Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 88-346-2030, Graphic Creations, Inc. , Warren, Rhode Island

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6145597

In response to a request from the management of Graphic Creations, Inc., Warren, Rhode Island, an evaluation was made of employee exposures to hydroquinone and printing press cleaning solvents which contained benzene. The printing process involves photographic art work producing a negative, making a plate, exposing the plate in an exposure frame, and installing the plate on the press. The only ventilation was an air conditioning unit installed in 1972. The evaluation results indicated exposures to isopropyl-alcohol concentrations ranging from nondetectable to 31.4mg/m3, naphtha from 81.74 to 914.8mg/m3, and 2-butoxyethanol from nondetectable to 2.56mg/m3. Personal breathing zone exposures to benzene were observed to range from 0.98 to 1.0 parts per million. Hydroquinone was not detected. The author concludes that a health hazard did exist for employees exposed to naphtha, benzene and 2-butoxyethanol. The author recommends measures to minimize these exposures.

Research Organization:
National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
OSTI ID:
6145597
Report Number(s):
PB-91-116541/XAB; HETA--88-346-2030
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English