Environmental Protection and

Hazards in Metallurgical
Industries
Engr. Muhammad Salman Habib
 Hazardous Materials
• Dusts, solvents, and other materials present a health
hazard in foundries.
• Dust is generated in many foundry processes and
presents a twofold problem:
1) Cleaning to remove deposits
2) Control at the point of origin to prevent further dispersion and
accumulation
• Vacuum cleaning is the best way to remove dust in foundries.
• Once dust has been removed, prevent further accumulation by using
local exhaust systems (LEV) that remove it at the point of origin.
 Hazardous Materials (Cont.)
• Solvents: evaluate each solvent on the basis of its
chemical ingredients
• Proper labeling, substituting less hazardous for more hazardous
chemicals, limiting the quantities in use, and using other methods
of control can help minimize the toxic and flammable hazards
involved in using solvents.
• Other materials: many metal resins, and other substances
present safety and health hazards
 Hazardous Materials (Cont.)
• Other hazardous materials that are found in various
stages and locations of hot metal operations include:
• acrolein
• beryllium
• carbon as sea coal
• carbon monoxide (CO)
• chromium
• fluorides
• lead
• magnesium dust or chips
• manganese
• phosphorus
• resins and resin dusts
• silica
• sulfur dioxide
 Hazardous Materials (Cont.)
• Iron-oxide: fumes and dusts
are created during melting,
burning, pouring, grinding,
welding, and machining of
ferrous castings
• Use LEV to vent these fumes.
Work Environment in Foundries (Cont.)
• Ventilation
• Control of air contaminants is the primary purpose of ventilation in
foundries.
• The need for ventilation may be determined by one of more of the
following:
• Federal, state, and local regulations or standards
• Comparison with similar operations in a like environment
• Collection and analysis of representative air samples taken by qualified
personnel in the breathing zone of workers
Work Environment in Foundries (Cont.)
• Noise control
• Controlling excessive levels of noise, more than 85dBA, may
sometimes be difficult.
• Engineering is not always possible because of a lack of technology
or is impractical.
• Develop a hearing conservation program that provides approved
hearing protection for each worker.
• Minimize exposure to identified high-noise-level hazards.
Work Environment in Foundries (Cont.)
• Lighting
• Good lighting is difficult to achieve.
• Where craneways are used, light fixtures must be placed high and
at considerable distances from work areas.
• Nevertheless provide good lighting for each work area.
Work Environment in Foundries (Cont.)
• Inspection and maintenance
• Follow standard inspection and maintenance procedures in
foundries.
• Carefully select maintenance personnel.
• Train them in safe practices, especially in procedures for locking
out controls and isolating other energy sources.
Work Environment in Foundries (Cont.)
• Fire protection
• Make periodic fire inspections.
• Perform emergency fire fighting drills.
• If a fire brigade is present, it will aid the safety program by keeping
its members, as well as other employees in the foundry, safety
conscious.
Work Environment in Foundries (Cont.)
• Compressed air hoses
• Do not use air hoses to clean clothes.
• Improper use and “horseplay” have caused severe injuries to
internal organs and eardrums.
• Reduce air to less than 30 psig.
• Install whip checks at all joints.
• Prohibit blowing and brushing sand from new castings without
regard for dust clouds produced.
• Substitute vacuum methods when possible.
• Train workers on the safe use of air hoses.
Materials Handling in Foundries (Cont.)
• Sand, coal, and coke
• Prevent falls through hoppers while unloading bottom-dump
railroad cars with fall protection.
• Be sure observers are on the scene and prepared to summon help in
emergencies.
• Use safety ratchet wrenches for hopper doors to keep the doors
from swinging and striking workers.
• Prevent hand and foot injuries by using safety car movers instead
of ordinary pinch bars to spot cars by hand.
• To reduce cave-ins of loose material, prohibit the undermining of
piles and avoid overhangs.
