CDC/NIOSH Emergency Response: The World Trade Center Disaster – a Look at the Chaotic Conditions and Rescue Workers’ Exposures

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bernard, Bruce P. ; Burr, Gregory A. ; Esswein, Eric J. ; Lushniak, Boris D. ; Mattorano, Dino A. ; McCleery, Robert E. ; Snyder, Erin M. ; Wallingford, Kenneth M.
• Description:
  As part of a CDC first responder team, two representatives from NIOSH traveled to New York City within 24 hours of the attack. Within one week, additional NIOSH personnel were on site to collect air samples to identify occupational health risks among rescue and construction workers at "Ground Zero" and to prepare recommendations regarding respirator selection, worker exposures, blood borne pathogens, confined spaces, and handling human remains. This presentation reviews the chaotic conditions and multiplicity of local, state, and federal agencies and private organizations which were present at both "Ground Zero" and the WTC Emergency Command Center sites following September 11th, and how these impacted our ability to identify occupational health problems, track disease and injury trends, identify medical surveillance needs, and disseminate information. During our response, over 1200 air and bulk samples were collected and analyzed for asbestos, carbon monoxide (CO), chlorodifluoromethane, diesel exhaust, hydrogen sulfide, inorganic acids, mercury, metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, respirable and total particulate, respirable crystalline silica, and volatile organic compounds from locations on or in close proximity to the "pile." Of these, exposures to CO were the most significant problem. PBZ concentrations were above the NIOSH REL of 35 ppm and the OSHA PEL of 50 ppm. Some concentrations were above the NIOSH IDLH limit of 1200 ppm. Elevated CO levels resulted from workers using oxy-acetylene cutting torches and gasoline-powered cutting saws. Recommendations were made to ensure adequate ventilation and worker understanding of CO sources, health effects, and factors that can increase or decrease exposures when using these tools. Preliminary data from medical screening programs growing out of the disaster response indicate increased numbers of adverse health outcomes even though industrial hygiene data suggest workers' exposures, overall, were low. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Blood Blood-Borne Pathogens Construction Industry Emergency Responders Environmental Monitoring Hematologic Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety

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• Keywords:
  Air-samples Bloodborne-pathogens Construction-workers Emergency-responders Occupational-exposure Occupational-hazards Occupational-health Rescue-measures Rescue-workers Respirators Respiratory-protection Respiratory-protective-equipment

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• Publisher:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• 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:
  54-55
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20022787
• Citation:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 10-15, 2003, Dallas, Texas. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2003 May; :54-55
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Hydrogen sulfide (CAS RN 7783-06-4) ; Mercury (CAS RN 7439-97-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 10-15, 2003, Dallas, Texas
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9d1ec23afc06974c2cd446fcc31a30a2463597b7dc055dc59f12d45d2fa41995aa51aba8c0eeae62bed9561534559af3e0b11298b14fb78ad1153589deca2afa
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/199433/cdc_199433_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 811.45 KB ]