Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 86-441-1913, Monark Boat Company, Monticello, Arkansas
An investigation was made of health problems at the MonArk Boat Company, Monticello, Arkansas. MonArk manufactured aluminum and fiberglass boats. About 200 hourly production workers were employed at the site. Fiberglass-reinforced plastic-resin hulls were sprayed with a gel coat consisting of vinyl ester or polyester resins containing free styrene monomer and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide catalyst. Average exposures during the work shift to styrene vapor did not exceed recommended limits, but there were short-term exposures of 114 to 250 parts per million (ppm). Exposures to 13 micrograms/cubic meter (microg/mT) of chromates and 160 ppm of toluene exceeded recommended limits in the spray painting area of the aluminum fishing boat facility. Exposures to methylene bisphenyl isocyanate(MBI) at 0.21 to 0.57mg/mT exceeded the OSHA limit of 0.2mg/mT. Methylene-bis(4-cyclohexylisocyanate) was found at 0.7 to 3.1mg/mT. An organotin concentration of 0.38mg/m3 was found during a 49-minute period. The author concludes that health hazards exist from exposures to styrene, chromates, toluene, isocyanates, and possibly organotin. The author recommends that efforts be made to improve use of personal protective equipment, educate the employees to the dangers, improve ventilation practices, and institute a medical surveillance program.
- Research Organization:
- National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA). Div. of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluation and Field Studies
- OSTI ID:
- 6517219
- Report Number(s):
- PB-89-130140/XAB; HETA-86-441-1913
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR POLLUTION
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
CHROMATES
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
COATINGS
FIBERGLASS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROCARBONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
ISOCYANATES
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PAINTS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
POLLUTION
SOLVENTS
STYRENE
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TOLUENE
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS