Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-88-299-2028: Louie Glass Factory; Weston, West Virginia

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cameron, Lorraine L. ; Freund, Eugene ; Moss, C. Eugene ; Tubbs, Randy L.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from management an investigation was made of possible hazardous conditions at the Louie Glass Factory (SIC- 3229), Weston, West Virginia. This company was the largest manufacturer of handmade glass in the United States, shipping about 6 million pieces of handmade crystal annually. The heart of the operation was a large furnace which melted batches of uniquely blended raw materials selected to enhance the glass crystal products. Optical radiation measurements were made in the furnace room under normal work conditions over several shifts. The maximum levels of far ultraviolet, near ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation were nondetectable, 8 microwatts per square centimeter (cm2), 0.93 candela/cm2, and 173 milliwatts per square centimeter (cm2), respectively. Only the infrared radiation levels exceeded the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guideline (10 milliwatts/cm2). Heat stress measurements ranged from 61 to 116 degrees-F near the furnace. Employees indicated shortness of breath, heat sickness, burns, cuts, eye injuries, dry eyes, itchy nose, and ergonomic problems. The authors conclude that that under certain conditions the workers would be exposed to excessive levels of infrared radiation from both the furnace and certain glass making procedures. The authors recommend specific measures to reduce these exposures, including the use of personal protective equipment.
• Subjects:
  Glass Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Radiation Safety
• Keywords:
  Ergonomics Glass-manufacturing-industry Hazard-Confirmed Heat-exposure Heat-stress Heat Stress HETA-88-299-2028 Infrared Radiation NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report Nonionizing-radiation OSHA Region 3 Personal-protective-equipment Personal Protective Equipment Pressed And Blown Glass And Glassware Radiation-exposure

  More +
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA882992028
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  West Virginia ; OSHA Region 3
• 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:
  46 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00194792
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB91-115311
• 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 88-299-2028, 1990 Mar ; :1-48
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1990
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3229 - Pressed and blown glass, not elsewhere classified - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:597ed6882785aa94e3d48b5c181d599af18f0047c024fb706af7234f1355353099e68b4382cf07fc5cced79645520a96c34166a60b62ab6e13458dadde054678
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/171725/cdc_171725_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.07 MB ]