Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-81-348-1225, Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco, California.
Source
Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 81-348-1225, 1982 Nov; :1-15
Abstract
Exposures to dust and irritants were investigated on August 12 to 14, 1982 at Embarcadero Subway Center of the Public Utilities Commission (SIC-4111), San Francisco, California. Evaluation was requested by the General Manager of San Francisco's Public Utilities Commission for about 200 light rail vehicle workers, after several workers complained of periodic dust irritations. Personal and area air samples were analyzed for total dust, particulates, and exhaust fumes. Temperature and humidity were also measured. Concentrations of total dust, asbestos (1332214), ozone (10028156), nitrogen- dioxide (10102440), nitrogen-oxide (10024972), carbon-monoxide (124389), iron-oxide (1309371), copper (7440508), lead (7439921), vanadium (7440622), cadmium (7440439), calcium (7440702), and formaldehyde (50000), were all below respective recommended NIOSH or California-OSHA standards of 10 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3), 25ppm, 200ppm, 1mg/m3, 0.05mg/m3, 0.05mg/m3, 0.04mg/m3, 2mg/m3, and lowest feasible limit. Dry and wet bulb temperature were 76 and 63 degrees-F, respectively; relative humidity was 49 percent. The author concludes that no exposure hazards exist. He recommends improved workplace design and hygiene, and increased ventilation.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; Hazards-Unconfirmed; Employee-exposure; Industrial-hygiene; Air-quality-measurement; Air-sampling; Dust-exposure; Work-practices; HETA-81-348-1225; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; Region-9;
Author Keywords: Local and Suburban Transit; light rail vehicle operators; subway operation; pantograph
