Series of tests fail to solve mystery of Kaiser illnesses
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 11:58 PM PDT
By Barbara LaBoe
Printable version
E-mail this articleThe mystery smell that sickened 12 Longview Kaiser Permanente workers in June likely always will remain a mystery, officials said Monday.
Extensive testing by an outside consultant and the state Department of Occupational Safety and Health failed to find any cause of the smell that caused some employees to faint or vomit on the afternoon of June 10. No patients became ill, but the Longview medical clinic was evacuated as a precaution.
With the final negative test results back the investigation has been officially closed. It could be reopened if new information comes to light, said Karen Carter, the medical clinic manager.
Everything from the air system to coffee pots and water coolers were tested without finding anything that would make employees sick, she said. Attempts to recreate the smell by running suspected machines also failed to produce anything. A further problem is that several employees described the smell differently, including a hair permanent, formaldehyde or an old, soiled carpet.
While Kaiser did file paperwork with the state about some of the sick employees, the company did not receive any fines or reprimands about the incident, spokesman David Northfield said.
“And the good news is so far it hasn’t come back,” Carter said, adding the company wanted to take every precaution to assure its employees the offices were safe.
The incident has led to some changes.
Carbon monoxide monitors have been installed throughout the building and are set lower than the standard level to detect any trace amounts. A deep cleaning of the entire building also is planned as a precaution, though no particular surface or area was identified as a problem. Air evacuators also will be used to draw out air from any rooms where doctors must cauterize something like a wart for removal. No problems were identified with the procedure, but it does produce a smell and the steps are being taken as added precaution, Carter said.
The June 10 event also highlighted the need for a more streamlined evacuation plan, Carter said. While such decisions still must be cleared by officials at headquarters, a team of administrators and employees is re-evaluating the best way to put them in place. Medical clinics with patients undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy have special challenges when it comes to evacuations, but the company wants to review all of its procedures, Carter said.
Related articles:
State concludes Kaiser interviews; report on illnesses due next week (June 19)
Work resumes at Kaiser Permanente, but source of odor remains a mystery (June 12)
Mysterious odor sickens 8 workers at Kaiser (June 11)
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