Walk-Through Survey Report: Styrene and Noise Exposures During Fiber Reinforced Plastic Boat Manufacturing.

摘要

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). NIOSH was established in 1971 by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, at the same time that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The OSH Act mandated NIOSH to conduct research and education programs separate from the standard-setting and enforcement functions conducted by OSHA. An important area of NIOSH research involves measures for controlling occupational exposures to potential chemical and physical hazards. On October 14, 2005, researchers from the Engineering and Physical Hazards Branch (EPHB) of the Division of Applied Research and Technology (DART) conducted a walkthrough survey at Island Packet Yachts, in Largo, Florida. The primary purpose of this walk-through was to learn more about the fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) boat manufacturing industry and to assess the suitability of this facility for an in-depth survey. The main goals for the walk-through survey included performing a preliminary assessment of the occupational exposures to styrene vapor in air and observing the effectiveness of engineering exposure-control measures during the FRP boat manufacturing operations. A secondary objective was to perform a preliminary assessment of the noise exposures occurring during these operations.