Document OJBV4n2bZbbM3yYMaR47nJVDj

am - f. -i PIWSTaiAL HTCXCTt HJgOHT FLECITALLXC GASKZT CffffANT Dear Park, Tuui SCOW A TOTPOSI OP SPIYTT 1 Am Industrial Hygiene survey was conducted on December 10, 1974 la order to `valuer* 1 employee exposure to airborne concentrations of aabaaeoa ac Flexltalllc Caakst Coonanv. Deer Park, Taxaa. 4 This survey uea requested by the producing loss Control Technician, Plraom's Tund i American Inauranca Companies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One claim has bean asda i i allaslnt ssbescosts from writing at this plane. Following this claim, the Tessa Sesee i t Department of Haaleb, Division of Occupational Health, conducead a survey with asbestos sampling and found an Insufficient maount of asbestos fibers to perform an accurate count. They concluded the fibers ware affectively controlled by the wax/lata* binder notarial. Air samples were taken at the wire wrspolng ares, asbestos slitting area and final aasenbly area to datarnlne If any new exposures eclated In plant operations. ( cowansI0HS 1. The gasket wrapping operator was exposed to an oceantable level of asbestos during bar normal operations. This exposure was acceptable when compared to standards for both abort and long-tern exposure. P l 1 { t l ( l : 2. The final assembly operator was exposed to an acceptable level of asbestos during her nernel assembly operations. SDCCI3TI0W 1. throve housekeeping in thn plant. . 2. Investigate means at controlling the enlesloo of asbestos fibers to thn plant sir. woens DBCttmmi I yiaxlte111c Casket Company operates as a combination natal and asbsscos gasket i nsnufacturer. High temperature gaskets ere nenufacturnd using asbestos with latex aad wax binder In combination with amtnl. The plant Is divided Into a beat exchanger section and soft gasket section dilch 1 operate one shift per day. In heat exchanger ares, prepared asbestos sheets (1/S" thick) are received at Che pleat and cut Into vsrleua forma. Asbestos la cut with a abeer roller for the heat exchange section with no sir disturbance In this area. Asbestos millboard la used In the heat exchanger liner and filler operation and asbestos gasket materials are ell exposed In the final product. Tha soft gaakot section Involves slitting varying length* of 4" wide asbestos sheets into strips approximately 1/t" wide. These strips are then wound with a strip of I J f -2 stainless steel and than tack-welded at Cha and. This ...^ration Involves Cm shifts of aploytai aad utilises 9 machines with ona worker ac aach machine. Each worker wac wrap Cha gaakaca aad periodically oust altc hla atrip of asbestos paper Into aoall Strlpa. Slitting Involves about 20 aacooda on an average tlaa for aach roll that Is allttad. Each employee does hla own slitting and than ratutaa to hla owa work atatIon. (fathers average 20 allta par day. The laat aeetlon of oparatlona Involve final aaaaobly. In thaaa oparadona Cha wound gaskets ara placad Inalda retaining rings and packaged according to order. Therefore, a potential asbeatoa duat enpoaura axlata la tha soft gasket wrapping and allttlng area aad tha final asseably area. (to vastllatloa la provided la tha plant and air novanant la dependant upon area fans located throughout the plant which during cha sinner will stir tha air. However, In tha winter, air la only beatad with doors remainlag cloaed nose of tha tine. Ona additional oparation In the plant Is a naehlna area which Involves tha uaa of a water soluble cutting oil, which contains an anti-bacterial agent, and appears suitable for thaaa oparatlona. A pmKh press operation produces an axceaslva aolsa exposure and should be evaluated to datanlna tbs extant of this noIsa exposure. Subjective responms at tha tine of this survey were pelnfel to our ears during observation of pinch press operations. With proper authorisation, a noise survey will be dona la this plant. DBCttmOH OF HAZAKDS Sae tha attached Industrial Hygiene Technical Bulletin So. 2, prepared by Flreaaa's Fuad American Insurance Loos Control, concerning aaboatoa. Tha Threshold Unit Values CTLV) refer to Time-Weighted-Average airborne concentrations af substances aad represent conditions wider which dt la believed that nearly all workers nay ba rapeatadly expoaad S-houra a day, day after day, vtthwtt adverse affects. TLVa ara used as guidelines la tha control of health hasarda and should not bo used as a flaa line between safe aad dangerous concentrations af asbeatoa fibers. Thay ara baaed on the boat available Information froa Industrial experience, frow axparlaoatal taanan aad anInal acudlaa, and. dm possible, froa a combination of the three. SUmt k A3ALTTTCA1 METHODS A Personal air sampling at the breaching sons arses of workers at tha allttlng machines, gasket wrapping machines, and final asamnbly area was acconolished by using MUlloora membrane filters (0.8 .licromeccr pore sirs) In plastic cassette*. Air was drawn through thaaa filters by means of personal sampling poops which conform to NTOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) standards for personal sampling piasps. All pumps wra calibrated by aporoved methods prior to templing. Snxpling procedures followed M10SH