HETA #2002-0014-2958: U.S. Department of Transportation, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; Massena, New York

Details

• Alternative Title:
  NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA #2002-0014-2958: U.S. Department of Transportation, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Massena, New York
• Personal Author:
  Ewers, Lynda M. ; Nemhauser, Jeffrey B.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In October 2001, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a joint labor/management request to conduct a health hazard evaluation (HHE) at the Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bertrand H. Snell Locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway, near Massena, New York. The request described "flu-like symptoms" and "general ill health" as concerns among workers exposed to stagnant water and decaying marine life during the annual winter inspection, cleaning, and repairs of the locks. Another impetus for the request was the collapse of one worker at the bottom of a lock during the previous winter. During site visits in 2002 and 2003, NIOSH investigators collected personal breathing zone (PBZ) and area air samples for endotoxins, hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon monoxide (CO), crystalline silica, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Endotoxin concentrations above relative limit values were measured on two workers. However, because these employees (both painters) left the worksite while wearing the monitoring equipment during part of their work shift, the exposures cannot be said to be work related. Peak PBZ H2S concentrations up to 87 parts per million (ppm) were measured while workers used pneumatic drills and jack hammers to remove deteriorating concrete from lock walls
  
  the NIOSH recommended ceiling value is 10 ppm. Concentrations of CO, crystalline silica, and VOCs were below applicable NIOSH and OSHA occupational exposure limits. NIOSH investigators also concluded that the locks are confined spaces. NIOSH investigators identified 71 employees as having regular or intermittent exposure to the locks during winter work
  
  27 were interviewed or had information in their medical records that could be abstracted to identify disease trends or patterns. Most of the 27 workers reported a history of respiratory illness including bronchitis, pneumonia, or an aggravation of their asthma while working on the locks. Although several workers provided a history of seeing their health care provider for a winter illness, only two provided a history of having been hospitalized. Given the small percentage of workers who participated in this study, we cannot draw conclusions about the relationship between winter work activities and the risk of developing acute respiratory illnesses. NIOSH investigators conclude that some employees conducting winter work at the Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bertrand H. Snell Locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway are exposed to endotoxins, H2S, and VOCs. Acute respiratory illness due to H2S or VOC exposures at the levels measured during the NIOSH evaluation is unlikely. Recommendations are provided to consider the locks as confined spaces and to increase the ventilation inside the locks while winter work activities are conducted.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Confined Spaces Construction Industry Endotoxins Hydrogen Sulfide Lung Lung Diseases Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Silicon Dioxide Ventilation

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Freight Transportation On The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway Carbon Monoxide Confined-spaces Confined Space Construction Construction-industry Construction-Search Construction-workers Crystalline Silica Hazards-Unconfirmed Hydrogen Sulfide Lung-disease Lung-disorders Maintenance Organic-compounds OSHA Region 2 Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-system-disorders Seaway Locks Silica-dusts Volatiles

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA200200142958
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Name as Subject:
  United States. Department of Transportation ; Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation ; United States. Department of Transportation ; Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; OSHA Region 2
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-21 ; 28 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Curwin, Brian ; King, Bradley S. ; Krake, Ann ; Nimgade, Ashok ; Grote, Ardith A. ; Lewis, Daniel M. ; Blythe, Ellen E. ; Smith, Robin
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20026317
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2005-104897
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 2002-0014-2958, 2005 Mar ; :1-21
• CAS Registry Number:
  Hydrogen sulfide (CAS RN 7783-06-4) ; Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Crystalline silica, quartz (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Editor(s):
  Galloway, Ellen
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  4432 - Freight transportation on the Great Lakes - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d4f208bbf0286ed57c04d32b0b7cae736eb03a2fe3b24ddb006cf78f61a5f11c83bd4ac0af88b46cacc3bcf40779ae76b03197bf21b43c063dafb6e40a3bee7b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/170608/cdc_170608_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 415.69 KB ]