Evaluation of Exposures to Metals, Metalworking Fluids, Alcohols, and Volatile Organic Compounds at an Acrobatic Equipment Manufacturer

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burton, Nancy C. ; Rinsky, Jessica L.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from employees who work at a company that makes acrobatic equipment used by performance artists. Employees were concerned that exposures to multiple substances used during production could cause respiratory and skin irritation and related symptoms. During our visit, we collected task-based air samples (metalworking fluids, metals and volatile organic compounds), evaluated the local exhaust ventilation systems, and characterized symptoms, medical conditions, and health concerns experienced by employees. Our task-based and area air sampling results showed that levels of exposure to metals, volatile organic compounds, and metalworking fluids were low in the facility. However, employees had experienced and were concerned about eye, nose, and throat irritation, and cough they thought were related to workplace exposures. Although exposures were found to be low, we recommended implementing additional controls to reduce potential exposures. In addition, because many production tasks did not take long to complete and varied from day to day, we recommended employees report new, persistent, or worsening symptoms to facility management and to their personal healthcare provider. Additional recommendations included developing a voluntary-use respirator program
  
  developing and following a cleaning, decontamination, and routine maintenance plan for the computer numerical control machine to reduce exposure to metalworking fluids and aerosols
  
  and providing adjustable worktables so employees can customize the height to avoid awkward postures.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Metals Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety Volatile Organic Compounds Welding
• Keywords:
  Glues Grinding Manufacturing Metalworking Fluids MWFs MWFs, Volatile Organic Compounds OSHA Region 2 Posture Soldering Sporting And Athletic Goods Manufacturing VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

  More +
• Source:
  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, HHE 2019-0057-3390, 2023 Sep ; :1-30
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201900573390
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  30 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Booher, Donald E. ; Hamilton, Cheryl ; Moore, Kevin ; Watts, Shawna
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068598
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2023]. Evaluation of exposures to metals, metalworking fluids, alcohols, and volatile ; organic compounds at an acrobatic equipment manufacturer. By Burton NC, Rinsky JL. Cincinnati, ; OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2019-0057-3390,
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  339920 - Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9c00a5c1a11d3a2fee82db39fe58fc8e899d0ba08012c0b87ee09bd52f393bfaeb4e273b0bf15b3b22effc150afc840b5f3ac0133e8aba28f977a0f2b39cc9c2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172307/cdc_172307_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 571.82 KB ]