Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA 2000-0020-2793: U.S. Forest Service - Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff, Arizona

Details

• Personal Author:
  Harney, Joshua M.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In October 1999, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a health hazard evaluation request from a management representative of the United States Forest Service (USFS). The USFS sought to evaluate the potential hazards associated with using petroleum-based tree-marking paint (TMP) to paint various wooden structures within the National Forest system. On December 14, 1999, NIOSH industrial hygienists went to the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, to evaluate worker exposures to various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and metals during the application of petroleum-based TMPs to the exterior of a wooden building in the park. Paint mixing, painting, and clean-up activities were monitored. Personal breathing zone and area samples were collected for metals, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methyl isobutyl ketone, toluene, and total hydrocarbons (using stoddard solvent as the standard). No over exposures were documented during this survey
  
  contaminant levels were generally more than one order of magnitude below their most conservative exposure criterion. Bulk paint samples of the tree-marking paint and acrylic stain were collected for metals and hydrocarbon analysis. Major hydrocarbon constituents of the paints were C9-C12 aliphatics and C9-C10 alkyl benzenes, and included toluene, xylene, MEK, undecane, and decane. Based on the USFS Draft Specification 2400-400 (May 2000), none of the paints used during this survey would have passed the USFS criteria for metals content. There was not a health hazard either from the VOCs or metals present in the TMP. Sufficient precautions are being taken by the USFS in preparing the painters to use the TMP. These precautions include conducting a job hazard analysis discussion before painting, using personal protective equipment during paint mixing, painting, and cleanup
  
  mixing the paint and cleaning up outdoors
  
  and minimizing the aerosolization of the paint during its application. Analysis of bulk paint samples demonstrated that paints used during this survey would not have met the current USFS Draft TMP Specification for metals content.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Butanones Forestry Hydrocarbons Metals Occupational Health Paint Safety Solvents Volatile Organic Compounds
• Keywords:
  Forestry Services Forestry Workers Hazards Unconfirmed MEK MIBK Organic Compounds Paints Region 9 Solvent Vapors Total Hydrocarbons Tree-marking Paint VOCs

  More +
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA200000202793
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Arizona ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  18 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Grote, Ardith A. ; McCleery, Robert E. ; Ratliff, Denise
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20021124
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2002-108264
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 2000-0020-2793, 2000 May ; :1-12
• CAS Registry Number:
  Methyl ethyl ketone [MEK] (CAS RN 78-93-3) ; Toluene (CAS RN 108-88-3) ; Stoddard solvent (CAS RN 8052-41-3) ; Methyl isobutyl ketone (CAS RN 108-10-1)
• Editor(s):
  Arthur, Penny
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2000
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  0851 - Forestry services - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4fa7449aa6a48032bfd9459bc6699c7552143ea546c81fa35d27c44316ad3cccfaf66651859029484dcb651d3aae9f0a9c3f9da5d9f90660adb1ec451b059557
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/170951/cdc_170951_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 216.16 KB ]