Grand Forks, ND – A Grand Forks business is under scrutiny following an employee’s medical emergency and the detection of carbon monoxide.
Emergency personnel responded to an incident at Associated Potato Growers Inc., 2001 N. Sixth St., shortly before 2 p.m. Monday, according to officials with both the Grand Forks fire and police departments. Shortly afterwards, responders detected carbon monoxide, spurring a closer look at the safety measures the company has in place and whether they’re up to code.
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Paul Dolan, general manager at Associated Potato Growers, described the incident.
“There was a lady that passed out (on site),” he said. “The lady next to her caught her, so she didn’t fall and hit her head or anything. She wasn’t very responsive, so they called 911.”
Dolan said the woman was later found to have “carbon monoxide issues,” which he said were likely aggravated by an existing health condition. No other employees have reported similar problems, he said.
Rob Corbett, battalion chief with the Grand Forks Fire Department, directed questions about the medical incident to Altru Hospital. Sally Grosgebauer, a public relations official with Altru, said she was unable to release any details.
Dolan said the presence of the gas in the facility was first detected by monitors carried by emergency personnel as the woman was being transported from the building, and has since been traced to two propane-powered forklifts. Corbett said that the presence of the gas decreased in the facility once mechanics made adjustments to the machines later that day and that the facility is now safe.
Grand Forks Fire Marshal Matt Hageman and Mechanical Inspector Kevin Storstad visited the facility Tuesday. Storstad said he did not see any carbon monoxide detectors in place and said he has required facility operators to add detectors in order to continue operating.
“I will be looking into it to see what code was in place at the time this was constructed, and that will determine what was required,” Storstad said of the facility. He said that he did not know what penalties the company might face if it’s determined that a violation took place, suggesting that the matter might be resolved by simply installing new detectors.
Dolan said that his facility has previously had carbon monoxide detectors, but they were previously removed after they failed and were not replaced. He emphasized, though, that his business takes employee safety seriously.
“We’re constantly trying to do things to make the workplace safer for our employees,” he said. “We do audits every year within our system, we’ve had a person on staff for our employees’ safety that we didn’t used to have. It’s the first season we’ve had that.”
Corbett said all local residents and business owners must be aware of the potential dangers of carbon monoxide, calling detectors for the gas “cheap insurance.” Symptoms of mild or moderate carbon monoxide poisoning include fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea, while more serious cases can lead to confusion, vomiting, loss of coordination or consciousness or even death.
“Your symptoms are very much related to the carbon monoxide level as well as the duration of exposure,” he said, suggesting that local residents keep close tabs on potential sources of danger. “Anything mechanical, whether it be a furnace, a forklift, your own vehicle, they’re all designed to run at a certain range, and if something is running rich, that can cause an increase in carbon monoxide.”