HHE determination report no. HHE-76-94-406, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Large Power Transformer Division, Muncie, Indiana.
Authors
Hervin-TL; Smith-AB; White-G
Source
Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 76-94-406, 1977 Jul; :1-17
Abstract
A Health Hazard Evaluation determination was conducted by NIOSH at the Large Power Transformer Division (SIC-3612) of Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Muncie, Indiana, on January 18-20, 1977, acting on a request from an authorized employee representative regarding the employees' alleged complaints of skin irritation, infectious running sores, injuries slow to heal, attributed by the workers to some additive in the transformer oil. Environmental air sampling and medical evaluation concluded that employees' exposure to airborne total nuisance particulates, oil mists, and organic vapors did not pose a health hazard at the concentration measured. The majority of the 20 "affected" employees gave a history of apparent dermatitis with the route of exposure being direct contact with the oil which is adherent to surfaces of the transformer as it is assembled. The contention that the transformer oil may contain additives which could be responsible for the apparent toxic manifestations of the oil was not borne out by the investigation. Recommendations are made to alleviate dermatitis problems caused by direct contact with the oil.
Keywords
NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; NIOSH-Author; HHE-76-94-406; Hazard-Unconfirmed; Region-5; Toxicology; Air-quality-measurement; Industrial-plants; Toxic-chemicals; Skin-disorders; Electrical-industry; Electrical-equipment; Insulating-oil;
Author Keywords: total nuisance particulates; oil mists; organic vapors; dermatitis; irritation; acne
Document Type
Field Studies; Health Hazard Evaluation
NTIS Accession No.
PB-273722
Identifying No.
HHE-76-94-406
Source Name
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
