Document Q85jDOBgwyB9ZX3r4g3OOqBk

____ Ik____ Memorandum on Inspection of Lowe Bros. Plant ^-13-46 She paint and varnish mixing and blending plants of the Lowe Bros* Company, L'&yton, were inspected on 3-18-46. Of particular Interest were certain portions of the plant on which comments are made below. . In the mixing room on the 5th floor of Building #4 local exhaust ventilation had been installed since the previous inspection in 1^40 This consists essentially cf exhaust ducts ,bn. each- mixer, at the side of the machine . opposite the operator, with the opening of the- duct- 'extending roughly, one-third of the way about, the circumference of the top of tne rsachih'-. Luring the operation of adding the dry pigments to the mixer, most of the visible oust appeared to enter these ducts. There was considerable accumulation of dry pigments on the', wooden -floor, a n d -the janitor was, observed to be sweeping up some ;dry freshly spilled''-matrials. This woe confirmed by our- informants as-- the routine method of.' handling such spills. A visible but thin accumulation of unite powdered- dust was observed on the top of the ventilating ducts and other equipment, our informants were unable to. state whether this equipment had been washed down since'it had been installed, , ' . The amount of lead as white lead added to the various paint mixes was said to vary between aero and 5 7 0 pounds per batch. The method of handling this lead pigment was not seen. The observer was informed that the pigment came in drums, and was scooped out by hand, weighed, and then Kg' ..Jk. added by hand scoop t o t h e final mix. Whether this pigment . * '. . ' ` .d was usually a dry powuen, or ground In oil as outlined by J. J. Poppe, was not determined. Apparently the principal lead mixers were isolated In the southeast corner of the room. The operation of unloading the freight cars of lead pigments was not observed. In the lacquer plant obvious precautions against the potential fire .hazard had bean taken. The observer was Informed.that the only health'hazard of practical: moment to the men -known to the building foreman was that new men were occasionally overcome by fuses m e n working unnecessarily close to the mixing yats. The h e a t i n g 'of the mixing room was accomplished -'by':.forced' -ventilation, the fresh air being blown in from the floor, and the exhaust -air pulled out at. the ceiling. There was no local exhaust ventilation'around hue mixing vats. . The pump room in the basement had an exhaust duct connected to each pump. There seemed to be no general ventilation-of this room, where the odor of volatile solvents was quite strong. There was no reason for men to work routinely in this room. The protection of maintenance- hen who repaired the pumps in oasa of leakage, and the entry of a night watchman into this room In case of leakage, presented apparent hazards. The methods used to protect the men in aueh situations were not clear. The solvent storage room presented a problem similar to that of the pump room, i -5- The principal problem of the varnish makers seemed to be the occasional development of malodorous fume dependent upon meteorological'conditions. The operators who added . various solvents in conformity with the formulae used in making the varnishes and lacquers carried out this operation In a large open vat. This vat was situated in a room with a low ceiling, in which only natural ventilation was employed. A cooling coil was noted which was said to be lowered over the vat while the solvents were being mixed, in order to condense the fume and thus minimise loss due to evaporation. This mixing operation was not observed, V /'... 'A', similar:' vat -in which-paint remover was compounded, " was situated within this room but was isolated from the others* The observer was informed that this remover contained V 20% benzol "and 11% e thylene dlchloride b y weight . Conclusions ` ~ ., A code prescribing the requirements for industrial health in the State of Ohio has been adopted recently. Under the provision of this code the limits of safety for exposure of workmen to many industrial chemicals have been prescribed. This code requires that the employer should know and control the concentration of the vapors, dusts, mists, etc* of harmful compounds within safe limits. In order to assure Low Bros,'-'that they are operating within these prescribed limits, and that they are adequately protecting the health of their workmen, the following specific recommendations are being made$ : 1 Air sampling representative of the range of the fume and dust hazard, under operating conditions should be done by a qualified industrial hygienist, 2* Tnls sampling should include the determination of a) the lead content of the air in the vicinity of the lead mixers ana railroad car unloading .operations# '. . b) the lead content of the dust in these areas, e) the concentrations of volatile solvent at breathing level near the lacquer mixers# in the pump room# in the solvent storage room# and in the solvent mixing room. 5* Analysis of the blood and urine of representative men exposed to lead dust# for their lead content, 4 Clinical examination and investigation of the possible occurrence of liver damage or blood destruction, on tbs part oT the operators and maintenance men exposed to ethylene dichloride and benzol,- It seems probable that recommendations regarding changes in engineering design of certain of the operations and periodic examination of certain of the workmen, will follow such a study. Plant inspection and memorandum byj Henry W. Ryder# M,D, Report approved bys Dates March 2 5# 1^4^