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Tys controller experienced physical reactions as contractors repaired facility roof with restrictive exposure material.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 662796 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200506 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : tys.airport |
| State Reference | TN |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 15 flight time total : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 662796 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : tys.tracon |
Narrative:
While working a radar position; contractors applied the product tremlar to the roof of my facility. This product was present in high concentration from XA00 until XG00 in my facility. We were only advised of the effects after several hours of exposure. According to osha; the maximum exposure time to this product is 30 mins after which a break of 1 hour is required. The roofing contractor took no precaution to prevent fumes from entering the building through the air conditioning system. According to the company that produces the product; the effects of exposure include headache; nausea; stupor and other narcotic type effects. Office personnel were sent home; but controllers including myself had to work in this noxious environment for several hours. I and several of my co-workers encountered many symptoms including confusion and stupor while on position. We only later found out the cause. I personally suffered from a severe headache which lasted until the following day. No steps have been taken to rectify the situation; and it is my understanding that the same roofing crew is going soon to tpa to do similar work. This exact same event occurred at jan in the past and the FAA has not stopped this dangerous and performance-affecting product from being used.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TYS CTLR EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL REACTIONS AS CONTRACTORS REPAIRED FACILITY ROOF WITH RESTRICTIVE EXPOSURE MATERIAL.
Narrative: WHILE WORKING A RADAR POS; CONTRACTORS APPLIED THE PRODUCT TREMLAR TO THE ROOF OF MY FACILITY. THIS PRODUCT WAS PRESENT IN HIGH CONCENTRATION FROM XA00 UNTIL XG00 IN MY FACILITY. WE WERE ONLY ADVISED OF THE EFFECTS AFTER SEVERAL HRS OF EXPOSURE. ACCORDING TO OSHA; THE MAX EXPOSURE TIME TO THIS PRODUCT IS 30 MINS AFTER WHICH A BREAK OF 1 HR IS REQUIRED. THE ROOFING CONTRACTOR TOOK NO PRECAUTION TO PREVENT FUMES FROM ENTERING THE BUILDING THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY THAT PRODUCES THE PRODUCT; THE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE INCLUDE HEADACHE; NAUSEA; STUPOR AND OTHER NARCOTIC TYPE EFFECTS. OFFICE PERSONNEL WERE SENT HOME; BUT CTLRS INCLUDING MYSELF HAD TO WORK IN THIS NOXIOUS ENVIRONMENT FOR SEVERAL HRS. I AND SEVERAL OF MY CO-WORKERS ENCOUNTERED MANY SYMPTOMS INCLUDING CONFUSION AND STUPOR WHILE ON POS. WE ONLY LATER FOUND OUT THE CAUSE. I PERSONALLY SUFFERED FROM A SEVERE HEADACHE WHICH LASTED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. NO STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO RECTIFY THE SIT; AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SAME ROOFING CREW IS GOING SOON TO TPA TO DO SIMILAR WORK. THIS EXACT SAME EVENT OCCURRED AT JAN IN THE PAST AND THE FAA HAS NOT STOPPED THIS DANGEROUS AND PERFORMANCE-AFFECTING PRODUCT FROM BEING USED.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.