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Abstract
Radiator repair shops in the United States employ an estimated 40,000 workers. The shops are generally small, employing an average of four workers each. Airborne lead levels as high as 500 μg/m3, ten times the OSHA PEL of 50 μg/m3, have been reported in some of these shops, and blood lead levels in workers of over 60 μg/dl are not uncommon. Although numerous publications deal with the exposure problem, few describe methods to reduce lead levels.
Typically, engineering controls in these radiator repair shops consist of propeller fans in the building walls or roof for general ventilation or electrostatic precipitators suspended from the ceiling to remove particulate from the air. Both methods are ineffective in reducing worker lead exposures to below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL).
This article describes a cost-effective ventilation enclosure made of a flexible silicone sheet reinforced by fibrous glass that forms a tent-like structure over the water bath that is used to leak test radiators. An opening in the front of the enclosure permits the mechanic to repair the radiator inside the enclosure. A propeller fan mounted in the rear (outside wall) of the enclosure exhausts air at a rate of 3400 m3/hr (2000 cfm), producing an air flow of 1 m/sec (200 fpm) through the enclosure opening. The authors are not aware of any ventilation hood of this type that has previously been designed or installed in radiator repair shops.
The effectiveness of this enclosure was evaluated by collecting short-term and time-weighted average personal breathing zone samples for lead at a ‘controlled’ work station that used the enclosure. In addition, similar personal breathing zone samples for lead were collected at a work station in the same facility without the enclosure (uncontrolled).
Lead exposures during radiator repair at the controlled work station averaged 9.9 μg/m3, 20 percent of the OSHA PEL. Personal breathing zone samples taken at an uncontrolled work station averaged 453 μg/m3—45 times higher than that at the controlled station. These results demonstrate excellent control of lead fumes using this enclosure.