Page 16 - MetalForming February 2013

Safety Update
White Paper Addresses EPA Emission Standard on Dust Collection
Camfil Farr Air Pollution Control, Jonesboro, AR, has published a white paper focused on prop- er use of dust-collection apparatus in order to comply with the U.S. EPA National Emission Stan- dard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Rule 6X. Although the rule went into effect in the summer of 2011, many companies remain unaware of the required actions, according to Camfil representatives.
The rule encompasses all manufacturing processes using materials that contain 0.1-per- cent by weight cadmium, chromium, lead or nick- el; or 1.0-percent by weight manganese, which is virtually a universal component of welding wire. Simply stated, there can be no visible emissions (zero opacity) from these processes.
The white paper explores answers to such questions as:
• Does Rule 6X apply to your facility?
• What are the required monitoring and test methods for compliance?
• What types of dust collection equipment can be used?
The rule applies to companies who are primarily engaged (defined as 50 percent
of more of total labor) in one or more of the following categories: electrical and elec- tronic equipment, finishing, fabricated metal products, fabricated plate work, fab- ricated structural metal manufacturing, heating equipment (except electric), indus- trial machinery and equipment finishing, iron and steel forging, primary metal products manufacturing and valve and pipe fittings. Included in the white paper are recom- mended actions shops can take, including experimenting with different materials and settings to reduce emissions, and employing a dust and fume collector with a well-designed cartridge system that will properly filter welding fumes and other haz- ardous contaminants.
Download the white paper free of charge (with registration) at www.farrapc.com/ whitepapers/neshap-6x.
Camfil Farr APC: 870/933-8048; www.farrapc.com
Can You Please Speak Up?
More than half of factory workers who believe they have “excellent” or “good” hear- ing actually have suffered hearing loss, and do not recognize the problem. This accord- ing to a new study from the University of Michigan School of Nursing, which finds sig- nificant differences between measured and perceived hearing loss. The study’s authors suggest that healthcare providers need to use better methods of testing and protecting hearing among factory workers.
“This finding shows that even workers who are served by a workplace hearing-con- servation program and who receive annual hearing testing may be unaware of their actual hearing ability,” says Marjorie McCullagh, assistant professor in the UM School of nursing and principal investigator. “Consequently, healthcare providers would be wise to examine methods to help workers develop more accurate perceptions of their hearing, and test more effective methods to protect it.”
Of 2691 noise-exposed automobile factory workers surveyed for the study, 76 per- cent reported excellent or good hearing. However, after formal hearing tests,
researchers found that 42 percent of those workers actually had suffered hearing loss. This indicates that self- reported hearing loss is poorly related to the results of audiometry, or formal hearing testing. In other words, many fac- tory workers might have hearing loss and not even realize there’s a problem. The UM findings are consistent with other studies demonstrating a discrepancy between measured and perceived hear- ing loss, says McCullagh.
In the UM Nursing study, hearing loss was highly prevalent among the workers despite a regulated work envi- ronment and a hearing-conservation pro- gram. Noise represents one of the nation’s most common occupational health hazards.
The data was collected as part of an intervention study promoting hearing- protector use among workers at a Mid- west automotive factory.
Separator Designed to Prevent Welding-Fume Filter Fires
Welding exhaust-system manufac- turer Kemper America, Alpharetta, GA, has introduced the SparkTrap separator, designed to prevent filter fires and extend the life of welding exhaust filters. Welding and metal-fabricating opera- tions routinely generate large amounts of glowing particles and flying sparks that can cause fires in exhaust filters. Kem- per’s SparkTrap separates sparks and larger items, such as cigarettes, before they reach the filter material.
The unit creates a swirling action that accelerates exhaust gases and sparks at speeds to 100 miles/hr. This high-speed swirling action, say Kemper officials, allows the separation of sparks and larger glowing particles from the airstream and redirects them into a col- lection tank. The collection tank can be removed and emptied even while the SparkTrap runs.
Kemper America: 770/416-7070; www.kemperamerica.com
14 MetalForming/February 2013
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