Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-80-007-1520: GSA Switchgear Shop; Washington, D.C.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Emmett, Edward A. ; Moseley, Clifford L.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Environmental and breathing zone samples were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the General Services Administration (GSA) switch gear shop (SIC-3612), Washington, DC in December 1979 and January and May 1980. The survey was requested by GSA to evaluate PCB and other exposures. Environmental samples were also analyzed for tetrachlorodibenzodioxins (TCDDs) and tetrachlorodibenzofurans. Fifty-five current and former employees and 56 comparisons were given complete medical evaluations that included nerve conduction studies and serum and fat PCB analyses. PCB concentrations in the environmental samples ranged up to 24 micrograms per cubic meter (microg/m3). Air samples contained average background concentrations of 0.5microg/m3 that increased to 15microg/m3 while work was in progress, eventually falling to a mean of 0.8microg/m3. The OSHA standard for PCBs is 1.0microg/m3. Thirty-one parts per billion 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (51207319) was found in a transformer fluid sample. No TCDDs were detected. Serum and fat PCB concentrations were higher in the exposed workers. No subjects had clinical signs of PCB poisoning. The incidence of irritative symptoms, however, was higher in the exposed group. The authors conclude that a potential health hazard due to PCB exposure exists at the shop. Recommendations include using proper protective clothing and improving work practices.
• Subjects:
  Laboratories Liver Occupational Health Power Plants Safety
• Keywords:
  Analytical-models Chloracne Clothing Dioxin Furan Hazards-Confirmed Health Effects Hepatotoxicity HETA-80-007-1520 Neurological Effects NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report OSHA Region 3 PCB Power-generation Power Distribution And Specialty Transformers Quantitative-analysis Transformer Fluid Transformer Maintenance

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA800071520
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; 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:
  52 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Melius, James ; Grass, Jacqueline
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00153403
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB86-133741
• 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 80-007-1520, 1984 Oct ; :1-40
• CAS Registry Number:
  2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzofuran (CAS RN 51207-31-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1985
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3612 - Transformers, except electronic - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:da06149152d5bd622f25b515e582b6b340d8db9d2ca8ed2c7f9c08684e20aa5cadfd1debb6bef055419f189a5e7b7b71307875c42bd85f7fc19e7b27a5b27f6b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172276/cdc_172276_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.86 MB ]