Document z02EO2ZrDvd3mEGapenge8qa

''>w^iwg^fpBPPi<WWWBigmW8Bqp|WIIW|W^WB*^PwapWPWIV 54thAI-OMoSafety Congress & ExMbit April 24* 25.2& 1964 -e-. ' :> * -'A . rf ; v-V* ih tV ..V-s. , *> - % ' - ,-v v * ' b'- * $T* \>k:Y** > " ` ""V *v' Richard F. Celeste, Governor ** . - !'. lA'> ' .* ';r\', V*4 `' ** . * * .. v. V ; )ehnA.fonipiSup*Tmncmnt.rMaoficfSJ<Mynd)|y0mw r. . .jVWKa - (.,"(-rV-ft*--r;.-.v*- - Aprili 4e#^1i98s4 se;. * ?>. &*^?.. >,- * ..-r'-7' " 5.: i- ' Industrial Commission of Ohio Legal Section 246 North High Street Columbus# Ohio 43215 , Attns Judy Spencer ' <y>. -. 23". *y*'.*^ . s^4p Ul rtJ20895^2J '$*; -.:v ':Beverly? McGeorge . Plant' Pat Mm. 8pncri '. '. f, 'i.,; .' ' On February 9> 1984#: a visit''Was*made*-to\the"fGeneral Motors# Assembly Division Van Plant# located at Lordstown# Ohio# to investigate possible health hazards!|ass6ciated!with'MIG welding in the body shop at this operation. Peraonal-airmonitoring of the MIO welder occupation wasVcarried out. during:a^second.; visit on February 16# 1984. At your~request# this.treport.hasTbeen'prepared based on information obtained during these ylsits# ih addition to, information supplied in the facsinile file which you bave;provided..' The above named claimant# who; was firsts hired at General Motors in October of 1977#"has been employed primarilyasa welder# both in the Passenger Plant and,in the Van Plant. ` Hie duties have involved resistance spot welding and MIG welding# with bis most recent assignment, prior to the diagnosisjofbisillness on June 6# 1983# being a MIG welder In Department 26of the Van. Plant. . He began these!;, duties in mid MarchVof 1983#,Immediately following recall from a layoff of slightly over one yearigV* ~\ ^r*:: . = It should be noted that although this claimant has been a G.M. . employee since 1977# . bis work record has been rather sporadlc,,over;.the; two year period priorto his illness. ;From May'-of 19817 through sMav"-of%* \JA19B3# thiB^individual has worked^approximately, 27^weeks,:whileches ^Mtbeen .on"sick-leave or*layoffstatus;.for;,approximately^! weeks?!1" ^records|prior/to! 19 81were^nof available!during!the', plant?visits^ * I (JV '.IVw ^ tfw m * t < r* ^<-'^ ' .*>,).* * ?g.ii 246 N. High St. Cohmua il If >1 II n ij Z< 2 ',W rtC'.V^ ' .-, V' ' -r ., ' *, . , RBs Claim OD Page 2 The claimant alleges that, hiB'condition, which has: been diagnosed as chronic obstructive lung disease^hasfresulted froa contaninants be has experienced at work / specifically as a welder in the body shop f (Department 26) of theiVan PlantAdditional" illnesses.which- have been diagnosed in this claimant/ but'not named by him on his .'claim application, include, coronary, heart-disease,!hypertension; and*&&&,}*;? diabetes* - v Although the claimant^has^indicatedfthat- no^air. is available to% remove welding fumes'fron the rwork$area#locairexhaust ventilation is ~ available within a few feet!of }the|urfaces" being,welded .^ In addition fresh air is supplied from behindfand^aboveTthei welders and moves the welding fumes into theadirection<ofthe|'exhaustporta *!^Tbis push-pull type system appears to beVdoingfari^adequate* job? in'reaioving possible contaminants from the'work-'area^^^^^^^W^^t^^ An evaluation of personalexposuresirto,welding fumes was carried . out on February 16,at.the claimant*sfforser worJc site in the body shop of the Van Plant. 