Document XRMDa3NKVyrdLbJDdEGgvV8Ox

Division ofSafety & Hygiene 8120 Washington ViJIan:Drive. Dayton.Ohio4S458 Octobers, 1995 Toll free I-8C0-963-776* Pisine; 1513)438-8376 Pax: (513)438-8603 Mr. Roger Roderiberg, Plant Manager HU & Griffith Company 1262 State Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45204 Dear Mr. Rodenberg: The attached data tables show the results ofthe industrial hygiene air and noise monitoring I conducted at your facility on September 19, 1995. The air monitoring results indicate the packers' respirable dust exposures were 72% and 69% ofthe Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) permissible exposure Emit (PEL) for respirable dust containing sifica (quartz). All other exposures were below applicable Emits. The noise monitoring results indicate the need to continue the annual audiometric testing for your employees. The results (noise and air) only reflect conditions as they existed on the day of the monitoring. Individual exposures wQl fluctuate depending on such factors as products produced, process or material changes, workload, and/or individual work practices- Such variability must be considered when interpreting any exposure data. All of the results are covered in more detail in the "discussion" section of tins report The sampling and analytical methods used are summarized in Appendix A EXPOSURE LEVITTS Air - The air monitoring results are compared to the OSHA PEL for respirable dust containing silica and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Vake(TLV} for respirable silica (quartz).(l,2) The PEL is based on the percentage of silica found in each sample and is determined with the following equation: %SiIica+ 2 Therefore, the PELs listed in Table 1 vary for each employee. The PELs are the only legally enforceable limits, but the TLVs are considered more current with respect to toxicological data. HG-000038 JUN-22-98 MON 12:39 HILL & GRIFFITH INDPLS FAX NO. 3172487725 P. 03 Due to the wide range of worker susceptibility, a certain percentage of workers may experience adverse health effects at concentrations lower than the referenced limits. In addition, guidelines or standards for air contaminants are developed Ofl a poflutant-bypollutant basis. They do not consider the interactions that may occur in environments. They should not be interpreted as absolute values below which adverse' health effects will not occur. Therefore, it is good practice to mnint^rn gypogMTPs as low as possible. Noise - The noise monitoring results are compared to the OSHA PEL of 90 decibels, Aweighted (dBA) and the OSHA action level (AL) of85 dBA DISCUSSION OF RESULTS I Air - The results indicate the packers had elevated exposures to respirable dust containing silica. On the day of the monitoring they were packing Premix and only packed until lunch. After lunch Mr. Durant unloaded trucks in shipping and Mr. Hopgood cleaned the packing area and adjacent warehouse. Their exposures could be higher on days when packing is performed for the entire shift. The packers are exposed to dust from a variety of days and coal dust Exposure limits do exist for coal dust and are based on the percentage of silica present. But since it is not known whether the detected silica was from the clays and/or the coal dust, all of the results were compared with silica, exposure limits. Respirable silica has been designated as a Class 2A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). A Class 2A designation means there is suffident evidence of carcinogenicity in animals but limited evidence in humans. The National Toxicology Program (NT?) classifies siHca as reasonably anticipated to be carcinogenic and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) considers silica to be carcinogenic. There is, however, still some debate as to the carcinogenicity ofsilica. More definite is the feet that the mhalation ofrespirable silica can lead to a debwtatmg and sometimes fatal disease known as silicosis- Silicosis usually occurs after ten or more years of exposure at relatively low concentrations but can also develop within a few weeks of exposure to very high concentrations. Due to the nature of the disease, silicosis tends to be self-perpetuating. Once enough siHca has been retained within the lungs, the damage tends to continue even after removal from further exposure. Between 1980 and 1987, an average of 43 cases of silicosis pa- year were reported to the Ohio Bureau of Workers* Compensation. In 1986, eight states (Arkansas, Delaware, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin) reported indemnity compensation for 50 cases ofsilicosis. The total compensation was $3,078,283 or an average compensation of $61,566 per case. (3) Unfortunately, there is no cure for sSicosis and therapy is entirety confined to relief of symptoms. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain dust levels as low as possible through effective engineering controls, work practices, hazard communication, and respiratory protection. HG-000039 un Un r'`juO JOoQ JUN-22-98 HON 12:40 HILL & GRIFFITH INDPLS FAX NO. 3172487725 P. 04 The mission of the Division of Safety and Hygiene is to assist employers and employees with the prevention ofwork related injuries and illnesses. Hopefully tins survey wSl assist you in your efforts to maintain a safe and healthy work environment. The cooperation and assistance offered by you and the employees was greatly appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact me at the Southwest Regional Office if there are any questions or. comments regarding the report, or you desire additional assistance with any safety and health concerns. Si>ncerely, Kenneth M. Wilson, CIH Industrial Hygienist Attachments -Table 1 - Air Monitoring Results -Table 2 - Noise Monitoring Results -Appendix A - Monitoring Methods -OSHA Noise Standard -Hearing Conservation Program Summary -Hearing Conservation Program. Evaluation -Bag Tube Packer ventilation, information -OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard 00003 HG-000040 JUN-22-98 HON 12:40 HILL & GRIFFITH INDPLS FAX NO. 3172487725 P. 05 REFERENCES 1. "Air Contaminants" Code ofFederalRegulations Title 29, Part 1910, Section 1000 1994. 