National Occupational Exposure Survey
(1981 - 1983)

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

Agent Name POTASSIUM OXIDE K2O
CAS # 12136-45-7
RTECS #
Agent Code X9079

Code Occupation Description (1980) Total # Employees
(Male & Female)
Total # Female
Employees
013 MANAGERS, MARKETING, ADVERTISING, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS 60  
053 CIVIL ENGINEERS 468  
073 CHEMISTS, EXCEPT BIOCHEMISTS 96 32
084 PHYSICIANS 49 33
105 THERAPISTS, N.E.C. 219 219
185 DESIGNERS 2,201 1,467
204 DENTAL HYGIENISTS 18 18
213 ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS 484 48
216 ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 758 120
225 SCIENCE TECHNICIANS, N.E.C. 1,185 474
335 FILE CLERKS 104  
364 TRAFFIC, SHIPPING, AND RECEIVING CLERKS 154 31
365 STOCK AND INVENTORY CLERKS 903 31
445 DENTAL ASSISTANTS 58 27
453 JANITORS AND CLEANERS 10,953 449
516 HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANICS 3,927  
518 INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY REPAIRERS 365  
519 MACHINERY MAINTENANCE OCCUPATIONS 291  
544 MILLWRIGHTS 169  
547 SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS, N.E.C. 2,485  
549 NOT SPECIFIED MECHANICS AND REPAIRERS 879 17
558 SUPERVISORS, N.E.C. 5,167  
563 BRICKMASONS AND STONEMASONS 1,094  
565 TILE SETTERS, HARD AND SOFT 10,804  
567 CARPENTERS 2,819  
575 ELECTRICIANS 536 6
579 PAINTERS, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE 2,035  
584 PLASTERERS 184  
585 PLUMBERS, PIPEFITTERS, AND STEAMFITTERS 1,311 27
588 CONCRETE AND TERRAZZO FINISHERS 1,246  
593 INSULATION WORKERS 98  
615 EXPLOSIVES WORKERS 72  
633 SUPERVISORS, PRODUCTION OCCUPATIONS 2,180  
634 TOOL AND DIE MAKERS 2,872  
637 MACHINISTS 16,897 646
643 BOILERMAKERS 34 6
644 PRECISION GRINDERS, FITTERS, AND TOOL SHARPENERS 121 30
647 PRECIOUS STONES AND METALS WORKERS (JEWELERS) 677 483
653 SHEET METAL WORKERS 1,528 43
676 PATTERNMAKERS, LAY-OUT WORKERS, AND CUTTERS 149  
677 OPTICAL GOODS WORKERS 107  
678 DENTAL LABORATORY AND MEDICAL APPLIANCE TECHNICIANS 35 21
684 MISCELLANEOUS PRECISION WORKERS, N.E.C. 491  
696 STATIONARY ENGINEERS 2,570  
704 LATHE AND TURNING MACHINE OPERATORS 4,527 1,019
705 MILLING AND PLANING MACHINE OPERATORS 987  
706 PUNCHING AND STAMPING PRESS MACHINE OPERATORS 129 40
707 ROLLING MACHINE OPERATORS 708  
708 DRILLING AND BORING MACHINE OPERATORS 486  
709 GRINDING, ABRADING, BUFFING, AND POLISHING MACHINE OPERATORS 9,867 1,647
713 FORGING MACHINE OPERATORS 283  
714 NUMERICAL CONTROL MACHINE OPERATORS 66  
715 MISCELLANEOUS METAL, PLASTIC, STONE, AND GLASS WORKING MACHINE OPERATORS 99  
717 FABRICATING MACHINE OPERATORS, N.E.C. 530 80
719 MOLDING AND CASTING MACHINE OPERATORS 2,799 194
723 METAL PLATING MACHINE OPERATORS 280  
724 HEAT TREATING EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 89  
734 PRINTING MACHINE OPERATORS 63 40
753 CEMENTING AND GLUING MACHINE OPERATORS 123 123
754 PACKAGING AND FILLING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,974  
755 EXTRUDING AND FORMING MACHINE OPERATORS 794  
756 MIXING AND BLENDING MACHINE OPERATORS 3,692 130
759 PAINTING AND PAINT SPRAYING MACHINE OPERATORS 853 144
764 WASHING, CLEANING, AND PICKLING MACHINE OPERATORS 194  
765 FOLDING MACHINE OPERATORS 19  
766 FURNACE, KILN, AND OVEN OPERATORS, EXC. FOOD 3,983 330
768 CRUSHING AND GRINDING MACHINE OPERATORS 1,699 65
769 SLICING AND CUTTING MACHINE OPERATORS 547  
777 MISCELLANEOUS MACHINE OPERATORS, N.E.C. 11,292 713
779 MACHINE OPERATORS, NOT SPECIFIED 5,675 756
783 WELDERS AND CUTTERS 6,293 20
785 ASSEMBLERS 5,876 425
794 HAND GRINDING AND POLISHING OCCUPATIONS 19 19
796 PRODUCTION INSPECTORS, CHECKERS, AND EXAMINERS 836 299
804 TRUCK DRIVERS, HEAVY 3,657  
844 OPERATING ENGINEERS 1,676 181
849 CRANE AND TOWER OPERATORS 445  
856 INDUSTRIAL TRUCK AND TRACTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS 369  
869 CONSTRUCTION LABORERS 17,017 453
873 PRODUCTION HELPERS 599  
877 STOCK HANDLERS AND BAGGERS 619  
885 GARAGE AND SERVICE STATION RELATED OCCUPATIONS 2,015  
887 VEHICLE WASHERS AND EQUIPMENT CLEANERS 97  
888 HAND PACKERS AND PACKAGERS 940 78
889 LABORERS, EXCEPT CONSTRUCTION 11,401 1,028
TOTAL 182,474 12,013

*(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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