Document q3dZw5GbRMMxN9BBQ61Ba9DYR

Industrial Hygiene for Insulation ; Workers / - J. UROY BALZER, M.S. Hr. >7u/;rr it Rtitarch Specialist, Industrial Hyyisiu, Sekool of Public Htulth, Uniotrsity of California. Brrktlty, Caiifomja. f'tinitii at (ha Qnnlii 4tinui Wcsvsm Uiuoitl Coafaranta, San franciin, SipUmbtr 23.1K7. r a supported fully by Public Health Rtttanh Grunt Ho. OR-00204-02 from tho Wa- Institutes of Health. . Journal of Occupational Medicine THE USE OF ASBESTOS in the United States and the world has increased substantially since the early Nineteen Thirties. Among the occupa tionally exposed, the use of asbestos has resulted in many- cases of disabling pneumoconiosis, known as asbestosis. Epidemiological evidence also shows that persons occupationally exposed have a higher incidence of malignancies of the lungs, pleura and peritoneum. Even though the first cases of asbestosis were recognized among textile work ers in the early Nineteen Hundred's,1 Ellman* was the first investigator to identify specifically the disease in the insulating worker. Since Ellman's first work in England, Fleischer et aL,1 Pendergrass,4 Leathart and Sanderson,* Selikoi? et aL, Ahlman,' and others,** have described many cases of asbestosis and also identified the increased risk of lung cancer in the asbestos in sulation worker. In England, Leathart and Sanderson* have de scribed the environmental hazards associated with insulating materials containing asbestos and showed that the insulator was exposed to asbestos fibers in concentrations high enough to cause as bestosis. Since Fleischer et aL* found few cases of asbestosis among the insulation workers in the eastern Navy shipyards, they minimized the po tential hazard, as the dust levels were below the recommended standard. Marr,1* working in Southern California ship yards, further identified the environmental hazards associated with insulating materials con taining asbestos. The purpose of our research is to describe the incidence of penumoconiosis and malignancies among the insulating workers in the San Francisco Bay Area and to make observa tions and measurements of his working environ ment. This paper summarizes the preliminary environmental findings. Union membership: The men who apply insu lation materials first organized in New York City as the Salamanders Association of Boiler and Pipe Ftiters in 1884, and were later rechartered by the AFL in 1910 as The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulation and Asbestos Workers. San Francisco Local 16 is a member of the inter national union and has a membership of approxi mately 500 men encompassing the geographical areas of Northern California and Northern Ne vada. Over 407o of the members have been in the trade for over 20 years and TOT*- for over 10 years. The members of this union are primarily employed by the building trades; however, at various times the shipyards demand an increased number of 23 Hygie--Imuintiou Worker* men, such as during World War II. In general, insulators who are employed by the U.S. Naval Shipyards have their membership outside of Local 16. ---- - There t* over 20 insulating contractors in the Bay Area and most of the men who have been members of this local for over 15 years have worked for almost all of these contractors. Never* theless, the trade is very stable, due to the high wage rate and the rigid testing and apprentice training program required of all new members. Once the man has qualified and passed through this program, the odds are he will remain in the trade for the rest of his working life. The uniqueness of this trade is that there are very few specialists; each man can do any in* sulating job required of him. He may be called upon to work with any one or 50 different products. The only specialization is that some men prefer heavy' construction to marine construction and repair, or commercial building. Thus, they may ~choose to work for one contractor specializing in a particular area. As an example of areas of work preference, 380 active members were surveyed and found employed, on a typical work day dur ing the summer of 1967, in the following three major work areas: 220 men in heavy industrial construction, 100 in commercial building and 60 in marine construction and repair. Insulating products: Analysis of the materials used by the contractors in the San Francisco Bay Area has been made by on-site evaluation, labora tory analysis, and contacts with salesmen, distribu tors and contractors. This survey has indicated that fibrous materials (glass and asbestos-con taining products) account for 90% by volume of the materials used. The other 10'1 of the materials are adhesives, corks, foams, glass, polystyrenes, and polyurethanes. Asbexto materials: The insulator spends ap proximately 45rr of his time working with these materials. Table I summarizes the approximate amounts and types of asbestos fibers used locally in 14 different asbestos-insulating products, manu factured by seven major producers of insulating materials in the United States. The stated types of asbestos fibers in seven of the materials were confirmed by x-ray diffraction analysis using a Norelco x-ray unit equipped with a copper target and x-ray diffraction tube. . Asbestos, as used by the insulating industry, consists mainly of chrysotile, a magnesium silicate mined principally in Canada, and amosite, an iron 26 magnesium silicate mined in South Africa. Since World War II, amosite has been the most widely used fiber in insulating materials. However, Table I shows that the use of chrysotile has increased to where the two are presently in about the same number of insulating products. Asbestos is usually combined with a filler ma terial such as calcium silicate, is. the amounts indicated in Table I, and pre-fonned into various shapes to be used as insulating materials. Until recently, magnesium silicate was often used, but except for some in warehouse stock and a few special orders almost all the new silicate-contain ing insulating materials are made of calcium silicate. In addition, perlite and other materials are used as binders in manufacturing insulating products. Manufacturers of asbestos insulating materials use varying amounts and types of asbestos fibers in their products and may rebrand their product lor distribution by another manufacturer. Con tractors will order specific types of insulation be cause of. their thermal properties, disregarding the type of asbestos fibers they contain. These1 practices on the part of the manufacturers and contractors make it impossible to reconstruct, for environmental evaluation purposes, a working population that has a "pure" exposure to one type of asbestos fiber. . Fibrous glass: The insulator works with fibrous glass about 45% of his time. These glass fibers are made of mixtures of silicon dioxide, oxides of aluminum, calcium, magnesium, boron and other additives. In general, the fibers of most commer cial insulating products have a mean diameter of 4 microns or greater. The fibers are bonded together by a water-based phenolic resin and cured. During or after the curing, the glass blankets are formed into the appropriate ma terials: for example, pipe coverings and blocks. In our laboratory, we have optically determined the diameter in microns of various samples of fibrous giass insulating materials used in our area. The acoustical materials have the largest diameter, II to 14 microns: the building and duct . tails I lyp* *n4 Ciot ? AiWm in Product? Utd <o the Soo hinciica 8oy An__________ __ __ __ TV PS CP ASISSTOS % IT WEIGHT NO. PRODUCTS Chnrwttf* CSrywHIl Amoiir*-<hrv*ril Amovitc Amoiito I0-IS IS.100 10-lS 10-lS es-tQO '2 2 3 3 -3 January 19$S Volume 10 No, 1 Balzcr K insulation, 4 to 7 microns; pipe covering, 4 to 6 such >s welders, painters and fireproofers. In microns; and special high temperature ma order to better describe the work environment, the terial, 1 to 2 microns. Adhesives and coatings: In general, the type and per cent of solvents used in the adhesives and coating products were obtained from the manu facturer representatives or technical data sheets. There are nineteen products used in the Bay - Area accounting for 905% of the materials applied. They contain the following solvents: aliphatic hydrocarbons {naphtha, hexane and other petro leum distillates), ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons (xylol and toluol), chlorinated hydrocarbons (methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, and per- chloroethylene), and isopropyl alcohoL These materials are used by the insulator -55% of his time. The solvents are in combination with a number of plastics, organic and rubber resins, and paraffins. ' jobs performed by the insulating worker have been divided into, six areas: (1) Prefabrication: (10% of his time) materials are pre-cut and shaped using hand or power saws; (2) applies- . tion; (40% nf his time) materials are fitted, ham mered, or carved, and attached to the surface by wiring or gluing; (3) finishing: (30% of his time) materials are coated with asbestos containing