4,Zn,obtaining!thefalr^samplesr!two MZGiwelders^wore c battery operated sampling^pumpslwhicb^werefequipped withTcellulbse^^^^ ester membrane filters ^Following ?asfreported? by^ an; American Industrial Hygiene AsBOCiatioh^Accredited\Ltoj[arejrthepresolts of analysis of these samples;forsaet burner, i -w :?'K MIG. Welder Driver Side ; Air Contaminant! Iron OxldeFume? ZincOxidejFume? Copper; Pumef Passenger Side Iron-OxidejFume] Z incOxidefFumej CopperfPume;* ^ACGIH^&'* ' [Conceptration fag/Mf);; 3LV(ing/M3) hi Combined Average .y. tr I rori iOxidet Fume11 Xinc(Oxide$Fumsee\ 'lSiBKgfj^O 19<|S^&i;,. i-zJki'-i5 Ofc*^ - Copper -Fume} ^P^SSsVfp ;os^ '0.2, ' &*.'&RV-1ft .TWA ^Time-weighted^averagej TLV 'o'.=^Sviirfliv]aoXdl^X*i.aBltSyai3lu. . rvv * ; ` mg/M3 - lMllllgramsTper|^Bblc^m6te^of|air^8ampleds W-A'' ' ACGIH -,^ American-Confer,encelofiCovernnental^IndustrlaljfHygienists ^ indicatM^''--. ;; suggested-by! the^ACGIHl^At^iwsureflevers|belbwthef8uggested.;TLVi ? 8yaptom8l8ucb^a8frespiratorlrritatibnlandpietalifuse<SfeverJ|shouldt ^notjbeTexperienced'.^Infadditlon5'to'thefper8onalfjnonitoring7,wbichwas1 :^^carriedf6at^B^tHcheckstifor3fcbbcentrationsCoi^o`zone>nitrogen|^a|iBffl ^dioxide^carbonfmohox id^find|t*otalfriitrouaffumesSrb re%arriedfout^i^thl ;thes.useiofiDrager|;detectofEtui^siSmTbeset^Bslblecontaain/mts^eitherj ^i8tedfat^ace^level1^ier^no^dbVectedff"""*l^,ril^*,,Ma^d,'"m," RE* Claim OD 20895-22 - Beverly McGeorge Page 3 Regarding the toxicity of the three moat expected contaminants in the welding fume, the following general information la provided in NIOSH (Publication 77-181), Occupational Diseases. a Gnid* to Their Recognition, and in the ACGIB - Documentation of TLVai iron Oxide Fume - The inhalation of iron oxide fume may cause a benign pneumoceniosis called siderosis. Although not considered disabling, this condition, thought to be a pigmentation or the lunga, can produce x-ray findings which may be indistinguishable from fibrotic pneumoconiosis, a condition which can cause severe respiratory disability but is not associated with exposure to iron oxide. The TLV for iron oxide has been set at 5 mg/M3, a level believed to be sufficiently low to prevent the development of x-ray changes in the lungs on long-term exposure. zinc Oxide Fume - Exposure to zinc oxide fume may cause dryness and irritation of the throat accompanied by a dry cough. Several hours following an excessive exposure to zinc oxide fume, an individual may develop metal fume fever syndrome. This . .. condition, which usually subsides in 24-48 hours, produces flu like. symptoms with shortness of breath, cough, general malaise and weakness, muscle pain and fever. The TLV has been established at 5 mg/M3, a level below which the incidence of metal fuse fever will be low and any attacks which occur will be mild. ' Copper Pune - inhalation of copper fume say cause irritation or the upper respiratory tract and eyes, a metallic taste in the south, nausea and, as with zinc oxide, metal fume fever. A British study, cited in the Documentation of the TLVs, indicates that no ill effects from exposure to copper fumes were observed in exposures up to 0.4 mg/M3. . The TLV for copper fume, because of its Irritant effects, has been set at 0.2 mg/M3, a level considerably lower than the TLVs for iron oxide and zinc oxide. Inasmuch as this claimant, up until June of 1983, when bis illness occurred, had worked only 27 weeks in the preceding 25 month