Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA-83-361-1463: Amfac Garden Perry's; Carpenteria, California

Details

• Personal Author:
  Belanger, Pierre L. ; Coye, Molly J.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Worker exposures to pesticides, particularly methyl-parathion (298000), were surveyed on August 1, September 15, and October 6 and 7, 1983 at a California nursery (SIC-0181). The evaluation was requested by a representative of the United Farm Workers Union on behalf of about 75 workers. Environmental air samples were collected and analyzed for methyl-parathion. Workers were questioned about health symptoms, and several were examined for signs of dermatitis. Work practices and use of personal protective equipment were also evaluated. No methyl-parathion was found in any of the air samples. No shower facilities were provided for emergency situations, and there was no formal respirator program. When respirators were used, they were often used incorrectly, and no cartridge replacement criteria had been established. None of the workers had acute or chronic symptoms of systemic pesticide poisoning, but many had moderate to severe irritant dermatitis associated with prolonged exposure to soil that was damp and contained low concentrations of pesticides or hydrocarbons. The authors conclude that no methyl-parathion hazard exists to the employees. They recommend implementation of a formal respirator program, use of approved respirator cartridges and face shields, provision of shower facilities, use of a chemical dye to indicate sprayed areas, posting of weekly pesticide application schedules, and worker education on pesticide use and handling.
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Dermatitis Emergencies Environmental Monitoring Insecticides Occupational Health Respiratory Protective Devices Safety Skin
• Keywords:
  Agricultural-industry Air-samples Applicators Chemical-cartridge-respirators Dermatitis Emergency-equipment Exposure-levels Hazards-Unconfirmed HETA-83-361-1463 Methyl Parathion NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation NIOSH-Technical-Assistance-Report Organophosphates Ornamental Floriculture And Nursery Products OSHA Region 9 Penncap M Pesticides Work-practices

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• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Subseries:
  Health Evaluation and Technical Assistance (HETA)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHETA833611463
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• 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:
  14 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00139364
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB85-185569
• 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 83-361-1463, 1984 May ; :1-11
• CAS Registry Number:
  Methyl parathion (CAS RN 298-00-0)
• Editor(s):
  Luciano, Nancy A.
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1984
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  0181 - Ornamental nursery products - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:be30cab7809e85616ff6c0f56450d3edbb5f67801a47904832b13112816b2d7c4ef9110be057cda8f0811c4ce82cc5a34cd732d901a22a2f9b0867cf19b11b71
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172798/cdc_172798_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.75 MB ]