Playing Industrial Hygiene to Win

1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 72-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen Senn Tarlau
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Toluene Diisocyanate ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Exposure Limits ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Permissible Exposure Limits ◽  
Personal Air Sampling ◽  
Nose And Throat

ITEM — Numerous workers become sensitized to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) at a plant manufacturing foam automobile seats. Personal air sampling conducted by corporate industrial hygienists consistently shows levels of TDI to be within all legal and recommended standards. ITEM — Dozens of workers in a new office building suffer eye, nose and throat irritation. Vendors who supplied the furniture, partitions and carpeting all reveal that they used formaldehyde in their products. Air samples collected by an indoor air quality consultant, however, show formaldehyde levels in compliance with the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard. ITEM — Workers at a construction site become ill and bulk samples of the soil reveal high levels of phenols and many other chemicals. Industrial hygienists from OSHA collect personal air samples but can find no violations of OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs). ITEM — Machinery noise levels at a carburetor rebuilding factory create stressful working conditions and damage workers' hearing. An OSHA industrial hygienist measures noise levels high enough for management to require workers to wear ear plugs but not high enough to require management to quiet the machinery.

An analysis of workplace exposures to asbestos at three steel mills located in the United States (1972-1982)

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 726-737
Author(s):  
Dana Hollins ◽  
Amanda Burns ◽  
Ken Unice ◽  
Dennis J Paustenbach
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Open Hearth ◽  
The United States ◽  
Blast Furnaces ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Steel Mill ◽  
Exposure Limits ◽  
Steel Mills ◽  
Safety And Health

The objective is to present historical asbestos airborne concentrations associated with activities involving presumably asbestos-containing materials in steel mills. A total of 138 historical industrial hygiene air samples collected in three US steel mills from 1972 to 1982 were analyzed. The majority of samples were collected during relining of open hearth furnaces, stoves, and blast furnaces by steel mill bricklayers and bricklayer helpers. Over 75% of the samples ( n = 106) were collected for 50 min or less, four samples were collected for 227 to 306 min, and sample durations were not reported for the remaining 28 samples. Average airborne fiber concentrations measured during relining activities of open hearth furnaces, stoves, and blast furnaces were 0.21 f/cc, 0.72 f/cc and 0.13 f/cc phase-contrast microscopy (PCM), respectively. Measured airborne fiber concentrations of four time-weighted average (TWA) samples (>227 min) averaged 0.045 f/cc. Estimated 8-h TWAs concentrations averaged 0.34 f/cc for bricklayers and 0.2 f/cc bricklayer helpers. While 8-h TWA concentration estimates for monitored tasks/jobs may often have exceeded current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), they did not exceed relevant contemporaneous occupational exposure standards. This analysis provides a better understanding of historical airborne asbestos exposures that bricklayers and other tradesmen experienced during furnace and stove work in the US steel mills.

scholarly journals Sound levels in movie theaters: is there a potential for hearing loss?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-122
Author(s):  
Donna Pitts L
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Threshold Shift ◽  
Temporary Threshold Shift ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Movie Theaters ◽  
Movie Theater ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Safety And Health

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine the frequency of attendance at movie theaters, the most popular genres of movies, the sound levels inside movie theaters, and if, based on frequency of attendance, a relationship could be established between temporary threshold shift and noise levels inside movie theaters. Method: A survey was first distributed to moviegoers at several different venues. Movies were selected based on the most popular genres. A noise logging dosimeter was utilized during the viewing of 16 movies in two different multiplex theaters to determine if sound levels exceed those deemed hazardous by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Results: Results indicated that most surveyants go to the movie theater about once a week. The noise levels obtained for 16 movies did not exceed those established by OSHA as hazardous in nature. Conclusion: Given that the maximum dose recorded by any movie viewed was 7.6% (out of 100%), it is highly unlikely that the average person would sustain a temporary threshold shift from movie viewing alone. Even if a person attended the movie theater on a daily basis, there is no evidence to suggest that movie viewing alone could cause a temporary shift in hearing.

scholarly journals Occupational exposure to Noise and Heat in Plastic Factory in the Industrial City in Jeddah: التعرض المهني للضوضاء والإجهاد الحراري في مصنع البلاستيك في المنطقة الصناعية بجدة

