National Occupational Exposure Survey
(1981 - 1983)

Estimated Numbers of Employees Potentially Exposed to Specific Agents by Occupation*

Agent Name SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE
CAS # 151-21-3
RTECS # WT1050000
Agent Code 81990

Code Occupation Description (1980) Total # Employees
(Male & Female)
Total # Female
Employees
015 MANAGERS, MEDICINE AND HEALTH 76 76
018 FUNERAL DIRECTORS 9,658  
019 MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, N.E.C. 4,109 1,311
026 MANAGEMENT ANALYSTS 329 329
048 CHEMICAL ENGINEERS 6  
053 CIVIL ENGINEERS 1,500  
056 INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERS 155 78
059 ENGINEERS, N.E.C. 10  
073 CHEMISTS, EXCEPT BIOCHEMISTS 3,533 1,383
078 BIOLOGICAL AND LIFE SCIENTISTS 417 371
083 MEDICAL SCIENTISTS 428 331
084 PHYSICIANS 3,735 1,596
086 VETERINARIANS 630  
095 REGISTERED NURSES 147,546 127,992
096 PHARMACISTS 5,383 3,334
097 DIETITIANS 1,799 1,223
098 INHALATION THERAPISTS 1,861 772
103 PHYSICAL THERAPISTS 2,731 2,210
105 THERAPISTS, N.E.C. 37 37
185 DESIGNERS 234 92
188 PAINTERS, SCULPTORS, CRAFT-ARTISTS, AND ARTIST PRINTMAKERS 812 271
189 PHOTOGRAPHERS 2,130 399
203 CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS 17,329 12,271
206 RADIOLOGIC TECHNICIANS 7,591 4,918
207 LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES 3,057 3,010
208 HEALTH TECHNOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 11,842 4,503
213 ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS 3,150 1,314
215 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS 350 33
216 ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 3,399 1,290
223 BIOLOGICAL TECHNICIANS 1,184 1,129
224 CHEMICAL TECHNICIANS 4,703 1,413
225 SCIENCE TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 3,207 812
235 TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 11,688 3,398
274 SALES WORKERS, OTHER COMMODITIES 1,315 1,315
276 CASHIERS 744 744
307 SUPERVISORS; DISTRIBUTION, SCHEDULING, AND ADJUSTING CLERKS 1,912 546
308 COMPUTER OPERATORS 351 150
313 SECRETARIES 2,295 2,295
319 RECEPTIONISTS 876 526
335 FILE CLERKS 449 117
336 RECORDS CLERKS 83 83
345 DUPLICATING MACHINE OPERATORS 121 20
346 MAIL PREPARING AND PAPER HANDLING MACHINE OPERATORS 96 72
356 MAIL CLERKS, EXC. POSTAL SERVICE 1,580 1,580
363 PRODUCTION COORDINATORS 57  
364 TRAFFIC, SHIPPING, AND RECEIVING CLERKS 1,077 255
365 STOCK AND INVENTORY CLERKS 4,406 3,062
373 EXPEDITERS 69  
374 MATERIAL RECORDING, SCHEDULING, AND DISTRIBUTING CLERKS, N.E.C. 18 18
379 GENERAL OFFICE CLERKS 6,519 4,510
389 ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT OCCUPATIONS, N.E.C. 216  
433 SUPERVISORS, FOOD PREPARATION AND SERVICE OCCUPATIONS 20 20
436 COOKS, EXCEPT SHORT ORDER 289 206
439 KITCHEN WORKERS, FOOD PREPARATION 78 78
443 WAITERS'/WAITRESSES' ASSISTANTS 43 43
444 MISCELLANEOUS FOOD PREPARATION OCCUPATIONS 12,023 9,393
445 DENTAL ASSISTANTS 58 27
446 HEALTH AIDES, EXCEPT NURSING 16,551 10,406
447 NURSING AIDES, ORDERLIES, AND ATTENDANTS 16,001 15,068
448 SUPERVISORS, CLEANING AND BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS 318 57
449 MAIDS AND HOUSEMEN 51,399 32,778
