Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-81-263-1178: Copperweld Steel Company; Warren, Ohio

Details

• Personal Author:
  Klemme, Jay C. ; Lee, Stephen A.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Worker exposures to reducing gas were investigated in May 1981 at Copperweld Steel Company (SIC-3312) Warren, Ohio. The evaluation was requested by the employees on behalf of 100 heat finishing area workers concerned about reported dizziness, tremors, memory loss, and weakness in three workers hospitalized following accidental exposure to reducing gas. The reducing gas generating area was inspected, and medical records of the hospitalized workers were reviewed. Industrial hygiene data from an earlier OSHA survey was also examined. The main components of reducing gas were hydrogen (1333740), nitrogen (7727379), and carbon-monoxide (630080) (CO). The three workers had persistent neurological disturbances: poor coordination and balance, impaired memory, confusion, mood changes, and impaired intellectual abilities. Although CO concentrations reportedly did not exceed 5 parts per million during operation of the reducing gas generating equipment, there were no warning or hazard signs posted to indicate potential exposures. Many workers were unaware that CO was present. A positive lock out system was installed after the accidental exposure incident, which adequately controlled exposures. The authors conclude that no hazard presently exists at this facility. They recommend worker education about CO exposure symptoms, posting hazard notices, proper equipment maintenance, routine CO monitoring, and personnel first aid training.
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Dust Environmental Exposure Metal Workers Nervous System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Blast Furnaces [Including Coke Ovens]) Carbon Monoxide Carboxyhemoglobin Hazards-Confirmed HETA-81-263-1178 Industrial-exposures Industrial-gases Lock-Out Mechanism Neurological-reactions Neurological Effects NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report OSHA Region 5 Reducing Gas Steelmaking-industry Steel Works, And Rolling Mills

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA812631178
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• 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:
  13 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00149697
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB85-179224
• 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 81-263-1178, 1984 Jan ; :1-10
• CAS Registry Number:
  Hydrogen (CAS RN 1333-74-0) ; Nitrogen (CAS RN 7727-37-9) ; Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
• Editor(s):
  Harris, Stephanie M.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1984
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3312 - Blast furnaces and steel mills - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4f430724ed0f94f82ce9ca8b4f5dfb73efd84c6b004d3c6e60659ffeceb906cfaad7eb658d018ec96dfe1ee1dda9760496e56ec1df548541da3d90ef43d32eca
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172660/cdc_172660_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.24 MB ]