Exposure to Rubber Fume and Rubber Process Dust in the General Rubber Goods, Tyre Manufacturing and Retread Industries

摘要

The aim of this study was to assess the current patterns and levels of exposure to rubber fume and rubber process dust in the British rubber industry and compare and contrast the data obtained from the general rubber goods (GRG), retread tyre (RT) and new tyre (NT) sectors. A total 179 companies manufacturing rubber products were visited during the survey. These included 117 general rubber goods, 53 retread tyre and 9 new tyre manufacturers. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire and included a walk-through inspection of the workplace to asess the extent of use of control measures and the nature of work practices being employed. The most recent exposure monitoring data for rubber fume and rubber process dust was obtained from these companies, no additional sampling was conducted for the purpose of this study.