HHE Determination, Report No. HHE-77-42-452, Cleaning House at the Wire Mill, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Geissert-JO

NIOSH 1977 Dec:20 pages

00076131

A Health Hazard Evaluation investigation was conducted by NIOSH on February 9-10, and June 22-23, 1977, in the Wire Cleaning House (SIC- 3312) of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The survey was prompted by a request from an authorized employee representative concerning exposure to toxic chemicals and alleging a high incidence of respiratory disorders among the employees. Exposure of employees to hydrochloric-acid (7647010) and sulfuric- acid (7664939) exceeded accepted exposure limits, while exposure to carbon-monoxide (630080) potentially exceeded accepted limits during the use of gasoline (8006619) powered equipment. Medical interviews elicited symptomatology suggesting chronic respiratory disease in most of the crane operators and picklers, but its incidence correlated more closely with smoking history than with occupational exposure to acid mists and/or gases. Recommendations are made for reducing worker exposures. One third of the cranemen and picklers described premature tooth erosion and loss, while 44 percent of the workers in this group reported skin problems probably related to skin contact with the materials in use.

NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; HHE-77-42-452; Hazard-Confirmed; Region-3; Air-quality-measurement; Steel-industry; Industrial-plants; Respiratory-system-disorders; Toxic-chemicals; Toxicology; Inorganic-acids; Acid-pickling; Chemical-cleaning; Air-contamination; Skin-disorders;

7647-01-0; 7664-93-9; 630-08-0; 8006-61-9;

19771201

Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance; Field Studies

1978

PB-278061

A03

HHE-77-42-452

DSHEFS;

Respiratory-system-disorders

3312;

Hazard Evaluation Services Branch, NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio, Report No. HHE-77-42-452, 20 pages, 8 references

PA; OH;