Document EqG8eZX3j2ZEbpmedDrO9KQJx

Mobil Oil Corporation October 29, 1976 'OCAS NCW YOA HCV* YO<W '0017 Mr. W. E. Griffin Mobil Chemical Comoany P. 0. Box 311 Nichols, Florida 33863 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SURVEY EH 73-73 1-DBIL CHEMICAL COMPANY NICHOLS COMPLEX________ September 15 - 17 1976 Dear Mr. Griffin: Attached please find the report of the Industrial Hygiene Survey of the Nichols Complex performed by E. R. Averill, Senior Industrial Hygienist, on September 15 - 17, 1976. The main purpose of this survey was to evaluate asbestos exposure and handling conditions. wO _ : Y<2XS -- icc=S3 cc tue aiiavaoj.e OSKA limits. However, it is desirable to substitute the use of asbestos for the-reasons stated in the report. Please feel free to contact E. P.. Averill on extension 321 in Edison if you r.eed my further information cr clarification. Sincerely yours, cc: C. R. Eastman H. Kattavay B. N. Eightlinger, M.D. B. G. Milner LL:cd Att. h,Lester Levin Chief Industrial Hygienist Medical Department 06240 448009 I. INTRODUCTION At the request of local management, an evaluation of the asbestos exposures to the phosphorus furnace operators was undertaken by E. R. Averill, Senior Industrial Hygienist, at the Nichols, Florida complex on September 15 through The current OSHA regulation, effective July 1, 1976, has established a timeweighted average (TWA) airborne concentration to asbestos fibers of 2 fibers per cc of air. Recently OSHA has issued a proposed regulation wh^re the TWA for asbestos exposures would be reduced to 0.5 fibers per cc of air. 11. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. Summary The employees who handle asbestos are exposed to minimum amounts. By air sampling measurement, the daily TWA is estimated to be 0.03 fibers per cc of air. However, the actual exposure is much less because they only handle asbestos once a month. B. Recommendations Because of the difficulty of complying with the OSHA regulation, we recommend the following action be taken. 1. A substitute for the asbestos fibers and rooe should be found vsod. c.. nil asDestos should be removed from the facility. 2. The asbestos storeroom should be cleaned and free of asbestos. 4. Additional a*> samples for asbestos should be taken by the local industrial hygiene technician, in the operator control room and the furnace floor. III. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE SURVEY A. Method Circling was performed at a rate of 1.5 liters per minute in the breathing zone of the employees with a membrane filter of 0.8 microns porosity, mounted on an open face filter holder. Samples were taken during a simulated mixing of asbestos fibers for application to plug holes of the phosphorus furnace. The samples were then sent to Clayton Environmental Consultants for counting the asbestos fibers at a 400 to 450 magnification with a 4 millimeter objec tive of a phase contract microscope. 241 448010 B. Results 2- - The results of the air samples are summarized below. TABLE I SUMMARY OF ASBESTOS AIR SAMPLES AIRBORNE" CONCENTRATIONS SAMPLE NO. OPERATION 1A (E.W.)Mixing Asbestos Fibers 2A (F.M.) Mixing Asbestos Fibers IB (E.W.) Patching PIug Holes 2B (F.M.) Patching PI ug Holes 3 Floor of Furnace SAMPLE TIME 14 min. 14 min. 9 min. 9 min. 36 min. FIBERS/CC 0.91 0.49 0.18 < 0.20 0.04 TWA* < .05 < .05 < .05 < .05 < .05 Electrodes 5 Operator's Room 30 min. 0.55 0.54 < .05 < .05 * Based on 8 hours Two employees simulated a typical operation in handling asbestos. Asbestos fibers were mixed by hand with soda silica. This operation took approximately 14 minutes and would be represented by samples 1A and 2A. The bucket of wet asbestos was then taken to the phosphorus furnace and applied at the plug holes, (samples IS and 2B). In addition, a sample was taken on the floor of the phosphorus furnace, (sample 3) An asbestos rope is used to pack the electrodes on the furrace. A sample was taken in the prescribed manner in the oreathing zone of an employee during the cutting of the rope and the packing of the electrodes, (sample 4) The employees handle asbestos fiber approximately once a month for about 1/2 hour. The packing on the electrodes are replaced once every three to four weeks. All of the air samples indicate that the men's exposure to asbestos fibers during the mixing of the fibers and the application to the phosphorus furnace and the cutting of the rope and the packing of the electrodes, is minimum. Using this data, we can calculate a daily time-weighted average exposure of approximately 0.03 fibers per cc of air. The monthly time-weighted exposures would obviously be much less. 06242 4480l1 -3- Sample 5, taken in the control room,'showed an asbestos fiber exposure of 0.S4 fibers per cc of air, which is unusually high for the control room working environment and we would recommend that the certified local industrial hygiene technician resample the control room at least twice in the next month. The asbestos fiber and rope are stored in a small building next to the phos phorus furnace office. The building is marked and locked. However, it is evident that there is asbestos contamination in the area where the asbestos fibers are mixed with the soda silica and at the entry door. There were approximately 30 or 40 plastic bags of asbestos stored in this room. Many of the bags were broken and the housekeeping in this room was rather poor. Even though our survey indicates that the employees' exposures are much below the present 2 fiber standard and even below the proposed 1/2 fiber standard, we would recommend that the use of asbestos be discontinued. Continued use of asbestos would require at least a semi-annual monitoring. In addition, a recent OSHA ruling would indicate that the recordkeeping and medical provisions of the asbestos regulation would have to be fulfilled if an employee handles any asbestos, regardless of the amount of asbestos an employee is exposed to. We would suggest that because of the difficulty of disposing of the asbestos, the supplier be contacted and asked if he would take back the present supply of asbestos without cost. In addition, we would recommend that a substitute for the asbestos rope be obtained. If we can make these two substitutions, we would not have to comply with the sampling requirements, recordkeeping and medical requirements of the asbestos regulations. ERA/ik E. R. Averill Senior Industrial Hygienist THE FINDINGS OF THE REPORT WERE DISCUSSED WITH THE PLANT MANAGER AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SURVEY ON 9/17/76. 