Occupational exposures during routine activities in coal-fueled power plants

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 04:00:00 EDT 2004 · Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/15459620490453346· OSTI ID:20489858

Bird, Mona J; MacIntosh, David L; Williams, Phillip L ^[1]

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1. University of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States). Dept. of Environmental Health Science

Limited information is available on occupational exposures during routine, nonoutage work activities in coal-fueled power plants. This study evaluated occupational exposures to the principal contaminants in the facilities, including respirable dust (coal dust), arsenic, noise, asbestos, and heat stress. The data were collected over a 3-month period, during the summer of 2001, in 5 representative power plants of a large southeastern power-generating company. From 4 of the 5 facilities, 392 air samples and 302 noise samples were collected with approximately 50 respirable coal dust, 32 arsenic, 15 asbestos, and 70 noise samples from each of the 4 plants. One of the previously surveyed facilities was also evaluated for heat stress, and 1 additional coal-fueled power plant was surveyed for a total of 20 personal heat stress samples. Of the nearly 400 air samples collected, only 1 exceeded the allowable occupational exposure value. For the noise samples, 55 were equal to or greater than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 8-hour hearing conservation program level of 85 dBA, and 12 were equal to or greater than the OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure level of 90 dBA. The data concluded that some work sites were above the heat stress ceiling values recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Four of the 20 employees personally monitored exceeded the recommended limits for heart rate or body core temperature.

• OSTI ID: 20489858
• Journal Information: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, Journal Name: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 1; ISSN 1545-9624
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
ARSENIC
ASBESTOS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
BODY TEMPERATURE
COAL
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
NOISE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
RISK ASSESSMENT
THERMAL STRESSES
US NIOSH
US OSHA
USA