File:2023 Evaluation of Occupational Exposures and Indoor Environmental Quality in an Underground Cavern Workplace.pdf

English: An employer representative of a warehouse facility, located in a former underground limestone quarry, requested a health hazard evaluation concerning employees’ exposures to carbon monoxide, wood dust and other airborne particles, noise, and radon. The employer also wanted to know what the fibrous material and oil-like residue were on some of the cavern walls of the warehouse workspace.

Our key findings were that (1) carbon monoxide and radon levels were well below occupational exposure limits; (2) employee wood dust exposure in the woodshop could potentially be above recommended occupational exposure limits, depending on how much time wood working equipment is used; (3) employee noise exposure in the woodshop was above the NIOSH recommended exposure limit, but lower than the OSHA action level and permissible exposure limit; and (4) air exchange rates in the cavern warehouse were very low.

Our recommendations were to (1) Improve wood dust capture at the saws; (2) include woodshop employees in a hearing loss prevention program; (3) supply outdoor air to the cavern warehouse space; (4) improve visibility by increasing lighting; (5) add a portable toilet, handwashing station, self-contained emergency eyewash, and drinking water within the work area; and (6) encourage employees with health concerns to seek an evaluation from a healthcare provider.

This report is part of the Health Hazard Evaluation series, a NIOSH program by which employees, union officials, or employers can request an evaluation of possible health hazards at their workplace at no cost to them.