Case study: control of methylene chloride exposures during furniture stripping

Details

• Personal Author:
  Estill, Cheryl F. ; Spencer, Amy B.
• Description:
  The control of occupational methylene-chloride (75092) exposure in a furniture stripping operation by ventilation modifications was described. A NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation of a sheltered workshop furniture stripping operation identified time weighted average airborne exposures to methylene-chloride of 600 parts per million (ppm), 960ppm, and 1,1,52ppm, respectively, during three evaluations conducted over a period of about 4 months. At this time the facility had local exhaust ventilation in the stripping room which exhausted about 79 cubic meters/minute through a chemical absorption bed, and dilution ventilation in the rinsing room with an exhaust volume of 34 cubic meters/minute. Based on analyses that included observations of air movement in smoke tubes, it was recommended that the charcoal adsorption bed be removed, all doors to the stripping area remain open, and that a modified local exhaust system be installed. Selection of an appropriate local exhaust system was made following evaluation of three different hood configurations. All of the hoods tested, slot, downdraft, and a combination hood, substantially improved exposure conditions. The authors conclude that the control measures used at this facility may be applicable to other furniture stripping operations. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hydrocarbons Interior Design And Furnishings Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Chlorinated-hydrocarbons Control-technology Exhaust-ventilation Exposure-levels Furniture-industry Furniture-workers NIOSH-Author Occupational-exposure
• ISSN:
  0002-8894
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• 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:
  43-49
• Volume:
  57
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00231445
• Citation:
  Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1996 Jan; 57(1):43-49
• CAS Registry Number:
  Dichloromethane (CAS RN 75-09-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1996
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c9d6a375c1e813b9ab6d5973918977d32d68548b5a6e9ee1020c6651be775ea53d089253a22de3f9d5c1fadf9f8f6b998233a98524f32c712225b956f7c69583
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/204291/cdc_204291_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 749.43 KB ]