Document o9KDgkGXkaNKQZqnnREZnwm2E

FILE NAME: Asten Hill (AH) DATE: 1962 July 9 DOC#: AH032 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: PA Department of Health Report m M o NV/ealthofPenNsyw^ GO DEPA R TM EN T OF HEALTH p. . b o x 9 a HARRIS BURQ July 9, 1962 Asten-Hill Manufacturing Company- Henry It Roberts Avenue Philadelphia 29, Pennsylvania Attention: Mr. John McCormack Plant Engineer Gentlemen: Submitted herewith is the report of survey made recently at the above-named location by per sonnel of the Division of Occupational Health. The services of the Division are available to you at all times. For your information we are enclosing a copy of our Hygienic Information Guide jf7 entitled "Asbestos". / Very truly yours, Jan Listen, M-.D., Director Division of Occupational Health Enclosure > ' CoumonuL-al th of Pennsylvania ; t < Department of Health DIVISION OP OCCUPATIONAL KP.ALTH HYGIP.NIC IN PORKATIOH GUIDE /?7 ASBESTOS PROPERTIES: Ag itstoa ic composed of * nun'oer of different minerals which are a l i c n t e s of variable composition, but basically are of * fora of hydrous nagnesiun silicate. Their chief- characteristic 1 is a otructure composed of long, parallel, flexible fibers, capable / of repeated 'ongitudinal subdivision. Many varieties are su rfi- cicntly flexible to be epun into yarn or woven on Modified textile machinery. Consequently, nanufactu^ing processes can cause this . mineral to br-:ak up into any. minute particles. MAXIMUM ALLOWED ATMOSPHERIC COHCENTRATION (fi-hour work period) : 3 Billion partiel>a per cubic foot of air. PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Long continued inhalation of asbestos dust result in a foria of pneunocon lo .1 ls known as asbeatosij. The primary effect of such inhalation is a condition of pulmonary fibrosis. A char acteristic finding of asbestosis la the presence of asbestos "bodies" in the lungs and s.iutun. Complete roentgenologic study of the cheat and histopathologi-.al findings are n ece ssary to establish the p r e s e n c e of thi* disease. "Tie question of whether or not there is any relatio'nship between the inhalation of asbtatos dust and cancer of the lung is undecided at present. HSDICAL SUPERVISION: i A. P r e p l a c e n e n t i Occupational history ia a necessity. Individuals should be examined with regard to the severity of the hazard of their prospective enployment. A conplete physical examination, including a chest x-rayr should be eaph*.sized. b. P eri o di c B x a a in a t l o n : Physical examination, together with A chest x-ray study, about ouce a year. Cases where pathologic lung changes have oc curred should be relocated from employment in dusty operations. CONTROL MEASURESt a. All dust-producing operations should be equipped with local exhaust ventilation. Where possible, isolation or segregation of the operation should be observed, to'gether with the use of wet methods. Recirculation of contaminated exhaust air should be prohibited unless the air has been subjected to adequate dust removal processes. b. The housekeeping should be maintained with a view to preventing >any accumulation of deposited dust. Vacuum methods of cleaning, after vorkin hours, are preferred. c. Where other methods of control are not feasible, dust respirators, of a type approved by the Bureau of Mines for this dust, should be supplied to those employe subjected to the dusty atmosphere, A periodic de termination of the dust levels of the plant atmosphere shoul be m ade to ascertain t h e ,e f t Iciency of the control measur e in use. -1 1PVA- Alin 0 0 0 0 6 4 4 DIVISION Department of Health OF O C C U P A T I O N A L hEALTH Report of Survey ' Asten-Hill Manufacturing Company Henry & Roberts Avenue Philadelphia 29, Pennsylvania Arrangements had been made with Mr. John McCormack, plant engineer, to conduct a dust survey which was initiated on October 25, 1961. ' A fire in the baghouse that morning was thought to have affected the normal operation of the ventilation system. Conseo^uently, the survey was continued on April 9, 1962 after repairs to the baghouse had been completed and the ventilation and dust-collecting systems were in normal operation, RECOMMENDATION Continue the existing program of periodic annual chest X-ray examinations for all employees exposed to asbestos dust. DETAILED FINDINGS This plant was engaged in the manufacture of asbestos mat3 for use in paper ml31s' Cotton or nylon was blended with asbestos and after carding, winding, twisting, and spinning was woven into the mats. Atmospheric dust samples were collected