Document x5Qv8xyR19VJLR9LZe5dxoBNG

PB90162280 3 . LO S - G 3 i p - 2-TL ($. ior>- ^ INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE WALK-THROUGH REPORT PLANT NAME: Cyprus Industrial Minerals, Keeler Mill LOCATION: Keeler. California PURPOSE: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in cooperation with the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administra tion (MESA) has underway a preliminary study of the talc mining and milling industry. As part of this study NIOSH is conducting walk through surveys to compile necessary data in an effort to characterize talc composition in the U.S. NIOSH PERSONNEL: Howard R. Ludwig, Thomas E. Sandusky PLANT HISTORY AND PROCESS: Cyprus Mines Corporation acquired the Keeler Mill from Sierra Talc and Clay in 1964. This mill processes talc from 5 different mines in California and Nevada. The Keeler Mill was built in 1919 and presently employes 5 workers 5 days per week during the single 8 hour shift. The stockpiled talc is picked up by front-end loader and dumped into a crusher before being sent to a roller mill. This product may be bagged or loaded in bulk or may be further reduced in size in a vertical mill. Over a dozen different blends and grades of talc from the various mines are processed for use in paints, ceramics, and pharmaceuticals. HEALTH HAZARDS: Potentially excessive dust and noise exposures. PERSONNEL RECORDS: Include Social Security numbers, work histories, and lost time accident data back to at least 1964 when mill was acquired by Cyprus. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. An audiometric hearing program should be instituted to ascertain the effectiveness of current hearing protection. 2. More effective ventilation around packing machines are needed to control dust levels. 3. A vacuum type system is recommended for cleanup of spillage instead of sweeping or shoveling. REPRODUCED BY: NTS. iV - U S. Department of Commerce . ' . r , . i in fo rm a tio n Service P LA IN T IFFS CAEXMH I-B2IT56 Work Sheet for Preliminary Industrial Hygiene Survey of Plant Name:cyprus Industrial Minerals, Keeler Mill City, State: Keeler, California Survey Date: juiy 20, 1976 Survey Conducted By: Howard R. Ludwig Thomas E . Sandusky Industrial Hygiene Section Industry-Wide Studies Branch Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Cincinnati, Ohio I, General: . 1. Establishment Name Cyprus Industrial Minerals. Keeler Mill______________ Address P-Q Box 216___________________ City Keeler__________ --_____ _ (714) State California_____________________ ZIp Code 93530 T el. No.876-4550 2. Persons Interviewed 2ack Hiller. Lead man____________________ .___________ f f l S x ______________ Hallie Riley, Clerk__________________________________ 1 Others; Leave ~ Joe Guzman, Superintendent____ _______ '______________ 3. A) Union Representative: N/A_________________________ Title______________________________ Telephone Number B) Name of Union(s)____________________________________ 5. NIOSH Staff Present H. R. Ludwig___________ ;____________ T. E. Sandusky_____________________ II. Plant Description: 1. Is plant a subsidiary or independently owned? Subsidiary______ ;_______ Name of parent company Cyprus Hines Corporation_______________________ Legal Owner___________________________ 1 __________________________ __ .2 iDate plant built 1919 by Sierra Talc & Clay. Cyprins poqn-irgd -tn iQfi/, _ Date of plant additions___________________________ 3. Acreage of plant s i t e _________________________________________________ 4. Number of major buildings 5________Total Square Feet 15,000______ _ 5. A) How many people are on your payroll at the present time? usually 6 with maintenance person B) Of this number, how many are normally in the 5____ Production Area? 4 Administrative Area? Other Areas? .0 Superintendent - 1 Clerk - 1 1______Lead men - 2 ' Mill hand - 1 . 3 6. Number of Shifts 1 - 8hr shift 7. Number of employees/shifts? 5_______ sometimes 2 shifts III. Description of Process: 1, What are your major products or services? (list) SEE NEXT PAGE * 2. Plant Processes A) Product Talc Raw materials and possible contaminants Talc City - Cyprus Oasis Mine (Nevada) - Cyprus Tecopa Mine (Panamint'l - ryp^,T White Eagle Mine (Screenings & Lumps) Std. Ind. Minerals JLagger_ M i n e ____(Oasis MinP ) ___________________________ Production Processes Erontend loader loads talr nro crusher______ to roller mill where some may be bagged or loaded in bulk Q u a n t i t i e s nr it may be further milled in a vertical mill. __________ B) Product Raw materials and possible contaminants ' q * Talc is processed for use in paints ceramics, and pharmaceuticals, Some of the various grades include: T-076 Tecopa Mine (Panamint) HGO-55 Blend (Tecopa, Oasis, White Eagle) HGO-75 Coarse Blend (Tecopa, Oasis, White Eagle) Trinity Superfine Blend (Tecopa, Oasis, White Eagle) Sierra Cloud Blend (Tecopa, White Eagle) C-500 Tecopa Mine (Panamint) 139 Tecopa Mine (Panamint) - Mistron MSC Tecopa Mine (Panamint - Stearite) - Mistron Sierralite Talc City (Frisco) Glacier 200 Talc City (Tailings) Furnace Greek Tecopa (Panamint) USP Oasis High grade , S' Production Processes IV. Description of Medical, Safety and Industrial H y g ie n e Programs: 1. A) Does your company employ an industrial hygienist? . Yes, at this location________ . Yes, at corporate headquarters________ Yes, on a consulting basis________ Yes, insurance carrier_______ Yes, specify________________________________________________ No X ' B) Name ____________________ ;_________ Telephone Number_____ Address_____________________________________________________ C) What types of measurements are routinely taken? Explain. MESA D) Were industrial hygiene measurements obtained: Yes_____ No__ 2. Do you have an agreement with a physician