Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Characteristics of Occupational Exposure to Benzene during Turnaround in the Petrochemical Industries

  • Chung, Eun-Kyo (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Shin, Jung-Ah (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Lee, Byung-Kyu (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Kwon, Ji-Woon (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Lee, Na-Roo (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Chung, Kwang-Jae (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Lee, Jong-Han (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Lee, In-Seop (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Kang, Seong-Kyu (Department of Occupational Environment Research, Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, KOSHA) ;
  • Jang, Jae-Kil (Occupational Safety and Health Training Institute, KOSHA)
  • Received : 2010.05.14
  • Accepted : 2010.07.21
  • Published : 2010.09.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives: The level of benzene exposure in the petrochemical industry during regular operation has been well established, but not in turnaround (TA), where high exposure may occur. In this study, the characteristics of occupational exposure to benzene during TA in the petrochemical companies were investigated in order to determine the best management strategies and improve the working environment. This was accomplished by evaluating the exposure level for the workers working in environments where benzene was being produced or used as an ingredient during the unit process. Methods: From 2003 to 2008, a total of 705 workers in three petrochemical companies in Korea were studied. Long- and short-term (< 1 hr) samples were taken during TAs. TA was classified into three stages: shut-down, maintenance and start-up. All works were classified into 12 occupation categories. Results: The long-term geometric mean (GM) benzene exposure level was 0.025 (5.82) ppm (0.005-42.120 ppm) and the short-term exposure concentration during TA was 0.020 (17.42) ppm (0.005-61.855 ppm). The proportions of TA samples exceeding the time-weighted average, occupational exposure level (TWA-OEL in Korea, 1 ppm) and the short-term exposure limit (STEL-OEL, 5 ppm) were 4.1% (20 samples of 488) and 6.0% (13 samples of 217), respectively. The results for the benzene exposure levels and the rates of exceeding the OEL were both statistically significant (p < 0.05). Among the 12 job categories of petrochemical workers, mechanical engineers, plumbers, welders, fieldman and scaffolding workers exhibited long-term samples that exceeded the OEL of benzene, and the rate of exceeding the OEL was statistically significant for the first two occupations (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that the periodic work environment must be assessed during non-routine works such as TA.

