Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-87-181-0000: Graphic Packaging Corporation; Paoli, Pennsylvania

Details

• Personal Author:
  Crandall, Michael S. ; Wilcox, Thomas G.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In response to a request from the United Paperworkers International Union, an evaluation was made of working conditions at the Graphic Packaging Corporation, Paoli, Pennsylvania. Particular attention was given to workers making microwave popcorn bags who reported swelling around the eyes and dermatitis. One employee also reported an asthma attack while working on the bags. Special water-based epoxy adhesives were used for these bags as the product must withstand heating in a microwave oven. Environmental and personal breathing zone air samples were taken, and medical questionnaires were filled out. Use of this adhesive was discontinued in May of 1987 and the symptoms have disappeared. Chemical analysis of the adhesive indicated the presence of several chemicals which are potential irritants or allergic sensitizers both to skin and the respiratory track. These irritants included formaldehyde (50000), acetaldehyde (75070), benzoic-acid (65850), 1,1,1-trichloroethane (79005), p-dioxane (123911), and ethyl-acetate (141786). Samples taken before the switch over to another adhesive was made did not indicate a hazardous level of any of these substances to be present.
• Subjects:
  Hypersensitivity Lung Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Skin
• Keywords:
  Allergic-reactions Assembly-line-workers Contact-allergies Containers Hazard-Unconfirmed HETA-87-181-0000 NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report OSHA Region 3 Pulmonary-system-disorders Skin-exposure

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Pennsylvania ; OSHA Region 3
• 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:
  12 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00181809
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB89-107775
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HETA 87-181-0000, 1988 Jul ; :1-10
• CAS Registry Number:
  Formaldehyde (CAS RN 50-00-0) ; Acetaldehyde (CAS RN 75-07-0) ; Benzoic acid (CAS RN 65-85-0) ; 1,1,2-Trichloroethane (CAS RN 79-00-5) ; 1,4-Dioxane (CAS RN 123-91-1) ; Ethyl acetate (CAS RN 141-78-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1988
• NORA Priority Area:
  Pulmonary-system-disorders
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1a4ecc6a66ec77b9ce88b43b0292301eaf7fa56efa164d2ecb4c4f443a687ebcb5a2df1987e7e1a0a8c6807deb99e0d78ed23fa5e0ea7327c9683017e9e755e7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/171903/cdc_171903_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 231.85 KB ]