Health hazard evaluation report heta 94-0179-2516, Diamet Corporation, Columbus, Indiana

In response to a request from employees of DIAMET Corporation (SIC-3714), Columbus, Indiana, an investigation was begun into reported dermatitis and respiratory symptoms which were thought to be associated with the application of a rust preventive oil to finished metal parts. DIAMET manufactured sintered, metal machinery components using a powder metallurgy process. At the time of manual inspection, the parts were treated with the rust preventative oil just prior to packaging. At the time of the study the oil was applied using either an automatic spray table or a manual spray bottle. The time weighted average concentrations for all the personal breathing zone and area samples were below the NIOSH recommend exposure limits of 5 350mg/cubic meter, for oil mist and naphthas, respectively. The authors conclude that there was a potential for exposures to rust preventative oil during manual spraying. Design deficiencies were cited in the automatic spray tables which, when modified, will improve their effectiveness.