In-depth survey report: control of perchloroethylene exposures in commercial dry cleaners at Appearance Plus Cleaners, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Earnest, Gary S. ; Gressel MG ; Hall, Ronald M. ; Kovein, Ronald J. ; Moran, Alma J. ; Spencer AB
• Description:
  An in depth study was conducted at Appearance Plus Cleaners (SIC- 7216), Cincinnati, Ohio to evaluate control of worker exposure to perchloroethylene (127184) (PERC) from two nonvented, refrigerated, dry to dry machines, and to provide recommendations for improvement. In the dry cleaning building, two machines were located along the center of the rear wall. The shop used an average of 30 gallons of PERC every 2 to 2.5 months. Each machine processed approximately ten loads of clothing for a total of about 600 pounds of clothing a day. Exposure to PERC was the primary health hazard for workers in dry cleaning facilities. Exposures were maintained well below 25 parts per million (ppm). The time weighted average exposure for a machine operator was 7.8ppm. Loading and unloading of the dry cleaning machines had the greatest impact on exposures. The average exposure during loading was 98ppm; during unloading, the average exposure was 89ppm. No visible leaks were found in the machines, probably because they were new. The authors recommend the addition of a simple, inexpensive, external local ventilation system. Other recommendations include use of personal protective equipment at spotting stations to reduce dermal exposure, and the development of a proper respirator program.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Occupational Health Quality Control Safety
• Keywords:
  Chlorinated-hydrocarbons Control-technology Dry-cleaning-industry Dry-cleaning-solvents Field-Study NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Survey Occupational-exposure Region-5
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHECTB20115a
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Studies ; Control Technology
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• 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:
  1-45
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00225269
• 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, ECTB 201-15a1995 Feb; :1-45
• CAS Registry Number:
  Tetrachloroethylene (CAS RN 127-18-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  7216 - Drycleaning plants, except rug - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f1679a060cf8f4a7dbffde7ea7acda5c0a738d6fee5f925da4c978390f2e5209b4be6c71df24d62cbc8a158049a6ea4071a407a41d1ca8a28c88e6a7f597624c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180921/cdc_180921_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.15 MB ]