Evaluation of laser coding particulate composition, health effects, and safety climate at a brewery

"The Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from a union representative at a brewery. The union was concerned about employees' exposure to odors and particulate at the laser coding stations on the can-packing lines. We administered a questionnaire on can-packing-line employees' work practices, training, perceptions of safety climate, and concerns about work-related safety and health. We also collected area air and dust samples for carton coating ingredients, and reviewed health and safety records, local exhaust ventilation standard operating procedures, and safety data sheets. We found that some employees on the can-packing lines had nonspecific health concerns, including dermatitis and headaches that could be associated with workplace exposures. We found metals, acrylates, and benzophenone in filter particulate and volatile compounds and benzophenone in brewery air. The company can improve maintenance on the local exhaust system and further train employees to reduce possible exposures. Safety climate at the brewery was positive overall. We recommended the employer (1) train employees on the use, care, and maintenance of local exhaust ventilation systems, including how to safely clean the laser coding local exhaust ventilation systems' reusable filter, (2) recognize employees when they see them performing tasks safely, and (3) implement a medical surveillance program to identify and track skin or respiratory conditions if employees continue to report those conditions." - NIOSHTIC-2NIOSH no. 20055827Recommended citation for this report: NIOSH [2019]. Evaluation of laser coding particulate composition, health effects, and safety climate at a brewery. By Broadwater K, Grimes GR, Wiegand DM. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Health Hazard Evaluation Report 2017-0072-3347, https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2017-0072-3347.pdf.2019628