Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. HHE-80-181-909, Ralston Purina Company, Cincinnati, Ohio

摘要

On July 1, 1980, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request to evaluate worker exposure to 'EP Liquid,' a chemical recently introduced into the work environment at Ralston Purina, Cincinnati, Ohio. Workers in the animal food extrusion room were concerned about potential safety and health hazards when working with this chemical due to the increased level of personal protective equipment required and the lack of specific ingredient information. Laboratory analysis of a bulk sample of the EP Liquid, in addition to confirming its acidic nature, indicated a potential for ethylene oxide exposure. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for ethylene oxide and formaldehyde are 50 ppm and 3 ppm, respectively. NIOSH recommends that both be handled as carcinogens and, therefore, exposures should be minimized to the extent possible. The acute symptoms experienced by the workers were most probably due to exposure to mist and droplets of the EP Liquid during the performance of three or four specific tasks where the chemical is agitated. Ethylene oxide was not detected in personal breathing-zone samples; however, it was detected in certain area samples. The source of the ethylene oxide should be identified and eliminated. Formaldehyde exposure also requires further evaluation. Recommendations are provided in the body of the full report that will reduce caustic emissions and minimize ethylene oxide exposure.