En reddit tråd med svar från svenskar
https://www.reddit.com/r/chemistry/comments/1dp7bvt/3_sudden_deaths_lithium_battery_factory/
Citat:
I've worked there before. It's not really a safe place to work in my opinion. Some of my colleagues found Li in their blood, but it could also be a coincidence considering the number of employees there.
I don't want to talk much in public. The whole production area was contaminated with NMC. My colleague worked on the anode side, where there shouldn't be any exposure to lithium, but he found lithium in his body higher than the limit. Another colleague got fired after raising a safety concern, and they accused her of stealing or something serious (I don't remember exactly what). She said she didn't do any of that. But I might be biased, as I only heard her story.
Citat:
The cleaners work for Sodexo, not Northvolt, and most of its employees apart from top level are migrants. That alone could cause problems with translation and understanding of safety procedures. All cleaning staff use a full body suit, with the face exposed and are then using various masks over the mouth and nose. (I use the term "basic face mask" for the doctor/nurse/dentist type of face mask made of paper, blue on one side and with a little metal bar to shape to the nose)
It seems that there are two main issues. Firstly the three levels of safety needed; green, yellow and red. It is also to do with the mixing of chemicals by Northvolt staff. Cleaners can use basic face masks for green & yellow, or a half-face mask with filters, while a red room needs full facemasks and filters. If a red room has mix powder in it, they are not supposed to enter. It seems that cleaners are not sure that the cards are correctly used, and feel they may have been in a yellow or red area when it showed green or yellow (resp.).
Secondly, they use Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). If they were to go into a red room with mix powders while using IPA, that could definitely be an issue as IPA is a solvent and could easily mix with the chemicals left in there. The main concern currently, seems to be that IPA could be contributing to/causing these deaths. I find that unlikely on its own, as by the time they got home, the IPA would be reducing in concentration in their systems - it is normally metabolised in 3-8 hours. One problem could be diabetics, as it takes a lot less to kill a diabetic suffering ketoacidosis.
Without the autopsy results, we are left with speculation. The cleaning firm should immediately force their staff to wear full face masks & filters and suits at all times when using IPA and in the building - unless it is a totally safe room, such as a canteen/toilets etc. - until the results of said autopsies are published.
My speculation is that they are not using enough protection. O would not use basic masks, many people either forget, or cannot shape, the bar to completely seal the nose and so when breeathing in have leakages around those basic masks. Everyone should be using a half or full face mask with filters. THis would mean less hours allowed though, as using a proper face-mask limits the hours they are allowed to work. I think we can conclude that Sodexo are paying basic wages and giving inadequate PPE to maximise the hours their staff can work for the same money.
