Two Vietnamese migrant workers were overcome after allegedly inhaling high levels of hexane in a factory in Taichung in central Taiwan on Monday afternoon.
The 36-year-old Vietnamese man surnamed Bui and his 29-year-old co-worker surnamed Doan reportedly lost consciousness at about 2.30pm while using hexane – a solvent – to clean units for the manufacturing of sophisticated instruments and apparatus at Lung Pien Vacuum Industry Company Ltd, The Liberty Times reported.
The pair were quickly sent to Tungs’ Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital, where they were in a stable condition but required to reside for further treatment.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States, hexane is a colorless volatile liquid that is insoluble in water but highly flammable.
Acute inhalation exposure of high levels of hexane can upset people’s central nervous system and cause mild effects such as dizziness, giddiness, slight nausea, and headache.
Hexanes may cause permanent damage to the neuronal system. Why is this permitted? And why was thrre no ventilation and exposure protection?Pentane is equally effective, and it just comes with the explosion hazards of volatile hydrocarbons.