Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-89-331-2078: Photon Dynamics Ltd., Inc.; Longwood, Florida

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fleeger, Alan K. ; Moss, C. Eugene
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from the management of Photon Dynamics Limited (SIC-3231), Longwood, Florida, an investigation was made of airborne emissions produced from materials being cut by a carbon- dioxide laser. Photon Dynamics Limited specialized in unique applications of lasers within the industrial environment. The major emphasis was developmental work in high speed cutting of quartz (14808607) material using lasers. At the time of the measurements there were four full time employees, only one of whom was involved continuously with laser cutting. Photon Dynamics shared a building wing with two other companies
  
  fumes and vapors produced from the laser operations were quite evident to personnel working in these other companies. Personal breathing zone sampling revealed respirable exposure concentrations to fused silica (60676860) as high as 2.2mg/m3. Air samples taken for trace elements at two inches from the source identified small quantities of chromium (7440473), copper (7440508), iron (7439896), nickel (7440020), and zinc (7440666) on each of the samples collected. Qualitative samples identified ethyl-acrylate (140885) as the major component produced during laser cutting of four types of plastics. Radiometric analysis indicted occupational exposure to laser radiation was below the allowable standards. The authors conclude that a hazard existed from exposure to respirable fused silica dust and ethyl-acrylate. The authors recommend measures to reduce exposures, primarily through the use of ventilation controls.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Dust Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Radiation Safety
• Keywords:
  Airborne-dusts Ethyl Acrylate Fumes Fused Silica Dust Glass Products, Made Of Purchased Glass Hazard-Confirmed HETA-89-331-2078 Laser-radiation Laser Cutting NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report Occupational-exposure OSHA Region 4 Plastics Quartz Respirable-dust

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA893312078
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; OSHA Region 4
• 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:
  17 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00197959
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB91-188946
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, Ohio: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 89-331-2078, 1990 Oct ; :1-22
• CAS Registry Number:
  Silica, Crystalline (CAS RN 14808-60-7) ; Vitreous silica (CAS RN 60676-86-0) ; Chromium (CAS RN 7440-47-3) ; Copper (CAS RN 7440-50-8) ; Iron (CAS RN 7439-89-6) ; Nickel (CAS RN 7440-02-0) ; Zinc (CAS RN 7440-66-6) ; Ethyl acrylate (CAS RN 140-88-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1991
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3231 - Products of purchased glass - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2fb973c06e42982334dabd6e0458b56314ca77079358849db1f15cdece6d30e5e2c3b33fddea29669f263e060f823cad2e5db2202ddc3b0292c11cb31c13375f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/171693/cdc_171693_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 191.30 KB ]