Airborne emissions produced by the interaction of a carbon dioxide laser with glass, metals, and plastics.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Fleeger, Alan K. ; Moss, C. Eugene
• Description:
  An on site study was conducted at a laser facility that processes scientific glassware in response to a request from the management at that site to evaluate and identify airborne emissions generated during laser cutting. Materials were cut by a carbon-dioxide laser and included glassware, metal bands, and plastic sheets. The findings indicated an overexposure to respirable fused silica (7631869) dust on an 8 hour basis. The 8 hour personal breathing zone sample recorded for the operator was ten times the NIOSH recommended exposure limit of 0.05mg/m3. During the cutting operations with fused quartz a detectable odor was generated, having come from a binder in the graphite pad used as a laser beam stop. Sampling results collected for organic vapors during the cutting of various plastic samples revealed significant exposures to ethyl- acrylate (140885). The authors recommend that improvements be made to the ventilation system in place at the site; the use of respiratory protection may be necessary. Eye protectors were suggested to reduce the glare and brightness, and it was also suggested that general good housekeeping procedures be followed. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Dust Environmental Monitoring Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Safety Smoke Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Smoke-control; Smoke-inhalation; Lasers; Ventilation-systems; Personal-protective-equipment; Air-quality-monitoring; Mineral-dusts; Airborne-dusts
• Publisher:
  Laser Institute of America
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00211856
• Citation:
  Proceedings of the International Laser Safety Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 27-30, 1990. Charscan SS, ed., Orlando, FL: Laser Institute of America, 1991 Jan; :3-3
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ethyl acrylate (CAS RN 140-88-5) ; Silica (CAS RN 7631-86-9)
• Editor(s):
  Charscan SS
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1991
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of the International Laser Safety Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 27-30, 1990
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7dc847c09aedf140bc731323e8446b4703641ae07d6ad9e7b7238120dab30b8f7dcaa9b938d34d035f87873a0fe7fec262d5d13dcaf290925445e82b6de3b57d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/243210/cdc_243210_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 168.02 KB ]