Document EmX7JOEZp2Yj3X1Zo5rJp7zvj

ms, INTERNAL CORRESPONDENCE MICALS AND PLASTICS P. O. BOX 8361, SOUTH CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA 25303 .Sfel Mr. D. L. Johnson c Mr. E. C. Shipley Mr. E. J. Tawney Mr. L. R. Noble Mr. H. L. Robinson oatP March 29, 1979 OfignMmg Depi Technical Center IH/EP sob,t Asbestos Monitoring at Institute PROJECT Monitor exposure of insulators to asbestos during the removal of insulation from a 3" steam line in East Area Complex Six. DATE OF SURVEY March 17 and 19, 1979 DISCUSSION Construction insulators J. F. Sampson and G. P. Hall wore personal samplers while removing sections of insulation from a 3" steam line which crossed the road approximately 15 feet above the ground. The area below the insulators was evacuated initially with some walk-through traffic later. The insulators wore respirators during the entire operation. The insulation was not wetted with water during removal. The personal samples indicated asbestos con centrations of 3.4 and 1.7 fibers/cc. Ylhen it was determined that another section of insulation needed removed, more personal samples were taken. This time the air concentrations were 2.9 fibers/cc and 0.7 fibers/cc. On March 19, 1979, Mr. J. F. Sampson and Mr. D. L. Carpenter wore respirators and personal samplers while removing insulation from the steam line which was taken down on the 17th of March. The insulation was wetted with water before and during removal. The air concentration indicated by the samplers were 0.2 fibers/cc and 0.4 fibers/cc. An area sample twenty feet downwind from the operation showed a concentration of 0.01 fibers/cc. The OSHA standard sets a ceiling limit for a 15-minute exposure of 10 fibers/cc and a limit of 2 fibers/cc for an eight-hour time-weighted average expo sure. UCC 024538 2 3/29/79 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The exposures of the insulators were below the OSHA permissible exposure limits. Exposure requirements of the OSHA standard may be more easily satisfied by the use of wet methods to prevent emission of airborne asbestos fibers. One way to do this is the use of garden sprayers to wet asbestos-containing insulation in locations inaccessi ble to water hoses. Also, in order to better protect other employees in the area from exposure to excessive concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers, barricade tape and warnings signs should be posted around every asbes tos job. It may be useful to have stands made to which the tape and signs could be fastened. DATA Date 3/17/79 3/17/79 3/17/79 3/17/79 3/17/79 3/19/79 3/19/79 3/19/79 Sample J. F. J. F. G. P. G. P. Area Sampson Sampson Hall Hall J. F. Sampson D. L. Carpenter Area Sampling Time 0830 - 0940 1023 - 1038 0830 - 0940 1021 - 1038 0835 - 1040 0850 - 0938 0850 - 0938 0853 - 0940 Air Cone. (F/cc) 3.4 1.7 0.7 2.9 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.01 REFERENCES UCC C/P Industrial Hygiene #38C-29X4 - R1A OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1001 REPORT PREPARED BY W. F. Blythe, Jr. Technical Center Industrial Hygiene Group ii.jt. iQJpKrt*. W. F. Blythe, Jr. APPROVED BY WFBJr/sc UCC 024539