 20 Jeneral a ir sample a t molding station 11.3 * * Excessive ' ,Threshold Limit Value S.O A -- Milligrams per Cubic Meter B-- Parts per Million ; C-- Million Particles per Cubic Foot D -- Micrograms per Cubic Meter E F i b e r s / m l AMERICAN MUTUAL LIABILITY INSURANCE CO. I j| 4 t S Q D K V R 013074