Abstract: At approximately 8:30 p.m. on July 29, 2004, Employee #1 worked at her computer station. She experienced acute respiratory distress as her asthma flared up. Her symptoms included shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Employee #1 detected a chemical smell but could not identify the source. Employees #2 and #3 also complained about a chemical odor. Employee #1 walked to the restroom and observed yellow caution tape across the cafeteria's double doors. She detected that the chemical odor was emanating from the cafeteria that was approximately 30 feet away from her computer station. Three employees of a subcontractor were using various chemical products in the installation of new cafeteria flooring. Employee #4, a nurse manager, was concerned about Employee #1's worsening symptoms, and had Employee #1 hospitalized at Kaiser Permanente's Emergency Medical Department.