Health-hazard-evaluation report HETA 88-192-1998, Hitachi Magnetics Corporation, Edmore, Michigan

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6406155

Sinks, T L; Deng, J F; Smith, D

In response to a request from an employee at the Hitachi Magnetics Corporation, Edmore, Michigan, an evaluation was made of possible hazardous exposures to cobalt, nickel, silica, and asbestos. The current workforce consisted of 416 hourly workers and 115 salaried employees. The facility produced permanent magnets using five production processes: sintered ALNICO; cast ALNICO; Hicorex Rare Earth Iron; Ceramic (Ferrite Magnets); and Lodex. Six reported episodes of respiratory conditions were noted which was more than ten times the number expected for such industries. The incidence of skin disorders was likewise ten times that expected for this industry. Respirable crystalline silica was identified in dust samples collected at eight of the 18 jobs studied. Exposures in three jobs (sand mixer, furnace operator and a machine molder) were above the OSHA permissible exposure limit and all eight jobs exceeded the ACGIH threshold limit value for crystalline silica exposures of 0.1mg/cu m. On each shift the post shift creatinine corrected mean urine cobalt concentrations were higher than pre-shift values. The authors conclude that a hazard existed from exposure to airborne cobalt, nickel and silica. The authors' recommendations pertaining to respiratory protection and the reduction of exposures are included.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6406155
• Report Number(s): PB-91-108225/XAB; HETA--88-192-1998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ASBESTOS
CHALCOGENIDES
COBALT
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION V
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
METALS
MICHIGAN
MINERALS
NICKEL
NORTH AMERICA
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION
RECOMMENDATIONS
SAFETY STANDARDS
SILICA
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
STANDARDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA