Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA 95-0207-2592: New Hampshire Ball Bearing, Astro Division, Laconia, New Hampshire

Details

• Personal Author:
  Sylvain, David C.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from management at the New Hampshire Ball Bearing, Astro Division (SIC-3562) located in Laconia, New Hampshire, an investigation was begun into possible hazardous working conditions at that site. Approximately 450 people worked at the facility, eight of whom worked in the Composites Department, which was the area being evaluated. Five bulk dust samples were obtained from locations in the Composites Department. Sampling indicated that the employees in the Composites Department were exposed to very low concentrations of total airborne fibers. Fiber dimensions exceeded the limit of respirability and did not present an inhalation hazard. Transient skin itch reported by some workers was associated with the handling of carbon fiber reinforcement material prior to impregnation. The investigators suggest that composite dust generated by mechanical processes such as cutting and sanding, may contribute to itching as a result of dust coming in contact with exposed skin. It was recommended that gloves and protective clothing be used and selected based on the permeation and degradation resistance to materials used by the workers, that once resin gets on the skin the workers should immediately remove it using soap and water, that protective coveralls and sleeve protectors be used, that local exhaust ventilation systems be reevaluated, that good housekeeping practices be emphasized, and that all machinery be guarded effectively.
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Dermatitis Epoxy Resins Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety Skin Urea
• Keywords:
  Advanced Composite Materials Airborne-fibers Ball And Roller Bearings Carbon Fibers Hazard-Unconfirmed HETA-95-0207-2592 NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report OSHA Region 1 Personal-protective-equipment Polyimide Resins Protective-clothing Resins Skin-irritants Skin Irritation Ureas

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA9502072592
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  New Hampshire ; OSHA Region 1
• 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:
  Lovell, Patricia
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00235004
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB97-147235
• 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 95-0207-2592, 1996 Aug ; :1-12
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1996
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3562 - Ball and roller bearings - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9a3bd4c0bde8e5f190c5378319c11a4e45a29629d4f8aa6eae5bfddcdf269e38a63c97c6e687d6aa312750487d078f1e08abef0fe39afb27a58b8271aaa29775
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/171167/cdc_171167_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 512.58 KB ]