HHE Report: HETA-80-168-1204, Rola-Esmark Company, Dubois, Pennsylvania.
Authors
Lee-S; Parkinson-D
Source
NIOSH 1982 Oct; :1-26
Abstract
Health complaints among workers exposed to organic vapors during manufacture of stereo speakers at the Rola-Esmark Company (SIC-3651) DuBois, Pennsylvania, were investigated. The survey was requested by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and was performed on July 29 to 30, 1980. At the time of the study 140 production workers were employed. Thirty personal breathing zone air samples were taken to measure organic vapor contaminants, and one breathing zone and six area air samples were measured for benzoyl-peroxide (94360) exposure. Medical interviews were conducted for exposed employees. The highest organic vapor exposure was 8.0 parts per million (ppm) of trichloroethylene (79016) compared to a NIOSH recommended standard of 25ppm. Benzoyl-peroxide exposures were well below the NIOSH criteria of 5 milligrams per cubic meter. More than 50 percent of the workers, 19 to 20 of which were women, reported severe headaches, dizziness, balance problems, tremor, fatigue, and depression. The authors conclude that although exposures were well below environmental criteria, there was a high correlation of symptoms with solvent exposures.
Keywords
NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; Hazards-Unconfirmed; Employee-exposure; Air-sampling; Breathing-zone; Medical-surveys; Organic-chemicals; HETA-80-168-1204; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; Region-3
Document Type
Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance; Field Studies
NTIS Accession No.
PB84-172873
Identifying No.
HETA-80-168-1204
Source Name
Hazard Evaluations and Technical Assistance Branch, NIOSH, Cincinnati, Ohio, 26 pages, 17 references
