skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Health-hazard evaluation report No. MHETA 88-249-1931, Community Savings Association, Finleyville, Pennsylvania

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6078437

In response to a request from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an evaluation was made of possible hazardous working conditions at the Finleyville Branch of the Community Savings Association (SIC-6036), located in Finleyville, Pennsylvania. Employees had been sensitized to a fungus and were experiencing nausea, headache, fatigue, sinus congestion, and difficulty in breathing even after action to control the fungus had been taken. The first allergic reaction was noted in October of 1986 with four more cases developing by December 5 of that same year. During early February of 1987 the wall in the storeroom was scraped, cleaned, and painted with a fungal-resistant paint. On March 16 the office was closed early due to three full-time employees suffering the aforementioned symptoms plus dermatological symptoms of an allergic reaction. Additional control efforts were likewise unsuccessful. Analysis indicated that exposure to microorganisms and an inadequate supply of fresh air were likely the causes of the symptoms experienced by these workers. The authors recommend that the ventilation, heating, and air conditioning unit be operated according to ASHRAE standards; that the storeroom wall be maintained free of microbial growth and that files in open boxes be cleaned and placed in enclosed cabinets, and humidity be adjusted.

Research Organization:
National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV (USA)
OSTI ID:
6078437
Report Number(s):
PB-89-152250/XAB; MHETA-88-249-1931
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English