Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 140999.015 - Four employees became ill from spray adhesive exposure
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
---|---|---|---|---|
1563057.015 | 11/09/2021 | 323113 | Broder Bros Co |
Abstract: At 7:30 a.m. on about November 5, 2021, four employees were exposed to adhesive vapors from a hot stamping machine. The employees were spraying 3M Super 77 Adhesive from a can attaching patches to blankets. The process involved spraying the back of the patch and pressing it firmly into the blanket. Spraying started early in the morning around 6:00 a.m. and workers wore nitrile or vinyl gloves and a face mask as part of COVID-19 precautions. The spraying area was open and contained several workbenches that the employees stood around. Ventilation included a couple of wall mounted fans and the air conditioning vents on the ceiling. Coworker #1 (Vice President) stated that the ventilation was not on at the time of the incident. An employee told Coworker #2 (Group Leader) that the smell was very strong and she said she would talk to a Coworker #1. Coworker #1 stated he purchased 12 to 15 cans of the spray adhesive at a local hardware store for the purpose already stated. He said 7 to 8 cans were in use on the day of the incident. Coworker #3 (Jr. Supervisor) instructed the employees how to use the spray adhesive without mentioning increasing the ventilation in the area. Coworker #2 reported that employees complained of nausea, headache, cough and sore throat. Coworker #2 said that one person vomitted. Around the time of the incident Coworker #2 reported 3 people were actively spraying in the area and the work was halted after one employee fainted in the bathroom. At that point (at approximately 8:58 a.m.), someone (unspecified) called an ambulance. Three workers were transported to the hospital and released the same day. One additional worker went to the hospital 3 days later. None of the employees were admitted. The adhesive contained acetone, propane, cyclohexane, hexane, and other petroleum distillates.
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1563057.015 | 0 | F | Non Hospitalized injury | Miscellaneous printing machine operators | |
2 | 1563057.015 | 0 | F | Non Hospitalized injury | Miscellaneous printing machine operators | |
3 | 1563057.015 | 0 | F | Non Hospitalized injury | Miscellaneous printing machine operators | |
4 | 1563057.015 | 0 | F | Non Hospitalized injury | Miscellaneous printing machine operators |