Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. 2023-0084-3425: Evaluation of Exposure to Metals and Noise During Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Operations

Details

• Personal Author:
  Methner, Mark M. ; Brueck, Scott E.
• Description:
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health received a request for a health hazard evaluation (HHE) from an employer representative at a shipbuilding and ship repair company. The request concerned potential exposure to airborne metals and noise during various shipbuilding and ship repair activities. We initially visited each facility (new build and repair) to learn more from management and employees about the production process, work tasks, potential exposures, and health concerns. During this visit, we reviewed facility health and safety documents, observed work tasks associated with each job title, and developed our plan to return and conduct exposure monitoring for airborne metals and noise. We returned to the two worksites and measured employees' exposures to airborne metals and noise. We also observed work activities, personal protective equipment use, and exposure controls. The results of our air sampling showed that Welders (Structural and Pipe), Fitters, and Helper-tackers were overexposed to manganese. We found that employees' noise exposures in most of the jobs we monitored were above the NIOSH recommended exposure limit. Engineering controls such as portable welding exhaust, general building ventilation, use of noise barriers along with respiratory and hearing protection can prevent or reduce manganese and noise exposures at these facilities.
• Subjects:
  Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Manganese Metals Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Ship Building And Repairing; Metals; Manganese; Noise; Hearing Loss; Welding; Grinding; Abrasive Blasting Region 6; Shipbuilding Industry; Noise Exposure; Metal Dusts; Manganese; Welding; Grinding Equipment; Ventilation; Personal Protective Equipment; PPE; Respiratory Protection; Hierarchy Of Controls; Engineering Controls; Hearing Protection; Abrasive Blasting;
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; Louisiana ; Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Birmingham Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  34 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071009
• 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, HHE 2023-0084-3425, 2025 Aug; :1-34
• CAS Registry Number:
  Manganese (CAS RN 7439-96-5)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  336611 - Ship Building and Repairing - (NAICS)
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:bf67396f42a064dd361c67b67083dbefba8662ed786841fdf24d326848b0e9e8dcb6ac0a732ae3985d5dc3b0382a59c82adb0db332b524c2b43d6a08e242ba5a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/257788/cdc_257788_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.22 MB ]