Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HHE-80-084-927: General Electric Company; Lynn, Massachusetts

Details

• Personal Author:
  McManus, Kevin P.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Worker exposures to copper (7440508) were surveyed on April 2 and 22 to 24, 1980, and medical evaluations were performed in July and December, 1980, at the General Electric Company (SIC-3621) in Lynn, Massachusetts. The evaluation was requested by a representative of the International Union on Electrical Workers, Local 201, on behalf of 29 copper job workers. Air samples were collected for copper and silver (7440224) analysis, and workers were interviewed and given comprehensive medical examinations. Copper and silver concentrations in the air samples ranged from 0.1 to 0.683 and from compared to OSHA standards of 0.1mg/cu m for copper fume, 1.0mg/cu m for copper dusts and mists, and 0.01mg/cu m for silver. Most of the workers reported episodes of green discoloration of the skin and itching. All plasma copper concentrations were normal, and only one urinary copper concentration exceeded the normal limit. Blood chemistry was normal, and the few abnormalities of liver function seen could not be conclusively related to workplace exposures. The author concludes that copper exposure at this company has caused dermatologic problems among the workers. Recommendations are included for engineering and work practice improvements and discontinuance of the use of barrier creams.
• Subjects:
  Dermatitis Occupational Health Poisoning Safety Skin
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE80084927
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• 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:
  16 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Baker, Edward L. ; Stearn, Rob
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00118876
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB83-102848
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, Ohio : U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 80-084-927, 1981 July ; 1-16
• CAS Registry Number:
  Copper (CAS RN 7440-50-8) ; Silver (CAS RN 7440-22-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1981
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  3621 - Motors and generators - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:508829567295590c9ecf2ad2f7e6ff00c07889f54dd77b79022a6f6f2bd810c05e348b4fddd4ddfa32d749ee70b85e706a06c7266537ea75a4afa0fa809fce8c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/173306/cdc_173306_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.97 MB ]