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Industrial Hygiene Survey Report at Rockwool Industries, Inc., in Pueblo, Colorado.

Fowler-DP

NIOSH 1977 Aug:81 pages

00106224

Worker exposures to mineral wool were surveyed at Rockwool Industries, Incorporated (SIC-3296) in Pueblo, Colorado from September 20 to 25, 1976. The facility employed 100 production and maintenance workers. The factory operated three shifts 7 days per week. First aid was given by supervisors. The factory gave pre- employment examinations and periodic examinations were given only in specific circumstances. No full time safety or industrial hygiene programs existed. Personal protective equipment included safety helmets, protective footgear and hearing devices, face shields, and respirators. The time weighted average (TWA) fiber counts ranged from 0.038 to 234 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc) The TWA total airborne particulate concentrations ranged from 0.176 to 1.915 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3). Individual fiber counts ranged from 0 to 213f/cc. Individual total airborne particulate concentrations ranged from 0.036 to 4.384mg/m3. Respirable particulate concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.462mg/m3. Zinc (7440666), manganese (7439965) and lead (7439921) concentrations ranged from less than detectable to 713 micrograms per cubic meter (micrograms/m3), from less than detectable to 92 micrograms/m3, and from less than 1 to 348 micrograms/m3, respectively. The count median fiber diameters ranged from 1.2 to 2.0 micrometers and count median lengths ranged from 6.7 to 20 micrometers. Carbon-monoxide (630080) concentrations ranged from 4 to 30 parts per million which were below the 50ppm OSHA limit. Noise levels ranged from 76 to 110 decibels. The author notes that fiber exposures were relatively low; total particulate exposures occasionally approach the nuisance dust limit; and exposures to airborne lead and noise occasionally exceeded current limits. He recommends continuation of engineering control measures and the institution of respirator training and hearing conservation programs.

NIOSH-Contract; Contract-210-76-0120; Field-Study; Region-8; IWS-35-30; Workplace-studies; Industrial-hygiene; Occupational-health-programs; Protective-equipment; Air-contamination; Air-quality-measurement; Standards;

7440-66-6; 7439-96-5; 7439-92-1; 630-08-0;

19770815

Contract;

1977

PB82-179797

A06

IWS-35-30

DSHEFS;

3296;

Stanford Research Institute, Menlo Park, California, NIOSH Contract No. 210-76-0120, 81 pages

CO; CA;