Document kQxby4e6NR5MejdxBOznN4bb

FILE NAME: Union Carbide (UC) DATE: 1959 May 11 DOC#: UC139 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Special Hazards Survey - Occupational Disease Study Prepared for Union Carbide SPECIAL HAZARDS SURVEY OCCUPATIONAL D ISEASE STUDY PREPARED FOR UNION CAP.BIDE COPv?o?A.TION LINDE COMPANY SFEEDVIAY C I T Y , INDIANA MAY 11, 1959 BY J . M. ROBINSON 21744 ANOTHER SERVICE FROM THE OFFICE OF received Safety Engineering Department TNA L IF E INSURANCE COMPANY (C --2071) TNA L IF E A F FILIA T E D COMPANIES JUN 9 1! 59 mtiustruu aco'di ` t roMCCLoc* ciPAtT < m Hartford, Connettici TNA CASUALTY & SU RETY COMPANY . *, SJA^DARD F IR E INSURANCE COMPAI. UCC 011845 '' Y V * " * " UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION LINDE COMPANY SFEEDWAY CITY, INDIANA May 11, 1959 Pumoset This v i s i t was made to a s s is t the plant in evaluating th e ir occupational disease exposure. Contact! -Etna Sa fety Engineering Representative R* Warner and I con tacted Mr, Harold Sanz, Manager o f In d u strial R elatio n s. Procedurei A ir sampling fo r dust vas conducted using the midget impin ger with d is t ille d water as a c o lle c tin g medium. Dust counts were made on a lig h t f ie ld follovdng the procedure as outlined by the United StateB Public Health Service. A ir samples fo r possible sulphuric m ist were oollected in sodium hydroxide solution and the sample returned to the laboratory fo r determination by chemical methods. Ledge dust samples were co llected and brought back to the laboratory fo r analysis of the free s ilic a contents. Results A ir Sample No. 1 - Copper Room Povder M ill - Taken a t breathing le v e l in front o f Bhield open to the m ixer. - General Room Sample 3.4 m illion p articles o f dust per cubic foot o f a ir . A ir Sample No. 2 - Copper Room Powder M ill - Taken in breathing zone of opera ' tor as he measures out f i l l s and mixes a batch. 7.5 m illion particles o f dust per cubic fbot o f a ir . A ir Sample No. 3 - 020 Department - taken to l e f t o f operator breaking up and feeding chunks o f asbestos to picker 3 .9 m illio n p a rticle s o f d u st, 10 microns or le s s in s iz e , per cubic foot ' of air. ` A ir Sample No. 4 - 020 Department - taken in breathing zone o f operator f i l l ing bags o f th asbestos from b in s . 12.2 m illio n p a rticle s of d ust, 10 microns or le s s in s iz e , per cubic foot of air. A ir Semple No. 5 - 020 Department - sand lin e f i l l i n g on mixer platform . Taken in front o f mixer while operator was adding asbestos and ' s ilic a . 96.5 m illio n p a rticle s o f dust, 10 microns or le s s lit s iz e , per cubic foot of air ' 2 174b UCC 011846 w f!" V Union Carbide Corporation Page 2 Air Sample No, 6 - 020 Department - taken in operator*8 breathing zone as he weighed out and f i l l e d containers o f s ili c a and lim e. 34.9 m illion p a rticle s o f d u st, 10 microns or le s s in s iz e , per cubic . foot of a ir . A ir Sample No, 7 - 032 Department - taken on east side o f p ick lin g lin e ' near center of acid tanks. , ,24 mgs. o f su lfu ric acid per cubic meter o f a i r . A ir Sample No, 6 - 032 Department - taken on west side o f p ick lin g lin e d ire c tly opposite point where a ir sample No, 7 was taken. ,29 mgs. of eu lfu ric acid per cubic meter of a i r . Ledge Dust No, 9 - 020 Department - taken from beam above point where air sample No, 5 was taken. Amount o f free B ilic a 12,2$ D iscussion' Air samples No, 1 and 2 were taken in what is known as the Copper Room. Here m etallic copper powder and Santocel are measured o u t, mixed and then packaged. The mixing operation i s p retty v e il enclosed vdth an exhaust system to control the dust. In order to evaluate our resu lts here, we would }lk e to point out that most au th orities fe e l that copper is n eg lig ib le as an in d u stria l poison,, No threshold lim its have been se t up fo r th is m aterial. The second ingredient in th is mix, Santocel, is mainly s ili c a - g e l . This m aterial a ls o , is con sidered n on-toxic. The dust from both m aterials would be considered nuisance dust. The maximum allowable concentration fo r such dust i s 50 m illion p a rti cles o f dust per cubic foot o f a i r . The resu lts of our a ir sample in th is de partment are well below th is lim it . We fe e l th at there 1b no p a rticu lar occu pational disease hazard here. Ih order to evaluate the resu lts o f a ir samples Nos. 3 through 6 we would lik e to point out that the M .A.C, which has been adopted fet the annual meeting of the American Conference o f Governmental In d u strial Hygienists for dust con tain in g any amount o f asbestos is 5 m illio n p a rticle s o f d u st, 10 microns or le ss in s iz e , per cubic foot o f a ir . For free s ilic a the M .A.C. is 5 m illion p a r tic le s , 10 microns or le s s in size per cubic foot o f a ir for dust contain ing more than 50$ free s i l i c a , 20 m illio n p a rticle s for dust containing 5 to 50$ , and 50 m illion p a rticles fo r dust below free i l i c a . In A ir Samples Nos. 4 , 5 and 6 a check o f th is dust shown th at i t contains some asbestos. A ir Sample No. 6 also contains about 12$ free s i l i c a . Air Sample No. 7 is mostly free s i l i c a . We fe d .th a t a safe threshold lim it for these a ir samples i s 5 m illio n p a r tic le s ,. 