Two workers were given medical exams Tuesday for possible exposure to chemical vapors despite a stop work order issued Monday by the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council (HAMTC), a union umbrella group. The order stopped all work in Hanford Site tank farms unless workers are using mandatory supplied air respirators. HAMTC directed two groups of workers not wearing supplied air respirators to leave two different tank farms on Monday.
Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS), the Hanford tank farm contractor, complied with the stop work order Tuesday by continuing work with employees on supplied air within the fences that mark the boundaries of tank farms. The company’s usual policy is to mandate supplied air respirators only if it believes there is a risk of chemical vapor emissions.
The two workers who reported symptoms Tuesday were not covered by the stop work order because they were outside the tank farms. The closest farm was the AP Tank Farm, a double-shell area, where reportedly no work was being conducted. The workers were given medical evaluations and cleared to return to work, according to WRPS. Workers were told to leave the vicinity but allowed to return after analysis of air samples showed air quality met safe standards, WRPS said.
More than 50 Hanford workers have received medical evaluations in recent months for possible exposure to chemical vapors or because they were nearby areas with suspected chemical vapors. All were cleared to return to work, according to WRPS, but workers fear chemical exposure could lead to serious lung and neurological issues.
