Chemical exposure results in injuries, pink slips at Iowa wind blade maker, lawsuits claim

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Hat tip, Jordan Barab: Dispatches From The Front Lines of the War For Safer Workplaces: Short Stuff

Go To Work, Get Sick, Get Fired: In Iowa, we’re seeing an example of good, investigative journalism leading to action. Because who doesn’t love a story about workers being exposed to toxic chemicals, being given ineffective personal protective equipment, suffering debilitating disease and then getting fired while OSHA does nothing? The paper is the Des Moines Register. The company is TPI Composites and the harmful chemical is epoxy resin, containing isocyantes, used to glue fiberglass sheets onto wind turbine blades. Isocyanates can cause sensitization, a form of severe allergy. One worker suffered tiny bumps and rashes on her skin. And then skin itching, watering and swollen eyes, open wounds on her eyelids, menstrual cycle irregularities and bumps, burns and rashes all over her body. When she stayed home because the doctor ordered her to avoid the epoxy resin, she was fired. Then the company sought to deny her workers’ compensation claim. Workers are given paper masks and overalls to protect them against the isocyanates, which in addition to causing sensitization, also cause cancer. To protect against this family of chemicals, DuPont, the chemical’s manufacturer recommends a nonwoven coverall, heavy-duty protection that resembles rubber or plastic, instead of the less expensive paper that the workers were provided.

Six former employees are suing the company, and logs of Iowa’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration show more than 300 recorded cases of skin injuries at TPI from the plant’s opening in 2008 through 2016. But OSHA has never cited the company for skin disease.

The good news is that following the Des Moines Register story, Iowa OSHA is investigating the situation. Even Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is involved. “First and foremost, we want to make sure that Iowa workers are working in a safe environment — and that’s across the board,” Reynolds said. “So that’s our number one priority.”

Chemical exposure results in injuries, pink slips at Iowa wind blade maker, lawsuits claim

Kevin Hardy and Grant Rodgers, The Des Moines Register Published 6:00 a.m. CT Dec. 16, 2017 | Updated 4:10 p.m. CT Dec. 18, 2017

© COPYRIGHT 2017, DES MOINES REGISTER AND TRIBUNE COMPANY

Every day, Zarpka “Patience” Green scratches at the constant, gnawing itch that plagues her entire body. ... It keeps her up at night. Her skin is so sensitive, she avoids winter coats and layered clothing, she said.

For relief, she showers at least twice a day and regularly slathers up with handfuls of lotion.

The 36-year-old suffers from contact dermatitis, a condition she says she contracted while crawling inside cavernous wind turbine blades to apply a hazardous resin at TPI Composites' Newton factory.

To make matters worse, Green says TPI fired her because of the illness.