Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-92-0009-2362: New York Telephone Company; White Plains, New York

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burton, Nancy C. ; Malkin, Robert ; Moss, C. Eugene
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from employees of the New York Telephone Company (SIC-3661) Central Office facility in White Plains, New York, a study was conducted on possible exposures to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and chemicals as well as indoor air quality in response to a concern about a perceived high incidence of cancer among employees working on the third floor of the building. Air and dust samples were collected and analyzed for trace metal content, temperature, relative humidity, and carbon-dioxide levels
  
  the presence of EMFs and ionizing radiation was evaluated as well. In addition, employees were given medical evaluations. All EMF measurements were within the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists occupational exposure standards. Adequate ventilation and very low levels of chemical exposures were seen. Humidity exceeded recommended levels in several areas. Radioactive vacuum tubes had previously been in widespread use at this facility. The authors conclude that exposures to trace levels of chemical contaminants should not be in excess of occupational standards. Electrical shock potential existed. Electric and magnetic fields did not exceed occupational standards. The role of ionizing radiation from vacuum tubes previously in use must be considered in any study of cancer among telephone company central office employees.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution, Indoor Electromagnetic Phenomena Environmental Health Neoplasms Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Radiation Safety
• Keywords:
  Cancer-rates Cancers Electromagnetic-fields EMF Hazard-Unconfirmed HETA-92-0009-2362 Indoor-air-pollution Indoor-environmental-quality Indoor Environmental Quality Ionizing-radiation NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report Nonionizing-radiation Occupational-exposure OSHA Region 2 Radium Bromide Switching Equipment Telephone And Telegraph Apparatus

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA9200092362
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• 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:
  38 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Booher, Donald E.
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00217750
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB94-150836
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, Ohio: 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 92-0009-2362, 1993 Oct ; :1-56
• Editor(s):
  Blythe, Ellen E. ; Ottlinger, Tamme
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1994
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3661 - Telephone and telegraph apparatus - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f972def28b0f48780815be02e9803ffc4e5090065b7efd85c869418023463665d0d57ccba727237089e630a23a01410a5ac0a888658de8fdfef4605358c7d0ce
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/171436/cdc_171436_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 285.13 KB ]