Document Z0enMgGwXOoO73Rkz9BnzvQL

FILE NAME: General Motors (GM) DATE: 1983 Dec DOC#: GM042 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NIOSH Report - Walk-Through Survey Report Control Technology for General Motors WALR-THROUGH SURVEY REPORT CONTROL TECHNOLOGY FOR GENERAL MOTORS at 4 Gm>g l Motors - Inland Division Vandalia, Ohio f. r REPORT WRITTEN ST: William A. Heitbrink p r t. REPORT DATE: i Decambar 1983 REPORT NO,: 9 144-14 NATIONAL INSTITUTE T O R OCCUPATIONAL SAFETT AND HEALTH Division of Physical Sclencas and Engineering * Engineering Control Technology Branch 4476 Columbia Parkway r Cincinnati, Ohio 43226 05/01/96 10:51 TX/RX NO.6581 P.001 V 05/01/96 10:51 TX/RX NO.6581 P.002 FROM 210 FITE WLA MAY. : i. 'x m o r i f c n o s 3 m Httiookl Inttltate for,Occupational Safety and Health (XXOSH) it tho primary Federal agency engaged in occupational safety and healtu ,,research* Located la tbeDepartment of Health and Honan Service*.(formerly. MEW ) , it a i established by the Occupational Safety sad Health .Act of 1970 this legislation mandated KXOSH to conduct a number of research end education programs separate from the standard setting and enforcement function* carried out by the Occupational Safety and Health Analn latretion (OSHA) In the Dapartsent of Labor* An Important area of HZOSH research deals with Methods for controlling occupational exposure to potential chemical and physical hesards. the Engineering Control Technology Branch (KCTB) of the Division of Physical Science and Engineering has bean given the lead within HZOSH to atody the engineering eepecte of health heserd prevention end control. Since 1976, 8CTB has conducted a nuaber of assessments of health heserd control technology on the basis of Industry, coaeon industrial process, or specific control techniques. Kxaaples of these completed studies Include the foundry industry; various chemical Manufacturing or processing operations; spray painting; end the recirculation of exhaust sir. The objective of each of these studies has been to document sod evaluate effective control techniques for potential health hazards in the industry or process of x'?' Interest, and to create a more general awareness of the need for or availability of an effective system of heserd control measures. I These studies Involve a number of steps or phases. Initially, a series of t. walk-through surveys Is conducted to select plants or processes with effective l. and potentially transiarable control concepts or techniques. Next, la-depth surveys are conducted to determine both the control parameters and the i- effectiveness of these controls. The reports from these in-depth surveys ere then used as a heals for preparing technical reports and Journal articles on effective heserd control measures. Ultimately, the information from these research activities builds the date base of publicly available information on hazard control techniques for use by health professionals who ere responsible r: for preventing occupational illness end injury This plant was Visited as pert of e study of duet control hiring bag opening, dumping, and disposal. Significant duet exposures can occur during these V. operations. Although duet can be controlled during beg opening end , r- beg disposal is a significant source* of worker exposure. Ultimately this project will result In s concise Itf-lS page report describing dust control r techniques during bag opening, emptying, end disposal. This report should provide valuable information for those who ere responsible for controlling the -t- workers* dust exposure. k. 05/01/96 10:51 TX/RX NO.6581 P.003 FROM 410 243 5432 Plant Diaetiptim VVc _ _E.IIH.iikf______________ MAY.02.9S 9=41 AM i'*--'V* ", irv '.. v:.- P.004 Ths plant i s o v e r 20 fetrt old ad typically M p l o j 1,800 pnople. ;Thia plant 1 part f B t a m l Motor1 Mtchtnical Components Group. BrakS' S h o e s a r e ttflofaettttid>m w l a g ibMto. . 7>. Tha >ta where ;bag of aatMAtoa <tra opeat4| uqitit4 .nd. discarded la the abject of this tody* This area ploys one full-ties worker* too dry floor vacuum cleaners are present in tltla area of the plant* Process Description The plant has three machines to open bags of asbestos* The process to open empty and dispose of begs which contain asbestos is as follows : 1* The worker drops a 45 Kg bag of compressed asbestos on a conveyor. 2. The conveyor feeds the bags into a bag opening, emptying and disposing machine. f ._ _3. The machine has a reciprocating knife to slit %he bags and rollers to separate the empty bags from the bales of asbestos. 4. The bags fall Into a hoppar fitted with a b..g plastic bag* ^ 5* Tha asbestos received further undisclosed handling in tha enclostira. Ones a day tha asbestos bag hoppers are emptied. The process is: 1. Hear respirator* 2* Piece beg around inlet of vacuum cleaner end suck the air out of bag. i 3 Pull hopper out from under bag opening end emptying machine. 