Document 7n8k2z6g43nL31rZNd0M9346

FILE NAME: Union Carbide (UC) DATE: 1959 May 11 DOC#: UC196 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Unpublished Report - Special Hazards Survey Occupational Disease Study Prepared for Union Carbide kl' % * Plaintiffs Exhibit -------S - e & i -- ------- UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION wm oo'TArf sfeedv;a c m , Indiana Kay 11, 1959 J 4* iit ' s Jade to a s s i s t the p la n t In e v a lu a tin g t h e i r occupational disease exposure. Etna S a fe ty E n g in eerin g R ep resen tativ e R, Warner and I con ta c te d Hr. Harold Sans, Manager o f in d u s tria l R elations* 22d221 ^ sampling f o r d u s t vas conducted using th e midget impin-- g er td .th d i s t i l l e d w ater a s a c o lle c tin g medium. Dust counts were made n, a l i g h t f i e l d follow ing t h e procedure a s o u tlin e d by th e U nited S ta te s Public Health Service* A ir samples fo r p -ssib le su lp h u ric m ist were c o lle c te d in sodium hydroxide so lu tio n end th e sample re tu rn e d to the la b o ra to ry fo r determ ination by chemical met'-ods. ledge d u st samples were c o lle c te d and brought back to the la b o ra to ry fo r analysis of the free s ilic a contents* R esultst A ir Sample No. 1 - Copper Room Powder M ill - Taken a t b re a th in g l e v e l in fro n t o f s h ie ld open to th e mixer* --G eneral Room Sample 3*4 m illio n p a rtic le s o f d u st per cubic fo o t o f a i r . A ir Sample No. 2 - Copper Room Powder M ill - Taken i n b r e a t in g sons o f opexa- to r as he measures out f i l l s and mixes a b atch . 7.5 m illio n p a rtic le s of d u st per cubic fo o t o f a i r . A ir Sample No, 3 --020 Department - taken to l e f t o f o p e ra to r b reak in g up and feeding chunks o f asbestos to picker 3*9 m illio n p a rtic le s o f d u s t, 10 microns o r le s s in s iz e , p e r cubic fo o t . of air. * A ir Semple No. 4 --020 Departm ent --ta k en in b re a th in g zone o f o p e ra to r f i l l ing bags o f th e asbestos from bins. 12.2 m illio n p a rtic le s o f d u s t, 10 microns o r le s s in siz e , per cubic fo o t of a ir. A ir Sample No. 5 ** 020 D epartm ent -- sand l i n e f i l l i n g on m ixer platform * Taken in fro n t o f m ixer w hile o p e ra to r was adding a sb e sto s and s ilic a . 96*5 mi l l ion p a r tic le s o f d u s t, 10 m icrons o r l e s s in s i z e , p er cubic f o o t of air A2 174b * * r t * ---------------------- -------Union C arbide C orporation A ir S ta p le No* 3 was tak en v h ere one nan b re a k es up th e packages o f a s -- bestoo and then feeds i t through a p icker vhere i t i s fu rth e r ehredded* This p a rtic u la r a e ra tio n i s provided with an exhaust vhich i s q u ite e f f e c t iv e in keeping th e dust a t a mininum. This asb esto s i s fe d in to a l a r g e ' enclosed b in which i s connected to the du st c o lle c to r, so th a t very l i t t l e of the dust gets out into the a ir. A fte r chopping up s e v e ra l packages o f a s b e s to s , th e man th e n f i l l s and weighs o u t th e asbestos in to burlap sacks from th e b in s (A ir Sa-ple No. A ). Our count h e re was ovt th e th re sh o ld l i m i t . The man f i l l e d 3 bags i n ab o u t 8 m inutes, so th e exposure i s f o r eh o rt p erio d s o n ly . I t would be d e s ir a b le , though, f o r t h i s man to u se a r e s p ir a to r f o r t h i s o p e ra tio n , lie would a ls o suggest t h a t c o n sid e ra tio n b e given to th e u s e o f cardboard o r rfm*4! ty p e containers f o r th is p a rtic u la r handling o f th e asbestos, tihenever empty as bestos bags are handled, th e small p a rtic le s o f asbestos, those most h a m fu l, are re ta in e d by th e burlap bags and these a re d istu rb ed end se t fre e vten-- ever th e bag is handled. There i s