Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-80-209-1396: Crain Western; Compton, California

Details

• Personal Author:
  Coye, Molly J. ; Pryor, Paul D.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Worker exposures to chemicals associated with urethane (51796) foam production operations were investigated in September 1980, March 1981, and May 1982, at Crain Western (SIC-3069) in Compton, California. The evaluation was requested by an authorized employee representative on behalf of about 100 exposed workers. Personal and area air samples were analyzed for toluene-diisocyanate (26471625) (TDI), methylene-bisphenyl-isocyanate (101688) (MDI), methylene- chloride (75092), methyl-chloroform (71556), and fluorotrichloromethane (75694) (Freon). Fourteen workers were given medical questionnaires and pulmonary function tests. Concentrations of MDI, methylene-chloride, methyl-chloroform, and Freon were below the respective OSHA standards of 0.2 (15-minute ceiling), 1800, 1900 and 5600 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). TDI concentrations were as high as 4.4mg/m3, exceeding the OSHA limit of 0.14mg/m3. Seven workers had symptoms compatible with TDI exposure, including eye irritation, chest tightness or soreness, shortness of breath, decreases in pulmonary function over the workday, and wheezing. The authors conclude that a health hazard due to TDI exposure exists at this facility. The hazard is associated with the airborne isocyanate polymer rather than the monomer. The symptoms experienced by the workers are compatible with TDI exposure. The authors recommend improvements in ventilation, use of respiratory protection as well as protective clothing and gear, periodic environmental monitoring, and medical surveillance of workers exposed to TDI.
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Occupational Health Plastics Safety
• Keywords:
  Aerosol-particles Clinical-symptoms Fluorotrichloromethane Foam Manufacturing Hazards-Confirmed HETA-80-209-1396 Methyl Chloroform Methylene Bisphenyl Diisocyanate Methylene Chloride NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report OSHA Region 9 Plastic-products Toluene Diisocyanate Urethane Foam

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA802091396
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• 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:
  34 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Geraci, Charles L.
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00137712
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB85-179315
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 80-209-1396, 1983 Dec ; :1-31
• CAS Registry Number:
  Urethane (CAS RN 51-79-6) ; Toluene diisocyanate (CAS RN 26471-62-5) ; 4,4’-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (CAS RN 101-68-8) ; Methylene chloride (CAS RN 75-09-2) ; 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (CAS RN 71-55-6) ; Fluorotrichloromethane (CAS RN 75-69-4)
• Editor(s):
  Schulenberg, Marilyn K.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1984
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3069 - Fabricated rubber products, not elsewhere classified - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:58d2793027aa2b1b055b996677089ec81a663890ae5c4592f0002abccea275628c552edb479b0eac60dcde959182b8772d1a3c9d539285923f177a53fe383582
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172809/cdc_172809_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.99 MB ]