National Occupational Exposure Survey
(1981 - 1983)

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

Agent Name SODIUM HYDROXIDE (LIQUID)
CAS # 1310-73-2
RTECS # WB4905000
Agent Code X3782

Code Occupation Description (1980) Total # Employees
(Male & Female)
Total # Female
Employees
019 MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, N.E.C. 1,685 87
048 CHEMICAL ENGINEERS 7 2
053 CIVIL ENGINEERS 14  
059 ENGINEERS, N.E.C. 211  
073 CHEMISTS, EXCEPT BIOCHEMISTS 1,598 876
083 MEDICAL SCIENTISTS 79 79
084 PHYSICIANS 1,975 1,587
095 REGISTERED NURSES 29,636 21,877
096 PHARMACISTS 94 62
098 INHALATION THERAPISTS 1,872 853
203 CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS 7,547 5,133
206 RADIOLOGIC TECHNICIANS 10,064 7,539
207 LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES 2,073 2,073
208 HEALTH TECHNOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 145 124
213 ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS 148 88
216 ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 500 186
223 BIOLOGICAL TECHNICIANS 323 217
224 CHEMICAL TECHNICIANS 1,301 349
225 SCIENCE TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 166  
235 TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 3,281 852
259 SALES REPRESENTATIVES, MINING, MANUFACTURING, AND WHOLESALE 354  
336 RECORDS CLERKS 83 83
356 MAIL CLERKS, EXC. POSTAL SERVICE 658 8
364 TRAFFIC, SHIPPING, AND RECEIVING CLERKS 4,226 1,107
365 STOCK AND INVENTORY CLERKS 341  
385 DATA-ENTRY KEYERS 900 568
389 ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT OCCUPATIONS, N.E.C. 52  
436 COOKS, EXCEPT SHORT ORDER 608 352
444 MISCELLANEOUS FOOD PREPARATION OCCUPATIONS 11,342 4,470
446 HEALTH AIDES, EXCEPT NURSING 1,872 1,368
447 NURSING AIDES, ORDERLIES, AND ATTENDANTS 843 728
448 SUPERVISORS, CLEANING AND BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS 11 6
449 MAIDS AND HOUSEMEN 10,424 6,457
453 JANITORS AND CLEANERS 51,761 10,220
458 HAIRDRESSERS AND COSMETOLOGISTS 14,073 9,824
486 GROUNDSKEEPERS AND GARDENERS, EXCEPT FARM 487  
487 ANIMAL CARETAKERS, EXCEPT FARM 33 11
505 AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS 3,329  
507 BUS, TRUCK, AND STATIONARY ENGINE MECHANICS 1,265  
508 AIRCRAFT ENGINE MECHANICS 795  
514 AUTOMOBILE BODY AND RELATED REPAIRERS 2,130  
516 HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS 1,019  
518 INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY REPAIRERS 1,885  
519 MACHINERY MAINTENANCE OCCUPATIONS 91  
523 ELECTRONIC REPAIRERS, COMMUNICATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT 126  
534 HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING, AND REFRIGERATION MECHANICS 88  
535 CAMERA, WATCH, AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT REPAIRERS 41 41
539 MECHANICAL CONTROLS AND VALVE REPAIRERS 446  
544 MILLWRIGHTS 123  
547 SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS, N.E.C. 3,002  
549 NOT SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS 2,810 15
558 SUPERVISORS, N.E.C. 275  
567 CARPENTERS 595  
575 ELECTRICIANS 66  
579 PAINTERS, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE 207 14
585 PLUMBERS, PIPEFITTERS, AND STEAMFITTERS 5,318  
599 CONSTRUCTION TRADES, N.E.C. 344  
616 MINING MACHINE OPERATORS 8,072  
