Preliminary plant visit industrial hygiene report, Formaldehyde Production Facility, Monsanto Plastics and Resins Company, Eugene, Oregon.

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  An on site visit was made to the formaldehyde (50000) production facility of Monsanto Plastics and Resins Company, Eugene, Oregon to evaluate methods used to control employee exposure to hazardous materials. This facility produced a 50 percent formaldehyde solution by methanol (67561) dehydrogenation using silver as a catalyst. The formaldehyde produced was used on site to prepare a resin sold to local plywood and particle board manufacturers. Four individuals worked on the formaldehyde unit. The site had a complete environmental assessment statement including a summary of workplace sampling data and potentially harmful waste streams. Formalin operators were trained in the hazards and safety measures their jobs involve. Safety glasses and hard hats were required along with chemical goggles, a face shield, and protective gloves. Protective suits and respirators were available for specific operations. Some formaldehyde was smelled outside the structure, near the still, and in the converter room. Control methods used during methanol unloading and handling operations, reactor room and control room use, while working on the absorber and distillation column, at sampling points, and while storing the formaldehyde were described. Even though some leaks were detected, the engineering control program seemed to be working well. Specific problems noted included the lack of an emergency eye wash and shower on the formalin loading work platform, and evidence of a formaldehyde pipe leak which had not been repaired.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Chemistry Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Chemical-manufacturing-industry Control-technology Field-Study Formaldehydes Hydrocarbons NIOSH-Survey Region-10
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHECTB11422a
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Studies ; Control Technology
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; Oregon ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-23
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00183730
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, ECTB 114-22a, 1981 Oct; :1-23
• CAS Registry Number:
  Formaldehyde (CAS RN 50-00-0) ; Methanol (CAS RN 67-56-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1982
• NORA Priority Area:
  Control-technology
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:09555330696127b69581aef9898018933a61481506dbf3c6015cc2ca3e47665327f274650ddaae0a098a2097b52ec90b00f18bddf807ac7498cd74089c360f6d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180169/cdc_180169_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 7.27 MB ]