In-Depth Survey Report: Control of Methylene Chloride during Furniture Strippingat Tri-County Furniture Stripping, Cincinnati, Ohio

摘要

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has beenconducting research on ventilation controls to reduce furniture stripping exposures to methylene chloride. The goal of this study was to reduce exposures to methylene chloride below the current (issued January 1997) OSHA PEL of 25 ppm at Tri-County Furniture Stripping in Cincinnati, Ohio. Five surveys were completed at this facility. The second survey showed the highest exposures with a geometric mean of 334 ppm. Since the second survey, the ventilation system at the stripping tank was upgraded and cleaned for a final exhaust volume of 2720 cfm. Since the third survey, a local exhaust ventilation system for the rinsing area was installed with a total exhaust volume of 2140.