Methyl Alcohol Toxicity in Teacher Aides Using Spirit Duplicators – Washington

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently conducted an investigation in a school district in Washington state to determine if operating duplicators that use methyl alcohol ("spirit duplicators") could cause adverse health effects. The environmental and medical evaluation, requested by the Public School Employees Union of Washington, was conducted from February 5-15, 1980, in the Everett School District, where 58 spirit duplicators are used by 84 teacher aides in 18 schools. Operating the duplicator involves placing a master copy, on which a reverse image is printed in an alcohol-soluble dye, on the duplicator drum. As the paper to be printed is fed under the drum, it comes in contact with a wick that is saturated with 99% methyl alcohol. As the alcohol-wetted paper comes in contact with the master copy, the alcohol dissolves a small portion of the dye and transfers the image to the finished sheet. The evaporated methyl alcohol may thus result in an inhalation exposure to the operator, and handling freshly duplicated paper may result in exposure by skin absorption. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coloring Agents Education Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Respiratory System Safety Skin Solvents
• Keywords:
  Methyl alcohol; Office equipment; Education; Teaching; Health effects; Dyes; Alcohols; Inhalation; Skin exposure; Air sampling; Breathing zone; Vapors; Exposure assessment; Exposure levels; Exhaust systems; Equipment operators; Materials handling
• Source:
  MMWR 1980 Sep; 29(36):437-438
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Washington
• 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:
  3 pdf pages
• Volume:
  29
• Issue:
  36
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054815
• Citation:
  MMWR 1980 Sep; 29(36):437-438
• CAS Registry Number:
  Methanol (CAS RN 67-56-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1980
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:02fba73b634ef036de489d59b06a5202d63b0902817a84abd21ba09cd25f9c7b5f17ad2f2ff6d94bbd47c8bd62ebe534e7456ee5c3cf8f2ff4bcd8f1011c940e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/183180/cdc_183180_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 349.08 KB ]