National Occupational Exposure Survey
(1981 - 1983)

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

Agent Name SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
CAS #
RTECS #
Agent Code X6186

Code Occupation Description (1980) Total # Employees
(Male & Female)
Total # Female
Employees
007 FINANCIAL MANAGERS 173  
013 MANAGERS, MARKETING, ADVERTISING, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 60  
019 MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, N.E.C. 766  
027 PERSONNEL, TRAINING, AND LABOR RELATIONS SPECIALISTS 2,881  
048 CHEMICAL ENGINEERS 3  
059 ENGINEERS, N.E.C. 18  
064 COMPUTER SYSTEMS ANALYSTS AND SCIENTISTS 386 125
073 CHEMISTS, EXCEPT BIOCHEMISTS 676 71
084 PHYSICIANS 137 26
086 VETERINARIANS 1,472 294
095 REGISTERED NURSES 15,436 14,806
103 PHYSICAL THERAPISTS 176 176
105 THERAPISTS, N.E.C. 98 77
159 TEACHERS, N.E.C. 43  
185 DESIGNERS 66  
188 PAINTERS, SCULPTORS, CRAFT-ARTISTS, AND ARTIST PRINTMAKERS 256 102
189 PHOTOGRAPHERS 46  
203 CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS 315 235
207 LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES 2,091 2,091
208 HEALTH TECHNOLOGISTS AND TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 255 192
213 ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS 484 48
216 ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 2,319 368
223 BIOLOGICAL TECHNICIANS 31 21
224 CHEMICAL TECHNICIANS 4,616 1,711
225 SCIENCE TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 551 367
235 TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 2,287 1,171
243 SUPERVISORS AND PROPRIETORS, SALES OCCUPATIONS 633 203
259 SALES REPRESENTATIVES, MINING, MANUFACTURING, AND WHOLESALE 354  
269 SALES WORKERS, PARTS 132  
274 SALES WORKERS, OTHER COMMODITIES 1,815  
307 SUPERVISORS; DISTRIBUTION, SCHEDULING, AND ADJUSTING CLERKS 17  
309 PERIPHERAL EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 370 329
313 SECRETARIES 359 323
328 PERSONNEL CLERKS, EXCEPT PAYROLL AND TIMEKEEPING 57 57
335 FILE CLERKS 695 484
357 MESSENGERS 278  
364 TRAFFIC, SHIPPING, AND RECEIVING CLERKS 4,831 1,132
365 STOCK AND INVENTORY CLERKS 549 512
368 WEIGHERS, MEASURERS, AND CHECKERS 35  
379 GENERAL OFFICE CLERKS 1,113 431
385 DATA-ENTRY KEYERS 1,602 764
447 NURSING AIDES, ORDERLIES, AND ATTENDANTS 2,491 2,460
449 MAIDS AND HOUSEMEN 37 37
453 JANITORS AND CLEANERS 28,055 1,204
454 ELEVATOR OPERATORS 43  
459 ATTENDANTS, AMUSEMENT AND RECREATION FACILITIES 187  
503 SUPERVISORS, MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS 1,710  
505 AUTOMOBILE MECHANICS 5,231  
507 BUS, TRUCK, AND STATIONARY ENGINE MECHANICS 7,245  
508 AIRCRAFT ENGINE MECHANICS 8,722 57
514 AUTOMOBILE BODY AND RELATED REPAIRERS 8,742  
515 AIRCRAFT MECHANICS, EXC. ENGINE 1,657  
516 HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS 4,582  
518 INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY REPAIRERS 3,844 97
519 MACHINERY MAINTENANCE OCCUPATIONS 2,438  
523 ELECTRONIC REPAIRERS, COMMUNICATIONS AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT 1,570  
533 MISCELLANEOUS ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT REPAIRERS 2,906  
534 HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING, AND REFRIGERATION MECHANICS 875  
535 CAMERA, WATCH, AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT REPAIRERS 16  
544 MILLWRIGHTS 280  
547 SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS, N.E.C. 2,884 4
549 NOT SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS 5,629 307
558 SUPERVISORS, N.E.C. 945  
567 CARPENTERS 2,342  
575 ELECTRICIANS 519  
577 ELECTRICAL POWER INSTALLERS AND REPAIRERS 3,106  
579 PAINTERS, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE 10,384 382
585 PLUMBERS, PIPEFITTERS, AND STEAMFITTERS 6,199  
588 CONCRETE AND TERRAZZO FINISHERS 216  
593 INSULATION WORKERS 163  
595 ROOFERS 13,757  