period, and the results of air monitoring at his former work site indicate contaminant levels which are within the TLVs suggested by the ACGIB, it has not been possible to relate his illness to excessive exposure to welding fume at work. It should also be noted that other than possible contaminants generated in welding, no other operations which could generate additional air contaminants are located near the claimant's former work site. Threshold Limit Values refer to airborne concentrations of substances and represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed day after day without adverse effect. Because of wide variations in Individual susceptibility, however, a small percentage of workers may experience . discomfort from some substances at concentrations at or below the rtC'.V^ ' .-, V' ' -r ., ' *, . , RBs Claim OD Page 2 The claimant alleges that, hiB'condition, which has: been diagnosed as chronic obstructive lung disease^hasfresulted froa contaninants be has experienced at work / specifically as a welder in the body shop f (Department 26) of theiVan PlantAdditional" illnesses.which- have been diagnosed in this claimant/ but'not named by him on his .'claim application, include, coronary, heart-disease,!hypertension; and*&&&,}*;? diabetes* - v Although the claimant^has^indicatedfthat- no^air. is available to% remove welding fumes'fron the rwork$area#locairexhaust ventilation is ~ available within a few feet!of }the|urfaces" being,welded .^ In addition fresh air is supplied from behindfand^aboveTthei welders and moves the welding fumes into theadirection<ofthe|'exhaustporta *!^Tbis push-pull type system appears to beVdoingfari^adequate* job? in'reaioving possible contaminants from the'work-'area^^^^^^^W^^t^^ An evaluation of personalexposuresirto,welding fumes was carried . out on February 16,at.the claimant*sfforser worJc site in the body shop of the Van Plant. 4,Zn,obtaining!thefalr^samplesr!two MZGiwelders^wore c battery operated sampling^pumpslwhicb^werefequipped withTcellulbse^^^^ ester membrane filters ^Following ?asfreported? by^ an; American Industrial Hygiene AsBOCiatioh^Accredited\Ltoj[arejrthepresolts of analysis of these samples;forsaet burner, i -w :?'K MIG. Welder Driver Side ; Air Contaminant! Iron OxldeFume? ZincOxidejFume? Copper; Pumef Passenger Side Iron-OxidejFume] Z incOxidefFumej CopperfPume;* ^ACGIH^&'* ' [Conceptration fag/Mf);; 3LV(ing/M3) hi Combined Average .y. tr I rori iOxidet Fume11 Xinc(Oxide$Fumsee\ 'lSiBKgfj^O 19<|S^&i;,. i-zJki'-i5 Ofc*^ - Copper -Fume} ^P^SSsVfp ;os^ '0.2, ' &*.'&RV-1ft .TWA ^Time-weighted^averagej TLV 'o'.=^Sviirfliv]aoXdl^X*i.aBltSyai3lu. . rvv * ; ` mg/M3 - lMllllgramsTper|^Bblc^m6te^of|air^8ampleds W-A'' ' ACGIH -,^ American-Confer,encelofiCovernnental^IndustrlaljfHygienists ^ indicatM^''--. ;; suggested-by! the^ACGIHl^At^iwsureflevers|belbwthef8uggested.;TLVi ? 8yaptom8l8ucb^a8frespiratorlrritatibnlandpietalifuse<SfeverJ|shouldt ^notjbeTexperienced'.^Infadditlon5'to'thefper8onalfjnonitoring7,wbichwas1 :^^carriedf6at^B^tHcheckstifor3fcbbcentrationsCoi^o`zone>nitrogen|^a|iBffl ^dioxide^carbonfmohox id^find|t*otalfriitrouaffumesSrb re%arriedfout^i^thl ;thes.useiofiDrager|;detectofEtui^siSmTbeset^Bslblecontaain/mts^eitherj ^i8tedfat^ace^level1^ier^no^dbVectedff"""*l^,ril^*,,Ma^d,'"m," uiL!Hi,M oikllilPiiJU,JP CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY Supervisor, Microfilming Unit ''