Health Hazard Evaluation Determination Report No. HE 78-3-555: Warminster Fiberglass: Southhampton, Pennsylvania

Details

• Personal Author:
  Rosensteel, Robert E.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Environmental surveys and employee interviews were conducted on November 14 and 15, 1977, and July 24 to 28, 1978, to evaluate complaints of irritating fumes causing eye, nose, throat, and skin irritations to fiberglass assemblers at Warminster Fiberglass (SIC- 3296) in Southhampton, Pennsylvania. The evaluation was requested by the employer on behalf of approximately 80 affected employees. Styrene (100425) concentrations during the initial survey ranged from 200 to 400 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the 100 ppm OSHA standard. Reported employee symptoms were consistent with symptoms caused by styrene overexposure. Methylethyl ketone peroxide (MEKO) concentrations ranged from none detected to 13 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3), exceeding the 1.5mg/m3 American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value as measured during spray up fabrication. Peak levels of styrene exceeded the 600ppm OSHA standard for peak measurements in two instances. The 200ppm OSHA ceiling for 5 minute exposure was equalled in one sample. The author concludes that workers were exposed to potentially toxic concentrations of MEKO and styrene vapor and less significant concentrations of acetone vapors. The author recommends that one of the ventilation systems be improved, that the practice of removing dust using compressed air be discontinued and replaced with a vacuum system, and that two work stations be relocated so as to be directly in front of the exhaust hoods. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Movements Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Butanones Dust Ergonomics Occupational Health Plastics Safety Skin Solvents Styrene Toluene Ventilation

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• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Air-flow Environmental-engineering Eye, Nose, Throat, And Skin Irritations Hazard-Confirmed HHE-78-3-555 MEKO Methylethyl Ketone Peroxide NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation Organic Vapors OSHA Region 3 Polyester Resin Spray-up And Lay-up Processes Skin-exposure Vapors

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE783555
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Pennsylvania ; Southampton (PA) ; OSHA Region 3
• 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:
  23 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Flesch, Jerome P. ; Pryor, Paul D. ; Love, John R. ; Peter, David J. ; Millson, Mark B. ; Holthaus, Marie A.
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00101032
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB81-149684
• 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 78-3-555, 1979 Jan ; :1-23
• CAS Registry Number:
  Styrene (CAS RN 100-42-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1979
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3296 - Mineral wool - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bfb64f11cfd202bc6600c69bba265021a9c2205670cc6be02d8c78a6cc49d25fe78792b37373f4646637ca232ae53453ca2be82df7303044d2b0cf38c32df6bd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/173566/cdc_173566_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.33 MB ]