Health hazard evaluation report No. HETA 82-272-1276, Boeing Vertol Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Technical Report · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6586258

Chrostek, W; Liss, G M; Moss, G

To evaluate employee health complaints, including anxiety, nausea, eye strain, and headache thought possibly related to working under high pressure sodium vapor (HPSV) lamps and working with storage boxes dipped in sulfur, air samples were collected in May and July 1982 for exposures to sulfates, sulfites, and sulfur dioxide. A calibrated photometer was used to measure illumination in units of lux. Self-administered questionnaires were completed. To further assess possible color distortion, investigators administered the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Test to 15 employees in Building 3-25. Environmental sampling found non-detectable levels of sulfite. The illumination levels in some parts of the building were far less than optimal. Although no serious adverse health effects were noted, symptoms related to the eyes and minor abnormalities of color discrimination, possibly related to HPSV lamps and exposure to sulfur containers, were detected. Recommendations to improve the lighting situation are presented.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6586258
• Report Number(s): PB-84-210376
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AIRCRAFT
BODY
BODY AREAS
CHALCOGENIDES
EYES
FACE
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HAZARDS
HEAD
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MONITORING
ORGANS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SENSE ORGANS
SULFATES
SULFITES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
TOXICITY