4* Tie the beg off end drop down c h u t e into trash receptlcles* 3* Vacuum tha Inside of hopper.. s 6. Line hopper with e clean, plastic beg. 7. Place hopper back under machine. Potential Haserds / Airborne aabeatos and m m w l handling of tha 45 Kg asbestos bales ere potential haserds at this site. The begs ere dropped onto the c h a n ins conveyor and this avoids any lifting. t 2 05/01/96 10:51 TX/RX NO.6581 P.004 FROM r ; r / / 05/01/96 10:51 TX/RX NO.6581 P.005 FROM 410 243 5432 FITE WLA MAY. 02.36 S --42 AM P .006 Principi* of Centro! 111 CQMXHGL8 - ' ' 5; Occupationalexposures can be controlled bp ttM application of * a * oi * d L t a o t a ); fdaelpl; Including engineering m i u rt r-wurk prctlc*s personalpr*teetlon,and monitoring ^ Xhe principles m s y b e applied at oi r n r thehasard source, to tbe general workplace environment, or *t the point of occupational exposure to Individuals* Control* applied /at the source o: tbo v hazard, including engineering ;;noaauc* (material f substitution process/equlpment edification, Isolation or automation, local ventilation and work practices, are generally the preferred and w s t effective esans o control both In t e n s of occupational and envlronaantal concerns* Control -which nay be applied to hazards that have escaped into the workplan environment include dilution ventilation, dust suppression, sad housekeeping Control assures nay also'he applied near individual worker#, including th use of renote control roons, Isolation booths, supplied-ir cabs, wor practices, sod persons! protective equipment* Za general, a system comprised of the shove control measures is required t provide worker protection under normal operating conditions as well as unde conditions of procsss upset, failure and/or maintenance. Process an workplace monitoring devices, personal exposure monitoring, and medica monitoring are important mechanisms for providing feedback concerna effectiveness of the controls in use. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance o controls to insure proper use end operating conditions, snd tbs education an commitment of both workers and management to occupational health are ala important ingredients of e complete, effective, and durable control system* Thess prlnclples of control apply to all sltuatlons, hot thelr ^optistu application varie from case-to-case* The application of these prlnclples thls plant Is dlscussed below* Engineering Controls i Equipment design snd local exhaust ventilation are the primary control o airborne asbestos* The equipment Is designed to isolate workers from th airborne asbestos generated by opening and emptying bags of asbestos* Thi machine Is ventilated. The local exhaust ventilation la designed into th machine. Face velocities st the machine* s inlet and between the hopper en the walls of tbs machine were between'100*200 fps. Housekeeping Periodically, floor sweepers ay4 used in this are of the plant to keep floor dea n . This Is done to prevent the floor from becoming a source of asbesto emissions* * ~ / 05/01/96 10:51 TX/RX NO.6581 P.006 '*<-' TT* '..'"/*'i ~ . Kooitociai i ^ 1 '''*'>-.v'- '*-'is.' ,*;>;..'/-' r^'' Typically the worker** exposure Is below 0,5;flbr*/ss accsrdllsg' ti p k s t Industrial hjfgieai^i. l&Swavar *&a the 'ocher aptie* tiie b&pgmx o*2vm the bag asd casgtylsg <s&ehia** peal. b s ^ & U espoesres as high as 2 fibers/cc nay ocmsr^ Sastpii&g results suggest that tala latstar pera is *nsitir?5 to istdlvlducl w r k grsefci.ee. Persoaal Protection aspirators asy be ssrad- vfea she w r t r eaytiee the hopper of the Little Ford Mixer. This parades was sot =a^g*?od otrixg tiis survey Other Unique Practices Twice a year* the wrksr= is. tM " i?~~ r? t.: trailing sessions with ss sdsstris^ *Wiij.F i$ a Sf*w review ed ad satsp llu g sos'tul&a s r e&: iii Wit'SeS' Other Observatloss The industrial h y g l e s i s t 3E S S S this operation. irit V l i i ^ irtT ^W i * w ip iS ' `M i i i S and Secoaasadatlons & *** **.? -rfe0 ^ P v>an^ < p .T**2 ^^ ^S ppears to be accoaplleked % CC t t ^^ * lEgvgSzs-fti 21^ v- r:r'^;Jtg ire r-Latt^nfi ^^-^.1- r. Tf v i s -T*r avitr*s*r**i<****?i? i f f v ' *? K-~*y varkert # ^ & a ar% ^r. y .,* e g ^ r y ^ A eair SwiS'aiJi.Sr'" k3 v.:1:2<--2 'ii'-ci.5?? c.ic ^ _ i' _ =_ *.iL !h*;*r *L he --?.* ------ *. a ^ s- I W 52** .i. A ' i i w *-!.J?Vv '"Si.'is "be basis for a--. ,. ^ e y-ai sad corrective riN - .. - .. * .! y ^iwstaadsaat c o s tr ^ l ipysfeea. I t i s sne- Tt.-i 2vr'i*i- i-^ c * iietaiies 5-t'^dy o f t h is operst-los-. Thai. p.^veaf-U v^SUL d^iia*esi tha. fasttora re.l-ra>.H s-a achieve low asbestos C5i2i2SS CZSS^- - * 05/01/96 10:51 TX/RX NO.6581 P.007