Health Hazard Evaluation Determination Report HE 78-26-560: Mallory Battery Company: Lexington, North Carolina

Details

• Personal Author:
  Moseley, Clifford L. ; Shea, Linda
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Airborne concentrations of inorganic mercury (7439976) were measured at the Mallory Battery Company (SIC-3692) in Lexington, North Carolina on January 10 and February 13 to 15, 1978. The evaluation was requested by the employer for approximately 100 employees. A medical questionnaire and physical examinations were also administered to evaluate mercury exposure. Measured values of total mercury (particulate and elemental) exposure ranged from 0.07 to 2.25 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/cu m) with all but 2 of 42 values exceeding the OSHA 8 hour standard of 0.1mg/cu m. Questionnaire responses showed several symptoms (irritability, backache, and muscle twitch) that occurred more frequently than in a control group not exposed to mercury. A significant difference was found between the higher rate of miscarriages among employees and the lower rate (zero percent) of a control group. Analysis of semen from employees showed no harmful effects due to mercury. There was evidence of mercury absorption as indicated by elevated urine mercury concentrations. The investigators conclude that there was a significant mercury exposure to employees at the facility. Evidence of increased mercury absorption was found among the employees. There was no correlation between urine mercury concentrations and symptoms as reported on the questionnaires. The investigators recommend that positive pressure respirators or self-contained breathing apparatus be supplied to employees until engineering controls are installed to reduce mercury exposure. A written respirator program should be developed, the hazards of mercury exposure should be pointed out to employees, employee mercury exposure should be monitored periodically, spills should be quickly and thoroughly cleaned up, and periodic physical examinations, including tests of urine mercury concentrations, should be continued. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Mercury Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety Urogenital System Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Clinical-symptoms Hazard-Confirmed HHE-78-26-560 Inorganic-mercury Inorganic Mercury Medical-examinations NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation OSHA Region 4 Particulate And Elemental Reproductive-effects Respiratory-protection Tremor Urine Hg

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE7826560
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; Lexington (NC) ; OSHA Region 4
• 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:
  32 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Flesch, Jerome P. ; Rosensteel, Robert E. ; Taft, Richard M. ; Hull, Delon ; Lybarger, Jeffrey A. ; Singall, Mitchell ; Wisseman, Charles L. ; Schutte, George R. ; Lagenbrunner, Sandra ; Vogt, Thomas J. ; Reuss, Barbara J. ; Marshall, Dorothy
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00101037
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB89-143184
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 78-26-560, 1979 Dec ; :1-32
• CAS Registry Number:
  Mercury (CAS RN 7439-97-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1980
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3692 - Primary batteries, dry and wet - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:238c13b360255e57386e28d8922e8022c3c9813ecd7cbc8367a5de331f5b0720882abbde55fa96bc403e2f07e6a5d00ccf569a7c40d7f42c72a3be384c09b668
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/173562/cdc_173562_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.56 MB ]