Document yr6jynJZLgopg2OmJ88q9xwBX

r NOTES TAKEN AT MEETING OF TEL OPERATIONS SUPERINTENDENT WITH ATW COMMITTEE 11:00 A.M. - FRIDAY, Present: Company McElderry Choppin Carville Henchy Favrot Norwood - Recorder Guidry David Higgins Acosta Lorio Dr. W. E. Rinehart - Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Mr. R. F. Cope, Jr., Industrial Hygienist McElderry: Dr. Rinehart: This meeting was called to review the information the Industrial Hygienic Department obtained. A few months ago, we approached you about setting up a personnel monitoring program. Dr. Rinehart is here to go over the determinations of the study. We told you that we would keep you posted on the study. The best way is to get this in the right perspective on how and why we did this and what we did and then ex plain our findings. In February, the Company got a communique from the Washington Department of Labor involved with the new Occupational Health Act to meet with their people along with a lot of other industries. There are five (5) materials to get data on; one is lead -- inorganic -- the others are cotton dust, asbestos, carbon. In the case of lead, it was aimed at the lead battery manufacturers and the smelters but it included other manufacturers. The small outfits don't have a program of monitoring but some like this Company have for a number of years measured the exposure and if over the person is taken out to correct. We have had a program here trying to make sure people don't get in trouble and we don't expect any problems to develop. There may be isolated cases when due to circumstances someone gets in a situation where his lead goes up and he has to go on restriction. In a general sense, we don't expect this to happen. Organic lead was not involved in the original program but since we also have inorganic lead, we decided to go along with the personnel monitor ing program and asked for your cooperation. I reviewed -02356 ETC 14651 Meeting - TEL Operations . . September 15, 1972 Page 2 - Guidry: Dr. Rinehart: McElderry: Dr. Rinehart: the jobs with Mr. McElderry and set up the study to get information. We did not pick the people. We are trying to get basic information and we have much further to go. We had people under continuous sampling and for others six 10-minute samples per shift. OSHA asked for a minimum of one hour sampling on a shift to represent the average of what a man is exposed to. We wanted informa tion on the total hours. We wound up with an evaluation of six (6) jobs checked on the eleven (11) shifts where we found that the concentration did not exceed the average minimum exposure; of 148 samples, the average organic was 1. 6 micrograms while the allowable is 3. 0 per cu. ft. Within the Plant, we try to control this to 2. 0 per cu. ft. The Medical people in this field set a figure of 3. 0 for a person and we had 1.6, which is about one-half of the allowable. The Inorganic was 2. 3, with an allowable of 4. 0; this was to be expected. The area samples overestimate by 25% because the operators wear respirators when doing certain jobs, such as pulling slag; also, when they go on break, they get less exposure. What about the furnace samples. The furnace results were 2.3, with the area samples 2.0 on inorganic and this meets the limit of 4. 0 on inorganic. The area samples are not located or situated where they pick up exposure such as that following slagging. The people wear respirators and do not get the exposure. We continue to sample while they are doing their work when pulling slag. The actual exposure is less than what we get over a period of time. On the 10-minute sampling and the 8-hour continuous sampling, we got the same average; individuals were different but the overall averaged out the same. We had the continuous personnel sampling and the 10-minute sampling. They both come out 1.9 average; we had 20 comparisons. Out of this, the way I feel is in Alloy areas it looks good enough so that personnel sampling is not required on a routine basis so long as the area results don't go any higher than now. I don't think we have to have personnel sampling in the Alloy on a routine basis; recommend we check in six months for 10-12 shifts. If the area samples go up, v/e may have to. We want to get more data on the furnaces before making a final recommendation on that. E-02357 ETC J4652 Meeting - lEL Operations . . S'epteinber 15, 1972 Page 3 Henchy: Dr. Rinehart: David: Cope: McElderry: David: Dr. Rinehart: David: Dr. Rinehart: McElderry: David: Dr. Rinehart: David: What is the organic level for the furnace area. 2.3 inorganic and 1.6 organic. On the furnaces, did you monitor when changing dryer or changing dryer plows - changing dryer lasts 3-4 shifts; not a true monitor until monitored when we change dryer; also have not run monitor when one furnace is down; like to have monitored when pulling vapor line inspection -monitor on the personnel. I don't recall anyone pointing out this particular operation but I think there was an occasion when that occurred. I don't think we had a vapor line job or change while the test was