TRACON controller states that he became ill when working in the control room, the result of ingested...

Narrative:

During a heavy radar session on a combined position, the radar room was filled with exhaust fumes for about 10 mins due to an aircraft with engines running parked by our bldg near the fresh air intakes. After a few mins, I felt dizzy and nauseous and afterwards eye irritation and headache. I feel that my judgement was impaired and my ability to concentrate compromised. This is an ongoing problem at alb and many people are becoming ill -- on position! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated this problem became serious and constant in early summer, after new jetways were opened. The main terminal was expanded towards the tower/TRACON and a new extended concourse was also opened. The tower/TRACON's fresh air intake vents are located at ground level, facing the new concourse/jetways. As the aircraft taxi to/from the new parking areas, their exhaust is ingested into the tower/TRACON fresh air vents. The tower had to be evacuate/evacuationed. Recently, the control room fume incidents have been publicized in the local newspaper, and recently in a national newspaper. Airport management has attempted to block fumes with barricades, but with no satisfaction. The reporter also stated that the ATIS has a statement requesting aircraft to turn engines off when parking, due to exhaust fume ingestion into the tower/TRACON. A new facility has been built, diagonally across the runways, northeast of runway 19 and runway 28. Occupation was to be accomplished mid jan/99, but certification problems have been encountered in the etvs system -- a keyboard communication pad system -- and now occupation has been delayed until jul/99. The reporter recently had controllers leave the control room because of the fumes, combining all control sectors to his without assistance. The reporter states that neither management, maintenance, nor the union has been able to resolve this condition.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACON CTLR STATES THAT HE BECAME ILL WHEN WORKING IN THE CTL ROOM, THE RESULT OF INGESTED ACFT ENG EXHAUST FUMES THROUGH THE FACILITY AIR INTAKE, AIR CONDITIONING SYS.

Narrative: DURING A HVY RADAR SESSION ON A COMBINED POS, THE RADAR ROOM WAS FILLED WITH EXHAUST FUMES FOR ABOUT 10 MINS DUE TO AN ACFT WITH ENGS RUNNING PARKED BY OUR BLDG NEAR THE FRESH AIR INTAKES. AFTER A FEW MINS, I FELT DIZZY AND NAUSEOUS AND AFTERWARDS EYE IRRITATION AND HEADACHE. I FEEL THAT MY JUDGEMENT WAS IMPAIRED AND MY ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE COMPROMISED. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB AT ALB AND MANY PEOPLE ARE BECOMING ILL -- ON POS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS PROB BECAME SERIOUS AND CONSTANT IN EARLY SUMMER, AFTER NEW JETWAYS WERE OPENED. THE MAIN TERMINAL WAS EXPANDED TOWARDS THE TWR/TRACON AND A NEW EXTENDED CONCOURSE WAS ALSO OPENED. THE TWR/TRACON'S FRESH AIR INTAKE VENTS ARE LOCATED AT GND LEVEL, FACING THE NEW CONCOURSE/JETWAYS. AS THE ACFT TAXI TO/FROM THE NEW PARKING AREAS, THEIR EXHAUST IS INGESTED INTO THE TWR/TRACON FRESH AIR VENTS. THE TWR HAD TO BE EVACED. RECENTLY, THE CTL ROOM FUME INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN PUBLICIZED IN THE LCL NEWSPAPER, AND RECENTLY IN A NATIONAL NEWSPAPER. ARPT MGMNT HAS ATTEMPTED TO BLOCK FUMES WITH BARRICADES, BUT WITH NO SATISFACTION. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE ATIS HAS A STATEMENT REQUESTING ACFT TO TURN ENGS OFF WHEN PARKING, DUE TO EXHAUST FUME INGESTION INTO THE TWR/TRACON. A NEW FACILITY HAS BEEN BUILT, DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE RWYS, NE OF RWY 19 AND RWY 28. OCCUPATION WAS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED MID JAN/99, BUT CERTIFICATION PROBS HAVE BEEN ENCOUNTERED IN THE ETVS SYS -- A KEYBOARD COM PAD SYS -- AND NOW OCCUPATION HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL JUL/99. THE RPTR RECENTLY HAD CTLRS LEAVE THE CTL ROOM BECAUSE OF THE FUMES, COMBINING ALL CTL SECTORS TO HIS WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE RPTR STATES THAT NEITHER MGMNT, MAINT, NOR THE UNION HAS BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS CONDITION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	422484
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : alb
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 8 controller radar : 15 controller supervisory : 2
ASRS Report	422484
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Intra Facility Coordination Failure other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

TRACON controller states that he became ill when working in the control room, the result of ingested aircraft engine exhaust fumes through the facility air intake, air conditioning system.