Health Hazard Evaluation Report HETA 96-0012-2652, Brigham and Women's Hospital,211 Boston, Massachusetts

摘要

In 1995, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) asked the National Institute211u001efor Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to conduct a health hazard evaluation 211u001eat Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), a large teaching hospital in Boston, 211u001eMassachusetts, MNA, which represents BWH staff nurses, reported that many BWH 211u001enurses had developed health problems such as skin and respiratory irritation, 211u001easthma, latex allergy, and sensitivity to chemicals. the nurses were concerned 211u001ethat these health problems were related to poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in the 211u001ePatient Tower and in the Center for Women and Newborns (CWN, a new BWH building 211u001eadjacent and connected to the Patient Tower). Some of the nurses hypothesized 211u001ethat, around March 1993, an event (e.g., a chemical spill or leak) happended 211u001ewithin the Patient Tower, contaminating the indoor environment.