Evaluation of an Unpleasant Odor at an Aircraft Ejection Seat Manufacturer

Details

• Personal Author:
  Broadwater, Kendra R. ; Brueck, Scott E. ; Burton, Nancy C. ; De Perio, Marie A. ; Green, Brett J. ; Lemons, Angela R.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  The Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from the employer at an ejection seat manufacturing facility. Employees were concerned about an odor in the facility and health symptoms thought to be related to it. The odor reportedly permeated and remained in materials and goods of employees for weeks after they left the facility. Some employees described the odor as a musty smell and others as a chemical smell. In this facility, stock aluminum is cut and machined into smaller parts in fully enclosed computer numerical control (CNC) metalworking machines that use semi-synthetic, water-miscible cutting oils. The manufacturing process also includes painting parts in a down-draft paint booth, sewing, and assembly. We evaluated indoor environmental quality
  
  sampled air for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metalworking fluid, endotoxin, and microbial contaminants
  
  analyzed metalworking fluid for microbial diversity and endotoxin
  
  and interviewed employees about their work and health during our site visit in May 2014. We found that 2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylpyrazine (3,5-MDMP) was likely causing the odor. This chemical may be produced by bacteria found in the metalworking fluid. The metalworking fluid also contained high endotoxin concentrations. Metalworking fluid exposures in air reached about half of the NIOSH recommended limit. Metalworking fluid was not well contained around the stock metal cutting machine. Additionally, ventilation systems and water diversion systems were not well-maintained, condensation pans in air handling units had standing water and debris, gutters were rusted through, and air recirculation rates were high in some departments indicating poor general ventilation. The most common work-related symptoms reported by employees were fatigue, headache, eye irritation, runny nose or congestion, and cough. Employees who wore gloves used latex gloves when working with metalworking fluid. To eliminate the odor and reduce employee exposures to metalworking fluids, we recommended the employer (1) isolate the CNC department from the rest of the facility with barrier walls or relocate it to a separate room, (2) install a dedicated ventilation system in the CNC department, (3) implement maintenance programs for managing metalworking fluid in the machines and recycling system, (4) develop and carry out a plan for metalworking machine decontamination, and (5) improve metalworking fluid containment at the stock metal cutting machine. We also recommended the employer provide and employees wear non-latex gloves when handling goods or doing tasks that require contact with metalworking fluids, and employees wash with soap and water if they get metalworking fluid on their skin and after removing gloves.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Aircraft Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution Air Pollution, Indoor Bacteria Endotoxins Environmental Exposure Environmental Health Environmental Monitoring Hazardous Substances Men Metals Microbiology Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Volatile Organic Compounds Women Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Air-quality Air-samples Aircraft-parts-and-auxiliary-equipment Bacteria Chemical Employee-exposure Environmental-exposure Environmental-factors Exposure-levels Health-hazards Humans IEQ Indoor Environmental Quality Metalworking-fluids Metalworking Fluid Methoxypyrazine Microorganisms MWF Mycotoxin Odor Odors Organic-compounds OSHA Region 3 Other Aircraft Parts And Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Pennsylvania Pyrazines VOCs Volatiles Work-environment Workers

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• Source:
  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, HHE 2014-0050-3234, 2015 Apr ; :1-33
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201400503234
• 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 ; HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  40 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Booher, Donald E. ; Eisenberg, Judith ; Gallow, Ellen ; Moore, Kevin ; Nourian, Fariba ; Roberts, Jennifer ; Streicher, Robert ; Watts, Shawna
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20046170
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2015-104158
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2015]. Health hazard evaluation report: evaluation of an unpleasant odor at ; an aircraft ejection seat manufacturer. By Broadwater K, de Perio MA, Brueck SE, ; Burton NC, Lemons AR, Green BJ. Cincinnati, OH: 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. 2014-0050-3234,
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  336413 - Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:89bda7caebc38f387693254ccf072677af08107ff8bf6b3dd58f5a480a6e82f86fde862b4497d83f29bc9752f908773151bdde91d9e067ff8f847d62adb0dbdf
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172428/cdc_172428_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 662.78 KB ]