to.give your employees emergency or other medical car? Yes, at this location-- full-time________ . Yes, at this location-- part-time ____ U Yes, on call__X No________ Name Dr Christenson___________________ Telephone Number__________-_____ Address Lone Pine, C a l i f o r n i a ________ ______________________________________________ 3. Do you have a licensed nurse in your facility at a regular time? Yes, Full-time________ Yes, Part-time________ No x 4. Do you have an employee at this facility on each shift with formal first aid training, other than doctors or nurses, who has been desig nated to provide emergency treatment? Yes y No ______ 5. When you hire a new employee, do you require him to take a medical examination? Yes, all employees X_____ Yes, some employees________ No________ 6. Do you provide any periodic physical examinations for your employees? Yes x_____ No________ How Of ten Yearly 7. Do you provide special job related medical tests for your employees, such as: * Chest X-Ray Yes X No Hearing Tests Yes No X Visual Tests Lung Function Tests Blood Tests Urine Tests Other Yes Yes . Yes Yes Yes No X No X No X No X No X Specify: A) Does your company have a formal safety program ? Yes X No B) Safety and Health Supervisor n C) How many people are Involved in tills program? All plant personnel D) How many lost-time accidents did you have last year? Frequency ^_______ Severity 0 _____ 9; Has there been any medical abnormalities among workers which can be contributed to an occupational exposure? Explain N o __________________________________________________________ 10. What protective equipment is required. Equipment Provided by Employer Clothing Yes No Glasses Yes No Shoes Yes ^ No ' Respirators Yes ^ T y p e tfoe 66 (MSA) No Where Used . Other Hearing Protection, hard hats 11. A) Are there facilities for taking showers? Yes No x B) Are there facilities for changing clothes? Yes x No C) Obtained descriptive literature on products? Yes No x Narrative : 1, Description of Medical, Safety and Industrial Hygiene Program: Superintendent conducts monthly safety meeting with all emnlnyppg Past recommendations are reviewed and any new recommendsMrmc discussed. 2. Potential Health Hazards: Dust, noise 3. Have product lines changed over the years? (If they have, include any other raw materials used). no 4. Are waste products reused: ([f not, how are they disposed?) Tilings from some mines are n a p H ________ 1 5. Briefly describe any past air sampling data. 6. Completeness of Personnel Records: Social Security Numbers ~ Yes______________________________________ Work History ~ Yes . Lost Time Accident Data ~ Yes____________ _________________________ Records Available Since at least 1964_________________________ _ 7. Ventilation: (Include type, size, kinds of collectors, H.P. of blowers, history of changes, etc.) Fans near packing machines to keep dust away from packers. Exhaust ventilation over crusher. B. Housekeeping: Fairly good; but vacuuming would be better. 9. Miscellaneous: VD REPORT DOCUMENTATION 'REPORT NO PAGE 4.nttand 3ubmte Industrial Hygiene Industrial Minerals, Keeler Mill, IWS-036-22 * Walk-Through Report, Cyprus Keeler, California, Report No. 3| P B 9 0 - 1 6 2 2 & 0 v- 5. Report Dale 76/07/20 0. 7.Author(a) Ludwig, H. R . , and T. E. Sandusky 8.P e rfo rm in g O r g a n iz a t io n R e p t. N o. IWS-036-22 9. P erfo rm in g o rg a n iz a t io n N a m e an d A d d r e s s Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cincinnati, Ohio 10. Pro]ecl/Task/W >rk Unit No. 11. Contract (C) or Grant(G) No. <C> (Q) t J 12. S p o n so rin g O rgan izatio n N am e and A d d re ss 13. Type of Report & Period Covered IS . Supplem entary Notes 14. ie.Abstract (Limit:200 words) a walk through survey was conducted at Cyprus Industrial Minerals (SIC-1499), Keeler Mill, in Keeler, California, as part of a larger study to compile necessary data to characterize talc (14807966) composition in the United States. Cyprus Mines Corporation acquired the Keeler Mill from Sierra Talc and Clay in 1964. This mill processed talc from five different mines in California and Nevada. Five employees were employed at this site, 5 days a week during the single 8 hour shift. The stockpiled talc was picked up by a front end loader and dumped into a crusher before being sent to a roller mill. This product may be bagged or loaded in bulk or may be further reduced in size in a vertical mill. Over a dozen blends and grades of talc from the various mines were processed for use in paints, ceramics, and pharmaceuticals. The health hazards include potential excessive dust and noise exposures. Work histories and Social Security^numbers were available, including lost time accident data back to at least 1964. The authors recommends, that an audiometric hearing program be instituted to ascertain the effectiveness of the current hearing protection offered, that more effective ventilation around packing machines be used to control dust levels, and that a vacuum type system be used for cleanup of spillage instead of sweeping or shoveling. 17. Docum ent A nalysis a. Descriptors b. Identifiera/O pen-Ended To,m NIOSH-Publication, NIOSH-Author, NIOSH-Survey, Field-Study, IWS-036-22, Region-9, Work-practices, Personal-protective-equipment, Control-technology, Miners, Mining-industry, Respiratory-system-disorders, Airborne-dusts, Mineral-dusts, Noise-exposure e. C O S A T I F le ld / G ro u p 18. A vailability Statem ent (See A N SI-Z 39.18) 19. Security Claes (This Report) 22. 3eeurlty C lae s (This Page) REPRODUCED BY , .., -- . , U.S. DEPARTM ENT OF C O M M E R C E 1 NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE SPRINGFIELD, VA. 22161 I 21. No. of Ragea l ______ - ^ 22. Price O P T IO N A L F O R M 272(4-77) (Form erly N TIS-3B) Departm ent of Com merce