• Prevent electric shock by grounding portable belt-conveyor loaders.
• To keep dump cars under repair from being moved, use locking
switches and car chocks.
Materials Handling in Foundries (Cont.)
• Ladles
• Provide a manually operated
safety lock and suitable covers for
portable ladles.
• Thoroughly dry out and heat
ladles before use.
• Provide LEV to control vapors
and fumes.
• Ensure that the ladle is suited for
its intended operation and make
necessary adjustments.
Materials Handling in Foundries (Cont.)
• Hoists and cranes
• Require preventive maintenance program.
• Gear the program to ensure that the operation is much safer than
simply to comply with minimal regulations.
• Conduct inspections on a weekly basis by trained specialists.
• Nondestructive testing (ultrasonic) may be required to locate cracks
and other issues.
Materials Handling in Foundries (Cont.)
• Conveyors
• Conveyors are used to carry sand to and from the mixing room.
• An endless conveyor is used to handle molds.
• When installing a system, guard shear points, crush points, and
moving parts.
• Where conveyor systems run over passageways and working
areas, protect employees beneath them with screens, grating, or
guards.
• Guarding should be strong enough to resist the impact of the
heaviest piece handled.
Materials Handling in Foundries (Cont.)
• Storage
• Store materials and equipment not in regular use in a safe, orderly
manner on level and firm foundations.
• When removing equipment and materials from floor level or from
storage piles, do not undermine piles and cause cave-ins.
• Cover bottom feeding hopper bins.
• Use racks and shelves to store patterns and provide keepers.
• Store flammable liquids in accordance with NFPA 30.
• Ensure good lighting and floor conditions in storage areas.
Materials Handling in Foundries (Cont.)
• Slag disposal
• Design furnaces and pits with removable receptacles into which
slag and kish (separated graphite) may flow or be dumped.
• Unless disposed of in the molten state, provide enough receptacles
so slag can solidify before dumping.
• Use slag or cinder pots to decrease slag pit accumulation.
• The pots can be set aside for cooling and eliminate explosion dangers.
• Dump where there is absolutely no water or dampness.
• Water might cause an explosion if some slag is still molten.
• Before breaking up slag allow it to stand for several hours.
 Crucibles
• The principal danger in handling refractory clay crucibles
is that one may break when full of molten metal.
• Have a trained inspector check all new crucibles for
cracks, thin spots, and other flaws.
• Return to the manufacturer those showing signs of
dampness.
• Examine the packages and the car in which they were
shipped to find out whether or not they were exposed to
moisture in transit.
 Ovens
• Principal hazards in the construction and operation of
core ovens and mold-drying ovens are excessive smoke,
gas, and fumes.
• Other unsafe conditions are unprotected firing pits;
unguarded vertical sling doors or their counterweights,
which may drop on workers; and flashbacks from
fireboxes.
• Guard firing pits.
• Install safe vertical sliding doors, wire ropes and chains, sturdy
fastenings.
• Thoroughly inspect all sliding doors at frequent intervals.
Foundry Production Equipment (Cont.)
• Sand cutters
• Throw sand and pieces of metal with bullet-like force.
• Guard so that efficiency of the operation is not reduced or give
operators proper PPE if guarding is not feasible.
• Sifters
• Guard with enclosures or angle iron pipe railings.
• Place controls within reach of operators.
• Anchor portable sifters.
 Flasks
• Iron or steel are preferable to wood.
• Discard defective flasks immediately.
• Have competent inspectors inspect flasks at frequent
intervals.
• Flask trunnions should have end flanges at least twice the
diameter of the trunnions to minimize the danger of hooks
slipping or jumping.
• Large flasks should have loop handles.
• Design trunnions and handles with a safety factor of at
least 10.
 Forging Hammers
• There are several types of forging hammers:
• open-frame
• gravity-drop
• steam hammer
• air hammer
• Each require special safeguarding and work practices
despite having similar hazards.