Evaluation of exposures and respiratory health at a coffee roasting and packaging facility [HHE-2016-0080-3324]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beaty, Michael C. ; Boylstein, Randy J. ; Duling, Matthew G. ; Fechter-Leggett, Ethan D. ; Johnson, Alyson R.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  In February 2016, the Health Hazard Evaluation Program of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health received a request from the management of a coffee roasting and packaging facility. The request stated concerns about potential health issues related to exposure to diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione during coffee roasting, grinding, and packaging. In September 2017, we conducted an industrial hygiene survey, ventilation assessment, and a medical survey at the facility. The industrial hygiene survey consisted of the collection of air samples for the analysis of diacetyl, 2,3-pentanedione, and 2,3-hexanedione. Continuous monitoring instruments were used to monitor total volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, temperature, and relative humidity in specific areas and during tasks. The medical survey consisted of a health questionnaire and breathing tests. One interim report with recommendations was sent to the company following our visit. Overall, full-shift time-weighted average air concentrations of diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione were higher in production areas of the facility. However, none of the personal full-shift samples collected in the production area exceeded the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure limit for diacetyl of 5 parts per billion, with a maximum measured concentration of 2.9 parts per billion. Similarly, none of the personal full-shift samples collected in the production area exceeded the recommended exposure limit for 2,3-pentanedione of 9.3 parts per billion, with a maximum measured concentration of 2.6 parts per billion. We identified some work tasks that resulted in relatively higher air concentrations of diacetyl than other tasks. Specifically, coffee roasting tasks were associated with higher diacetyl levels. We recommend air sampling during flavoring and after building construction is complete to determine if alpha-diketone exposures are above the recommended exposure limits. We also recommend implementing administrative controls such as modification of work practices, training employees about workplace hazards, and voluntary use of N95 disposable filtering facepiece respirators available for protection against green or roasted coffee dust and burlap exposure such as when working with green beans. Additionally, we recommend a medical monitoring program for employees who flavor the small batches of coffee approximately four times per year to identify any employees who might be developing lung disease (e.g., obliterative bronchiolitis) and to help management prioritize interventions to prevent occupational lung disease.
• Subjects:
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Coffee
  • Diacetyl
  • Dust
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Exposure
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Food Handling
  • Food Industry
  More +
• Keywords:
  • OSHA Region 3
  • Volatile organic compounds
  • VOCs
  • Coffee workers
  • Food handlers
  • Food processing
  • Food processing industry
  • Food processing workers
  • Food additives
  • Organic dusts
  More +
• Source:
  Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2016-0080-3324, 2018 Aug ; :1-36
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201600803324
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Virginia ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  44 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Al-Faham, Zaid ; Aldridge, Michael ; Burns, Dru A. ; Edwards, Nicole ; Fedan, Kathleen ; LeBouf, Ryan ; McClelland, Tia ; Ranpara, Anand ; Tift, Brian
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052384
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2018-101408
• Citation:
  NIOSH 2018. Health hazard evaluation report: Evaluation of exposures and respiratory health ; at a coffee roasting and packaging facility. By Fechter-Leggett ED, Duling MG, Johnson AR, ; Boylstein RJ, Beaty MC. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and ; Health, NIOSH HHE Report No. 2016-0080-3324,
• CAS Registry Number:
  • 2,3-hexanedione (CAS RN 3848-24-6)
  • 2,3-pentanedione (CAS RN 600-14-6)
  • Carbon dioxide (CAS RN 124-38-9)
  • Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
  • Diacetyl (CAS RN 431-03-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  311920 - Coffee and Tea Manufacturing - (NAICS)
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172356/cdc_172356_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 941.04 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:097c22235b2f447ecba0eb46b6657d526bdbcccc66a18aaec03e60e504dcd4f178e52bf063a0ec2a7bf1675895c923444180f0e027a5cf4fb38370a155881287