453 JANITORS AND CLEANERS 182,436 66,238
458 HAIRDRESSERS AND COSMETOLOGISTS 33,903 26,585
469 PERSONAL SERVICE OCCUPATIONS, N.E.C. 611 267
486 GROUNDSKEEPERS AND GARDENERS, EXCEPT FARM 634 14
487 ANIMAL CARETAKERS, EXCEPT FARM 3,870 2,620
505 AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS 5,737  
507 BUS, TRUCK, AND STATIONARY ENGINE MECHANICS 499  
515 AIRCRAFT MECHANICS, EXC. ENGINE 182  
516 HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS 1,268  
518 INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY REPAIRERS 2,638  
519 MACHINERY MAINTENANCE OCCUPATIONS 406  
525 DATA PROCESSING EQUIPMENT REPAIRERS 7  
529 TELEPHONE INSTALLERS AND REPAIRERS 6,749  
535 CAMERA, WATCH, AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT REPAIRERS 1,648  
547 SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS, N.E.C. 2,285 795
549 NOT SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS 2,573 576
554 SUPERVISORS, CARPENTERS AND RELATED WORKERS 34  
567 CARPENTERS 2,407  
575 ELECTRICIANS 17,052  
579 PAINTERS, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE 334 119
585 PLUMBERS, PIPEFITTERS, AND STEAMFITTERS 3,108  
589 GLAZIERS 837  
593 INSULATION WORKERS 44  
614 DRILLERS, OIL WELL 7,368  
617 MINING OCCUPATIONS, N.E.C. 7,885  
633 SUPERVISORS, PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS 4,844 54
634 TOOL AND DIE MAKERS 892  
636 PRECISION ASSEMBLERS, METAL 1,119 947
637 MACHINISTS 2,732 408
643 BOILERMAKERS 75  
645 PATTERNMAKERS AND MODEL MAKERS, METAL 514  
646 LAY-OUT WORKERS 28 2
647 PRECIOUS STONES AND METALS WORKERS (JEWELERS) 23 12
649 ENGRAVERS, METAL 569 514
653 SHEET METAL WORKERS 934  
655 MISCELLANEOUS PRECISION METAL WORKERS 29 18
666 DRESSMAKERS 123 123
668 UPHOLSTERERS 853  
669 SHOE REPAIRERS 191 120
675 HAND MOLDERS AND SHAPERS, EXCEPT JEWELERS 728  
676 PATTERNMAKERS, LAY-OUT WORKERS, AND CUTTERS 310 207
677 OPTICAL GOODS WORKERS 168 151
678 DENTAL LABORATORY AND MEDICAL APPLIANCE TECHNICIANS 3,246 2,033
683 ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ASSEMBLERS 953  
684 MISCELLANEOUS PRECISION WORKERS, N.E.C. 1,973 962
686 BUTCHERS AND MEAT CUTTERS 6,462 645
687 BAKERS 1,866 510
689 INSPECTORS, TESTERS, AND GRADERS 324 225
694 WATER AND SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS 538  
695 POWER PLANT OPERATORS 166 67
699 MISCELLANEOUS PLANT AND SYSTEM OPERATORS 114  
703 LATHE AND TURNING MACHINE SET-UP OPERATORS 48 2
706 PUNCHING AND STAMPING PRESS MACHINE OPERATORS 1,979 511
707 ROLLING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,898  
708 DRILLING AND BORING MACHINE OPERATORS 724  
709 GRINDING, ABRADING, BUFFING, AND POLISHING MACHINE OPERATORS 4,319 1,890
719 MOLDING AND CASTING MACHINE OPERATORS 5,543 467
723 METAL PLATING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,991 38
724 HEAT TREATING EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 229  
725 MISCELLANEOUS METAL AND PLASTIC PROCESSING MACHINE OPERATORS 87  
726 WOOD LATHE, ROUTING, AND PLANING MACHINE OPERATORS 410  
728 SHAPING AND JOINING MACHINE OPERATORS 72  
734 PRINTING MACHINE OPERATORS 19,992 3,700
