Document NGobGo7Y2kdakkLy9VzgKj8wQ

DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A LOUISIANA DIVISION PLAQUEMINE. LOUISIANA 70704 604 389-6000 November 3, 1978 Greg Baldwin Glycol I 5301 Building cc: Jon Kiggans Wally Bounds Industrial Hygiene File DUST SURVEY RESULTS FROM THE CATALYST CHANGE AT GLYCOL II IN OCTOBER Area samples were taken during the unloading and the loading phases of the catalyst change to determine levels of airborne dust. Results are shown on the attached table. Protective equipment used by the contract employees during the survey included hardhats, safety glasses, Durafab coveralls, and disposable paper dust masks most of the time and face shields, vinyl-impregnated gloves and hearing protection occasionally. Dow employees wore the usual hardhats, safety glasses and hearing protection. From observations of the jobs and from the sampling results, it is suggested that during future catalyst changes the same protective equipment be used with the addition of monogoggles. Also, better ven tilation is needed to remove dust from inside the reactor areas. This should be possible by moving the dust collector closer to the source (such as utilizing larger vacuum hoses to pull more air from the funnel area where the pellets are dumped thus drawing fresh air from the second manway across the workers). One practice which was observed mus{: ,be -eliminated. Compressed air must not be used to blow dust from clothing since this may drive particles into the skin or eyes. Overall, the operation was planned and supervised well. ,, Ltz Industrial Hygiene DO A 1 1 DAGO CONFIDfNTTAl. attachment jmb AN OPERATING UNIT OF THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY GLYCOL XI - DUST SAMPLING DURING CATALYST CHANGE (R2) October 17 & 19, 1978 SAMPLE DATE SAMPLE LENGTH (Min.) AIR VOLUME AMOUNT OF TOTAL DUST (mg) Unloading Old Catalyst 53-01 Outside bottom of reactor 10/17 38 53 4.5 DUST CONCENTRATION (mg/m3) 85 53-02 Inside bottom of reactor 10/17 38 57 30.5 535 Loading New Catalyst 53-03 Inside top area of reactor during break, no forced ventilation 10/19 41 n.d. 56 (<0.4) n.d. (^7) 53-04 Inside top area of reactor during actual loading, airmover over one manway, loading into second manway 10/19 60 88.5 >46 ,>520 53-05 Inside bottom of reactor during loading operation 10/19 52 n.d. 70 0.4) n.d. (<6) Industrial Health Guide for 8 hour TWA Inert Dust lOmg/m NOTES: n.d. - not detected at specified detecii.jn Limit Amounts refer to total dust - neither particle size nor composition was examined. All samples were area samples.