Air Contaminants in Metalcasting: Evaluation & Control

On an ongoing basis, the AFS Health and Safety Committee (10-Q) publishes manuals and documents for use by metalcasters in planning and implementing their safety and health programs. The10-Q Committee has published many guidance documents for evaluation and control of worker exposures to safety hazards and air contaminants in their facilities in response to specific needs communicated by members of the metalcasting industry. This publication, “Air Contaminants in Metalcasting: Evaluation & Exposure Control,” is directed at three defined needs: The need to focus on the metalcasting processes in addressing potential air contaminant hazards. The need to take the variability of exposure situations into account when determining compliance status with exposure limits and when implementing the necessary course of action. The need to learn from actual foundry experiences related to how metalcasters can achieve and maintain protection of workers from exposure to toxic air contaminants. This publication is drawn chiefly from AFS Safety & Health publications, as well as from guidelines published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for planning and interpreting results of exposure samples in metalcasting facilities. As an added bonus, AFS has developed a “Statistical Evaluation Template” to facilitate the application of the evaluation methodology outlined in the publication. This template is meant to facilitate the use of the mathematical model described by NIOSH. The “Statistical Evaluation Template” was created as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, it can be used by following the step-by-step guidance detailed within the publication, and is located within the downloadable publication folder. Keywords: Environmental Health & Safety, Air Contaminants. Metalcasting, Evaluation, Exposure Control