Request for Assistance in Preventing Vision Disturbances and Acute Physical Distress Due to Dimethylethylamine (DMEA) Exposure

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Methods were sought to reduce exposure to dimethylethylamine (598561) (DMEA) among foundry owners, operators, and workers and manufacturers of polyamides, due to possible vision disturbances and acute physical distress which may result. An investigation was made at an aluminum casting foundry where blurring, fogging, and halo visual disturbances had been reported among workers exposed to DMEA, along with headaches, nausea, stomach pain, and increased heart rate. Medical and environmental studies were made. Exposure concentrations causing effects were measured at equal to or greater than 6mg/m3, or 2 parts per million (ppm), 8 hour time weighted average. Exposures as high as 29mg/m3 (9.7ppm) for 15 minutes also may have caused adverse effects. There was no current permissible exposure limit for DMEA. Leakage around pressure tight seals in corebox machine gaskets may have accounted for some excessive exposure. It was recommended that more frequent maintenance of these gaskets be undertaken along with other engineering controls. Work practices should be adjusted so as to reduce the pressure that delivers DMEA to coreboxes and to avoid excess gaseous DMEA in the corebox machine. Protective gloves should be worn. Evacuation plans should be developed in the event of a spill, leak, or other serious accident that may cause high concentrations of DMEA in the workplace. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aluminum Compounds Amines Digestive System Digestive System Diseases Eye Eye Diseases Hazardous Substances Hydrocarbons Metals Metal Workers Occupational Health Safety Sense Organs Sense Organs / Injuries

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• Keywords:
  Aliphatic-hydrocarbons Aluminum-foundries Eye-damage Eye-disorders Eyesight Foundry-workers Gastrointestinal-system-disorders Hazardous-materials Metal-industry Metal-workers Safety-practices Visual-perception

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• Series:
  NIOSH Numbered Publications
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB88103
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSDTT - Division of Standards Development and Technology Transfer
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00177508
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB88-188651
• 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, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 88-103, 1987 Dec; :1-10
• CAS Registry Number:
  Dimethylethylamine (CAS RN 598-56-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1988
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2c9d797d212b8937c2f268e5c7569c3d013c00b0df7d96497c08cd87ec02d1b181068f352a2f839324f013ce23e002ad43401d97e4eda42eb38720e6c41c2aaf
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/209502/cdc_209502_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 461.56 KB ]