Control technology assessment of chemical processes, Quaker Oats Company, Chemicals Division, Omaha, Nebraska, preliminary survey report for the site visit of August 19, 1981.

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  An on site visit was made to the Quaker Oats Company, Omaha, Nebraska to evaluate control methods in use at this facility to reduce worker exposure to hazardous substances. This facility produces furfural (98011) and furfuryl-alcohol (98000) in two separate processes. Furfural was made using corn cobs and oat hulls. Most of the furfural produced was used to make furfuryl- alcohol. Various control techniques were in use. Dust control is particularly important during the operation of the digester charging system when corn cobs and oat hulls were transferred from staging areas to a conveyor system running to the top of all 12 digesters in the facility. Local exhaust ventilation connected to the duct created a slight negative pressure during charging to as to help limit the dust and vapors emitted. The digester was equipped with a shaft seal to prevent any leakage during digestion. The process to make furfuryl-alcohol was completely enclosed so that opportunities for exposure are limited. About once each month the copper based catalyst must be replaced. When some of the catalyst remained stuck in the reactor, it was necessary to insert a high pressure air lance to blow it out. A mechanical suction device was placed over the tube being blown to prevent catalyst dust from entering the workplace. Work practices and personal protective equipment available were briefly reviewed.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Biological Assay Carcinogens Chromosomes Enzymes Genetics Histocytochemistry Mutagens Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Airborne-dusts Chemical-manufacturing-industry Control-technology Dust-control Field-Study NIOSH-Contract NIOSH-Survey Region-7
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHECTB10111a
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Field Studies ; Control Technology
• Place as Subject:
  Maine ; Maryland ; Nebraska ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-25
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00183725
• 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, ECTB 101-11a, 1982 Feb; :1-25
• CAS Registry Number:
  Furfural (CAS RN 98-01-1) ; Furfuryl alcohol (CAS RN 98-00-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1982
• NORA Priority Area:
  Control-technology
• Performing Organization:
  Enviro Control Division, Dynamac Corporation, Rockville, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:46e340e3134fa48b261240160e7c7d0959e3740d44232156bef24b21bf1a9b30150ac478fea2cfb912eb49e978e0e528bb64774e338db31449865e12862faedd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180164/cdc_180164_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 810.33 KB ]