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Untitled Now Available
New Annual Reports on

Acute Traumatic Fatalities in Michigan (2003)
Asthma Fatalities Ages 2-34 in Michigan (2003)
Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Michigan (2004)
Occupational Diseases in Michigan (2004)
Occupational Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance in
Michigan: June 2001December 2003
Silicosis in Michigan (2004)
Work-Related Asthma in Michigan (2004)
Work-Related Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Michigan (2004)

Download a copy at:
www.oem.msu.edu
(Annual Report link)
-or-
Order a copy today by:
Returning the enclosed postcard
E-mail: ODREPORT@ht.msu.edu
Telephone: 1-800-446-7805
Work-related deaths and illnesses continue to occur in Michigan. For lead poisoning, silicosis and repetitative
strain conditions there has been a downward trend over the years. This same downward trend has not been
seen for noise-induced hearing loss, work-related asthma, or acute traumatic fatalities.

In previous announcements of the availability of the latest Annual Reports, the excerpts in our summer
newsletter have highlighted some of the important figures and tables from the reports.

What can get lost in the statistics is the human story behind the numbers. This year we are excerpting some of
the short clinical histories that are in these reports about the individuals who have become sick or died from their
work. The full reports contain all the clinical histories as well as summary tables and figures.
Excerpts from the 2004 Annual Reports
*P
roject
S
E.N.S.O.R.
Volume 16, No. 3 Summer 2005
A 25-year-old male correctional facility worker was exposed to an organophosphate bug spray in a closed room. He had a headache,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, irritated eyes, cough, and chest tightness.

A 54-year-old female employee of the same correctional facility was also exposed to the bug spray. She had a headache, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, burning eyes, itchy skin, nosebleed, cough, sore throat, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.

A 37-year-old male exterminator sprayed a pyrethroid insecticide outside when the wind changed and some sprayed on his face. He had
a rash and swelling around his eyes and his face felt burnt.

A 23-year-old woman spraying for mosquitoes developed difficulty breathing, swelling of her face and eyes, trouble swallowing, dizziness,
sore throat, chest pain, and a cough. This case was referred to MDA, and they found that the employee was not certified or registered to
apply pesticides and was not working under the direct supervision of a certified applicator. In addition, the pesticide used was no longer
registered in Michigan.
**New Report**
Summary of Acute Pesticide Illness and Injuries in Michigan
Published for the first time by the Michigan Department of Community Health 2004 Annual Report on Work-Related Asthma in Michigan
Cleaning Products, WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE
RA-Case 2264. A female in her 20s developed RADS a year after beginning to work as a cashier at a wholesale food store. In
addition to running the check out counter for customer purchases, she was also responsible for mopping the floors. Her breathing
troubles began when she was mopping the floors with bleach, and there was already a cleaning product on the mop she was using. The
mixing of the bleach with the other cleaning product caused her to have an immediate reactionwith chest tightness, coughing,
wheezing and shortness of breath. She continues to work at this store, and is not allowed to use bleach. Her symptoms have worsened
since this incident, and now other chemical fumes trigger her asthma. She continues to take asthma medication to control her symptoms.

Cobalt, MANUFACTURING
OA-Case 2184. A male in his 20s developed asthma while working for a tool and die company as a machinist. His job was to grind
carbide; he was exposed to carbide dust in this job for three years before his asthma developed. For the first 2 ½ years that he worked in
this job, there were no dust collectors on the grinders. In addition, the workers were not provided with any respiratory protection, and not
provided with MSDS on the substances they were working with. After new ownership, dust collectors were put on the grinders. However,
this worker is currently on medical leave with less than a 50% lung capacity, as measured by a recent pulmonary function test. He
continues to experience breathing problems and take asthma medication.

Glutaraldehyde, HEALTH CARE SERVICES
OA-Case 2196. A female in her 30s developed asthma from working with glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde at a hospital where she
was responsible for cleaning endoscopes. Her asthma developed 12 years after beginning to work at the hospital; the last two of those
12 years she had been assigned to the endoscopy unit. Since her asthma developed, she was reassigned to an office job at the hospital
and her medication use and symptoms have lessened.

Indoor Air Quality, OFFICE WORK
EA-Case 2146. A female in her 40s experienced an exacerbation of her asthma during her work as a phone company service
representative. When she was moved to a new building after working 13 years for the company, she noticed that her breathing problems
became worse at work. The patient described wet ceiling tiles when it rained, sewer problems, and cockroaches at her place of work. In
addition, she stated that the cooling system would often get plugged up and once it was working again would blow out lots of dust. She
describes at least 45 others where she works as having similar breathing problems. Both an occupational physician and a pulmonologist
told the patient that her asthma had become worse over the years, and that something at work is triggering her episodes.
- 2 -
2004 Annual Report on Blood Lead Levels in Michigan
Heavy Construction
A male in his 40s requested a blood lead test from his physician. Multiple tests during 2004 showed results ranging from 14 to 95 µg/dL.
He reported weight loss, abdominal colic, pain in joints, muscle weakness, headaches, dizziness, depression, exhaustion, nervousness,
nightmares, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. He denied any lead-related recreational activities. He worked in heavy construction as
a torch cutter for a bridge demolition company for the past six years. He reported that the company did not have separate lockers, a place
to wash work clothes, showering facilities, or a lunch room. He wore a respirator approximately 6 hours of his 10 hour work day; however,
he had never been fit tested or trained on how to use a respirator. He had facial hair. He reported never having had medical monitoring or
being informed of the hazards of lead. He was a current smoker and was allowed to smoke in the work area and carried his cigarettes
with him. He was not removed from the job; however, he did not return to work after chelation. He currently works digging trenches for
another company. The company was referred for an enforcement inspection by MIOSHA; results are pending. There was an infant in the
home that was tested for lead; those results were < 10 µg/dL.

Primary Metals Industry (Foundry)
A male in his 40s requested a blood lead test from his physician. His result was 65 µg/dL. He denied lead-related health symptoms. He
denied any lead-related recreational activities. He worked at a small foundry pouring lead for the past eighteen years. He reported that
the foundry did not have separate lockers to separate work clothes from street clothes, he did not wear a respirator and he had never had
any medical monitoring. He did indicate that there were showering facilities at work, coveralls were provided, and a lunch room available.
He was not removed from the job. He was a non-smoker. The foundry was referred for an enforcement inspection by MIOSHA. Final
results are pending; however, initial 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) results for lead indicate levels of 130, 200, 780, 500 and 380
mg/m
3
of air compared to the allowable limit of 50 µg/m
3
.

Amusement and Recreation
A male in his 40s requested a blood lead test from his physician because a fellow co-worker had an elevated blood lead level. Multiple
tests during 2004 showed results ranging from 42 to 59 µg/dL; tests in 2003 showed results of 53 and 82 µg/dL. He worked for a
firearms sports shop for the past five years. A MIOSHA enforcement inspection was completed at the sports shop and citations for
violations to the lead were issued. Citations included: not conducting biological monitoring of the employees, not providing follow-up
blood sampling when indicated, and for not removing an employee from work when indicated. - 3 -
An adult woman who had developed asthma as an adult collapsed at home and died. Her cause of death was attributed to over reliance
on rescue inhalers and a nebulizer. She had regular medical care but had not eliminated all triggers including cigarettes and pets and did
not regularly use inhaled steroids.

A male teenager who had asthma for about five years had cold symptoms and some respiratory symptoms at night, but woke up the next
morning feeling good. Later that morning he became acutely short of breath and was found unresponsive next to his nebulizer when the
police broke in the door. There was a concern by the advisory panel about