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Asphalt Fumes |
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After performing an
exposure assessment, measures of control for worker safety can be
put into the right places. Controlling exposures to asphalt
fumes can be done through engineering controls, administrative
actions, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Engineering
controls include heating systems that maintain a constant asphalt
temperature and emission capture and destruction devices consisting
of a vent or exhaust system that evacuates fumes from the headspace
inside the kettle. Administrative actions include substituting
low-fuming asphalt and limiting the worker's exposure time. Personal
protective equipment includes following all applicable OSHA
requirements for wearing the proper respiratory protection and
clothing. The following references aid in controlling
and preventing asphalt fumes in the workplace.
Exposure Evaluation
- Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, Total (PACs). National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM)
Method 5800, (1998, January 15), 27 KB
PDF, 5 pages. The latest method for monitoring PACs
in asphalt fume. Previously
researchers attempted to analyze polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
in asphalt fumes using chromatographic techniques. Because
many other of these compounds co-elute, the resulting data was
ambiguous. For these reasons, this method was devised for
monitoring PACs as a chemical class in asphalt fumes. Asphalt
fume samples were collected on a PTFE filter backed by an XAD-2
sorbent tube, extracted with hexane, and prepared to isolate the
PACs from the polar and aliphatic compounds. The PACs were
analyzed using a flow injection technique and two fluorescence
detectors. The first detector (wavelength settings: 254-nm
excitation, 370-nm emission) was more sensitive to 2- to 4-ring
PACs. The second detector (wavelength settings: 254-nm excitation,
400-nm emission) was more sensitive to 4- and higher-ring PACs.
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Asphalt Fumes (Petroleum). OSHA Chemical Sampling Information (CSI),
(1998).
Contains information on exposure limits to various chemical components of
asphalt fumes, health factors, and monitoring.
- Development of Analytical Methods for PACs and Sulfur Compounds in Asphalt
Fumes. American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, Abstract #71,
(1996).
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Asphalt Fume Exposures During the Manufacture of Asphalt Roofing Products.
US Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-127, (2001,
August). Increases awareness among
plant managers, safety and health professionals, and engineers
of the potential for occupational exposure to asphalt and asphalt
fumes during the manufacturing of asphalt roofing products.
- An Explosion
in an Asphalt Patching Truck. Professional and Specialized Services,
Ministry of Labour, (1996,
January). Describes an explosion that occurred while
an operator was cleaning an asphalt patching truck. Control measures
and precautions to prevent similar incidents are discussed.
Possible Solutions
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Engineering Control Guidelines for Hot Mix Asphalt Pavers. US
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Publication No. 97-105, (1997, January). Also available
as a 508 KB PDF,
31 pages. Presents guidelines for implementing
engineering controls that reduce highway asphalt fumes at the source.
- Asphalt
Fume Exposures During the Application of Hot Asphalt to Roofs. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-112, (2003, October).
Represents the collaborative efforts of industry, labor, and
government to reduce worker exposures to asphalt fumes during the
application of hot asphalt to roofs. Also, describes the application
of hot asphalt to roofs, identifies steps in the process that may
involve worker exposure to asphalt fumes, and identifies current
engineering controls and work practices used to reduce exposures.
- Asphalt Roofing. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), (1995, January), 255 KB PDF,
12 pages. Contains an overview of the manufacturing process of
asphalt roofing materials and the emissions and controls associated with
the industry.
- Asphalt Fumes. New Jersey
Department of Health and Senior Services Hazardous Substance Fact
Sheet, (1994, May), 38 KB
PDF,
6 pages. Contains a variety of information including
acute and chronic health effects, workplace controls and practices,
personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, questions and
answers, and emergency response information.
- Asphalt
Training Guide. Electronic Library of
Construction Occupational Safety and Health (eLCOSH), (1994, June). Provides
questions to train workers who work with hot asphalt.
- Reducing
Roofers' Exposure to Asphalt Fumes. US Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-107,
(2003, September). Provides a guide for roofers and contractors
who work with hot asphalt on roofs, including steps for reducing
exposure to asphalt fumes.
- Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE). OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
- Respiratory
Protection. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
Case Studies
- Spartan Paving Company, Lansing,
Michigan. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Report No. HETA-94-0365-2563, (1996, March), 517 KB PDF,
51 pages. As part of a study on
occupational exposure to crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt and
conventional asphalt, an investigation was conducted. Asphalt
fume emissions were below current NIOSH recommended exposure limits
or other relevant criteria, however during the CRM asphalt paving,
the workers reported an eight-fold increase in the number of health
symptoms and a 14-fold increase in symptoms per hours, compared with
conventional asphalt.
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West Virginia University Medical
Center, Morgantown, West Virginia. National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health
Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Report No. HETA-82-253-1301, (1982, May).
Area samples were collected for asphalt fumes and fractions at a
roofing project. Some employees had complained of odors and
were concerned about possible health effects. Based on the sample
analysis, NIOSH concluded that a significant asphalt fume hazard did
not exist for the employees of the medical center; however,
headaches, coughing, and hoarseness reported by employees are
consistent with exposure to asphalt fumes. A specific area
should be designated for the placement of the asphalt cauldron to
minimize contamination of the fresh air ventilation intake by
asphalt fumes.
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