Health hazard evaluation report: HETA-91-095-2142, Cone Geochemical, Inc., Lakewood, Colorado.
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 91-095-2142, 1991 Sep; :1-12
Abstract
In response to a request from the management of Cone Geochemical, Inc. (SIC-7397), Lakewood, Colorado, occupational optical radiation levels from laboratory furnaces during fire assay operations were evaluated. Cone Geochemical has provided commercial fire assay services for 14 years for determination of gold and silver content in ore samples. About 30 persons were employed at the site, but only two were working on or near the furnaces in the laboratory. At the time of measurement only three of the ten furnaces were in operation. These furnaces did not produce ultraviolet radiation levels above the ACGIH Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 0.1 effective microwatts per square centimeter in the wavelength region from 200 to 315 nanometers (nm) or 1 milliwatt per square centimeter (mW/cm2) in the wavelength region from 315 to 4000 nm. The furnaces could produce luminance and infrared radiation as high as 1.9 candela per square centimeter (cd/cm2) and 130mW/cm2, respectively, which could exceed the ACGIH TLV for an unprotected worker of 1cd/cm2 and 10mW/cm2. The author concludes that a health hazard did not exist from exposure to optical radiation at the time of the evaluation; a health hazard may exist from infrared radiation if workers do not wear protective clothing.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; HETA-91-095-2142; Hazard-Unconfirmed; Region-8; Radiation-exposure; Radiation-hazards; Analytical-chemistry; Laboratory-workers; Fire-assays; Occupational-exposure; Nonionizing-radiation;
Document Type
Field Studies; Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance
NTIS Accession No.
PB92-133214
Identifying No.
HETA-91-095-2142
Source Name
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
