Document QgyyoddbrZq0d5Rr5ZNd6K4Lk
FILE NAME Packings and Gaskets PAG
DATE 1978
DOC PAG004
DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Report - Asbestos Exposure from Gasket Operations - Naval Regional Medical Center
C 106.14
_ M. CRAWFORD
7ASBESTOS EXPOSURE FROM | ae~ GASKETOPERATIONS
_ DR KENNETH STILL |
NAVAL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
BREMERTON WA 98314
ASBESTOS EXPOSURE FROM GASKET OPERATIONS
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE BRANCH OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
NAVAL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
BREMERTON WASHINGTON
L.R. LIUKONEN
K.R. STILL LTJG MSC USNR
R.R. BECKETT
MAY 1978
aed
og
TABLE OF CONTENTS 0 DR HE
ae
PART I
ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION
PAGE NO
2 5 aocse A. Project Definition
ge B. Methods and Materials
naaR
C. Asbestos Fiber Exposure Standards
D. Site Results and Discussion
6
Haken, Hinim SectionI
Storage
7
2
Hinim Section II
Hand Punching
Section III
Hand Operated Mechanical
Punching
17
4 Section IV
Machine Punching
20
5 Section V
Hand Shaping
24
6 Section VI
Machine Shearing
26
7 Section VII
Machine Nibbling
29
8 Section VIII Installation
32
9
10 11.
Section IX Section X Section XI
Removal and Concurrent Installation
35
Clean Following Removal
37
Removal with Simultaneous
12. Section XII
Clean
40
Miscellaneous and Multiple Operations Operations 42
E. Summary
44
PART II
RECOMMENDATIONS
47
A. Recommended Work Practices andProcedures
48
1 Storage
48
2. Hand Punching
48
3. Hand Operated Mechanical Punching
48
4 Machine Punching
48
5 Hand Shaping
48
6 Machine Shearing
48
7. Machine Nibbling
49
8
Installation
49
9 Removal
49
10 Flange Clean Following Removal
49
B. Personal Protective Equipment
49
C. Waste Disposal
49
D. Labeling
49
PART III
MISCELLANEOUS
50
A. References
51
B. Enclosures
1. Sampling Procedure Sheet
52
2 Collection Data Sheet
3. Asbestos Counting Procedures
54
TABLE OF CONTENTS CONT'D
PAGE NO
C. Appendix
1 Sampling data and material description
55
a Section I
Storage
56
b Section II
Hand Punching
57
C.
Section III
Hand Operated Mechanical Punching
58
Pro Section IV
. Machine Punching
59
e Section V
Hand Shaping
60
f Section VI
Machine Shearing
61
g Section VII
Machine Nibbling
62
h Section VIII
Installation
63
i Section IX
Removal and Concurrent
,
Installation
64
j Section X
Clean Following Removal
65
k Section XI
Removal with Simultaneous
Clean
66
1 Section XII
Miscellaneous and Multiple
Operations
67
se =
4
Fet
RS
eg
TABLE
LIST OF TABLES
PAGE NO
I. Airborne asbestos levels during storage
7
II
Airborne asbestos levels during hand punching
15
III
Airborne asbestos levels during hand operated
mechanical punching
18
IV
Airborne asbestos levels during machine gasket
punching
21
V.
