US EPA

1141311 

Technical Report 

Occupational Health Hazards in Massachusetts Industries. IV. Wood Heel Covering 

Anonymous 

1937 

NIOSH/00129818 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries 

Concentrations of methanol (67561) vapor in rooms where wooden shoe heels were covered (SIC-3131) were determined in eight factories in Massachusetts in 1934. Thirteen factories employing 508 workers were surveyed. It was found that solvents other than methanol used in the heel covering process were used in such a manner or in such small quantities that hazards to health seemed unlikely. A standard of safety for methanol was set at 200 parts per million (ppm). Celluloid heel coverings were soaked in methanol before use. Methanol was continually evaporating into the air near the worker handling the covers. Hands and aprons of workers were wet with excess methanol. Skin exposure to methanol resulted in cracked skin on hands and fingers. Propellor fans for ventilation were found to be inadequate due to the enclosed nature of the working rooms for reasons of fire prevention. The average concentrations of methanol found in the covering rooms of eight factories were: 780, 475, 365, 320, 210, 185, 180, and 160ppm. The principal sources of methanol vapor were examined by dividing the heel covering process into four stages and measuring the evaporation of methanol. The coverings at each stage were placed in air tight bottles. The weight of wet coverings plus container was determined and then the coverings were allowed to air dry. The amount of methanol lost to the atmosphere was determined by subtracting the weight of the container and dry coverings. It was found that only about 17 percent of the vapors came from actual manipulations by an operator; 33 percent came from a towel used to keep coverings wet before use; and 50 percent came from the finished heels drying. The author recommends the addition of exhaust hoods over these two stages of the shoe heel covering process to bring methanol concentrations to below the safety standard of 200ppm. 

DCN-118374; Industrial hygiene; Toxic vapors; Alcohols; Ventilation; Toxicology; Poisons; Health hazards; Worker health; Toxic effects