Hexavalent Chromium Exposure and Nasal Tissue Effects at a Commercial Aircraft Refinishing Facility

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ceballos D ; Methner, Mark M. ; West C
• Description:
  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a health hazard evaluation request from a commercial aircraft refinishing facility concerned about employee exposure to hexavalent chromium and chromium during aircraft refinishing operations.1 Management was particularly concerned with uncontrolled hexavalent chromium exposures, which coincided with changes in the paint stripping process. Management reported that stripping was a step in aircraft refinishing necessary before painting to comply with aircraft safety aviation regulations. The facility had replaced methylene chloride with a new stripper product, due to environmental emission concerns and adverse health effects associated with the use of methylene chloride. However, management reported that the new stripper was less effective than methylene chloride, and required more sanding after the stripper was applied to remove any residual paint. This letter summarizes the key methods and findings during this evaluation as it pertains to the hexavalent chromium and chromium assessment, as well as recommendations made to reduce exposure. Furthermore, this letter discusses results with a particular focus on: (1) the unanticipated hexavalent chromium hazards found after replacing methylene chloride with an alternative stripper that was considered to be safer, and (2) clinical implications for occupational health practitioners who evaluate workers with hexavalent chromium exposure as part of a medical surveillance program. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aircraft Chromium Occupational Health Paint Safety
• Keywords:
  Health Hazard Evaluations Hexavalent Chromium Paint Removers Paints Risk Assessment Surveillance Programs
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; 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
• Volume:
  61
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054567
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2019 Feb; 61(2):e69-e73
• Contact Point Address:
  Mark Methner, PhD, Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational, Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Avenue Mailstop R-11, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  mmm5@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Chromium(6+) (CAS RN 18540-29-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:19f5f8eb58e1a9ebc14c8a7e75bdb8c0a3468b7016cade27b478beca04ba2f4dc24ca1148656ae9c08d8f4bb990d93ed0a9b54f3489dc0bc9e927b2773bde3ad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217092/cdc_217092_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 403.16 KB ]