Health-hazard evaluation report MHETA 88-214-1952, Flying W Plastics Company, Glenville, West Virginia

Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5165169

Kullman, G

An investigation was made of possible hazardous working conditions at Flying W Plastics Company. Particular concern was expressed regarding noise, dust, and vapor exposures arising from the fabrication of polyethylene, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and pipe fittings. Analysis of air samples indicated that largely aliphatic hydrocarbons, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane were present at low levels. In the samples tested, di-n-butyl-phthalate and di-cyclohexyl-phthalate were below detectable levels. Some of the workers were exposed to PVC dusts at concentrations ranging from 0.06 to 1.3mg/m{sup 3}. Workers remained in the high dust exposure jobs for 1 year or less. Sections of the asbestos-insulation on the Braybender machine were damaged and could present an exposure hazard. Some employees were exposed to hazardous levels of noise, including the grinder, line take off attendant, and hopper attendant. Hearing protection was used by workers in the grinding area but not in the other noisy areas. A large unguarded chain drive was noted in the warehouse grinding area on the blending machine which did present a hazard to the workers. Hazards existed at the facility due to exposure to noise, asbestos insulation and PVC dust; a safety hazard existed from an unguarded chain drive.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5165169
• Report Number(s): PB-89-230544/XAB; MHETA--88-214-1952
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR POLLUTION
ASBESTOS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
DUSTS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INDUSTRY
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
NOISE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PLASTICS INDUSTRY
POLLUTION
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
PVC
SAFETY
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY