Industrial Hygiene Report In-Depth Survey of Solvent Vapor Screen Printing Operations, Paint Print Process, Inc., 438 W. 37th Street, New York

摘要

Worker exposures to solvent vapors were determined at the Paint Print Process, Incorporated in New York, New York, from December 26 to 28, 1978. The company was included as part of a NIOSH survey to characterize the screen printing industry (SIC-2751). Personal samples were taken in the breathing zone of the worker. Employees had to provide their own work clothes except for gloves. Five workers were employed in the production area. Toluene (108883) was found in the highest concentrations followed by xylene (1330207) and 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one (141797). Solvent concentrations were within present federal standards except for two personal samples taken during cleaning of misprinted works. The two samples had toluene concentrations of 749.6 and 392.5 parts per million (ppm), which exceeded the federal standards of 100ppm. The author recommends that workers be educated about solvent hazards, workers be required to wear respirators which are properly maintained, gloves be worn and ventilating flow be related to tasks and areas containing solvents, disposal storage bins have a self closing capacity, ink and solvent containers be closed when not in use, storage bins be emptied, spillage be properly cleaned, working habits be improved, the relationship of workers height and work bench level be optimized, and eating and smoking be prohibited around the working area.