Law Department notice on WTC document preservation, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Appendix L

Details on Use of Respirators at Ground Zero Reports on Lack of Respirator Use

An October 2001 report^‘ by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences discussed worker safety issues at the WTC site for the period up to October 5,2001. The report’s observations generally focused on construction workers at the site and not Fire Department rescue team or Federal disaster assistance personnel. According to the report:

• Respiratory protection was rare with the exception of heavy equipment operators. Further, workers were observed in the smoke plume emanating from the pile without hard hats, eye wear, or respirators.

• Workers did not decon [decontaminate] after leaving the site. The hand/face and boot wash stations did not appear to be used by most of the workers.

• During the September 22-26,2001, period, an increase in worker protection was observed, notably respiratory protection. Vehicles leaving the site began to be hosed down.

• There was no evidence that any safety and health program was operating at the site. The lack of an operating safety and health program was confirmed by various support personnel, workers, and government officials.

A January 2002 report^ prepared by a certified industrial hygienist for the Operating Engineers National Hazmat Program noted that during the period October 2-16,2001, less than half of the heavy equipment operators regularly used respirators when working on the “pile” at Ground Zero, and often this use decreased to less than one-third of the workers This report, which discussed respiratory protection lessons from the WTC disaster, concluded that the respirators NIOSH recommended for use at the site were correct and sufficiently protective provided that they were properly tested and conscientiously worn.

In contrast to the recovery operation at the WTC site, the Januaiy 2002 report noted that workers conducting WTC debris sorting and inspection at the Fresh Kills landfill were wearing half-face respirators, hard hats, eye protection, and Tyvek suits. The author noted that respiratory protection compliance by workers at Fresh Kills was reported to be approximately 90 percent as

21 “Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) Response to the World Trade Center Disaster. Initial WETP Grantee Response and Preliminary Assessment of Training Needs,” Donald Elisburg, John Moran, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences WETP, National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training, October 6,2001. 22 “Respiratory Protection at the World Trade Center: Lessons From the Other Disaster,” Bruce Lippy, CIH, CSP, January 15,2002. 99 Report No. 2003-P-00012

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