617 MINING OCCUPATIONS, N.E.C. 7,885  
633 SUPERVISORS, PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS 5,012 620
637 MACHINISTS 1,378  
643 BOILERMAKERS 110  
667 TAILORS 1,022 225
686 BUTCHERS AND MEAT CUTTERS 2,593  
687 BAKERS 1,356  
694 WATER AND SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT OPERATORS 1,256  
695 POWER PLANT OPERATORS 96  
696 STATIONARY ENGINEERS 1,834  
699 MISCELLANEOUS PLANT AND SYSTEM OPERATORS 1,571  
703 LATHE AND TURNING MACHINE SET-UP OPERATORS 32  
704 LATHE AND TURNING MACHINE OPERATORS 77  
706 PUNCHING AND STAMPING PRESS MACHINE OPERATORS 368 37
707 ROLLING MACHINE OPERATORS 900  
709 GRINDING, ABRADING, BUFFING, AND POLISHING MACHINE OPERATORS 506  
715 MISCELLANEOUS METAL, PLASTIC, STONE, AND GLASS WORKING MACHINE OPERATORS 22  
717 FABRICATING MACHINE OPERATORS, N.E.C. 28  
719 MOLDING AND CASTING MACHINE OPERATORS 542  
723 METAL PLATING MACHINE OPERATORS 3,230 1,029
724 HEAT TREATING EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 69  
725 MISCELLANEOUS METAL AND PLASTIC PROCESSING MACHINE OPERATORS 69  
734 PRINTING MACHINE OPERATORS 6,302 241
735 PHOTOENGRAVERS AND LITHOGRAPHERS 215  
736 TYPESETTERS AND COMPOSITORS 1,835 48
737 MISCELLANEOUS PRINTING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,476 768
744 TEXTILE SEWING MACHINE OPERATORS 41,008 39,985
747 PRESSING MACHINE OPERATORS 618 449
748 LAUNDERING AND DRY CLEANING MACHINE OPERATORS 906  
749 MISCELLANEOUS TEXTILE MACHINE OPERATORS 4,771  
754 PACKAGING AND FILLING MACHINE OPERATORS 3,893 1,146
755 EXTRUDING AND FORMING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,411  
756 MIXING AND BLENDING MACHINE OPERATORS 16,142 1,989
757 SEPARATING, FILTERING, AND CLARIFYING MACHINE OPERATORS 45  
759 PAINTING AND PAINT SPRAYING MACHINE OPERATORS 54  
765 FOLDING MACHINE OPERATORS 2,047 851
766 FURNACE, KILN, AND OVEN OPERATORS, EXC. FOOD 1,340  
768 CRUSHING AND GRINDING MACHINE OPERATORS 491  
769 SLICING AND CUTTING MACHINE OPERATORS 256  
774 PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS MACHINE OPERATORS 128 117
777 MISCELLANEOUS MACHINE OPERATORS, N.E.C. 7,830 438
779 MACHINE OPERATORS, NOT SPECIFIED 10,348 1,472
783 WELDERS AND CUTTERS 1,241  
785 ASSEMBLERS 2,002 846
786 HAND CUTTING AND TRIMMING OCCUPATIONS 351  
789 HAND PAINTING, COATING, AND DECORATING OCCUPATIONS 82  
795 MISCELLANEOUS HAND WORKING OCCUPATIONS 295  
796 PRODUCTION INSPECTORS, CHECKERS, AND EXAMINERS 4,791 2,244
804 TRUCK DRIVERS, HEAVY 9,677  
844 OPERATING ENGINEERS 85  
849 CRANE AND TOWER OPERATORS 413  
856 INDUSTRIAL TRUCK AND TRACTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 995 83
859 MISCELLANEOUS MATERIAL MOVING EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 324 48
865 HELPERS, CONSTRUCTION TRADES 549  
869 CONSTRUCTION LABORERS 3,149  
873 PRODUCTION HELPERS 547  
877 STOCK HANDLERS AND BAGGERS 69  
883 FREIGHT, STOCK, AND MATERIAL MOVERS, HAND, N.E.C. 624  
885 GARAGE AND SERVICE STATION RELATED OCCUPATIONS 132  
887 VEHICLE WASHERS AND EQUIPMENT CLEANERS 4,065 507
888 HAND PACKERS AND PACKAGERS 7,808 5,650
889 LABORERS, EXCEPT CONSTRUCTION 9,496 1,109
TOTAL 370,582 137,156

*(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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