448012 ........... - ............. J Tt*l<*phontf 31 3 424-38' March 19, 1976 Mr. E.R. Ave ri11 Mobil Chemical Company Research and Development Laboratories P.0. Box 240 Edison, New Jersey 08817 ir,su * I97C Job No. 4141-376-LA Date Received: 3/17/76 Dear Mr. Averill: The filter sample and blank which you submitted to us have been analyzed as requested; the results are com piled below. Lab No. 9 6 7 29 967 28 Samp 1e !)epcri"tio AA-04, Blank AA-03, 64.8 liters Asbest i'forn Fibers Greacer Than 5 Micrometers in Length ngf C- 1 \ - -i -- -- - c ~ i- > -- 2900 The concentration of airborne asbestiform fibers greater _ chan five micrometers in length per ml of air was calcu lated based on field sampling data supplied by Mobil Chemi cal Company. It has been a pleasure to be of assistance to "ou. Please contact us if you nave questions concerning any aspects of this report. Very truly yours, Robert D. Soule, P.E. Vice-President Director, Laboratory Services RDS/kb 06244 448013 RESULTS OF ASBESTIFORM FIBER COUNT DETERMINATIONS FOR MOBIL CHEMICAL COMPANY Job No . 4598-976-LA Lab N o. S amp 1e Description Asbestiform Fibers Greater Than 5 Micrometers in Length (per total filter) (per ml of air) 103054 1 - A, 25.2 liters 103055 2-a, 22.4 1 iters 103056 1-8, 16.2 liters 103057 2 - B, 14.4 liters 103058 3, 54.0 liters r 1--.0.. ttcrs . ________________ ______ ______________ 23,000 11,000 2, 900 <2,900 * 26,000 0.91 --S'S'-y i 0.49 0.18 -- <0.20 f' ' ; >* 1 1 r 0.54 i r' \ Void - Sampled material was too heavilv deposited to permit a ricroscooic fiber count determination. .L N /' l' 'V 06245 448014 C. Asbestos 99 Sampling for asbestos fibers was performed in the Control Room and Furnace Room using the membrane filter technique. Thirty minute air samples were taken on Millipore Type HA membrane filters and the resulting counts made using a Zeiss microscope wich phase contrast illumination. Resales of this survey are given in Table III. TABLE III ASBESTOS AIR SAMPLINC Sample Number 1 2 3 4 5 Location Control Room, desk Control Room., panel Furnace Room Furnace Room Furnace Room Threshold Limit Value Number Fibers Greater Than 5 Microns per ml* <1 <1 2.3 2.8 1.7 5* IV RESULTS (, DISCUSSION A tremendous improvement has been made at the Florida complex since our last Industrial Hygiene Survey (See E.R. 15-69). In particular, improvements have been made in the weldins shop where additional '"''ti Inti- v>. hr- ' -.trailed -: -- ..m.es. .iue: nave Dean added and are presently maintained at a high standard of cleanliness. Housekeeping throughout the Nichols and Fort Meade operations'! was particularly good. The following are the results of the present survey A. Noise With the advent of the Federal Occupational Health & Safety Act of 1970, all Mobil operations must meet the requirements of the law pertaining to noise exposure. The following is a Table of the Permissible Noise Limits: FEDERAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY ACT OF 1970 PERMISSIVE NOISE "/.PCSURE -ZVlL: Duration hours/day Sound Level, A-scale, dB 8 6 4 3 2 1-1/4 1 1/2 1/4 or less 90 92 96 97 100 102 105 110 115 062*6 448015 B. Results 2- - The results of the air samples are summarized below. TABLE I SAMPLE NO. SUMMARY OF ASBESTOS AIR SAMPLES AIRBORNE CONCENTRATIONS OPERATION SAMPLE TIME FIBERS/CC TWA* 1A (E.W.)Mixing Asbestos Fibers 14 min. 0.91 < .05 2 A (F.M.) Mixing Asbestos Fibers 14 min. 0.49 < .05 IB (E.W.) Patching Plug Holes 9 min. 0.18 2B (F.M.) Patching Plug Holes 9 min. < 0.20 3 Floor of Furnace 25 min. < .05 < .05 < . 35 --tti.'.g and Packing Electrodes 5 Operator's Room 30 min. 0.55 0.54 < . 05 < . 35 * Cased on S hours Two employees simulated a typical operation in handling asbestos. Asbestos fibers were mixed by hand with soda silica. This operation took approximately 14 minutes and would be represented by samples 1A and 2A. The bucket of wet asbestos was then taken to the phosphorus furnace and applied at the plug holes, (samples IB and 2B). In addition, a sample was taken on the floor of the phosphorus furnace, (samnle 2) An asbestos rope is used to pack the ele-trodes on the furnace. A sample was taken in the prescribed manner in the creathinq zone of an employee during the cutting of the rope and the packing of the electrodes, (sample 4) The employees handle asbestos fiber approximately once a month for about 1/2 hour. The packing on the electrodes are replaced once every three to four weeks. All of the air samples indicate that the men's exposure to asbestos fibers during the mixing of the fibers and the application to the phosphorus furnace ar.d the cutting of the rope and the packing of the electrodes, is minimum. Using this data, we can calculate a daily time-weighted average exposure of approximately 0.03 fibers per cc of air. The monthly time-weighted exposures wo-'id obviously be much less. 06247 448016