Document g2npOV4zVnepn7ZXMY9wYEw5G

FILE NAME: WR Grace (WRG) DATE: July 31, 1944 DOC#: WRG209 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: 1944 Montana Board of Health report on Dust Counts from July 21 and 22 visits to Universal Zonolite Company >tate of iHoutana jStntc Boarb of Hcalt) W . F, C O G S W E L L , E x e c u t iv e OFFICER HELENA, MONTANA J u ly 21, 1')I|L II E 1! 0 R A H D U II 10 D r. W. F . Cogowoll, E xecutive O ffio e r FROM: D iv isio n o f I n d u s tr ia l Hygiene SUBJECT: ' U n lv o rsa l E o n o llte Company, Libby, Montana PERSONS III TEP.VIEWED: Mr. John Mayors , G eneral Manager ' F r . R, J . Kujavra, A s s is ta n t Manager DATES OF VISIT: J u ly 21 and 22, I 9I1L ThiG v i o i t vmo made to fo llo w up th o stu d y of tho m illin g and lo a d in g p ro c e s s e s made by Mr. Walworth In F e b ru a ry of I 9L2 . Sinoo t h a t tim e , tho e n t i r e procedure and i n s t a l l a t i o n s have boon ronodolod and g ro a tly improvod. The v o r a io u lito i s mined by means o f a powor shovel in an open p i t . Thero i s only s lig h t and in te r m itte n t ox- posure of tho shovel and tram oporatoro to any considerable q u an tity of d u s t. These c o n d itio n s woro n o t co n sid ered to p re se n t any undue h e a lth h asard s and woro n o t fu r th e r s tu d ie d . . In tho m illin g proooso, the m ineral io ground, sc re e n e d , and g rad o d . The m a te r ia l io damp when ro co lv o d a t tho m i l l , honco, i t i s d rio d in two o i l - f i r e d r o t a r y k i l n s . The dutoh oven m entioned in tho ro p o rt o f F o b ru ary 19L2, ifl n o t u sed ; th e r e f o r e , th e oarbon monoxide haeard io no longer considered e ig n iflo a n t. Tho o ru sh o rs and noroona havo boon equipped w ith oovan and ex h au st v e n tila tio n which prevent th e d u st from those operation:: from escaping in to tho workroom atm o sp h ere. Tne d u s t io tra p p e d in cy clo n e separa to rs and reclaim ed. . Only a few ohongos rem ain to be made to com plete the remodeling of tho m ill. A la rg e r exhaust fan is to be in s ta lle d in o rd e r to inax'oano th o e x h a u st v e l o c i t y a t s o v e ra l c r i t i c a l p o in ts . The t a i l i n g s d is c h a rg e was c r e a tin g th e g r e a te s t q u a n tity o f d u ct a t the tim e of the v i s i t . This i s one o f th e o r it io a l p o in ts a t which co n tro l v e n tila tio n io to bo inoroaced. - p- h v 1 : Two samples f o r du a t in tho g e n e ra l workroom atm osphere {: wore ta k en by means o f th e m idget Im pinger u o ln g w ater na th o tra p p in g flu id The d u e t o o u n ts th u s .found a r e re p o rte d in th o fo llo w in g ta b le t _ ' ' ` ' *> . , 1 *r . . 1 Sample Ro. Dust Counts - "f/s i/lih Location & Renarko M illion p a rti le s por oubio fo o t 1 General a i r sample tak en w hile walking 10 about tho f i r s t flo o r f o r 5 m inutes. 2 Same a s Sample #1 o n ly to k en on th o 20 second flo o r . -V ' V :. 7 / . :a . , - t; ' i 7 The d u e t a t t h i s p la n t i a q u ite low in a i l i o a and ie con s id e re d more o f a n uiaanoe d u s tj th e r e f o r e , the maximum a llo w ab le con c e n tr a tio n io oonoidered to be 50 m illio n p a r t i d o s e r oublo f o o t of a ir * Iho two sampled ta k en chow o o n o o n tra tlo n e w e ll below t h i s l i m i t . IThr th e m ill b u ild in g has boon made w eath er t i g h t and th o a d d itio n a l exhaust has boon in s ta lle d # tho d u st c o n cen tratio n s w ill be s t i l l low er. With reasonable m aintenance of theao f a o i l i t i o s , no d u st hazard w ill ox- i o t from th e m illin g o p e ra tio n s. Iho workman who lo a d s th e o a b lo -o a ro f o r tramming tho bulk product to the tru o k loading dock i s oxpoood in te rm itte n tly to exooosive oonoentratione of d u s t. Adequate p ro te c tio n is provided by a r e s p ir a to r . This r e s p ir a to r is o f an approved ty p o . - 1 . i'v. # ' .1 *` . *> '1 u. i t- * ' , ' ; . , 1rf *. ftio lo ad in g of bulk m a te ria l in to box-oars was found to be the m ost hazardous o p e ra tio n in 19^42. Tho method o f lo a d in g th e o a rs has been d r a s t i c a l l y ohanged so t h a t now th e lo a d in g o p e ra to r need n o t ex p o se him s e l f t o th e d u s t exoopt on r a re o o o a o io n o .' I h i o o p e ra tio n I s now o o n sid - red s a f e . -"V.-.'. v - - 'v v` / ' v.. :<>> .. ber io no d u e t h a za rd o f c ig n iflo a n o o i n th e expanding p l a n t. ' iw.u-vu- y.' C0NCLSI0B3 . H v .... f . -,7. v i . ;;,;V.. f . r v "< . `"..a ' , u ; ; S -P ro p e r and ad eq u ate meana o f o o n tr o llin g th e d u s t haw boon o r W in th e proooss of being in s ta lle d a t a l l necessary- p o in ts; Reason ab le maintenonoo and uso of these means of o o n tro l w ill prevent any h e a lth hazard dus to oxoosoive d u st c o n ce n tra tio n s from a r is in g . * >1 ' Hv'.U' R oopeotfully subm itted. . ' : >. ' V . I I . : t Dohrman H. Byers# D iro o to r D iv isio n o f I n d u s tr ia l Hygiene. i . i, i - c DHI3j el Hilm or N. Hxmson# Chemist D iv isio n of In d u s tria l Hygiono