Safety Plan in a food distribution warehouse

You are the safety and occupational health professional for your city’s Health Department. You received a call from a

major food distribution warehouse that some employees are complaining of dizziness and feeling sick.

 

When you arrive on scene, you are in a very large warehouse, a significant portion of which is refrigerated. The illnesses

are being reported from a refrigerated section (about 40 degrees F) where workers are blister packing food products on a

production line. The warehouse has 20 loading docks, two railroad car lines that end directly inside the warehouse (in

close proximity to the production area), a dozen or so gas powered forklifts, and no sensors or environmental monitors of

any kind except those associated with the refrigeration systems.

 

The warehouse manager is cooperative, but he points out that he is in the middle of contract negotiations with the union.

He is also very proud of the fact that they have special seals on the loading dock doors and throughout the warehouse to

keep the cold in and the heat out.

 

You cannot identify any discernible odors other than the exhaust from the forklifts when they move by you. There are

four ladies waiting for you in the break room complaining of dizziness and lightheadedness. They are all comparing and

complaining about their symptoms. There are 14 employees who work in this area of the warehouse – 12 women and

2 men.

 

Instructions:

 

Based on the given scenario, develop a plan of action that includes how you would conduct the investigation, state how

you would identify possible sources of the problem, and provide your opinion on the likely source. Discuss the standards

applicable to possible sources. Include several recommendations you would make to the manager to help solve the

problem based on your research into documented best practices for similar situations. (You may make assumptions about

the scenario in order to propose solutions – just be certain to state your assumptions clearly).

 

The Case Study must be a minimum of four pages to a maximum of six pages in length, double-spaced, and should follow

APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources. Use Microsoft word to create your response

to the case study.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.