Evaluation of Aerogel Insulation Particulate at a Union Training Facility

Details

• Personal Author:
  Feldmann, Karl D. ; Methner, Mark M. ; Musolin, Kristin
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  The Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from an insulators union concerned with exposure to particulate released when handling aerogel insulation. Union members reported nosebleeds, upper respiratory tract irritation, and skin dryness. Two union employees provide training for over 200 apprentices and 800 journeymen per year at a training facility. The number of trainees has recently increased. We took personal air samples for components of aerogel insulation (amorphous and crystalline silica, aluminum, iron, and titanium) while an instructor applied aerogel insulation. We looked at the shape, size, and size distribution of the airborne particulate released from handling aerogel insulation. Over two days, we observed the work practices of an instructor who handled aerogel insulation during training. We asked students, journeymen, and an instructor about exposure to aerogel insulation, use of personal protective equipment, medical history, symptoms, and personal hygiene practices while training at this facility and at their job site(s). Airborne exposures for amorphous silica approached occupational exposure limits, while crystalline silica, aluminum, iron, and titanium were below the most protective occupational exposure limits. Most of the particulate released during aerogel handling was respirable and can be inhaled deep into the lungs. Many participants who handled aerogel insulation reported upper respiratory tract irritation, or very dry or chapped skin. We recommended the instructors (1) educate staff and students about potential upper respiratory tract irritation and drying effects from prolonged exposure to aerogel insulation, (2) encourage staff and students to report work-related health problems to their supervisor, (3) explore alternative cleansers that are more effective than soap and water but will not contribute to skin drying, and (4) provide staff and students with personal protective equipment described in the manufacturer's safety data sheets.
• Subjects:
  Dust Education Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Irritants Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Nose Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Safety Sense Organs Skin Staff Development Workplace

  More +
• Keywords:
  Aerogel Air-sampling Apprentice Training Dry Skin Employee-exposure Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Exposure-limits Health-hazards Illinois Insulation Insulation-industry Insulation-materials Insulation-workers Manual-materials-handling Materials-handling Nasal-disorders OSHA Region 5 Particulates Personal-protective-equipment Respirable-dust Respiratory-irritants Skin-exposure Skin-irritants Training Union Training Facility Upper Respiratory Tract Irritation Work-practices Workplace-studies

  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, HETA 2014-0026-3230, 2015 Mar ; :1-15
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA201400263230
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Illinois ; OSHA Region 5
• 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:
  22 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Booher, Donald E. ; Broadwater, Kendra R. ; Fernback, Joseph ; Galloway, Ellen ; Key-Schwartz, Rosa ; Moore, Kevin ; Neumeister, Chuck ; Watts, Shawna
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045877
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2015-103701
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2015]. Health hazard evaluation report: evaluation of aerogel insulation ; particulate at a union training facility. By Feldmann K, Musolin K, Methner M. ; Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease ; Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH ; HHE Report No. 2014-0026-3230,
• CAS Registry Number:
  Silica (CAS RN 7631-86-9) ; Crystalline silica, quartz (CAS RN 14808-60-7) ; Aluminum (CAS RN 7429-90-5) ; Iron (CAS RN 7439-89-6) ; Titanium (CAS RN 7440-32-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  611513 - Apprenticeship Training - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:86a6dc13d3ea45b7c692ac5ebe7d706a5215007f6d532ca4ece38a31ca58c9f460e115bfbfa7f5a533f5be8b9840f55cc5bf7359d81fb56fc8a570de67207bcc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172431/cdc_172431_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.88 MB ]