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mohammed Al-Jallab, Ahmed Saleh Summan, Mansour Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Noise Intensity ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Statistical Treatment ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Occupational Hazards ◽  
Exposure Limits ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Permissible Exposure Limits ◽  
Risk Of Exposure

This study evaluated some of the occupational hazards present in a plastic factory in Jeddah، Saudi Arabia، which accompanies the manufacturing process. This study aims to assess the level of exposure to noise intensity and heat stress for workers in the work environment during daily working hours، Measurements were performed daily for a period of four months. The researcher unloaded and analyzed the data with the appropriate statistical treatment using SPSS program. The results of the study showed that the average level of noise intensity ranges from (85.6 - 93.3 dB). Average of exposure to heat intensity (30، 57-31، 97) ° C. The study concluded that some of the workers in the factory are at risk of exposure to some occupational hazards such as increased noise intensity، and increased intensity of thermal stress exceeding the permissible exposure limits، according to the standards of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The researchers of this study provided recommendations and appropriate solutions to protect workers from the risks of the work environment، including the importance of wearing personal protective equipment، environmental assessment and periodic medical examination.

Status Report on Proposed Changes to Permissible Airborne Emission Exposure Limits for U.S. Shipyard Workers

1997 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 153-170
Author(s):  
Harvey R. Castner
Keyword(s):  
Hexavalent Chromium ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Status Report ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Exposure Limits ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Department Of Labor ◽  
Worker Exposure ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Health Database

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) are making or considering reductions in worker exposure limits for nickel, manganese, and chromium compounds, including hexavalent chromium. These changes will have an impact on the operations and processes used by Navy facilities and public and private shipyards for construction, maintenance, and repair of ships. A Navy/Industry Task Group lead by the Naval Sea Systems Command is addressing these concerns and has gathered data on current worker exposure levels to nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), total cromium (Cr), and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)). This paper reports the data gathered to date from literature, the Navy Environmental Health database, shipyard worker sampling, and controlled laboratory welding tests.

The Roles of Government in Protecting and Promoting Occupational and Environmental Health

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Wagner ◽  
Emily A. Spieler
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Health ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Mine Safety ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Standards And Regulations ◽  
Regulatory Interventions ◽  
The Government ◽  
The U.S

This chapter discusses the roles of government in promoting occupational and environmental health, with a focus on the U.S. federal government. Governmental interventions, as described here, can range from non-regulatory interventions, such as dissemination of information or generation and communication of information, to establishing regulatory requirements through the promulgation and enforcement of standards and regulations. The chapter describes the U.S. laws and roles of the administrative agencies responsible for occupational and environmental health, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Noting the budgetary and political constraints on these federal agencies, the chapter goes on to discuss briefly the role of the public and the states. The government also plays a role when preventive efforts fail, and the chapter provides a brief summary of programs designed to provide compensation to injured workers.

scholarly journals Thermal Condition and Air Quality Investigation in Commercial Airliner Cabins

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7047
Author(s):  
Nu Yu ◽  
Yao Zhang ◽  
Mengya Zhang ◽  
Haifeng Li
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Pressure Change ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Exposure Limit ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The Us ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Cabin air quality and thermal conditions have a direct impact on passenger and flight crew’s health and comfort. In this study, in-cabin thermal environment and particulate matter (PM) exposures were investigated in four China domestic flights. The mean and standard deviation of the in-cabin carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in two tested flights are 1440 ± 111 ppm. The measured maximum in-cabin carbon monoxide (CO) concentration is 1.2 ppm, which is under the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit of 10 ppm. The tested relative humidity ranges from 13.8% to 67.0% with an average of 31.7%. The cabin pressure change rates at the end of the climbing stages and the beginning of the descending stages are close to 10 hPa·min−1, which might induce the uncomfortable feeling of passengers and crew members. PM mass concentrations were measured on four flights. The results show that PM concentrations decreased after the aircraft cabin door closed and were affected by severe turbulences. The highest in-cabin PM concentrations were observed in the oldest aircraft with an age of 13.2 years, and the waiting phase in this aircraft generated the highest exposures.

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