Using an Electronic Self-Administered Survey Among First Responders to Evaluate the Potential Human Health Effects of Hazardous Substances Released as a Result of a Train Derailment Incident-East Palestine, Ohio, USA, February-March 2023

Details

• Journal Article:
  Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
• Personal Author:
  Crisp, Carolyn A. ; Parasram, Vidisha D. ; Shi, Dallas S. ; Omari, Amel ; Madera-Garcia, Valerie ; Faherty, Emily A. G. ; Dulcey, Melissa ; Burr, Kathryn ; Gichuhi, Beatrice ; Goldsworthy, Lisa A. ; Dowell, Chad H. ; Chiu, Sophia K. ; Dickerson, Kristen ; Dewart, Courtney M. ; Watkins, Sharon M. ; Harduar-Morano, Laurel ; Babich, Remy ; Shugart, Jill M. ; Orr, Maureen F.
• Description:
  To understand the potential human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances among first responders from the East Palestine train derailment, an electronic self-administered Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) survey was created and available to first responders between February-March 2023. Among the 339 completed responder surveys analyzed, most reported working at least 1 day during the incident between February 3-8, 2023. Most (79%) reported inhaling, touching, or swallowing potentially harmful substances and did not report using a face mask or respirator while working (75%). Nearly half reported at least 1 new or worsening physical symptom after incident response. These findings support several recommendations to mitigate exposure to hazardous substances among first responders during future incidents, including using a hierarchy of controls framework to reduce exposure to hazards, timely communication of possible hazardous substances involved in the event, and using the Emergency Responder Health Monitoring Surveillance (ERHMS) framework.
• Subjects:
  Disasters Emergency Responders Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: First Responders; Personal Protective Equipment; Chemical Exposure; Occupational Health; Emergency Responder Health Monitoring Surveillance; ERHMS Health Effects; Emergency Responders; First Responders; Hazardous Materials; Occupational Health; Chemical Hazards; Personal Protective Equipment; PPE; Health Surveys; Hierarchy Of Controls;
• Source:
  Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2025 May; 19:e121
• ISSN:
  1935-7893
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Ohio ; West Virginia ; Illinois ; Pennsylvania ; Arizona ; Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; San Francisco Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; EPRO - Emergency Preparedness and Response Office
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  5 pdf pages
• Volume:
  19
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071444
• Contact Point Address:
  Vidisha D. Parasram, Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
• Email:
  rix2@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Resource Number:
  59278866
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b07f4cbd6441e3614ea75bf8241882a989f37e9baac836523b152e9441d6baf6916c1b4cd276d6f00fe25787d1c4ca521a38d4f5b4ec346449f44b70db941e0a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259043/cdc_259043_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 252.07 KB ]