Survey Report: Control Technology Evaluation for Controlling Worker Exposure to Asphalt Fumes from Roofing Kettles: Kettle Operated Using an Afterburner System at Nicholes Elementary School, San Antonio, Texas

Details

• Personal Author:
  Marlow, David A. ; Topmiller, Jennifer L.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Description:
  From November 26 through December 1, 2001, a field survey was conducted at a new construction site where a built up asphalt roof was being installed at Nicholes Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas. The survey was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of using an afterburner system with a safety loading door fitted to an asphalt kettle to reduce worker exposure to asphalt fumes. Personal breathing zone and area air samples were collected and analyzed for total particulate (TP), benzene soluble fraction (BSF) of the TP, and total polycyclic aromatic compounds (PAC). These three analyses were chosen to represent indices of exposure to asphalt fumes. Air samples were collected with the afterburners on and kettle lid closed and the afterburners off and kettle lid closed. Air samples were collected on the kettle operator, two roof level workers, and area air samples collected around the four comers of the kettle. Four days of sampling were conducted at Nicholes Elementary School. Due to a laboratory error, two days of sampling were lost. The kettle operator's exposures to TP, BSF, and total PAC were all increased when the afterburner was on and the kettle lid was closed when compared to when the afterburner was off and the kettle lid was closed. Increases in exposures for the kettle operator of 147%, 397%, and 367% for TP, BSF, and total PAC were measured. The comparison of the results for the area air samples collected around the kettle showed a reduction of 41 % for the TP exposures and an increase of 81 % and 95% for BSF and total PAC. For the roof leve1 workers, exposures to TP, BSF, and total PAC were reduced 48%, 46%, and 57%, respectively. None of the reductions measured were statistically significant (p less than or equal to 0.05). Using the afterburner system with the kettle lid closed did not appear to provide protection from asphalt fume exposure, particularly for the kettle operator.
• Subjects:
  Benzene Construction Industry Construction Materials Environmental Monitoring Hydrocarbons Occupational Health Particulate Matter Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Safety
• Keywords:
  Air-sampling Asphalt-fumes Benzenes Breathing-zone Construction-materials Construction-workers Control-technology Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels OSHA Region 6 Particulates Polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons Roofers

  More +
• Series:
  Engineering and Physical Hazards Survey Reports
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHEPHB23120a
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Construction
• Name as Subject:
  Nicholes Elementary School
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Texas ; San Antonio (TX) ; OSHA Region 6
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology ; EPHB - Engineering and Physical Hazards Branch
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-20
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20024581
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2004-105249
• Citation:
  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, EPHB 231-20a, 2004 Mar ; :1-20
• CAS Registry Number:
  Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2) ; Asphalt (CAS RN 8052-42-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2004
• NORA Priority Area:
  Research Tools and Approaches: Control Technology and Personal Protective Equipment
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  1761 - Roofing, siding, and sheet metal work - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7b0303f17cfe7cb3ac897d76b219cd85be4b8492c6a841624f643141e35aa07efc7aca4b3c186f858f9813eb478c034b25fe8d8dae1b554af18af5d654e5678a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/174892/cdc_174892_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 579.55 KB ]