Document rpY380pOB1jJ7xOXVQobJ1mMe

FILE NAME Caterpillar CAT DATE 1985 Aug 26 DOC CAT054 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Air Monitoring for Asbestos - Significant Quantities on Workbench where Gaskets Unpacked e CATERPILLAR TRACTOR MOSSVILLE DATE August 26 1985 CO OFFICE 6 Mossville Manufacturing BB DEPT Assembly Planning VV ATTN G. E. W. Schlesier Mil cc R.S. C.E. H.K. D.J. Puentes M.D. Lowery Thompson Crane M.D. OFFICE | DEPARTMENT | ATTENTION Fre FAR DESTROY FILE UNTIL DATE CONFIDENTIAL AIR MONITORING FOR ASBESTOS - 3406 ASSEMBLY - USE OF GASKETS Personal monitoring for airborne asbestos was 1 rece conducted on two employees on the 3406 Assembly Line due to employee complaints about their potential exposure to asbestos from gaskets used on the line part 4W6858 A warning label stating that the product contained asbestos and may cause serious bodily harm recently appeared on the cardboard boxes in which these gaskets are received Wipe sampling of a workbench in the area and a bulk analysis of the gasket was also conducted Gaskets are received in a cardboard box placed onto a workbench pieces are separated along perforations and assembled onto engines Air sampling results are listed in the attached table as weighted average valves over the indicated sampling period The OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit PEL for asbestos is 2 fibers of air greater than 5 ...m in length as an hour weighted average valve TWA All samples were well below the OSHA PEL In fact two samples were none detected essentially zero and one was just barely above the detection limit A bulk analysis conducted on a piece of the gasket 4W6858 detected 87 chrysotile asbestos PLM method of analysis Wipe sampling conducted on a workbench in the area where the gaskets are placed before assembly detected a significant quantity of fibers In an area of approximately 1 square foot 260,000 fibers were detected Work areas shall be maintained as free as practical from asbestos fibers due to the potential inhalation hazard of asbestos It is also important so that the personal clothing of employees is not contaminated with fibers Conclusions 1 2 3 Gasket 4W6858 contains a significant quantity of asbestos No inhalation hazard currently exists The control of loose fibers in the work area needs to be much better controlled Work areas shall be maintained as free as practical from loose fibers 40-085552-00 2402 1008208 CAT CORE WEIDNER 00007710 Recommendations The following potential solutions to control the accumulation of loose fibers in the work area were discussed in our meeting on August 23 a b c d Eliminate the substitute current gasket and replace with a asbestos Use a special vacuum cleaner equipped with a efficiency filter Use the same containing gasket but have it coated with an encapsulating agent Use a wet rag to periodically clean off the workbench and area It was decided in our meeting that Assembly Planning would pursue with Engine Engineering the replacement of this gasket with a asbestos substitute as soon as possible For this one gasket this would accelerate the policy of removal of all forms of asbestos from current models originally scheduled for January 1 1987. In the meantime the workbench and immediate area would be periodically cleaned at least once with a wet rag to prevent the accumulation of loose fibers I recommend that the rag should be fairly wet and only used once According to Mark Hynes in Plant Engineering after use the rags should be sealed in a plastic bag labelled as containing asbestos and sent to Building ZZ for disposal If you have any further questions on disposal please contact Mark -8914 Dry sweeping or compressed air shall not be used to clean up loose fibers Please call me if you have any further questions or comments GEWilliams Industrial Ext 4549 G.E. Williams Williams Hygiene Engineer pl asbestos.gew 1008209 CAT_CORE_WEIDNER_00007711 PERSONAL MONITORING FOR ASBESTOS - 3406 ASSEMBLY Date Location Part # Employee ID # Job Class Sampling Time min Fibers greater than 5 ...m in length fiber 8-12-85 BB 4W6858 C.J.Goodwin 03831 2A22 263 10:20 am-2:43pm D. 8-13-85 BB 4W6858 M. Webber 58828 2A22 271 7:35 am-12:06pm N.D. 8-13-85 BB 4W6858 M. Webber 58828 2A22 151 12:06 pm-2:37pm 0.02 OSHA PEL 2 hr TWA CAT_OREWIDNR_0712 * N.D. is done detected above the detection limit of 3,000 filter CAT_OREWIDN_0712 CAT_OREWIDN0712 CAT_OREWIDN0712 0821