Health-hazard evaluation determination report No. HHE-78-104-565, Universal Printing Company, St. Louis, Missouri

Technical Report · Wed Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6282841

The workplace was inspected, employees participated in medical interviews and limited physical examinations, and personal air samples were taken to determine exposure concentrations at a facility (No. 2) of the Universal Printing Company in St. Louis, MO, on July 18-20, 1978. Samples were analyzed by gas chromatography for total naphtha, toluene, ethyl benzene, m-xylene, cumene, 1,3,5-trimethyl benzene, and 1,2,4-trimethyl benzene. Of the approximately 30 employees, 40% of the employees complained of hand and arm irritation and approximately one-third of all employees reported seldom wearing or having impervious gloves available. Two cases of eye irritation were found with two other reports of previous eye irritation. Splash goggles were not available in the shop. Approximately 40% complained of occasional dizziness during blanket washing. The investigators conclude that, although employee exposure to airborne contaminants was not found to be toxic at the time of testing, exposure could be potentially toxic if employees worked overtime or did more cleanup or changeover operations than they did at the time of testing. The investigators recommend that numerous safety practices be instituted.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6282841
• Report Number(s): PB-89-143242/XAB; HHE-78-104-565
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR POLLUTION
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
CLOTHING
COAL TAR OILS
CUMENE
DERMATITIS
DISEASES
DISTILLATES
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INKS
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
NAPHTHA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OILS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DISTILLATES
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS
POLLUTION
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
SKIN DISEASES
SOLVENTS
TOLUENE
TOXICITY
XYLENES