Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Report No. TA-77-35, Bluewater Seafood Products, Cleveland, Ohio

摘要

This study was performed at the request of OSHA following an incident involved reported illness of approximately 40 of the 168 employees on the first shift. Complaints of headaches, nausea, dizziness, difficulty breathing and the fainting of two employees resulted in shutdown and evacuation of the plant around 9:00 a.m. The NIOSH evaluation included environmental sampling, observations of the work area, interviews with employees and hospital medical personnel, and behavioral questionnaires. The environmental samples identified no significant toxic exposures. Many of the workers had experienced two incidents involving carbon monoxide (CO) exposure from a defect in the fryer line flue in January 1974 and December 1975. However, based on discussions with employees and OSHA investigators, it was determined that continuous monitoring for CO had shown no significant exposure during or following the recent incident. there was, however, a transitory problem noted in the exhaust system for the carbon dioxide (CO2) refrigeration hood on Line no. 2. The probable presence of elevated CO2 levels in the vicinity of this packing line cannot be discounted as a contributing factor. Both workers who reported losing consciousness worked there. Almost twice as many workers on this line reported symptoms and they had the highest mean number of symptoms per worker. This CO2 problem would not explain the workers reporting symptoms on the other lines throughout the plant nor the delayed onset and extended period (5 days) of symptoms for some workers.