Kathy Davis, Communications
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| Oli Silva, F&V supervisor, checking the CO reading at a packing facility. |
In annual state Safety Surveys of years past, WSDA employees expressed concern about being exposed to carbon monoxide (CO). Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program (F&V) inspectors who spend time in industry packing warehouses in Eastern Washington raised the issue most.
Since then, WSDA’s Safety Program, F&V, and private industry have taken steps to address the concerns and lessen the risks for all warehouse employees.
Why a concern?
Forklifts are common in fruit and vegetable warehouses. Traditional models, fueled by gas or propane, are notorious for emitting CO. Furthermore, a forklift that is not properly maintained can emit as much as three times the CO of a well-maintained machine.
When the weather turns colder around October and warehouse operators start closing off the buildings to fresh outside air, the threat from CO emissions rises.
Carbon monoxide is called the “invisible killer” because it is colorless and odorless, but the toxic gas interferes with the blood’s ability to carry oxygen. With no obvious sign it is in the air, it can overcome a person quickly without warning.
CO poisoning can be fatal, and many people do die each year from, for example, running gas-powered engines or generators in enclosed spaces.
At lesser amounts, CO exposure can cause symptoms such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea or shortness of breath.
What’s being done?
Responding to concerns revealed in Safety Surveys, in 2019 the Safety Program worked with F&V to tour warehouses and interview inspectors. One result was that the two programs began purchasing and issuing CO gas monitoring devices, called T-40 rattlers.
Staff and supervisors carry these small devices while inside warehouses. If the CO limit reaches 35 parts per million (ppm), a light and audible alarm goes off. When this happens, F&V staff are trained to evacuate the building and notify the facility operator, who opens the site and blows fresh air in with fans.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) permissible exposure limit for CO is 50 ppm over an average eight-hour period. However, WSDA set an agency standard of 35 ppm to keep employees protected.
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| Recalibrating T40 rattler CO monitors. |
To assure rattlers are working properly, Robert Ambriz, WSDA safety officer for Eastern Washington, regularly recalibrates them by administering CO from a tank through a tube and checking that the reading is correct.
Washington’s fruit and vegetable industry is also taking steps to protect their own employees, as well as our F&V inspectors, from the dangers of CO exposure.
Most significantly, warehouses have been transitioning from fuel-burning forklifts to all-electric models. Many have been installing more fans to blow fresh air into facilities. And they’ve installed their own CO gas monitors.
As a result, CO incidents are much less common, according to F&V regional managers.
Big thanks to the following staff who provided information for this article: Robert Ambriz and Jason Gambill, Safety Office; Robert Newell, Maria Valle, Tabitha Hernandez and Mark Buechler, Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program.
In summary: In annual state Safety Surveys of years past, WSDA employees expressed concern about being exposed to carbon monoxide (CO). Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program (F&V) inspectors who spend time in industry packing warehouses in Eastern Washington raised the issue most. Since then, WSDA’s Safety Program, F&V, and private industry have taken steps to address the concerns and lessen the risks for all warehouse employees. Read this Insider blog post to learn more.