going on. You say can't absorb through the skin. Yes, but I can't prove it to you. The longer a man stays in an area he is subject to contact more lead than if he spends a short time, say 8 hours on furnace to 6 hours. He gets more than has been implied on an overtime situation; these figures are for 8 hours exposure, not overtime. We don't work 16 hours in Operations. If a man's system is run down, is he subject to contact lead faster than if he is in top shape? A man breaks his system down by day-after-day of overwork on the furnaces. I don't think he is subject to contacting any more than a healthy worker. He may respond to the effects greater but I don't think he will absorb any mcr e. I was one of those monitored in the area. I was one of what Ethyl calls leaded -- have been leaded three times between 1946-1950. Since that period of time, I have worked the furnaces -- worked furnaces since 1949 or 1950. My samples over at the laboratory every 6 months run normal lead. Then there was a manpower cut back on the furnaces 2 to 3 months ago. Since that cut back, I spend more time on the furnaces and I have begun to run higher not only by Ethyl Corporation but also on the outside. Since that cut back more men run borderline cases than we had before -- have 4 or 5 being checked on the outside. E--02358 ETC 14653 Meeting - TEL Operations September 15, 1972 Page 4 McElderry: You pointed out that you have worked the furnaces since 1950 up to now and you have not been leaded, but prior to that you were three times. As you have said previously, the reason you have not been on restriction since 1950 is that you learned how to wori the job using your respirator when required and air mask, etc. David: My point is that I am doing more since you cut the manpower back. McElderry: We told you this would reduce the change house time. David: But not to the point a man gets leaded; have more men running higher. Dr. Rinehart: I think we should get some data on the points you made about special jobs. McElderry: They wear air masks; the area monitor will show high but this would not be unexpected to have it run high then. Acosta: What is the organic reading when we open the bottom. Dr. Rinehart: I don't have any information on that. David: I am interested in the other men in the area who are around when this is done. Dr. Rinehart: Is this on emergency or scheduled. McElderry: Sometimes scheduled and sometimes on emergency. David: Years ago, they operated on a schedule; now they do it when necessary. Lorio: Changing plows is a highly contaminated job. McElderry: On any contaminated equipment opened up, have to wear respiratory equipment; other people not working on the job don't wear protective equipment. Acosta: Once the rigger gets on the job, it is safe to work without protective equipment. McElderry: The next job we will talk about this point and get into it. David: Certainjobs we dowe don't argue we are going to wear respiratory equipment. Dr. Rinehart: I think that there are times when the samples will run higher. 02359 ETC 14654 Meeting - TEL Operations September 15, 1972 Page 5 Higgins: Dr. Rinehart: Higgins: Dr. Rinehart: David: Dr. Rinehart: David: McElderry: David: McElderry: Dr. Rinehart: David: Dr. Rinehart: McElderry: How long can the average person stay in a concentration of organic lead furnace, say run 5. 0, to get leaded if no protective equipment is used? I can't give a precise answer; it is relative to the time of exposure; it would normally be expected that a person would get as much in 4 hours in a reading of 6 as he would in 8 hours with a reading of 3.0. Is it possible to absorb inorganic lead through a cut in your arm? No, inorganic is not soluble; organic is soluble in fats; if you had an open wound you may get a little inorganic. What is worse -- organic or inorganic? Organic -- both have accumulative action but for a single exposure - organic; have contact one time could get in trouble with organic but not inorganic. Organic is acute -very quickly. We want to do more work on the furnaces on a routine basis and the other places you brought up and we ask for your continuing cooperation. We will be glad to cooperate; we know it is for our own good. C & D are probably the high furnaces. Most of the time it is routine operation; I am talking about Maintenance jobs. I think it is to our mutual benefit to run these tests and I appreciate your cooperation in running the tests, although it is a government request It is important information that is needed. From your point of view, would you rather we run it continuou or at intervals? It does not matter which way it is run -- any way you see fit. The request was to get 1 hour of sampling for an 8-hour shift; since we were not locked in on a way to do it, we took it on a continuous basis and the six 10-minute samples; the Company went beyond what was required. The program is directed to inorganic; organic is not now in the program. The information indicated that we are in pretty good shape; look forward to the 10-12 shifts of monitoring in aboQt six mnthS- E-02360 ETC 14655