HHE Report No. MHETA-85-226-1839, Freshlabs, Inc., Warren, Michigan.

Sanderson-WT; Ferguson-RP

NIOSH 1987 Aug:54 pages

00175422

In response to a request from workers at the Freshlabs vitamin manufacturing facility (SIC-2834) located in Warren, Michigan, a study was made of dust exposures, with specific attention to asbestos (1332214) in ceiling insulation. Over half of all workers (about 70) reported watery itchy eyes, sneezing, or runny stuffy noses. Symptoms of skin rashes, cough, chest tightness, and shortness of breath were also reported throughout the facility. Dust concentrations were highest in the composition area, where all workers experienced irritation of eyes, nose, and throat, and a few developed occupational asthma confirmed by company physicians. Workers were exposed to several vitamin products which were irritating to eyes and nasal and respiratory mucosa because of acidity. Some workers became hypersensitive to dusts due to protein and polysaccharide contents. Most samples showed total and respirable dust measurements well below Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limits for nuisance dusts. However, these are not common nuisance dust components. The authors suggest that the limits provide little protection for average workers exposed to such dusts. Asbestos sampling revealed potential hazard from falling insulation. Recommendations pertaining to local exhaust hoods, amended work practices, use of personal dust respirators, avoidance of skin contact, and proper ceiling insulation are offered.

NIOSH-Author; NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation; MHETA-85-226-1839; Region-5; NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report; Hazard-Confirmed; Dust-inhalation; Dust-control; Airborne-fibers; Breathing-zone; Airborne-dusts; Air-sampling; Pharmaceutical-industry; Pulmonary-system-disorders;

1332-21-4;

19870801

Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance;

1987

PB88-162664

A05

MHETA-85-226-1839

DSHEFS; DRDS;

Pulmonary-system-disorders

2834;

Mining Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Program, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Morgantown, West Virginia, Report No. MHETA-85-226-1839, 54 pages, 17 references

MI; VA; WV;