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DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A. /ZAL REV 8(E) March 2, 1978 LOUISIANA Division PLAQUEMINE, LOUISIANA 70764 604 3B0-8OOO Poly B Personnel cc: C. E. Halphen - Research & Development - Building 2501 A. J. Seidule - Plastics Administration - Building 2306 B. G. Shamburger - HDPE Technology Center - Building 807 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SURVEY REPORT - 1977 This survey contains the results of data obtained on chemicals, noise and dusts within Poly B. I. NOISE Two surveys were taken for noise exposure; Area Noise Exposure Using a noise level meter for obtaining noise level in plant areas. Job Noise Exposure Using an audio dosimeter to get a composite sample of noise on individual jobs. A. Areas Exceeding 85 db (A) 1) Extrusion and Materials Handling: All areas south and west of graphic panel room on the ground level and around dryers and separator screens on the dryer level. 2) Trains I and II Reaction Area: Compressor deck, ground level by the surface condenser and glycol tank and around both air slides. 00 0884?? CONFTDFNTIAI AN OPERATING UNIT OF THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY CARE Poly B Personnel -2- March 2, 1978 A. Areas Exceeding 85 db (A) -- Continued 3) Trains III and IV Reaction Area: Second deck by reactors, third deck by air slide blowers. Ground level from back roadway to steam still feed tanks; also ground floor around steam still phase-out drums. 4) Purification-Catalyst: Ground level by catalyst feed pumps and ethylene beds. Hexane purification ground floor from roadway back to reflux drums and area around V-204. Hearing Protection Must Be Worn In All Above Areas B. Job Noise Surveys Each job was surveyed with an audio dosimeter to determine an eight hour T.W.A. (time weighted average) exposure. The standard is 85 db (A). For a job where no ear protection is worn the T.W.A. must be below 1.0 (100%). JOB T.W.A. PERCENT Plant Superintendent Area Engineer Lab Supervisor Lab-Quality Control Specialist Shipping Quality Control Specialist Shift Supervisor O.S. Board S.O.T. Extrusion Inside S.O.T. Extrusion Outside S.O.T. Reaction Trains I & II S.O.T. Reaction Trains III & IV S.O.T. Purification O.T. Extrusion 5th Shift Lab Day Lab Polymer Lab Purification Material Controller 0.085 0.090 0.375 0.065 0.445 0.333 0.010 0.915 0.850 0.755 0.875 0.265 0.850 0.315 0.095 0.015 0.395 0.015 8.5 9.0 37.5 6.5 44.5 33.3 1.0 91.5 85.0 75.5 87.5 26.5 85.0 31.5 9.5 1.5 39.5 1.5 088423 DO CONF TOFN'n 8L Poly B Personnel } -3- March 2, 1978 II. CHEMICAL EXPOSURE Nine chemicals were surveyed in Poly B during 1977. Five of these chemicals are classified as nuisance dusts covered in a later section. Other chemicals used in Poly B were not considered to have high enough exposure rates for monitoring. Each of the follow ing chemicals are listed with their threshold limit values (TLV). Threshold limit value is the concentration, either in part per million (ppm) or milligrams per cubic meter: CHEMICAL TLV Hexane Vinyl Chloride n-Propyl Alcohol (NPA) Chloroform 100 ppm 1 ppm 200 ppm 25 ppm It should be pointed out that chloroform and vinyl chloride are not used in Poly B operations (chloroform is used occasionally in the lab). However, their presence has been noted in monitoring and therefore will continue to be surveyed. The following is a listing of job chemical exposure in the form of Equivalent Exposure Misture (Em). This Em is the total of the exposure rates for all four chemicals monitored. Exposure rate is TWA/TLV and must be below 1.0 for each chemical or stress. JOB Plant Superintendent Area Engineer Lab Supervisor Lab-Quality Control Specialist Shipping Quality Control Specialist Shift Supervisor O.S. Board S.O.T. Extrusion Inside S.O.T. Extrusion Outside S.O.T. Reaction Trains I and II S.O.T. Reaction Trains III and IV S.O.T. Purification O.T. Extrusion 5th Shift Lab Day Lab Polymer Lab Purification Material Controller Em 0.31 0.32 0.41 0.84 0.04 0.44 0.31 0.61 0.28 0.28 0.35 0.06 0.28 0.33 0.29 0.62 0.66 1.20 DO 0BB4?A CONFTDFNTTAl Poly B Personnel -4- March 2, 1978 The high Em for the materials controller job was due to one high sample for vinyl chloride causing the total exposure to be above 1.0. Area,sampling will be done in 1978 to determine where this exposure originated. III. DUST EXPOSURE The following chemicals are analyzed as total dust, TLV = 10 mg/m3: Polyethylene Calcium Stearate Irganox 1010 Ionol Dicalite 4106 Dust exposure rate for each job is JOB follows: T.W.A. (mq/m3) Er (Expsoure Rate) Percentage Plant Superintendent Area Engineer Lab Supervisor Lab Quality Control Specialist Shipping Quality Control Specialist Shift Supervisor O.S. Board S.O.T. Extrusion Inside S.O.T. Extrusion Outside S.O.T. Reaction Trains I and II S.O.T. Reaction Trains III and IV S.O.T. Purification O.T. Extrusion 5th Shift Lab Day Lab Polymer Lab Purification Material Controller 0.00 0.31 0.21 0.10 0.44 0.73 0.00 0.31 1.60 2.50 5.40 2.00 7.60 1.10 0.00 0.73 5.20 1.10 0.0 3.1 2.1 1.0 4.4 7.3 0.0 3.1 16.0 25.0 54.0 20.0 76.0 11.0 0.0 7.3 52.0 11.0 0884?s C0NfidF'Ntta/ } Poly B Personnel -5- March 2, 1978 Certain jobs cause more dust exposure than others. These jobs require an operator to wear a disposable dust mask to reduce exposure: Mixing stearate Trains I and II Dumping the dump hopper Filling additive pots Mixing filter precoat Any other activity that creates large amounts of dust such as unplugging airslides or powder transfer lines. P. L. Harich Environmental Health Representative for Polyethylene B Plant pb DO 088476 C0NFTDFNTTA1.