Document OzZYE4GbM4KBQj6N8KYXEeYLK

FILE NAME: Keene (KNE) DATE: 1932 Mar 21 DOC#: KNE067 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Report of Dust Investigation of the Eagle Picher Rock Wool Plant at Joplin, Missouri / ' lireh 1. 1922. MB/8JD i i Kr. Irban Mahan, Safety Maglnesr, . - Bagla Picher Company, . - ""heber, Obla. 1 Dear Mr. Maboni I Inclosed is a repart of a United Inspection of the *cck._. noel plant of the Eagle Picher Mining and Saelting Coapany, Joplin, MoT^Mde by Dr. P. T. Meriwether, of the D. S. Bureau of Mines. ~ This report is submitted for your confidential information. I pw.m nppreolate any suggestions or coonents you nay hare and shall be glad to hare ny attention called to any errors or mlsatateaent of I ' ' fact. , Tours faithfully. Inelosure Bo. 468# ee -- Dr. Meriwether Y/(/v AA SUOTT TURNER 8C0TT TUBBB, Director. / upon or mat nrsaxotfic* or thb liOLl PZCHZS BOCK TOOL PXAIY jsska ^ m s s o U la September, 19^-. at tbt request of tho Safety Bniaaor * ' ` I f the Zala Plcher Minin and Saaltla Company, an inapaotlon oat oada of tha eaapeny's roek tool plant at Joplin, Missouri. This plant It pantad la connection with a lead analter and tha product la nado fro iywprodnete of lead smelting. Inasmuch aj the rock wool plant la only operated than than it a demand for tbo product, oontidorahla dolay tat encountered la aseamhlln and collectln all data on tha proeeto. It oat doalrod to obtain information on the duat, its ohooical analyala, and to ontalno tha older man ployed at the plant In order to dra* conclusions ao to poetihla hnrafolnesn of |thn duat, ' loch tool. Bock Tool lo made from ala which la boated to a aoltan liquid and lo biota out of a email orlflco at conoldanbla pressure into tha strata, hraakin tha nolltan liquid into wary fiat telrllka particles. This la hlosn Into a large room and after dollootla la qnaatltlao It lo shoveled Into containers for tr&neferrlu to another balldlac for febricatln. Tho material la made Into ahaata, bricks, aad la eoablaad with aabeatoa and used for the (nrpoae of lnanlatln buildings, fornaeoa, ato. Zn both tho bull'dlnga In hleh tho furnace and tho fahrloatin rooaa wore located, lara amount e of duat ware dateoted In tho air. I / Past Coont. Ataeaphsrlc l u c l u r i takm in th alzio* i, fabricada dopartaost, rarralator and forano rooa. ib* ia ib* tormo roo ti* 85.000.000 partila v a & m 10 aieroB; la tho lalac roo. lo. 2 aaapla bow 83.000.000 porlloloo; Wo. 1 Maplo 10.000.000 partid; tha ibbrleatln rooa Loot 1,000,000 partilo; M t th naulator b.000.000,000 partilo, all ndr 10 alcroB. Too of i tbaoa oaapl otro forsardsd to Plttafcnrgh, P n a v l n a U , for analyal (fuaos rooa and aixln rooa lo. 2) aad tha flurs. lo boro aro tta fgaro oVtalasd at Plttaburr. Our oon figura bow a auch bighar aoast. Xt 1 poaalbla thnt aooa of tho partid bar gona lato olutlon. pv-- in.u.l. Saapl of tha rocV w o d or nt to Plttbar0i to Mr. W. A. Salxlg for obaalcal analyala aad tbs analr ara aa folio: #1 PABIA! A1ALT8X9I Load. Fb - Sillea, SIO9 Par eat - 1.6 3U . 6 Alalux* oxida. AlgO-- - ----- Prrle Oxida, PPddft0Oit* " - - - - - - 3. Caleiua oxida. CaO- 13.3 *2 !ad. Pb - - Sillea. SIO2 Xluainua oxida AI2OJ- tbo-.85 55*-99 Parrlo oxida PgOj- " " ----- - Calelt oxida 13*3 #3 OJ. snii^sicip- Alualaua oxido, A1-0------ - - e.O Parrlo oxida. Pg0j- - " ---- 89.8 Calcina oxida, CaO 18.0 -8- *h concluding statssnt of Mr. Sslwlg's report 1 as follow; Ao mineral wool 1 a lag and ha been thoroughly fused it may ha quit irritating if hrsathad into the throat and Inga in the fora of tost.* t. . Bysical oxaalnattonq. On January 6, 1932, four of tha toploysoa working at tha plant wars examined at tba clinic to dotaraina toathar or not they shoo erldsnco of lung lnwolwaasnt. Ihraa out of tha four aan examined aho a decidedly mors fihrosia than normal, and ona of tha thrss shows an old tuharenlosis. tha othsr aan as negatire. tha historiaa of tba aan ahem that they haw. not boon employed staadily la this plant, tot thay haws haan angagod in this work for perioda r*B*la* trtm 9 onth* > li rears. probably at about half tla. Ths aaa that shows ao thiehsalng in tha bronchial tutos is tha foreman who is probably exposed to tha minimum aaount of dust. gongjusions drawn. Bassd on tba chemical analysis, quantity of tost, and aridanoa of such peribronchial thielrening in the man who hasa boon sipossd. according to ths histories, only a r-latlwaly short psrlod of t U a to tha tost, it is very likely that tha dust is harmful if breathed ewer a ralatiwaly long period of time. Ihis is particularly true in the airing rooa share it is stated by the employees that rock da airad with asbestos In warlous miaturea ranging from 10 to 75 par asat. Thla is a particularly dusty place. and it in now known dafialtaly that asbestos dust la one of the most dangerous dusts to which aan is exposed. With tha combination of asbestos and a fused silica dust, known to be irritating to ths lungs, it is reasonable to -3- 1 ttet tte m s 111 gat i i t m l n fibrotle cfctn*s in a n U t l v t l / hort pmlod ef tlaa. Ibis In partloularly tra* ter tb* rcl noni 1 alzte with tento. A tody of tbo X-ry pictnr of thM m b foli to rTl 117 illooal t tb pro'mnt tino, tet to prtengo m I M I t o n fibrosi tten orasi conflitto in tb ninna in i %te Pieter fiold, tte group ho n azera orVing t i M of iz 7 r; i* tbr orda, apparently t h * M non h*ze oaatrneted tb a u anonnt of fibrl in 12 aontte or 1 ttet oeenr in tho in of tbo Pieter I fiold la approrimtoly iz year. lamning tfci to te cnrret. tte ridano, hilo not oonploto, oold lead to th eonelnslon ttet tte dtut M M . Uf.ii )gf tteoo m b i aor dangorou and ili produco lune iarolraaont in zary anoh shortor pariod of tie then tfce dnt blob 1 Menai roA in tte Pieter in . . Control. Maeblna booid te lntrodneod to eontrol tte oaal f Anst prodoted t tbi plant. In tte foraneo rooa, ter tte M i la hiora iato tte rooa, asthod of meline tte dnt ont of tte fna r a yard systM of zontilatioa hoold te iaotallod. la tte fateieatlag rooa. it booid te a p polblo, od a definito dnt M t rolline ystaa instali ad. In tho trini rooa. lt ia regeated ttet a MObiao te lnstallod to do thi alzine. u*ine. milar ttet oste ly eant lnflnstrioa. nd lt ili not te ncaary for tte to aa to te in tte zoo, tbo anchine aro in comon no and could te nate ter ltb ocoaaaleal romito.