Industrial Hygiene Report, Preliminary Survey of Wood Preservative Treatment Facility at Utah Power and Light Pole Treatment Plant, Idaho Falls, Idaho

摘要

In efforts to understand process methods and potential exposures in treatment of mixed conifer utility poles with creosote (8021394) by a nonpressure butt process, a visit was made to the Treatment Facility at the Utah Power and Light Pole Treatment Company (SIC-2491), Idaho Falls, Idaho. The facility had one butt treatment tank measuring about 12 by 20 feet in which about 200 poles were treated in two batches per week. No adverse exposure experiences were on record at the company. No eye or respiratory irritation was observed. Use of protective clothing was limited to gloves worn when handling poles and chains. As the tank was filled from a remote location, no respirators were used. Air samples were collected downwind of the tank using NIOSH PandCAM 217 method and analyzed by ultraviolet absorbance or gravimetry. In four samples taken, detectable levels of creosote were found. These were not viewed as excessively high nor did they involve worker overexposure under normal conditions. The absorbance method proved satisfactory while gravimetric analysis gave variable results.