Keywords

References

  1. Wells GM. Handbook of petrochemicals and process. 2nd ed.Brookfield (VT): Gower Publishing Company; 1999.
  2. Choi SJ. Characteristics of workers' exposure to organic solvents in petroleum refinery [dissertation]. Seoul (Korea):Seoul National University; 2003.
  3. Ahn YS, Kang SK. Epidemiologic investigation of Yeosu-Kwangyang Petrochemical Complex for leukemia caused bybenzene. Incheon (Korea): Korea Occupational Safety andHealth Agency; 2002. Korean.
  4. Choi SJ, Kim W. Status of benzene exposure and suggestedcountermeasures for petrochemical workers in the YeosuNational Industrial Complex. J Korean Soc Occup EnvironHyg 2007;17:310-21.
  5. Choi SJ. A study on health protection methods for irregularconstruction workers at Yeosu National Industrial Complex:OSHRI research report. Incheon (Korea): Korea OccupationalSafety and Health Agency; 2008.
  6. Molyneu M, Bonte D, De Wilde P, Ilinyi J, Kaitale T,Tiltnes A, Simpson B. Management of occupational healthrisks during refinery turnarounds. Brussels (Belgium):CONCAWE's Health Management; 2000. p. 1-56.
  7. Chung EK, Shin JA, Yoo KM, Kwon JW, Yi GY, Lee BK,Chung KJ. Characteristics of unemployed constructionworkers' exposure to benzene and 1, 3-butadiene duringturnaround (TA) in the petrochemical industries.Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute researchreport. Incheon (Korea): Korea Occupational Safety andHealth Agency; 2008. Korean.
  8. Cassinelli ME, Hull RD, Crable JV, Teass AW. Diffusivesampling: an alternative to workplace air monitoring. In:Berlin A, Brown RH, Sanuders KJ, editors. NIOSH protocolfor the evaluation of passive monitors. Cincinnati (OH):Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; 1987. p. 190-202.
  9. Hawkins NC, Norwood SK, Rock JC. A strategy foroccupational exposure assessment. Fairfax (VA): AmericanIndustrial Hygiene Association; 1991.
  10. Guild LV, Myrmel KH, Myers G, Dietrich DF. Bi-level passivemonitor validation: a reliable way of assuring samplingaccuracy for a larger number of related chemical hazards.Appl Occup Environ Hyg 1992;7:310-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047322X.1992.10390161
  11. Kennedy ER; National Institute of Occupational Safetyand Health. Guidelines for air sampling and analyticalmethod development and evaluation. Cincinnati (OH): U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, Public HealthService, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division ofPhysical Sciences and Engineering; 1995. 104 p.
  12. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.NIOSH Manual of analytical method. 4th ed. Cincinnati(OH): National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health;1994.
  13. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute. Air sampling and analytical method for hazardous chemicalsubstances. Incheon (Korea): Korea Occupational Safety andHealth Agency; 2004.
  14. Ministry of Employment and Labor (KR). Occupationalexposure limits for chemical substances and physical agents.Gwacheon (Korea): Ministry of Employment and Labor;2008.
  15. Glass DC, Gray CN. Estimating mean exposures fromcensored data: exposure to benzene in the Australianpetroleum industry. Ann Occup Hyg 2001;45:275-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-4878(01)00022-9
  16. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists(ACGIH). Threshold limit values (TLVs) for chemicalsubstances and physical agents and biological exposure indices(BEIs). Cincinnati (OH): ACGIH; 2009.
  17. Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute. Analysisof occupational health statistics (2005-2007). Incheon (Korea):Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency; 2008.Korean.
  18. Kang SK, Lee MY, Kim TK, Lee JO, Ahn YS. Occupationalexposure to benzene in South Korea. Chem Biol Interact2005;153-154:65-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2005.03.011
  19. Bates K; CONCAWE. Review of European oil industrybenzene exposure data, 1986-1992. Brussels (Belgium):CONCAWE; 1994. 22 p.
  20. Capleton AC, Levy LS. An overview of occupational benzeneexposures and occupational exposure limits in Europe andNorth America. Chem Biol Interact 2005;153-154:43-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2005.03.007
  21. Jeong JY, Lee KY, Park SH. An investigation of benzeneexposure in petrochemical complex. Incheon (Korea): KoreaOccupational Safety and Health Agency; 2004.
  22. SafeWork. ILO Chemical control tool kit [Internet]. Geneva(Switzerland): International Labour Organization. 2004 -[cited 2010 Sep 30]. Available from: http://www.ilo.org/safework.
  23. Ryoo JJ, Jeong JY, Lee KY, Park SH. Status of benzeneexposure and countermeasures for reducing exposure ofbenzene during routinized and refinery turnarounds in petrochemical factories. Report of Health Hazard EvaluationDHHRRHE-03-11. Cincinnati (OH): National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health; 2003.
  24. Choi SJ, Kim SB. Health status and improvement measuresfor irregular plant construction workers at Yeosu NationalIndustrial Complex. J Korean Soc Occup Environ Hyg2009;19:182-94.
  25. Koh DH, Chung EK, Jang JG, Yoo KM, Lee HE, RyooHW. Epidemiologic survey on atypical construction workersin Yeosu-Kwangyang Industrial Complex. Incheon (Korea):Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency; 2010.Korean.

Cited by

  1. Cancer incidence and mortality among temporary maintenance workers in a refinery/petrochemical complex in Korea vol.20, pp.2, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1179/2049396714Y.0000000059
  2. Case study of occupational mercury exposure during decontamination of turnaround in refinery plant vol.23, pp.1, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1080/10773525.2018.1425657
  3. Managing Exposure to Benzene and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons at Two Oil Refineries 1977–2014 vol.15, pp.2, 2018, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15020197
  4. Comparison of personal air benzene and urine t,t-muconic acid as a benzene exposure surrogate during turnaround maintenance in petrochemical plants vol.56, pp.4, 2018, https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2017-0225