735 PHOTOENGRAVERS AND LITHOGRAPHERS 3,622 281
736 TYPESETTERS AND COMPOSITORS 7,335 1,355
737 MISCELLANEOUS PRINTING MACHINE OPERATORS 629 121
743 TEXTILE CUTTING MACHINE OPERATORS 171  
744 TEXTILE SEWING MACHINE OPERATORS 5,613 5,445
745 SHOE MACHINE OPERATORS 2,429 2,089
747 PRESSING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,150 1,088
748 LAUNDERING AND DRY CLEANING MACHINE OPERATORS 2,643 562
749 MISCELLANEOUS TEXTILE MACHINE OPERATORS 3,506 898
753 CEMENTING AND GLUING MACHINE OPERATORS 368 192
754 PACKAGING AND FILLING MACHINE OPERATORS 8,431 1,214
755 EXTRUDING AND FORMING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,601 137
756 MIXING AND BLENDING MACHINE OPERATORS 15,643 2,041
757 SEPARATING, FILTERING, AND CLARIFYING MACHINE OPERATORS 997 347
759 PAINTING AND PAINT SPRAYING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,217 378
764 WASHING, CLEANING, AND PICKLING MACHINE OPERATORS 437 437
765 FOLDING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,842 1,340
766 FURNACE, KILN, AND OVEN OPERATORS, EXC. FOOD 346  
768 CRUSHING AND GRINDING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,129 252
769 SLICING AND CUTTING MACHINE OPERATORS 3,689 1,851
774 PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS MACHINE OPERATORS 6,813 2,976
777 MISCELLANEOUS MACHINE OPERATORS, N.E.C. 16,405 4,105
779 MACHINE OPERATORS, NOT SPECIFIED 11,750 3,804
783 WELDERS AND CUTTERS 1,570 89
784 SOLDERERS AND BRAZERS 450 134
785 ASSEMBLERS 21,056 7,697
786 HAND CUTTING AND TRIMMING OCCUPATIONS 351  
787 HAND MOLDING, CASTING, AND FORMING OCCUPATIONS 200 20
793 HAND ENGRAVING AND PRINTING OCCUPATIONS 526 33
796 PRODUCTION INSPECTORS, CHECKERS, AND EXAMINERS 2,570 1,083
797 PRODUCTION TESTERS 336 309
799 GRADERS AND SORTERS, EXCEPT AGRICULTURAL 170 170
804 TRUCK DRIVERS, HEAVY 4,316  
806 DRIVER-SALES WORKERS 335  
809 TAXI CAB DRIVERS AND CHAUFFEURS 1,863 36
849 CRANE AND TOWER OPERATORS 103  
859 MISCELLANEOUS MATERIAL MOVING EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 593 53
869 CONSTRUCTION LABORERS 2,033  
873 PRODUCTION HELPERS 2,172 26
877 STOCK HANDLERS AND BAGGERS 22 5
878 MACHINE FEEDERS AND OFFBEARERS 568 242
883 FREIGHT, STOCK, AND MATERIAL MOVERS, HAND, N.E.C. 1,241  
885 GARAGE AND SERVICE STATION RELATED OCCUPATIONS 3,413  
887 VEHICLE WASHERS AND EQUIPMENT CLEANERS 2,058 459
888 HAND PACKERS AND PACKAGERS 4,091 3,011
889 LABORERS, EXCEPT CONSTRUCTION 14,006 997
TOTAL 886,968 415,360

*(1) The estimates for each occupation apply across the surveyed industries in which the agent was observed. Not all industries were surveyed, and not all agents were observed in all surveyed industries. (2) When using the estimates, standard errors associated with estimates should be considered. (3) Potential exposures to a chemical agent are categorized as actual (i.e., the surveyor observed the use of the specific agent) or tradename (i.e., the surveyor observed the use of a tradename product known to contain the specific agent). The estimates presented in the table combine both categories.

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