at numerous locations throughout the plant by use of midget--impingers with water as the collecting medium. Dust counts were made by the standard light-field technique. During the October 25, 1961 survey repairs were being made to the baghouse. The-efficiency of the dust-collection system was thought to have been affected. The counts made on air samples collected throughout the plant indicated three samples to contain more than 5 m.p.p.c.f. (millions of particles per cubic foot of air), the value established as the threshold limit for asbestos to which workers may be exposed for an eight-hour working day. Of the three, the highest dust con- AHD 0000647 centration was 5.9 ra.p.p.c.f. (see Table 1) During the April 9, 1962 survey repairs to the baghouse had been completed and the dust-collecting and ventilating systems were in normal operation. All dust counts were less than the threshold limit value. The highest dust con centration was 4.1 m.p.p.c.f. (see Table 2) When in normal operation, the system of local, exhaust ventilation and centralized collecting machinery seems adequate to maintain atmospheric dust con centrations within the threshold limit value. However, even low concentrations of asbestos dust can produce lung disease in some individuals, and therefore the recommendation for continued periodic chest X-ray examinations is made. Tables of dust concentrations follow. AHD 0000648 Table 1 Department of Health DIVISION Or OCCUPATIONAL 'HEALTH Dust Concentrations (October 26, 1561) Asten-Hill Manufacturing Company Henry & Hoberts Avenue Philadelphia 29, Pennsylvania Location Dust concentrations15(millions of particles per cubic foot of air) Loom #32 2.8 Between looms #5 and #6 1.6 Loom #23 Loom #19 1.5 1.3 Loom #11 1.8 Loon- #13 2.0 Universal winding Between warp compressing machines #3 and #4 Bobbin winding 1.2 1.1 2.6 - Loon #22 2.3 Loom #25 2.6 Batch mixing 5.7 Between #5 end *6 carding 19 machines, loading end Remarks General air 4 General air, partial ly enclosed with exhaust ventilation AHD 0000649 Table 1, continued - 2 - Location Dust concentrations (millions of particles per cubic foot of air) Remarks Between #5 & ;?6 carding machines, discharge end 3.6 General air, partially enclosed with exhaust ventilation Between #1 & #2 carding 4.4 machines, discharge end, ff2 not operating Between f`2 & #3 twisting machines 5.9 General air General air beneath baghouse. 5.7 hoppers Men working in baghouse #3 Sc #4 carding machines, loading end 3.4. General air, partially enclosed with exhaust ventilation #3 Sc.#4 carding machines, 1.8 discharge end General air between #1 Si #2 3.4 4 carding machines, loading end General air between #1 & #2 twisting machines - 2.3 General air ^Threshold limit value, asbestos dust, eight-hour working day (as established by Article 432, Rules and Regulations, Pennsylvania Department of Health) - 5 million particles per cubic foot of air a h d 0000650 Table 2 Location Department o" Health DIVISION O? OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Dust Concentrations (April 9, 1562) Asten-Hill Manufacturing Company Henry & Roberts Avenue Philadelphia 29, Pennsylvania * Dust concentrations (millions of parti-d e s per cubic foot of air) Remarks Vicinity of asbestos and fly blenders 2.0 Machine not in operation, local exhaust, general air Between bobbin winding machines #3 and ?4 1.0 #4 machine not operating, general air Between #3 'and #4 carding machines 1.1 Partly enclosed exhaust venti- lation, general d.r Between #3 and #4 twisting machines 1.6 General air #2 loom, on platform 0.6 General air #3 Universal winding machine #20 loom Cotton blender 3.8 3.9 3.7 Exhaust ventilation, general air / General air on platform General a ir Between #3 and #4 3.8 warp compressing machines Between #1 and #2 and #3 and 3.9 #4 twisting machines AHD 0000651 Table 2, continued Location * Duet concentrations (millions of particles per cubic foot of air) Remarks General air betv/een i!5 and #6 3.0 bobbin v/inding machines General air, #5 machine not operating Loading end, between #3 and #4 4 *1 carding machines General air, exhaust ventilation, partially enclosed ^Threshold limit value, asbestos dust, eight-hour working day (as established by Article 432,.Rules and Regulations, Pennsylvania Department of Health) - 5 million particles per cubic foot of air July 9, 1962 PCH:gu Survey by - . John W. Knauber Regional Industrial Hygienist Leon T. Gonshor . Industrial Hygienist Arthur S. Spector Industrial Hygienist Maurice Bordoni Industrial Hygienist Laszlo Szabo Industrial Hygienist AHD 0000652