VI
Airborne asbestos levels during hand shaping
25
Airborne asbestos levels during machine shearing
27
VII Airborne asbestos levels during machine nibbling
30
VIII Airborne asbestos levels during installation
33
IX
Airborne asbestos levels during concurrent gasket
removal and installation
36
XI XII
Airborne asbestos levels during removal of residual
material after gasket removal
38
Airborne asbestos levels
simultaneous clean
during
gasket
removal
and 41
Comparisoonf airborne asbestos fiber concentration
in all evaluated phases of gasket operations
46
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE
7 PAGE NO
1
Asbestos containing gasket material stored
8
for issue in individual rolled sheets
2
Asbestos gaskets and packing stored in open
9
bins
3
Asbestos containing gaskets stored in open
10
bins in sealed impermeable bags
4
Asbestos containing gaskets stored in open
11
bins in sealed impermeable bags and on
. open overhead storage racks
5
Storage of asbestos gasket sheets on open
12
rack
6
Storage of gaskets in open bins
13
7
Manufacture of gaskets by hand punching
16
8
Hand operated mechanical punch used for gasket
19
manufacture
9
Unventilated machine for punching gaskets
22
10
Ventilated and unventilated machines for
23
gasket punching
11
Machine shearing gasket material
28
12
Machine nibbling gasket material
31
|
,
13
An installed gasket
34
/
14
Flange after gasket removal and before
39
removal of residual gasket material
ec
aaa eet (crs
RetSoccer
eer
4
PROJECT DEFINITION
Asbestos a fibrous mineral silicate which is a component in many gasket materials is a documented health hazard causing cancer and a chronic lung disease known as
asbestosis reference a
Due to the unknown personnel
exposures to asbestos during gasket use the Naval Ships
Engineering Center tasked the Naval Regional Medical
Center NRMC Bremerton WA via the Bureau of Medicine
and Surgery references b and c to obtain additional
data during all aspects of the life cycle of asbestos
containing gaskets Statistically significant data was
requested so that reference d can be modified to include
specific procedures for gasket handling storing marking
processing installing removal and disposal
NRMC NRMC
Bremerton was assigned the lead in the project with
Oakland tasked to assist in data collection
The
majority of the samples were collected by NRMC Bremerton at Puget Naval Shipyard in various shops and aboard ship The photographs in the report were provided by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
METHODS AND MATERIALS
AREAS SAMPLED
a
All phases of asbestos gasket handling were evaluated
by obtaining air samples in the breathing zone of
workers
Samples were collected from the following
operations storage hand gasket punching hand
operated mechanical punching machine punching hand
eee
shaping machine searing machine nibbling installation
removal with concurrent installation removal and hand
scraping removal and wire brushing and clean
following removal
hen SAMPLING PROCEDURE
a Samples were collected using pumps at an air flow rate of
Bendix personal sampling
2.0 liters per minute
A 37 mm four piece 2 rings filter cassette with
0.8 micrometer pore size mixed cellulose ester filter
was used to collect the airborne asbestos fibers
Samples were collected with the face cap of the cassette
removed and the filter facing downward
Sampling time
ranged from a minimum of six minutes to a maximum of
132 minutes Enclosure 1 is a copy of the complete
sampling procedure
Environmental data collected in
the field were recorded on a collection sheet Enclosure
2
A total of 166 samples were collected covering each
phase of gasket operations The number of samples
collected in each phase of operation was sufficient to
meet the required number of samples for statistically
valid air sampling data as requested by reference b
The required number of samples needed for statistical
analysis and comparison was determined by guidelines
set forth in reference e
COUNTING PROCEDURE
All personnel asbestos samples were counted using the
phase contrast microscopy method enclosure 3
Samples
were counted by workers at NRMC Bremerton the Navy
Environmental Health Center NAVENVIRHLTHCEN and
the
Environmental Health Science Laboratory Richland WA
who actively participate in the National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health NIOSH Proficiency
Analytical Testing Program
CALCULATIONS
Airborne asbestos fiber
the following formula
concentrations
are
computed
using
Concentration = average fiber count filter area field area sample volume cc
For example assume an average fiber count
field 1pm
30 minute and field
22 sampling time at
liters
area of 0.00469 mm
of 1.2 fibers
per minute
Concentration
1.2 fibers 855 mm 0.00469 fiel6d0 1000
= 3.65 fibers
cc
Results are reported to the nearest 0.01 fibers Negative results are not reported as zero but as less than the lower detectable limit of one fiber in 100
fields
Thus a
lower detectable
30 liter 1
limit than a
sample has a different
10 liter sample
For
example
In a 10 1 sample
Concentration =
0.01 fibe8r 55 mm
0.00469 fiel1d 01 101 1000
cc
0.18 fibers
In a 30 1 sample
Concentration
;
40.01 fibe8r 55 mm 0.00469 field 30 1000
cc
< 0.06 fibers
The lower therefore
detectable limit
to length of the
is due only to sample size operation being evaluated
and
CONTROL DEFINITIONS
Various types of asbestos gasket materials were used during
the survey
Types of material used for each operation can
be found in Appendix I.
