About hundreds of workers in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill clean up operation have complained of symptoms of nausea, nose bleeds, vomiting, and headaches. This may obviously fill people’s mind that it is due to the hazards associated with the oil slick and chemicals used, but the most ironic part is that these symptoms are all related to heat exposure.
The workers who have been suffering from the symptoms are being examined and none have been found to be suffering from the oil hazards but rather from the heat.
OSHA had issued guidelines in late June for worker’s health and safety in the spill operation, that include the limited use of respirators around the exposed oil which is near the oil gusher. There are about 40 employees dedicated to the oil disaster and who have performed more than 2000 work-site visits. Data from the Louisiana Office of Public Health shows that hundreds of workers have reported those symptoms which are similar to oil exposure but more than 60% of the workers were working off shore where most of the concentrated oil is found. This data can be misleading as this makes it look like the workers were sick from oil exposure and in fact from OSHA’s analysis they were most likely sick from heat.
The workers who have been suffering from the symptoms are being examined and none have been found to be suffering from the oil hazards but rather from the heat.
OSHA had issued guidelines in late June for worker’s health and safety in the spill operation, that include the limited use of respirators around the exposed oil which is near the oil gusher. There are about 40 employees dedicated to the oil disaster and who have performed more than 2000 work-site visits. Data from the Louisiana Office of Public Health shows that hundreds of workers have reported those symptoms which are similar to oil exposure but more than 60% of the workers were working off shore where most of the concentrated oil is found. This data can be misleading as this makes it look like the workers were sick from oil exposure and in fact from OSHA’s analysis they were most likely sick from heat.
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