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Industrial hygiene report perchloroethylene at Upper Mack Cleaners 18500 Mack Avenue, Detroit, Michigan.

Roberts DR

Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, IWS 71-35, 1980 Jul; :1-9

00105092

Worker exposures to perchloroethylene (127184) (PCE) were surveyed in May 17, 1979, at Upper Mack Cleaners (SIC-7216) in Detroit, Michigan. The company employed eight workers. Time weighted average (TWA) personal PCE exposures ranged from 0.4 to 27 parts per million, and 5 minute peak exposures ranged from 25 to 86ppm. One 15 minute peak exposure was 40ppm. All exposures were below OSHA Standards for TWA, 5 minute and 15 minute exposures of 100, 300 and 200ppm, respectively. The author recommends that PCE exposures be kept as low as possible since the carcinogenicity of the compound has not been established. Workers should be provided with preplacement physical examinations, respirators and protective clothing, improved ventilation should be installed around dry cleaning machines and recovery units, and workers should be informed about PCE hazards. Other recommendations include periodic inspection of equipment and PCE storage containers, direct piping of recovered PCE solvent to the base tank of the dry cleaning machine, and proper disposal of PCE solvent residues.

NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Survey; Field-Study; Region-5; Dry-cleaning-industry; Carcinogens; Cancer; Protective-equipment; Training; Industrial-equipment; Industrial-hygiene

127-18-4

19800717

Field Studies; Industry Wide

1980

PB81-245185

A02

IWS-71-35

DSHEFS

7216

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

MI; OH