cements, resins, asbestos or cotton cloth, or pe troleum-based sealers; (4) tearing out; (10% of his time) removal of old or unusable materials in the process of insulating or reinsulating; (5) mir ing; (5% of his time) mineral wool, asbestos, fibrous glass, and cements are mixed separately or in combination in buckets or troughs; and (6) general: (5% of his time) cleaning up of old insulation, transporting of materials (Fig. 1). The use of these solvents can be divided into two groups; those . containing from 1% to 105c. two groups; containing from 15% to 105%, and those 1051 to 955% by weight. The first group generally Dust exposures; The environmental sampling for dust exposures has been limited to areas in which asbestos-containing materials were being applied. contains the alcohols and aromatic hydrocarbons In order to compare the environmental sampling while the second group the chlorinated and s data with past studies of shipyards and textile ( aliphatic hydrocarbons. The latter group consti tutes the majority of the nineteen products used mills, one set of samples was taken using the midget impinger. Results of these samples are in the Bay Area. ' summarized in Figure X. The data represents both Other: This group contains the remaining ma terials that the insulator uses. Foam glass ma terials are a mixture of glass chips (greater than 10 microns in diameter) expanded by hydrogen sulfide gas into block forms. This product, along breathing zone and general air samples. The stan dard method of counting prescribed by the Ameri can Conference of Governmental Industrial Hy gienists (ACGIH) was used and both fibers and grains are pooled in the total count. with cork and rubber materials, is mainly used for The standard error of the mean indicates that - refrigeration insulation. Polystyrenes are being 66'"r of the sample means should fall within the used in'an ever-increasing amount, especially in indicated area. As can be seen from Figure 2, the the area of cryogenics. Polyurethanes, at present areas with the highest dust concentrations and arc not being used because of a lack of adequately exceeding the present TLV are prefabrication, trsived personnel. tearing out, and mixing. However, these three : '..-Toironmcntal survey; The insulator is exposed in .. multitude of materials and environmental stiv. <es. To obtain a "classical" time-weighted ex po;' re for this nude for every one of these conditior-: is impossible; however, it is possible to Pt*. ,,-nt data that will indicate the variability of these exposures. In contrast to other occupational areas account for less than 357c of the man's work-1 ing time when applying asbestos materials. / Since most investigators doing research in the pathogenesis of asbestos suggest that the fibers play an important part in the disease process, a major emphasis was placed on obtaining fiber con centrations under various working conditions. groups who generally stay in the same working The membrane filter has proved successful in environment, the insulator is in a continuously evaluating the environmental exposure to fibrous chancing environment: the work locations, ma materials. The membrane filter samples were col terials. position, humidity, temperature, ventila lected using millipore type AA filters in field tion. noise levels, and other variables are in a monitor cases and connected to personal air sam state of flux. Environmental exposures to the in- plers and attached to the workers for periods suiator also result from the trades around him. ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The fibers JourncI of Occupational Medicine Hygiene--Clarion Worker* MlFAlftieATlQN AUCAftON z 9 3 finishing Km<mJ* teasing OUT 8 MiXJNO "1 I j MEAN f"l RANGE STAN0AIO 11(01 Of THE MEAN general - "1 L J--- 1--' i I t I >_______ i I__ I 1 I < I I_______ I I f I t i I ] 0.1 i m 10 ioo MILLION f AETICLES fEX CUIlC FOOT Fig. 1. Midget Im-pingtT Counu by Jab Claerification. / were counted by clearing a wedge-shaped segment of the filter using a modified technique of the USFHS at 430-X magnification using phase con trast illumination. Timbrell's criteria for respirable fibers (diame ter smaller than 3.5 microns)15 was used for classification purposes. His experimental work shows that respirability is dependent on diameter, not length. An aspect ratio (length to width) of 3; 1 was used for differentiating between a fiber and a grain. Depending on the working conditions, 985b = 2/ of the fibers counted fall into this respirable category. The fiber counts per cc. are - given in Figure 2 by job classification. Solvent exposures.