Controls for the various operations
were defined and characterized under the following definitions
None - no specific controls were used i.e. no wetting enclosing or ventilation
Housekeeping - high efficiency vacuum cleaners Portvacs used to clean areas reference f waste material placed in sealed containers area kept clean and free of debris accumulation stored material sealed in impermeable polyethylene bags
Ventilation
Filtered
provided
local exhaust
to operation
ventilation
ASBESTOS FIBER EXPOSURE STANDARDS
The current maximum allowable exposure to asbestos as
stated by references d g h is 2.0 fibers greater
than
2.0
five micrometers per cubic centimeter of air
fibers for an eight hour day with a ceiling
limit of 10.0 fibers for any 15 minute period
The
2.0 fiber level is a time weighted average TWA
allowable exposure and is the current exposure limit
The Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health
Administration OSHA has proposed a standard of 0.5
fibers with a ceiling limit of 5.0 fibers
reference i The National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health NIOSH has recommended a limit of
0.1 fibers with a ceiling limit of 0.5 fibers
reference a
The Navy Environmental Health Center
NAVENVIRHLTHCEN has been designated as the central
management point for the wide Asbestos Medical
Surveillance Program
NAVENVIRHLTHCEN states they will
begin medical surveillance of all personnel potentially
exposed to a level of 0.1 fibers reference j
Reference g does not specify the level at which medical
monitoring should begin
Results of the current study time during sampling rather
are based on actual exposure
than a time weighted average
Jobs involving asbestos gaskets are usually of short
duration and are done on an intermittent basis
Therefore
conversion of actual exposure time values to TWA values
is not applicable
as
bo
So
aliaieapiny
AM
SVG
R RAg
+
SECTION I STORAGE
Hale
STORAGE
Storage of asbestos gasket materialiss generally handled as a supply function Material is typically
received in two forms sheets and precut gaskets
Asbestos sheet material is stored in either flat
sheet form or rolled into bundles Figure 1
Sheet material is typically stored in open air areas
and is either wrapped in polyethylene film may be
color coded for asbestos handling or unwrapped
Precut gaskets and gasket packing materials are
stored in exposed open fronted storage bins and are
either wrapped or unwrapped Figures 2 and 3
Some pegs
precut gaskets are stored Figure % these gaskets
on exposed hanging
are not covered
Inspection of Table I shows an average fiber concen-
tration of 0.02 fibers > 5 cc of air was found in
supply storage areas
Asbestos material stored for use outside of main
supply storage
Figures 5 and
0.04 fibers >
areas is in open fronted bins or shelves
6
An average fiber concentration of
cc air was obtained Table I
These data indicate that
asbestos gasket material
fiber concentrations are
the manner of is irrelevant
storage for when airborne
considered
The various
methods of storage examined showed fiber concentrations
well below the currently used standard of 2.0 fibers air the Department of Labor proposed level of 0.5 fibers air and the point of initiation of medical monitoring of 0.1 fibers air
Individual sampling data listed in Appendix 1
TABLE I
Airborne Asbestos Levels During Storage
\
'
Operation
Storage receipt
issue
for and
Controls
housekeeping
Breathing Zone Dust Conc
fibers > cc air
Range
Ave.
0.01-0.05
0.02
No of Samples
14
. Storage for none
@
use
0.01-0.12
0.04
7
p
2vi18
7
FIGURE 1
ASBESTOS CONTAINING GASKET MATERIAL STORED FOR ISSUE
IN INDIVIDUAL ROLLED SHEETS
$y sy" ol i
5
FS
Pan A 9 a ?
FIGURE 2
ASBESTOS GASKETS AND PACKING STORED IN OPEN BINS
A
3
ie Wty,
FIGURE 3 ASBESTOS CONTAINING GASKETS STORED IN OPEN BINS
IN SEALED IMPERMEABLE BAGS
10
Ak
Laoat
-Ded
Pee
ty J o o
; 3
FIGURE 4
ASBESTOS CONTAINING GASKETS STORED IN OPEN BINS IN
SEALED IMPERMEABLE BAGS ANODN OPEN OVERHEAD STORAGE RACKS
11
et, e LPeA
FIGURE 5 STORAGE OF ASBESTOS GASKET SHEETS ON OPEN RACK
esd
ye
SUE
CRE
12
FIGURE 6 STORAGE OF GASKETS IN OPEN BINS
13
rtt
nvyanee My