Document pepwDpvgvYgg5yYKZjr79GZKa

REPORT OS' DOST STCDY UAD2 3K*15IIS SrZZIINO un>AHE-ENT 07 GENERAL ASBESTOS AND KCBEEH CO. NORTH CEARIZSTON, S. C. *7 Robert II. Brown., Chemical Znglnaar Industrial Eygioue Division. 6. C. State Board of Health Reek of April 4, 1933 00174 -1 At tho request of the management of the General Asbestos and Rubbor Company plant at North Charleston, S. C., a dust study supple mentary to thoso proTioualy made, was conducted in the North Charleston plant during the woek of April 4, 1333* This study was s&da for the purpose of determining the concentrations of asbestos dust to which wortors in the mule spinning department were exposed. This infomatioa had previously been obtained during the study mads In January and yobruary 1937 hut a recheck wus desixod. The mile spinning department is a largo, long room with a high ceiling and well rentllated naturally on three sides by largo windows* It is the only department in the entira plant in which exhaust ventila tion equipment was not installed because, from a knowledge of the pro cessing of asbestos and from dust determinations undo in the roes, it was found to be unnecessary* Due to ths fact that control mechanism has not always been on the twisting, cop winding, and foster winding machinery, (on the sans floor of plant but separated ccspletely in the case of the former two operations by a permanent wall and to a large extant in the case of the latter operation by a high partition) It was doomed desirable to find what pooeiblo effect no dust control ex these threo above mentioned operations would have on the sale spinning department. Accordingly, so control was operated on twisting, cop winding, and fester winding for ono whole morning during which time eamplea were being collected on the mule spinning operation* Tho Grccuturg-Saith Impicger was used in collecting the samples and the procedure recommended by tho U. S. Public Health Service was 0017? 2 . followed is determining the duct concentrations* Tho campling solution was 25it groin alcohol. Tbs results of tho study* tabulated together with Talucs pro7ioucly obtained are as follows: (all figures represent dust coneontratlens in millions of particles per cubic foot of air.) Samples Taken in Kilo Spinning root* Dust concentrations la millions of particles ocr cubic foot of air 1 April 1938 Jan.-Feb. 1937 April 1933 (Conditions mads to represent thoso in 1920) .43 1.17 .82 . CDH . UC lD .62 1.09 1.20 .84 .55 1.17 1.81 .SO 1.63 1.44 1.30 1.00 1.17 ATg. .85 ATg. 1.17 ATg. 1.15 Tho first column of the table represents the sir samples taken in tho sulo spinning department during normal operation in the Jan.-Fob. 1937 surrey. The second column shows tho Taluos obtained during the normal operation in the April 1923 study. The third column indicates the concentrations obtainod with absolutely no control measures at all on the operations on the entire floor which houses the sule spinning deportment. In all cases, tho concentrations uero extremely low. Conclusions From information in the literature aruilablo today and present day knowledge of asbestos and its processing, it is concluded, in the light ,00176 -z- of tho flguros obtained is tila study, that dust concentrat loss la tho cule spinning dopcrtncnt arc far below tint minima necessary to cause aebostoala la tho woriera; that a noed for exhaust TestHation equipcent la tila dopartseat Is Is so vise ladicated; tiat frea conditions reconstructed to represent tiose In tie pleat In 1920 it casaot bo shown tbat tie dust concontrations In tho sale spinning departacat rare raised by dust arising froa otter operations u Acknowledgement Is zade of tho cooperation of tie management of the General Asbestos and Rubber Ccapeny in helping to carry out this study and appreciation Is expressed for ccurtosles rendered during the study* Suboitted April 15, 1923 Robert M. Brown Chemical Engineer Industrial Hygiene Division ft 0177