599 CONSTRUCTION TRADES, N.E.C. 2,542  
616 MINING MACHINE OPERATORS 8,072  
633 SUPERVISORS, PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS 5,970 1,242
634 TOOL AND DIE MAKERS 175  
637 MACHINISTS 3,122 136
643 BOILERMAKERS 35  
645 PATTERNMAKERS AND MODEL MAKERS, METAL 1,193 852
653 SHEET METAL WORKERS 859  
656 PATTERNMAKERS AND MODEL MAKERS, WOOD 82 3
658 FURNITURE AND WOOD FINISHERS 675 225
666 DRESSMAKERS 1,095 1,095
667 TAILORS 12,960 6,717
668 UPHOLSTERERS 3,365 1,606
675 HAND MOLDERS AND SHAPERS, EXCEPT JEWELERS 87  
679 BOOKBINDERS 5,221 2,811
683 ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ASSEMBLERS 20 13
684 MISCELLANEOUS PRECISION WORKERS, N.E.C. 1,320  
689 INSPECTORS, TESTERS, AND GRADERS 78  
696 STATIONARY ENGINEERS 512  
699 MISCELLANEOUS PLANT AND SYSTEM OPERATORS 91 3
703 LATHE AND TURNING MACHINE SET-UP OPERATORS 815 62
706 PUNCHING AND STAMPING PRESS MACHINE OPERATORS 674  
707 ROLLING MACHINE OPERATORS 71  
709 GRINDING, ABRADING, BUFFING, AND POLISHING MACHINE OPERATORS 6,335 986
715 MISCELLANEOUS METAL, PLASTIC, STONE, AND GLASS WORKING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,164 984
719 MOLDING AND CASTING MACHINE OPERATORS 21,061 14,652
723 METAL PLATING MACHINE OPERATORS 356  
724 HEAT TREATING EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 81 40
726 WOOD LATHE, ROUTING, AND PLANING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,500 150
727 SAWING MACHINE OPERATORS 2,286 1,379
728 SHAPING AND JOINING MACHINE OPERATORS 65 43
734 PRINTING MACHINE OPERATORS 5,881 886
736 TYPESETTERS AND COMPOSITORS 73 24
737 MISCELLANEOUS PRINTING MACHINE OPERATORS 112  
738 WINDING AND TWISTING MACHINE OPERATORS 47,295 29,707
739 KNITTING, LOOPING, TAPING, AND WEAVING MACHINE OPERATORS 21,192 9,906
743 TEXTILE CUTTING MACHINE OPERATORS 972 617
744 TEXTILE SEWING MACHINE OPERATORS 210,034 204,051
747 PRESSING MACHINE OPERATORS 11,958 10,709
748 LAUNDERING AND DRY CLEANING MACHINE OPERATORS 40 40
749 MISCELLANEOUS TEXTILE MACHINE OPERATORS 13,475 4,074
753 CEMENTING AND GLUING MACHINE OPERATORS 2,889 711
754 PACKAGING AND FILLING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,733 485
755 EXTRUDING AND FORMING MACHINE OPERATORS 4,291 2,391
756 MIXING AND BLENDING MACHINE OPERATORS 10,579 3,700
757 SEPARATING, FILTERING, AND CLARIFYING MACHINE OPERATORS 2,467  
759 PAINTING AND PAINT SPRAYING MACHINE OPERATORS 27,122 1,976
764 WASHING, CLEANING, AND PICKLING MACHINE OPERATORS 104  
765 FOLDING MACHINE OPERATORS 3,828 3,026
766 FURNACE, KILN, AND OVEN OPERATORS, EXC. FOOD 3,806 47
769 SLICING AND CUTTING MACHINE OPERATORS 6,503 3,047
774 PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS MACHINE OPERATORS 594 109
777 MISCELLANEOUS MACHINE OPERATORS, N.E.C. 44,069 22,457
779 MACHINE OPERATORS, NOT SPECIFIED 34,625 17,114
783 WELDERS AND CUTTERS 9,499 44
785 ASSEMBLERS 41,901 14,400
786 HAND CUTTING AND TRIMMING OCCUPATIONS 277 277
789 HAND PAINTING, COATING, AND DECORATING OCCUPATIONS 199 62
796 PRODUCTION INSPECTORS, CHECKERS, AND EXAMINERS 9,115 5,903
797 PRODUCTION TESTERS 129  
799 GRADERS AND SORTERS, EXCEPT AGRICULTURAL 114 114
804 TRUCK DRIVERS, HEAVY 897 363
844 OPERATING ENGINEERS 1,526  
856 INDUSTRIAL TRUCK AND TRACTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 1,105 24
859 MISCELLANEOUS MATERIAL MOVING EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 5,259 254
869 CONSTRUCTION LABORERS 4,786  
873 PRODUCTION HELPERS 4,348 2,379
875 GARBAGE COLLECTORS 157 52
878 MACHINE FEEDERS AND OFFBEARERS 4,190 1,605
883 FREIGHT, STOCK, AND MATERIAL MOVERS, HAND, N.E.C. 8,802 4,768
887 VEHICLE WASHERS AND EQUIPMENT CLEANERS 543 139
888 HAND PACKERS AND PACKAGERS 11,354 8,670
889 LABORERS, EXCEPT CONSTRUCTION 9,539 2,996
TOTAL 824,525 420,794

*(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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