NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA No. 2004-0117-2964, Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream, Hagerstown, Maryland, April 2005

摘要

On March 2, 2004, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a request for a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) from the United Steelworkers of America, Local 9386, in Hagerstown, Maryland. The HHE request indicated that workers at Good Humor-Breyers Ice Cream (GHB) were concerned with a variety of health and safety issues, including awkward and unadjustable equipment located in the hand packing areas and the use of potentially irritating chemicals such as food grade silicone lubricants, hot melt adhesives, and cleaning and sanitizing agents. During April 28-30, 2004, NIOSH investigators conducted a site visit at GHB. The NIOSH team included an ergonomics specialist, an epidemiologist, and an industrial hygienist. The evaluation consisted of an opening conference attended by the manager of Human Resources, the plant Safety Facilitator, the GHB corporate safety manager, the president of the United Steel Workers of America, Local 9386, the lead member of the Freezer department, and several employees. Following this meeting, we conducted a plant walk-through, interviewed 20 workers, and observed some of the work tasks specified in the HHE request. The closing conference took place on April 30, 2004.