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Industrial hygiene walk-through survey report of Cartex Corporation, Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

Boeniger M

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 83-15A, 1984 Sep; :1-15

00197159

A walk through survey was conducted at the Cartex Corporation (SIC- 3079) facility located near Morrisville, Pennsylvania as part of an effort to assemble potential employee exposure information for a retrospective epidemiologic mortality study of workers exposed to toluene-diisocyanate (584849) (TDI). The company started production of a latex rubber foam in 1949. This was discontinued in 1962. In 1958 the facility started to produce molded foam products for the office chair seating industry. A monomeric isocyanate-polyol resin system was introduced in 1967. Potential worker exposures included TDI from 1958 through 1967 along with the latex foam process chemicals. Presently there are 150 production employees at this site. Recent sampling by both the company and OSHA officials confirmed that air concentrations of TDI were below OSHA regulatory levels. In 1977, 45% of the company measurements exceeded the OSHA standard of 0.02 parts per million at some time during the sampling period. Between 1960 and the mid 1970s it is possible that employees were exposed to higher than present concentrations as the current exhaust ventilation systems did not exist. Complete personnel records for 3,000 current and former employees are available for inclusion in the epidemiologic study. The authors conclude that it would be extremely difficult to characterize the extent of past worker exposures at this plant; it is believed that past exposures were much greater that at present. Recommendations for minimizing the potential for worker exposures to TDI and other materials are presented.

NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Survey; Field-Study; IWS-83-15A; Region-3; Isocyanates; Epidemiology; Plastics-industry; Chemical-industry-workers; Urethanes

584-84-9

19840901

Field Studies; Industry Wide

1984

PB85-222149

A03

IWS-83-15A

DSHEFS

3079

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

PA; OH