Document ykydkjLNwqdjDQgNg9ejnryVX

WILLIAM WEI N GARTEN, M. D., F. A. C. F., F.A. G. C. 1D7 NELSON AVENUE Gr e a t Kil l s STATEN ISLAND, N. Y. Ph o n e Yu k o n 4-4433 August 19, 1963 Dr. Robert A. Kefaoe University of Cincinnati Kettering Laboratory, College of Medicine Cincinnati 19, Ohio Dear Dr. Kehoe: I wish to thank you for your comprehensive letter of August 9, 1963 addressed to Mr. J. P. Warner of the Nassau Smelting & Refining Co. Inc. I am certified by the Board of Internal Medicine and acting as Medical Director of this company on a part time basis. I am familiar with the problems of this plant and with the importance of a routine check-up of the personnel exposed to lead. I welcome your offer to help us in checking the blood and urine lead levels on our workers since we have been relying primarily on stipple cell counts and urinary prophyrin level changes prior to ordering lead blood levels. It is obvious that your type of spot checking may give us more adequate super vision of our operations. The plant works on a 3 shift basis and we shall endeavor to send you blood samples of lead contacts whenever they return to the day shift. We have a certain number of permanent employees who are working in our lead department and they are 'as follows: Moving Grate Sweater Mixipg Kettles and Casting Kettles Stripper Department Splice Cutting Machine Large Kettles Cable Sorting Department 4 Operators 5 Operators 24 Operators 3 Operators 3 Operators 12 Sorters Me also have a number of employees engaged on a temporary basis for periods of 2 weeks to a month at a time and- they are as follows: Moving Grate Sweater Stripper Department Splice Cutting Machine Large Kettles 4 Helpers 24 Helpers 3 Helpers 2 Helpers Me would like to choose approximately 15 of the above employees for }rour study Dr. R. Kehoe Page Two August 19, 1963 and I wonder if you could give us your opinion which ones of these would be best suited for it. I would appreciate it very much if you send me the material for collecting tue blood and urine samples to ray office at Nassau Smelting & Refilling Co., InC., 1 Nassau Place, Staten Island 7, N. Y. Thank you for your kind attention, I remain Very truly yours. 1./ . M, ;;.-v .h" ,, . |i 'V / XL etc \ i WILLIAM WEIKGARTe Om. D. WV: eh cc: R. H. McCrea enclosure: We are enclosing a description of the above operations which probably will be helpful to you in evaluating the lead exposure,of the employees mentioned above,, K 0018747 Moving Grate Sweater A refractory lined enclosure 481 long x 40* wide through which passes a con veyor belt loaded with lead encased cable. The lead is melted off the cable and collected in 2000# molds outside the furnace. The remaining copper wire is collected at the end of the enclosure. The lead covered cable is hand loaded onto a conveyor belt. This operation consumes approximately 1,000,000 lbs ox lead covered cable per month. Mixing Kettle A bowl shaped container that holds approximately 10,000# of metal. Some re fining and alloying done. They are hooded and exhausted by natural draft to a 200 foot stack. Material is hand loaded, lead dross which forms on the surface is removed manually by a bowl shaped scoop and dumped into small (approximately 30u x IS11 x 8" deep) open metal containers for disposal. Approximately 340,000 lbs. of material is processed per month. Casting Kettle Capacity 2,000#, kettle hooded and exhausted by natural draft to a 200 ft. stack. No refining done here. Material is handed loaded, lead dross which forms on the surface is removed manual^ by a bowl shaped scoop and dumped into small (approximately 3011 x 1811 x 8" deep) open metal containers for disposal. Approx imately 45,000 lbs. of material is processed per month. Large Kettles Same as mixing kettle except 50,000# capacity. Material is both hand loaded and truck loaded and consists of lead cable, lead blocks and various other lead products. Removal of dross from the surface of the cable is manual and done by use of a bov/1 shaped scoop. The dross is dumped in bins for disposal. Approx imately 2,700,000 lbs. of material is processed per month. Stripper Lead sheath is cut off. telephone cable. The building is 120 x 20 x 14 ft. at the eaves and completely open for 120 ft. on the southern face. The lead covered cable is hand fed into the stripping machine and undergoes a slicing operation between two revolving circular blades. The wire is forced out and the lead casing is returned to the operator by revolving wheels using a crushing process. Approximately 1,800,000 lbs. of material is processed per month. Cable Sorting A visual inspection for splices in lead covered cable of small size. Splices are chopped off and sent to splice cutting machine. The above operation is done in the open. All cable is manually handled and sorted. Different sizes and metal contents are segrated and reloaded. The chopping operation is done by the use of a hatchet wielded by the worker. Approximately 2,500,000 lbs of material is processed per month. Kf 0018748 N19733 Splice Cutting The ends of splices are cut with a rotating knife. This is done in an area which is a lean-to with 3 open sides. The operator physically introduces each splice into a rotating knife, cutting the ends one at a time. Material is then restacked for further processing. 75,000 lbs. of material is processed each month. KF 0018749