We visited Materion in Elmore, OH. They manufacture beryllium alloys. The tour they provided gave us an opportunity to see their products manufactured. These include beryllium alloys that are made into strip coils, wires, and rods, bars, and tubes. They do not manufacture any particular end-product, but the beryllium alloys materials are included in many of the products we use and are used across the globe. These include computers and cell phones, and in the oil and gas, and aerospace industries. Throughout the visit, we saw how they address safety and health issues of their workforce. Most of our group were in personal protective equipment, including tyvek suits, powered air purifying respirators, and hearing protection. These visited areas that had the potential for exposure. Others visited areas that did not require the use of respiratory protection.
The Materion tour allows us to see how workers are protected with PPE and engineering controls, so that exposure to hazardous materials is minimized or eliminated. Thanks to our hosts at Materion for providing this opportunity for our visit.
