HHE report no. HHE-79-66, Signetics Corporation, Sunnyvale, California, interim report. no. 2.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Belanger, Pierre L. ; Milby, Thomas H. ; Whorton MD
• Description:
  In response to a request from an employee representative, an investigation was begun into possible hazardous working conditions at Signetics Corporation, Sunnyvale, California. The request indicated that working in the research and development areas of the company had exposed workers to xylene (58866), polyvinyl-chloride (9002862), benzene (71432), trichloroethylene (79016), nickel (7440020) and other metals. Work related health complaints included both irritant and narcotic type symptoms. Interviews were conducted with workers and examinations were conducted of medical records and personnel records, and reports from consultants for Signetics. Irritant symptoms included sore throat, burning nose and tongue, perceived roughening of the teeth, metallic taste, and chest tightness. Signs of exposure to an airborne irritant included mouth and tongue blisters, nosebleeds, and cough. Narcotic symptoms included severe headache, lightheadedness, and a feeling of swelling of the head. The investigators conclude that there were exposures to chemicals and recommend a larger, more systematic study be undertaken to characterize the medical problem, determine the number of workers who have been affected, and formulate proper control methods. The investigators suggest that a properly designed, installed, and functioning ventilation system would go a long way toward solving the problem.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Chemistry Environment Hydrocarbons Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Airborne-particles Eye-disorders Hazard-Confirmed HHE-79-66 Irritants Lung-irritants Metal-dusts NIOSH-Author NIOSH-Health-Hazard-Evaluation Organic-solvents Region-9 Respiratory-system-disorders Skin-irritants

  More +
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Studies ; Health Hazard Evaluation
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; 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:
  1-17
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00237080
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 79-66, 1980 Jan; :1-17
• CAS Registry Number:
  (+)-Xylose (CAS RN 58-86-6) ; Poly(vinyl chloride) (CAS RN 9002-86-2) ; Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2) ; Trichloroethylene (CAS RN 79-01-6) ; Nickel (CAS RN 7440-02-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1980
• NORA Priority Area:
  Respiratory-system-disorders
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a2c70d650832b2d7779fbdd8b7aac8b56400fcc8a55c11648c70e67812c56262a6ef70a83942a178a84e911141fb071d9f5ab913e6282db5b7d2bd375d435dd4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180971/cdc_180971_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 459.21 KB ]