10 microns or le s s in s iz e , per cubic foot of air* t Union Carbide Corporation Page 3 Air Sample No. 3 was taken where one man breakes up the packages o f as bestos end then feeds i t through a picker where i t i s further Bhredded. , This particularcperation i s provided'with an exhaust which i s quite e ffe c t ive in keeping the dust at a minimum. This asbestos i s fed in to a la r g e 1 1 enclosed bin which i s connected to the dust c o lle c to r , so th a t very l i t t l e of the dust gets out into the a ir . A fter chopping up several packages o f asbestos, the man then f i l l s and weighs out the asbestos in to burlap sacks from the bine (A ir Sample No. A ), Our count here was over the threshold l i m i t . The man f i l l e d 3 bags in about 8 minutes, so the exposure i s fo r short periods o n ly . I t would be d e sira b le , though, fo r th is man to use a respirator fo r th is operation. We would also suggest th at consideration be given to the use o f cardboard or sim ilar type containers fo r th is p a rticu la r handling o f the asbestos. Whenever empty as bestos bags are handled, the small p a r tic le s o f asbestos, those most, harmful, are retained by the burlap bagB and these are disturbed and set free when ever the bag is handled. There i s also th problem of f i l l i n g thewe bagB. This i s done by shoveling and there is considerable s p illa g e . An open card board container could elim inate most o f th is s p illa g e , A ir Sample No. 5 was taken a t the mixer while sand and asbestos was being added. Our resu lts show a very high count here, even over the threshold lim it o f nuisance d u st. Here again the duration o f exposure i s quite short, the operator taking only 7 minutes. This operator was not using a respirator for th is although he had i t about his neck and vised i t at the point where A ir Sample No, 6 was taken. We fe e l th at the use o f the respirator here is im portant and should give the necessary protection fo r th is short exposure. A ir Sample No, 6 was taken while the workman was emptying and weighing out bags o f sand and lime in to hoppers. Here again considerable dust is created. Fortunately, the man wears a resp irato r here which affords him protection fo r the short period i t takes to perform th is , operation (8 minutes), We did note during the taking o f th is a ir sample th at housekeeping conditions on the platform where the lime and sand are handled was none too good. There was considerable sp illa g e o f both lim e and sand here and a number of broken bags. Whenever the operator moved he kicked up considerable d ust. I t is quite important that th is platform be cleaned up and kept clean . A ir Sample No. 7 and 8 were taken along the p ick lin g l i n e . The M .A .C. for s u lfu ric mist i s 1 .0 mgs. per cubic meter o f a i r . Our re s u lts are w e ll below th is lim it , I fe e l th at conditions here are s a tisfa c to ry and there i s no great exposure. We also v is ite d Department 042 Testing Room fo r co al converters. Oxygen i s used in here and there was concern th at there might a t times be an excess amount in the a i r . The plant has rece n tly purchased an oxygen analyser and we observed the te s t made using th is instrument.. A l l te s ts showed th at the amount o f oxygen in the a i r here was normal. This instrument i s the most p ra c tic a l means of checking for oxygen in the a i r . I f e e l th at checks should be made on a regular schedule b a sis w ith th is an alyser. UCC 011848 A2 1 7 4 7 Union Carbide Corporation Page 4 X fe e l that conditons in regard to occupational disease exposure at the plant are f a i r l y v e il under control with the exception o f those inentioned above. Attached i s a l i s t o f suggestions and recomenda-- tions which would help to reduce the occupational disease exposure at th is plant. * ' J.M.Robinson/md JT) ' f i -- - u A2 1748 UCC 011849 "W UNION CATiBIDr. CORPORATION LINDE CO; T ANY SHERD;'AY CITY, INDIANA MAY 11, 1959 HECOMT-ffilYDATIONS 1* A U. S . Bureau of Mines approved fo r asbestos dust respirator should ba vorn by the nan who weighs out and f i l l s bags o f as bestos. . 3. Would suggest th at consideration be given to the substitution o f cardboard or sim ilar type o f container for burlap bags in the handling o f asbestos, 3. A.U. S . Bureau o f Mines approved respirator should be worn by the man who 1b charging sand and asbestos in the m ixers. 4 . Housekeeping should be Improved on the platform where sand and lime are measured out into hoppers. This platform should be cleaned up d a ily , 5 Would suggest that checks be made with the oxygen analyser on a reg u la rly scheduled b asis in the cofej) converter room o f Depart ment 042. A2T743 UCC 011850