Pennsylvania First Responder Assessment of Chemical Exposure Survey Following the East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Identifies Job Duties with Chemical Exposures That Contribute to Specific Health Outcomes

Details

• Journal Article:
  Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
• Personal Author:
  Babich, Remy ; Sneeringer, Katie ; Gandhi, Kavi ; Miller, Julie V. ; Nair, Anil ; Watkins, Sharon M. ; McHugh, Lisa
• Description:
  Objectives: A train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border on February 3, 2023, resulted in the release of hazardous substances and chemical exposures among residents and Pennsylvania first responders. We aimed to analyze data collected from an Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) survey to better understand unique exposures and health symptoms among Pennsylvania first responders and identify additional safety measures to protect responders in future hazardous materials spill events. Methods: Descriptive statistics for ACE survey results from 114 Pennsylvania first responders were produced and relationships between exposures, health symptoms, and occupation type were examined using logistical regression models. Results: First responder occupation title and job duties were determinants of chemical exposure types, and specific chemical exposure types were associated with unique health outcomes. Firefighters and those with a job duty to suppress the fire were more likely to report contact with vapor/gas compared to all other roles and those with a duty of environmental monitoring. Contact with vapor/gas was associated with increased likelihood of reporting 2 or more health symptoms. Conclusions: This analysis highlights the necessity of tailoring emergency response action plans and personal protective equipment considering first responder occupation title and to the specific duties conducted within their role.
• Subjects:
  Disaster Emergency Responders Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Train Derailment; Chemical Exposure; First Responder Health; Occupational Health Exposure Assessment; Disaster Response; Disaster Recovery; First Responders; Hazardous Materials; Hazardous Waste Cleanup; Safety Measures; Occupations; Occupational Exposure; Chemical Hazards;
• Source:
  Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2025 Jun; 19:e149
• ISSN:
  1935-7893
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Pennsylvania ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  7 pdf pages
• Volume:
  19
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071428
• Contact Point Address:
  Remy Babich, Division of Environmental Health Epidemiology, Bureau of Epidemiology, Pennsylvania Department of Health , Harrisburg, PA, USA
• Email:
  rbabich@pa.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Pennsylvania State Department of Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20210701
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b1e05a1e016c91ced26b508d1ecef54113173ef7ba7af615e934001144964acc7b0589eb60d486d159af409c648353a1152221f2d34452d95773a32799e8ab90
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259027/cdc_259027_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 255.98 KB ]