Mercury Control Technology Assessment Study: Ray-O-Vac Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin. Preliminary Survey Report for the Site Visit of September 23, 1981

摘要

An on-site visit was made to the Ray-O-Vac Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin to evaluate control equipment used to reduce hazardous exposures among workers to elemental mercury (7439976) and mercury compounds. The facility manufactured zinc-carbon batteries. The tour concentrated on the production of the mercury containing cathode base mix. Mercuric-chloride (7487947) arrived in plastic lined fiber drums, and was mixed with a zinc-chloride (7646857) solution. The resulting solution flowed by gravity to a centrifugal pump in the blend area where it was sprayed into an Abbe Mixer containing a mixture of dry ingredients including manganese-dioxide (1313139) and other ingredients. The cathode mix was transported to the production area where it was inserted into a paper lined zinc can. Cotton work gloves, cloth coveralls, and disposable respirators were worn during mixing operations. Both biological monitoring and air quality monitoring were conducted regularly. The medical program at this facility included semi-annual physical examinations with emphasis on the detection of toxic levels of manganese. The authors conclude that the use of mercuric-chloride is infrequent enough that no additional mercury controls are necessary.