* Only a small number of measurements have been made using a Kitagawa detector- kit and a combustible gas indicator for aromatic hydrocarbons. At present no readings have approached the TLV for the solvents listed. However, since there are often welders operating in the same, area, there is some concern about the decomposition products from chlorinated hy drocarbons, Le., phosgene and hydrogen chloride. Additional field sampling for solvent exposures is contemplated especially in areas where men are working under confined conditions, for ex ample, in ships, ventilator shafts, etc. Temperature and humidity: Another condition that affects most at the workers is the extreme temperatures and humidity. In the commercial and heavy industrial building groups the humidity measurements ranged from 20 to lOOfb with temperature ranges of 32* to 110'F. The marine construction and repair group experience the most extreme conditions, although the ranges of temperatures would compare with the other groups. The extremes measured on one of the jobs were 955 humidity and 95F. Noise: Sound level measurements have been made using a general radio type 1551-A sound level meter. In general, few areas have sustained readings above 90 d.b. However, if chippers, chaulkers, riveters, and grinders are being used in the same area, readings above 100 d.b. are not uncommon. These specific short-time exposures need further study, specifically octave-band analy sis. The present sound level data shows a gen eral agreement of readings between the Broad Band Network and the C-Band Network in general work areas when only small grinders and stud welding guns are being used. - 28 January 196S Volume 20 No. 1 1 Saiztr MIFAUlCATION T1 r i appiiCation PINIJHIHO r I TEAEtNC out | MIXING I---- ---------- ---------- | GENtEAl :.td: :cd: n' I J- 1 I J f MIAN n I -J ft.J IanGI -------1I ___ ! JTANOAIO EIIOK OP THE MEAN lt I I I I I I II I I I I I I I1__________________ J___If. _l H.jJ 8-1 1 PIIEES/CC 10 '* Fig. 2. Fiber Concentration Bated on Membrane Filter Sample* by Job Classification. tSCli ia Anyone looking at the present basis for the ireshold limit value (TLV) or 5 mppcf as :commenaed by the American Conference of ovemmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) in 146 realizes that it is not based on solid evidence, he method used in setting the standard includes 11 dusts (both grains and fibers); and a large poron of the asbestos fibers that were collected' had* diameter, when viewed at 100-X magnification, >ell below the resolving power of the light micro tope. Recognizing these inherent errors, most indusnal hygienists have used the impinger count as a indirect measure of dust control and until rcently thought that dust counts averaging below i mppcf would control the incidence of ashescss. Cooper,1* in his reviews of recent epidemioogical studies regarding the incidence of asbesosis and its relationship to the present threshold imit value (TLV), makes it very clear that this supposition is no longer true.5-10-1*-11 Our own studies of the insulation workers in the Bay Area Uso *how over-all environmental dust counts to be l v the TLV; however, definite radiologic diana-> have been observed in our Asbestos Journal of Occupational Medicine Union population.1* These observations indicate that the present time-weighted average of 5 mppcf for asbestos is not preventing asbestosis. The bet ter asbestos industries, by reducing dust counts well below the TLV, have shown to their satisfac tion and others a decreased incidence.of asbesto sis.11 However, even with the reduced exposures, the malignancy question has not been answered. Asbestosis in the insulating worker can be pre vented by instituting the following: total work enclosures, exhaust and forced air ventilation of dusty areas, personal respiratory protection, changes in work habits, and substitution of ma terials. All of these preventive measures cannot be adopted immediately and are all not applicable to every job. The industry must adopt some of these changes in order to reduce the environ mental dust exposures and, thereby, extend the working life of the insulator. Prefabrication of materials should be done in an open-end booth with exhaust fans, such as the spray paint booth. This will substantially reduce the operator's dust exposure. The mixing of muds should also be enclosed in a booth and an auto matic mixer be utilized, thereby controlling dust levels that occur when these materials are mixed in open areas. This operation could also be done 29 I. . i. i t i -4 jt;. \ ? . i . *? ' i ii :.* .*ir. . ..r *i Il I t I I t A ,, .( H-igjer.e--ins-jif>iion >VorJeers in central areas and trucked to the job since change to this product. When proposing the sub many of the materials do not dry out if they are stitution of new materials to replace asbestos, the kept tightly covered. engineers often have reasons, too, for not changing The use of local exhaust and forced air fans in these materials. Asbestos, they feel, is the only the work area and on certain equipment, i.e., product that will withstand the day-to-day impact saws, will also reduce dust exposures. It is also of man, weather, and machines without adding realized that this is impractical on some jobs be some additional protective covering, such as cause few men work in one area long enough to metal Thus, at present for the marine construc justify the setting up of an elaborate ventilation tion and heavy industrial insulation jobs, there is >1 system. However, when large boiler and generator jobs are in process, local exhaust or forced air fan no economical or desirable substitute for asbestos insulation products. In fact, the use of asbestos- systems should be used. This type of system could - containing insulating materials in the Bay Area also be used to cool the men in areas of extreme is on.the increase in heavy industrial construction. temperature and humidity, such as in marine construction and repair. Summary 3I The use o{ personal respiratory equipment is The asbestos worker is exposed to amosite and very important, but what is more important is the chrysotile asbestos-containing materials, fibrous 1)4 development of a mask that has a filter with a low glass, cork, plastics, and adhesives. Working in insistence to air flow and a face piece that is easily industrial and commercial building projects and fitted to the man and wearable. Most of the pres marine construction and repair, he is exposed to ent masks do not fit properly and the filtexs, be many other environmental hazards not created sides having a high resistance to flow, clog very by his own trade. quickly. This makes it necessary to change the Although he works with asbestos-containing filter frequently, or as is most often the case the produets 45S* of the time, the over-all time- men simply remove the mask and continue to weighted average exposure to asbestos-containing work. Another form of respiratory equipment is materials is below the presently recognized TLV the supplied air respirator which should supply of 5 rnpeef. The three work areas in which the dust enough air to cool the man as well as meet his levels were above the TLV (prefabrication, tear physiologic needs. This requires elaborate hose ing out, and mixing) account for less than 2QTe and compressor systems and is seldom economi of his total work time. However, the incidence of cally feasible or desirable. But it is suggested radiographic changes indicative of asbestosis is that personal air supplied respirators with their over 25? in our men with 20 years or more of own power units be used' in areas at high dust work. This and other evidence suggests that the exposure such as prefabricate and tearing out. present TLV is too high. - Appropriate respiratory protection should also be Incidence of asbestosis and the risk of malig made available for use in areas where high sol nancies in the asbestos worker can be reduced by vent concentrations exist. local and general ventilation, substitution of ma Changes in work practices such as the use of a terials, changes in work habits and personal water spray to wet down some materials before respiratory protection combined with education they are cut would substantially reduce the dust of the men to reduce their own exposures to exposure. Industrial vacuum sweepers could be asbestos-containing dusts. used for clean-up instead of brooms, thus reducing 92S Hilti On,c the dust level. In addition, tearing out of old in Albany, Cell/. sulation could be done with local exhaust hoses connected to a vacuum sweeper. All these steps would reduce the present high levels of dust ex posure at these various jobs. Mixing of muds in References: dosed plastic bags has also been suggested and 1. AtntlAUU, M.: Bull liup Trav (14th year) Pa-a. p. ' tried, but data on acceptability is presently not 120-132, 1900. i^.--.available. tv. Substitution of new materials such as fibrous .'. glass is possible under certain conditions, but at present we do not know enough about the physio 2. Eiuiam, P.l Pniwncmlnli; Part HL Pulmonary .\ibesuwia, Brit J Radiol 7:231, ISM. 3. fuucaxa, W. Vasa, F. Class, R. X. and P.: A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operation* m Constructing Naval Vestel* J Xndiutr Hyg 4 T.r 13:9, * logic effects of fibrous glass to suggest the total (January) 1940. _ 30 January 1968 Volume 10 .Vo. I ' E. P- Silieoiu nd * Fw 0f the Other ........ ,.,,.onioi. .A>11 J Roentgenol Rad Thar Nucl Mad V '.JrI 1958. ... , ,rr. C. U trd SANutwojf, J. T Some Observe* ' ' .-,,i>estMU Ann Otp Hvp 6:65. 1963. . . , 1Knrr. J. J.; Cxw, J. end Haxkokb, E C.: Asbenoa ur end Neoplasia 1AMA 186:22 (April) 1*4. . .. . X.: Asbestesis Among Insulation Workers in ' : international Congress on Occupational y-oeradings, Vienna, Austria (September) 1966, l. . E and Went, J, M.: Cancer Experience of Iceupauonal Groups Followed Prospectively o .Health 52:1367 (September) 1965. j. 'r T. and Zavok, M. Ru Occupational Hazards ' isolators Arch. Environ, Health 13:171 [Au- BnLzer 10. Mam. W. T.: Asbestos Exposure During Naval Vessel Overhaul Am Induter Hyg Attn J 25:264, 1964. 11. Srtucorr, L J.; Cxvac, J. and Hammomb, . C: The Occurrence el Asbestosis Among Insulation Workers in the United States Nets York Acad Sri 132:139, (De cember) 1965. 12. Tatiana, V-' The Inhalation el Fibrous Dusts Ann NT Arad Sri 132:255 (December) 1965. 13. Coorot, W. C: Asbestos as a Hazard to Health Arch Environ Health 15:255 (September) 1967. . 1C Wats, J.: Comments on Environmental Measurement Ann N.7. Acad Sri 132:335 (December) 1963. 15. Ftaais. B.: Personal Communication. 1966. 16. Salixx, J. L. and Coorta, W. C; Unpublished Data, 1967. 17. Mircxzu, J.: Health Progress In an Asbestos Ttxtda Works Arch Environ Health 3:37, 1961. The Clinical Mind By and large, I think It can be said that the practitioner has a different view . > of his work than the theoretician or investigator--in fact, a different way of thinking about the world. First, the aim of the practitioner is not knowledge but action. Successful action is preferred, but even action with very little chance of success is to be preferred over no Action at alL There is a tendency ` "" for the practitioner to take action for its own sake on the spurious assumption ( that doing something is better than nothing. .Second, the practitioner is likely ' to. have to believe in what he is doing in order to practice--to believe that what he does does good rather than harm, and that what he does makes the difference between success and failure rather than no difference at all Insofar as work characteristically revolves around a series of concrete and individual problems, determining whether or not one has achieved success is difficult enough, let alone the causes of success. .Given a commitment to practical ' ' action, in the face of ambiguity the practitioner is more likely to manifest a < certain will to believe in the value of his actions than to manifest a skeptical / ' detachment, else why act at all? (How could a present-day psychiatrist work ; if he believed the equivocal results of careful studies of the reliability of / diagnosis and the effects of psychotherapy? And how could physicians work ' 300 yean ago?) Third, perhaps because of his action orientation, perhaps be* cause of the complexity and variety of the concrete, the practitioner is a fairly crude pragmatist, prone to rely on apparent "results" for his guide rather than on theory, and prone to tinker if he does not seem to be getting "results" by conventional means. Fourth, the clinician is prone to trust his own accumu lation of persona), first-hand experience more than abstract principles or "book knowledge," particularly when it comes to dealing with those elements of _ his work that cannot be treated routinely. This represents a certain sub- . jectivism in his approach. And finally, the practitioner is more prone to emphasize the idea of indeterminacy or uncertainty than the idea of regularity . or lawful behavior. Whether or not that idea of indeterminacy faithfully .-. . represents actual deficiencies in available knowledge or technique, it does provide the practitioner with a basis for defending himself from failure. *. In. his commitment to action, his faith, his pragmatism, his subjectivism, ' ' and bis emphasis on indeterminacy, then the practitioner is quite different _ the scientist - "ram "Tit Prafurion/ii Hind" bv Eliot fraidton, PK-D-, in CA, Journal of AmericanCantor Sootiy, ine.; May.Jim* 1967. , . ,, ourna'i o/ Occupational Mfdicmt ' 31-