HHE Report No. HETA-82-207-1278, Garden City Engraving, Augusta, Georgia.

Salisbury-SA

NIOSH 1983 Mar:14 pages

00226511

In response to a management request, an evaluation was conducted of exposures to printing ink vapors at the Garden City Engraving Company (SIC-2751), Augusta, Georgia. The evaluation was requested after all ten employees complained of irritative and respiratory symptoms following a move of the screen printing operations into the main office building. The industrial hygiene survey included employee interviews, assessment of building ventilation, and measurement of airborne levels of toluene (108883), 2-ethoxyethyl- acetate (111159) (2EA), 2-butoxyethanol-acetate (112072) (2BA), diacetone-alcohol (123422) (DA), isophorone (75581), and a solvent consisting of a mixture of aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons. The primary organic vapors detected in bulk air samples were 2EA, DA, toluene, isophorone, 2BA, and a mixture of alkyl substituted benzenes. Results of personal and area air samples did not indicate exposures in excess of OSHA permissible limits; however, 2EA levels were in excess of the most recent threshold limit value (5 parts per million) recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Improper local exhaust ventilation was noted in the printing department. Five of the eight employees interviewed reported work related symptoms. The author concludes that airborne concentrations of ink vapors were below levels expected to cause adverse health effects. The author recommends that efforts be made to improve ventilation and reduce worker exposures.

NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; HETA-82-207-1278; Region-4; Hazard-Unconfirmed; Organic-solvents; Occupational-exposure; Printing-industry; Printing-inks; Ventilation-systems;

108-88-3; 111-15-9; 112-07-2; 123-42-2; 75-58-1;

19830301

Field Studies; Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance

1983

PB84-210533

A03

HETA-82-207-1278

DSHEFS;

2751;

Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Cincinnati, Ohio, Report No. HETA-82-207-1278, 14 pages, 14 references

GA; OH;