guidelines for silica dw' aamollng using a flow rate of approximately 2 liters pur minute. Air maples were analysed using Fhase-Contrast Illumination Micro*copy, cha currently accaptabla aathod for analysis of asbestos fiber aamnlas. All saaplaa wn analysed by George 0. Clayton and Associates, Southfield, Michigan (an Independent aalytlcal laboratory). > j j J . . t < Analytical results Mr* reported aa a total number of flbr* or sranla. This number of flboro was than divided by a total amount of air sampled and reported as fibers par cubic cantlawtar of air (flbera/cc). This method sllovs for reporting of fiber concentrations for comparison to the allowable exposure* as resorted by the Threshold Halt Values for substance la workroom air under Section 1710.91 of the OSHA Tabulations. ttSTHTS A D1SCPSSI0H Table I displays the air sampling data tssults from sampling at the three locations. Tbs wire aad asbestos wrapping operator works In a position vhar* asbestos fiber concentrations ware lass than l/3rd of a fiber per cubic centimeter of air during normal operations. In addition, the wire and asbestos wrapping worker was exposed to an asbestos fiber concentration of 3 flbers/cc during asbestos paper slitting operations. Using these two concentrations to detarnlna a Tlae-Welghted-Average for an B-hour exposure resulted In a Tijas-Walghted-Avarage of .42 flbers/cc. This was an acceptable exposure since the TLV for asbestos fibers la 3 flbers/cc greater chan 3 Micrometers la length. (Tor a description of Tlam-Uelghted-Average calculation refer Co Table I of the attached Technical Bulletin Mo. 2). The final assembly operator was exposed to an asbestos fiber concentration of 0.A2 flbers/cc during her normal operations. This also was an acceptable concentration for these operations whan compared to the TLV for asbestos. Since those concentrations ware below the present standard for asbestos fiber axposura, no racosasodatlona wera mode. However, we suggest upgrading of housekeeping In the areas around the slitters and wire wrapping machines. This can be acconsllshed by periodic vacuuming of the area around the machines to prevent material aceuaaalatloms. Avoid sweeping or brushing the machines and use a vacuum flltar with a micro pore-sirs racing. tie alan sagfast additional reduction In asbaatos exposure to comply with env further lowering of the asbestos exposure standard (ITT1SH propose* lowering to 2 flbers/cc). This com be accomplished by situating the Intake of a local exhaust ventilation system as does to tho exit side of tha slitter as possible aa shown In tha diagram. Tho Intake can be covered with a wire screen of suitable -neh so that tha paper would food over tha screen. This exhaust duct should load down and away from tho traffic pactarn. Finally, tha aajorlty of loose fibers generated when the asbestos is sheared can be eliminated by using a brush-llka material mounted ln-emong the slitters In such a way aa to sweep tha loose fibers from tha paper and sllteers. Therefore, the loose fibers will be exhausted is the slitters revolve and the paeer Is shsared. We believe these exposures to be Indicative of tha normal exposure* sines operations at the tins of this survey were within normal limits. Associate Industrial Hygienist Flrsman's fund American Insurance Companies 4* ii-i'bPQ- L n t f )i t I I 4 J L nxzxAirsnna u1ct'ouU0uu,tXMikmACbitMaristuutoiNutaiaonttmmsc*iimnmi mb 1 7. 1973 Hr. Jla law;, rise .'touin nartralllc Caafcat Ca^auy r. 0. *o> J3# Dwr 7ark, Tom 77336 DtM Mr. Iiij: On tMeobar 10, 1974, a study waa conducted at your pint ea dataralaa occupational aapoaura to airborna eooccacratioas of aabaato* flbara. This atfwr waa raquaitad by Ida Philadelphia Branch Loot Control Papartnant, Flraaaa'a fund Aasrlcn Insurance Conpaalaa. thank you far Mr. Gilbert's assistance ebrauga tha plant. Bach a study should aaalie yen, la part, la anatlat your taapooslbllltlaa ndar tha Ocatpatlonal Safety and daalth Ace of 1970. Enbloysre ara rasponalble ndar this Act to opolcor savlrooanntal conditions, such aa aaoaatoa flbara, nd taka ranedial action la ordar to reduce tha exposures to withla Meaptabla Haiti according to published criearla. Moating tha taodarda for otlnaattal eoadltioas la work araaa should alao graatly reduce tha potential for developing occupational dlaoaaaa. Tha resoles of thia surrey ledicata Chat airborne concentrations of nsbaaeoe flbara uare bolow tha praaant OSiA ataadard for tha gasket alittlag aad vr^plng workers ck1 tha final aaaaably worker*. Slaca tfaaaa icandarda haoa net boon aacaodad, corraeclva aessures oo your part ara aot sendsLory, bunt, vo racsoaad that yoa eonaldar tha suggestions that have boon aada la tha attactaad taport to tadoea aay exposures la year plaat. Hr. laMy, dtsdc you for your cooperation Airing thia auraay. Please contact aa If yoa have aay further aaad for aaalaeanca at ymr plant. I can ba eoatoetad through Fail Ueoroa. Sincerely jm, Aaooclnta Industrial Bygiaalst ea/3 Act. ee: Oara Phillips, dam* Cffiee Industrial Sygiooe Services 7rad Ring, Philadelphia Lea* Control HMager Philadulpdla "n^rrltl Casualty Qadarwrltlng Faul Msroa. Souatoa Usa Control Michael 1. Donahue, Laaa Control J L