also th e problem of f i l l i n '- th e se b a g s. This i s done by shoveling and th e re is c o n sid erab le s p illa g e . An open card board co n tain er could elim inate most o f th is sp illa g e . A ir Sa-ipie No. 5 was taken a t th e m ixer w hile sand and a sb e sto s was b e in g added. Our r e s u l t s show a v e ry high count h e re , even o v e r th e th re s h o ld ( \ lim it o f nuisance d u s t. Here again th e d u ra tio n of exposure i s q u ite s h o r t, I ) the o p e ra to r tak in g only 7 m inutes. This o p erato r was net using a r e s p ir a to r fo r t h i s a lth o u g h he had i t about h is neck and used i t a t th e p o in t where A ir Sample ITo, 6 was ta k e n , Ue f e e l t h a t th e u s e o f th e r e s p ir a to r h e re i s im portant and should give th e necessary p ro tectio n fo r th is short exposure. A ir Sa* p ie No, 6 was ta k en w h ile th e workman was emptying and w eighing o u t bags o f sand end lim e in to hoppers. Here again considerable d u st i s c re a te d . F o rtu n a te ly , th e man w ears a r e s p ir a to r here vhich a ffo rd s him p r o te c tio n fo r the sh o rt period i t tak es to perform th is operation (8 m inutes). 1* did note during th e tak in g o f th is a ir sample th a t housekeeping conditions on th e p latfo rm where th e lim e and sand are handled was none to o good. There was c o n sid e ra b le s p illa g e o f both lim e and sand here and a number o f broken bags. Whenever th e o p e ra to r moved he kicked up c o n sid e ra b le d u s t. I t i s quite im portant th a t th is platform be cleaned up and kept lean . A ir Sample No, 7 and 8 were ta k en along th e p ic k lin g l i n e . The H.A.C. f o r s u lf u r ic m is t i s 1 .0 mgs. p e r cubic m eter o f a i r . Our r e s u l t s a re v e i l below th is lim it , X f e e l th a t conditions here are s a tis fa c to ry and there i s no great exposure, Ve a ls o v i s i t e d Department 042 T estin g Room f b r coal c o n v e rte rs . Oxygen i s used in here and th e re was concern th a t th e re might a t tim es be an excess amount i n t h e a i r . The p la n t has r e c e n tly purchased an oxygen a n a ly s e r and ve observed th e t e s t made u sin g th is in stru m e n t. A ll t e s t s showed t h a t th e snount o f oxygen i n th e a i r here was norraal. This in stru m en t i s th e most p ra c tic a l means of checking fo r oxygen in th e a i r . I f e e l th a t checks should be made on a re g u la r schedule b a sis w ith t h i s a n a ly s e r. 2 1747 Union Carbide Corporation Page 4 I Peel th a t conditions in regard to occupational disease exposure a t the p lan t are f a i r l y v e il under control w ith th e exception o f those n e n tio n e d above. A ttached i s a l i s t o f su g g e stio n s and r e coirrgrada tio n s which vould h elp to reduce th e occunational disease exoosure at th is plant, ' * J .Kobinson/md ^ 'Jl}f l/ 2 1748 tJITION CARBUT. CORPORATION u s x co:takt SPD^D 'AT C ITI, INDIAITA KAY 1 1 , 1959 KPCTHrraPATTONS 1* A b . S Bureau o f Mines approved f o r asb e sto s d u st r e s p ira to r should be vorn b y th e nan who v eig h s o u t and f i l l s b ag s o f a s b e sto s. 2. Vould suggest th a t consideration be '-iven to th e s u b s titu tio n of cardboard or sim ilar type of container for burlap bags in the handling of asbestos. * 3. A.U. S . Bureau o f Mines approved r e s p ir a to r shovld be worn by th e r a n who i s charging sand end a s b e s to s i n th e m ix e rs . 4 Housekeeping should be improved on th e p la tfo rm th e r e sand and lim e are measured out in to hoppers. This platform should be cleaned up d a ily , 5 . Would su g g est t h a t checks be made w ith tb s oxygen a n a ly s e r on a r e g u la r ly scheduled b a s is in th e coUb c o n v e rte r room o f D epart ment 042. A 2l?i.g