Technical assistance report no. TA-80-50, Social Security Administration, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Source
NIOSH 1980 Jun; :1-6
Abstract
An industrial hygiene survey was conducted at the Grand Rapids, Michigan office of the Social Security Administration (SIC-9199) on April 22 to 24, 1980. The offices' Health and Safety Officer requested technical assistance to evaluate exposure of 102 employees to fibrous glass from deteriorating duct insulation. Ten office and in duct air samples were collected along with several bulk samples. The ventilation system was evaluated and confidential employee interviews using non-direct medical questionnaires were conducted. Bulk sample analysis identified the contents to be entirely composed of mineral wool. Airborne fiber concentrations were below detection limits for each of the air samples. No significant health problems were reported by the employees, although most of them complained of poor air circulation in the office. Ventilation measurements taken while they system was running indicated an air flow rate of 13 cubic feet per minute. The authors conclude that no hazard from mineral wool exposures existed in this office at the time of the investigation. They offer several recommendations for improved ventilation.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; TA-80-50; Region-5; Hazard-Unconfirmed; Fibrous-glass; Fibrous-dusts; Ventilation-ducts; Air-renewal; Thermal-insulation; Fiber-varieties; Airborne-fibers
Document Type
Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance; Field Studies
NTIS Accession No.
PB81-111197
Source Name
Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio, 6 pages, 3 references