2. American Conference ofGovernmental Industrial Hygienists.- ThresholdLimit Values and Biological Exposure Indices for 1995-96. ACGIH, Cincinnati, OH (1995). 3. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; WorkRelatedLungDisease Surveillance Report (DHEW/NIOSH Publication No. 91-113). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1991. , 0000 0 HG-000041 JUN-22-98 HON 12:40 HILL & GRIFFITH INDPLS _ COMBANY: Hill & Griffith Company SURVEY DATE; September 19.1995 FAX NO. 3172487725 P. 06 SURVEYOR: Ken Wilson, Oim Ohio Bureau of Workpr^' Comn Division of Safety & Hvrrfapg TABLE 1 AIR MONITORING RESULTS NAME Edward Harris JOB Unloading railcars - Two railcars of western bentonite were unloaded CONTAMINANT TIME SAMPLED (Hrs,:min.) CONCENTRATION DETERMINED (mg/m3) Respirable dust containing . silica (quartz) 6:07 0.76 Respirable silica (quartz) 0.021 OSHA PEL (mo/m3) Z1 NAL ACGIH TLV (ma/m3) NAL 0.1 Ray Hobbs Blending operator - Spent majority of day in the control room Respirable dust containing silica (quartz) Respirable silica (quartz) 6:07 0.20 <0.016 1 NAL N.A.L 0.1 Ervin Durant Packing - Packed bags of Premix in A.M. &. unloaded trucks in P.M. Respirable dust containing silica (quartz) Respirabfe silica (quartz) 6:39 1.0 0.040 1.4 NAL. NAL 0.1 Kevin Hopgood Packing - Assisted Ervin in AM. & cleaned packing area in P.M. Respirable dust containing silica (quartz) Respirable silica (quartz) 6:54 1.1 0.046 1.6 NAL. NAL 0.1 OSHA PEL ACGIH TLV mg/m3 NAL - Occupational Safety and Health Administration Permissible Exposure Limit - American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value - Milligrams of contaminant per cubic meter of air - No Applicable Limit OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.20 provides employees and their designated representatives a right of access to relevant exposure and medical records. Each employee must be informed upon fast entering into employment, and annually thereafter, of 1) their right of access to such records, 2) the existence, location, and availability of such records, and 3) the person responsible for maintaining and providing access to such records. HG-000042 JUN-22-98 HON 12:40 HILL & GRIFFITH INDPLS FAX NO. 3172487725 P. 07 COMPANY: Hilt & Griffith Company SURVEY DATE; September 19.1995 NAME Edward Harris JOB/ DEPARTMENT Unloading railcars TABLE 2 SURVEYOR: Ken Wilson Bureau of Workers* Como. Djyisfcn Of Safety & Hyqfeng> NOISE MONITORING RESULTS TIME NOISE SAMPLED EXPOSURE OSHA PEL (HRS.;M1N.) (dBA) (dBA) COMMENTS 6:59 87 90 Unloaded two railcars 86 AL Ervin Durant Packing Floyd Coldiron Maintenance 7:22 87 Packed In a.m. and unloaded trucks in p.m. t 7:12 80 Melvin MacOavis Ray Hobbs Coal Receiving Blending Operator 7:00 6;18 H 91 78 tf Spent majority of day m control room QSHA PEL - Occupational Safety and Health Administration Permissible Exposure Limit dBA - Decibel, A-w*righted AL - Action Level H - Exposures were obtained with a high threshold {80 dBA) dosimeter reading and are compared with the SO dBA PEL All other exposures were obtained with a low threshold dosimeter reading {80 dBA) and can only be compared with the 85 dBA AL Please see AppendixA for further explanation. OSHA Standard 29 CPRl 910.9S requires noise exposure data be made avaitabie to affected employees. QSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.20 provides employees and their designated representatives a right of access to relevant exposure and medical records. Each employee must be informed upon first entering Into employment, and annually thereafter, of 1) their right of access to such records, 2) tire existence, location, and availability of such records, and 3) the person responsible for maintaining and providing access to such records. HG-000043 r< \j ") U 'rJ. r. U A Tt o JUN--22-98 MON 12:41 HILL & GRIFFITH INDPLS FAX NO. 3172487725 P. 08 APPENDIX A MONITORING METHODS AIR Personal respirable dust samples were collected on pre-weighcd polyvinyl chloride filters that were preceded by 10-millimeter cyclones and MSA Elow-Lite air pumps with calibrated flowrates of 1.7 liters per minute. All samples were analyzed by gravimetry (NIOSH method 0600) and x-ray difiractametry (NIOSH method 7500) at Travelers Insurance industrial hygiene laboratory winch is accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association. ' NOISE Noise exposures were determined using calibrated Quest Micro-15 noise dosimeters. The Micro-15 dosimeters have both an 80 and 90 decibel, A-weigfated (dEA) threshold. The threshold is the sound level below which the instrument does not respond. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires the 90 <JBA threshold to determine compliance with the Permissible Exposure limit (90 dBA), and the 80 dBA threshold to determine compliance with the Action Level (85 dBA). The dosimeters continually integrate noise levels throughout the monitoring period, simultaneously calculating an average noise exposure using both thresholds. 00004 HG-000044