RR677: Analysis of CTI foundry dataset
This report contains a statistical analysis of an exposure dataset provided by Castings Technology International (CTI).
The purpose of the analysis is to provide a 'snapshot' of exposure levels to ferrous foundry particulate and other chemicals, across a range of casting and fabrication related jobs.
The original dataset consisted of 49 994 records comprising of potential exposure level , substance exposed to, the job type, date of measurement, and where known, the use of respiratory protection equipment (RPE) and local exhaust ventilation (LEV).
The dataset was filtered to exclude records which were pre-1995 (since only current or near-current records were of interest), or that related to jobs or substances that were not of interest. Full details of the data cleaning process are given in Appendix A. After filtering, 21 885 records of exposures to 30 substances remained, covering the time period 1995–2004. Based upon the information in the 'Process Name' and 'Job Name' fields in the original dataset, records were classified according to nine generic job types. (The word 'job' refers to these new job classifications throughout the report, unless otherwise stated.)
The analysis provides summary statistics of exposures, stratified by the generic job types and by substance, and compared to current Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) where appropriate.
This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.
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