In-Depth Survey Report: A Laboratory Evaluation of Prototype Engineering Controls Designed to Reduce Occupational Exposures during Asphalt Paving Operations at Blaw-Knox Construction Equipment Corporation, Mattoon, Illinois. Region 5

摘要

On July 5-7, 1995, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated prototype engineering controls designed for the control of fugitive asphalt emissions during asphalt paving. The Blaw-Knox engineering control evaluation was completed as part of a Department of Transportation (DOT) project to evaluate the effectiveness of engineering controls on asphalt paving equipment. NIOSH researchers are conducting the research through an interagency agreement with DOT's Federal Highway Administration. Additionally, the National Asphalt Pavement Association is playing a critical role in coordinating the paving manufacturers' and paving contractors' voluntary participation in the study. The study consists of two major phases. During the primary phase, NIOSH researchers visit each participating manufacturer and evaluate their engineering control designs under managed environmental conditions. The indoor evaluation uses tracer gas analysis techniques to both quantify the control's exhaust volume and determine the capture efficiency. Results from the indoor evaluations provided equipment manufacturers with the necessary information to maximize engineering control performance prior to the second phase of the study, performance evaluation of the prototype engineering controls under 'real-life' paving conditions. The scope of this report is limited to the Blaw-Knox phase one evaluation.