Health Hazard Evaluation Project No. HE 78-98-710: Globe Union Battery Plant: Bennington, Vermont

Details

• Personal Author:
  Costello, Richard J. ; Landrigan, Philip J.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  An environmental and medical survey was conducted from January 29 to February 2, 1979 at the Globe Union Battery Company in Bennington, Vermont, to determine employee exposures to lead (7439921), arsenic (7440382), antimony (7440360), sulfuric-acid (7664939), arsine (7784421), stibine (7803523), and benzene soluble polynuclear- aromatic-hydrocarbons (PNAH). A representative of the United Automotive, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers Union requested the evaluation on behalf of approximately 230 production workers. Lead concentrations in 172 of 342 personal air samples equaled or exceeded the proposed OSHA standard of 50 micrograms per cubic meter. Arsenic concentrations in 5 of 344 samples equaled or exceeded the OSHA standard of 10 micrograms per cubic meter. PNAHs were excessive. No excessive exposures were found for any other substances. Numerous flaws in the ventilation system were detected. Blood lead concentrations of 60 micrograms per deciliter or above were found in 19 of 143 workers and 63 workers had concentrations of 40 to 59 micrograms per deciliter. Urine arsenic concentrations of 50 micrograms per liter or above were found in 53 of 122 workers
  
  11 had concentrations of 100 micrograms per liter or above. Elevated blood urea nitrogen concentrations were found in 21 of 143 workers, possibly suggesting lead induced kidney disease. The author concludes that hazards from lead and arsenic exposure exist at this facility. Efforts to control lead exposure should focus initially on specific job categories where mean airborne lead concentrations exceed 100 micrograms per cubic meter. Numerous specific industrial hygiene and ventilation improvements also are suggested. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  
  
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Arsenic Blood Inorganic Chemicals Lead Occupational Health Poisoning Safety Sulfuric Acids Surveys And Questionnaires Ventilation Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Antimony Arsenic Arsine Benzene-soluble Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons Blood Lead Blood Urea Nitrogen BUN Control-methods EP Erythrocyte Protoporphyrin Hazard-Confirmed Health-surveys HHE-78-98-710 Lead Metallic-poisons NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation OSHA Region 1 PNAH Standards Stibine Storage-batteries Sulfuric Acid Urine Arsenic Workplace-studies

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE7898710
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Vermont ; Bennington (VT) ; OSHA Region 1
• 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:
  59 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Straub, Wesley E. ; Stroman, Raymond E. ; Vogt, Richard ; Donohue, Michael T. ; Donaldson, Harry ; Ruhe, Raymond L. ; McGlothlin, James D. ; Johnson, Paul L. ; Kominsky, John R. ; Peter, David J. ; Duncan, Richard ; Newman, Jerry ; Amendola, Alfred ; Wheeler, Roger ; Day, Paul ; Stringer, William T. ; Lee, Shio T. ; Kerdolff, Sandra L.
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00103118
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB81-168437
• 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, HHE 78-98-710, 1980 Jul ; :1-59
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1) ; Arsenic (CAS RN 7440-38-2) ; Antimony (CAS RN 7440-36-0) ; Sulfuric acid (CAS RN 7664-93-9) ; Arsine (CAS RN 7784-42-1) ; Stibine (CAS RN 7803-52-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1980
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f0e1fe0a3ed4bf5df44d3810f8bbf7b834db1b5cd1d5b17a89597606e5e22102830687c807ac1ce22f87b36a9db872d074448cb2f54ec590d09697546fc827bc
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/173533/cdc_173533_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.93 MB ]